Jordan's king appoints new PM

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday nominated his chief of staff to be the new prime minister, the royal palace said, charging him with forming a government after parliamentary elections. The outgoing premier, Bisher Khasawneh, submitted his resignation to the king earlier on Sunday. Under the kingdom's constitution, the government usually resigns after legislative elections. 'King Abdullah on Sunday tasked Jafar Hassan with forming a new government,' a palace statement said. As well as being chief of staff, the 56-year-old Hassan was previously planning minister. In a letter published by the palace, King Abdullah called on Hassan to 'mobilise all efforts to support the steadfastness of our Palestinian brothers' in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and 'Holy Jerusalem'.