New Jordan government requested by king

Jordan's King Abdullah has asked former minister Adnan Badran to form a new cabinet to push forward a reform agenda after the…

Jordan's King Abdullah has asked former minister Adnan Badran to form a new cabinet to push forward a reform agenda after the government resigned.

The monarch accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez - a former palace aide and tribal leader - and asked Mr Badran to become the new prime minister.

The officials said the new government was expected to accelerate IMF-guided free market reforms and to maintain traditional support for US policies in the region.

Most powers rest with the king who appoints governments, approves legislation and can dissolve parliament.