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Jordanian-Cypriot-Greek Summit Tackles Economic Cooperation

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, center, talks to the media as Jordan's King Abdullah II, left, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras listen during a press conference at the Presidential palace in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, on Tuesday. Jan. 16, 2018. (AP)
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, center, talks to the media as Jordan's King Abdullah II, left, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras listen during a press conference at the Presidential palace in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, on Tuesday. Jan. 16, 2018. (AP)
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Jordanian-Cypriot-Greek Summit Tackles Economic Cooperation

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, center, talks to the media as Jordan's King Abdullah II, left, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras listen during a press conference at the Presidential palace in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, on Tuesday. Jan. 16, 2018. (AP)
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, center, talks to the media as Jordan's King Abdullah II, left, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras listen during a press conference at the Presidential palace in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, on Tuesday. Jan. 16, 2018. (AP)

Jordan’s King Abdullah II met in Nicosia on Tuesday with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, focusing on tripartite relations and regional developments.
 
The officials underlined during the meeting the importance of promoting friendly relations between Jordan, Cyprus and Greece and establishing a fruitful partnership that would lead to broadening cooperation in many fields and contribute to peace, security and stability in the region and the world, the Jordanian official news agency reported.
 
The tripartite summit, which included a working lunch, touched on the Palestinian Cause and Jerusalem, as well as efforts to reach political solutions to regional crises. It also addressed regional and international efforts in the war on terror as part of a comprehensive strategy.
 
Cyprus and Jordan signed bilateral agreements on economic and technical cooperation and mutual university recognition of higher education, public health and medical sciences, as well as agriculture and rural development.
 
Earlier on Tuesday, King Abdullah and Anastasiades held a special meeting followed by extensive talks between the delegations of the two countries.
 
According to a press release issued by the Presidency of Cyprus, the foreign ministers of the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on economic and technical cooperation.
 
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi co-signed with Cyprus’ Minister of Education an agreement on mutual university recognition of higher education qualifications, and a protocol for cooperation in the field of public health and medical sciences with the Cypriot Health minister. Other agreements included a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment and the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture in the fields of agriculture and rural development.
 
The first session of tripartite consultations touched on several topics, including cooperation between Jordan, Cyprus and Greece in the fields of enhancing trade and investment, as well as in the sectors of renewable energy, energy efficiency, tourism, agriculture, navigation and shipping, protection of monuments, commercial transport and health.
 
The second session focused on Jordan’s relations with the EU through the Union for the Mediterranean, as well as developments related to the peace process, the situation in Syria and Iraq, and the refugee and migration crises.
 
Speaking on the situation in the Middle East, the King of Jordan said that peace and stability could not be achieved without a lasting and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, “and Jerusalem is the key to the solution.”
 
He stressed that the issue of Jerusalem must be settled within the framework of a “comprehensive peace agreement based on a two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel.”

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Arab World

Syria Imposes Night Curfew on Port City of Latakia

People watch as Syrian Security forces are deployed after clashes erupted during a protest in the city of Latakia, Syria, 28 December 2025. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA
People watch as Syrian Security forces are deployed after clashes erupted during a protest in the city of Latakia, Syria, 28 December 2025. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA
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Syria Imposes Night Curfew on Port City of Latakia

People watch as Syrian Security forces are deployed after clashes erupted during a protest in the city of Latakia, Syria, 28 December 2025. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA
People watch as Syrian Security forces are deployed after clashes erupted during a protest in the city of Latakia, Syria, 28 December 2025. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA

Syrian authorities imposed an overnight curfew in the coastal city of Latakia on Tuesday.

Authorities announced a "curfew in Latakia city, effective from 5:00pm (1400 GMT) on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, until 6:00am (0300 GMT) on Wednesday, December 31, 2025".

