Amman - King Abdullah II of Jordan flew to Riyadh Wednesday for talks with the Saudi leadership at the start of a new round of regional diplomacy to spur the stalled Palestinian-Israeli talks.

The visit comes in the wake of what Amman officials labeled as a successful trip to Washington by the Jordanian monarch last week.

King Abdullah planned similar meetings in the coming few days with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, they added.

Washington, Apr. 25 : Jordan''s King Abdullah II has said in an American TV interview that there is enough evidence available to suggest that the United States had engaged in torture, a topic that has turned into a political firestorm since the release last week of Bush-era interrogation memos.

Abdullah, when asked in an interview with NBC News if he thought the U. S. had tortured, was quoted by Fox News as saying such accounts suggest "that is the case," calling the CIA''s controversial interrogation techniques "illegal ways of dealing with detainees."

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II left for Japan on Sunday for a working visit that was due to last for several days, the royal court announced. The monarch would meet with Japanese Emperor Akihito and have talks with Prime Minister Taro Aso on the latest developments in the Middle East and efforts to re-launch peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The discussions were also expected to focus on means of boosting bilateral economic and trade ties. Abdullah was also scheduled to meet in Tokyo with prominent politicians, parliamentarians and private sector leaders.

Amman - King Abdullah II of Jordan is to pay a working visit to Japan starting on Sunday, the royal court announced Wednesday.

During the visit, which is due to last for several days, the monarch will meet Emperor Akitio and hold talks with Prime Minister Taro Aso that focus on latest developments in the Middle East, particularly efforts under way to spur peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, a royal court statement said.

The discussions will also tackle means of boosting bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic spheres, it added.

Amman - Two senior Jordanian officials left Amman for Damascus Tuesday on a fence-mending trip, officials said.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and the Royal Court Chief Nasser Lawzi are scheduled to relay a message from King Abdullah II to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "which pertains to latest developments in the region and means of boosting bilateral ties," a royal court statement said.