Amman - The new US President Barak Obama on Wednesday called Jordan's King Abdullah II to discuss latest Middle East developments and bilateral relations, the royal court said.

"King Abdullah congratulated President Obama on the takeover of his responsibilities, telling him that he looked forward to working with him in addressing the region's issues," a court statement said.

Amman - King Abdullah II of Jordan on Wednesday issued instructions for authorities to take "urgent and immediate steps" to facilitate entry of Iraqis to the country and grant them residence permits, the royal court said.

He made the remarks as he presided over a meeting of top officials to discuss moves for easing measures which have been adopted by the Jordanian border authorities over the past months to limit the influx of Iraqis to the Hashemite Kingdom.

Amman - Arab stock markets plummeted across the board this week in response to losses incurred by the world's major bourses, the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip and falling oil prices, financial analysts said Friday.

They expected regional markets to suffer further in the coming weeks, amid expectations that upcoming releases of 2008 corporate figures might turn out worse that expected.

Amman  - German Deputy Interior Minister Hans-August Hanning on Tuesday discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and bilateral security cooperation with the Jordanian Interior Minister Eid al- Fay