Jordan’s PM Mulki resigns after protests – reports

Jordan’s Prime Minister Hani Mulki submitted his resignation to King Abdullah on Monday, and Omar al-Razzaz was asked to form a new government, Reuters reported, citing an official source. The move is aimed at soothing anger over economic policies that have sparked the largest protests in several years and dozens of arrests. Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of the capital Amman and main provincial towns again on Sunday, extending days of protests that have shaken the country. The staunch US ally has remained stable through years of turmoil in the region. Political sources said Abdullah had summoned Mulki for an audience in the king’s palace. Public anger has grown since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies. The measures were driven by the International Monetary Fund.