Arab World

Jailed Turkish Kurd Leader Calls on Government to Broker Deal for Syrian Kurds

(FILES) Supporters display a poster depicting jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan, after he called on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to disarm and dissolve itself in Diyarbakir, southeastern Türkiye, on February 27, 2025. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)
(FILES) Supporters display a poster depicting jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan, after he called on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to disarm and dissolve itself in Diyarbakir, southeastern Türkiye, on February 27, 2025. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)
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Jailed Turkish Kurd Leader Calls on Government to Broker Deal for Syrian Kurds

(FILES) Supporters display a poster depicting jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan, after he called on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to disarm and dissolve itself in Diyarbakir, southeastern Türkiye, on February 27, 2025. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)
(FILES) Supporters display a poster depicting jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan, after he called on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to disarm and dissolve itself in Diyarbakir, southeastern Türkiye, on February 27, 2025. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)

Jailed Turkish Kurd leader Abdullah Ocalan said Tuesday that it was "crucial" for Türkiye’s government to broker a peace deal between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Damascus government.

Clashes between Syrian forces and the SDF have cast doubt over a deal to integrate the group's fighters into the army, which was due to take effect by the end of the year, reported AFP.

Ocalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) group, called on Türkiye to help ensure implementation of the deal announced in March between the SDF and the Syrian government.

"It is essential for Türkiye to play a role of facilitator, constructively and aimed at dialogue," he said in a message released by Türkiye's pro-Kurdish DEM party.

"This is crucial for both regional peace and to strengthen its own internal peace," Ocalan, who has been jailed for 26 years, added.

"The fundamental demand made in the agreement signed on March 10 between the SDF and the government in Damascus is for a democratic political model permitting (Syria's) peoples to govern together," he added.

"This approach also includes the principle of democratic integration, negotiable with the central authorities. The implementation of the March 10 agreement will facilitate and accelerate that process."

The backbone of the US-backed SDF is the YPG, a Kurdish group seen by Türkiye as an extension of the PKK.

Türkiye and Syria both face long-running unrest in their Kurdish-majority regions, which span their shared border.

In Türkiye, the PKK agreed this year at Ocalan's urging to end its four-decade armed struggle.

In Syria, Sharaa has agreed to merge the Kurds' semi-autonomous administration into the central government, but deadly clashes and a series of differences have held up implementation of the deal.

The SDF is calling for a decentralized government, which Sharaa rejects.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country sees Kurdish fighters across the border as a threat, urged the SDF last week not to be an "obstacle" to stability.

Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said Thursday that "all efforts" were being made to prevent the collapse of talks.

Arab World

Yemen's PLC Imposes No Fly-Zone, Sea and Ground Blockade on All Ports and Crossings

Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi. (Saba)
Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi. (Saba)
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Yemen's PLC Imposes No Fly-Zone, Sea and Ground Blockade on All Ports and Crossings

Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi. (Saba)
Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi. (Saba)

Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi declared on Tuesday a state of emergency throughout the country in wake of the "internal strife caused by the military rebellion in eastern provinces aimed at dividing the republic."

He called for all military formations and forces in the Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra governorates to coordinate completely with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, represented by Saudi Arabia, and to immediately return to their original positions without a fight. They should cede their positions in the two governorates to the National Shield forces.

Al-Alimi said the state of emergency will last 90 days, which can be extended. He also imposed a no fly-zone, sea and ground blockade on all ports and crossings for 72 hours.

The move also stems from "the commitment to the unity of Yemen, its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and the need to confront the Houthi coup that has been ongoing since 2014," he stressed.

Moreover, al-Alimi called on "all United Arab Emirates forces to leave the country within 24 hours."

"We will firmly deal with any rebellion against state institutions," he warned.

He called on the Southern Transitional Council to "return to reason and quickly and unconditionally withdraw its forces from Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra."

Al-Alimi announced the state of emergency shortly after the Saudi-led Arab coalition carried out a "limited" airstrike targeting a military shipment that had arrived in Yemen's Al-Mukalla port.

In a statement, coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the forces detected on Saturday and Sunday the arrival of two vessels from the Port of Fujairah to Mukalla without obtaining any permits from the Joint Forces Command.

Saudi Arabia expressed on Tuesday its disappointment in the United Arab Emirates for pressuring the STC to carry out military operations on the Kingdom's southern borders in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.

A Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said: "The steps taken by the UAE are considered highly dangerous, inconsistent with the principles upon which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen was established, and do not serve the coalition's purpose of achieving security and stability for Yemen."

"The Kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralize any such threat," it declared.