Prince William on historic Mideast trip, praises U.K.-Jordan ties

AMMAN – Prince William on Sunday praised "historic ties and friendship" between Britain and Jordan, as he kicked off a historic, politically delicate five-day tour of the desert kingdom, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Though billed as nonpolitical, it's a high-profile foreign visit for William, 36, second in line to the throne. He is meeting with young scientists, refugees and political leaders in a tumultuous region Britain controlled between the two world wars. On Sunday, he was welcomed in Jordan by 23-year-old Crown Prince Hussein, a member of the Hashemite dynasty Britain helped install in then-Transjordan almost a century ago. William was greeted by an honor guard after his plane landed at a small airport on the outskirts of the capital of Amman.