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Jordan King Accepts Prime Minister's Resignation

Jordan's Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh submitted his resignation on Thursday to King Abdullah II, barely six months after he formed a government to bring in much-needed reforms, a senior official said.

"His Majesty, the king, accepted Khasawneh's resignation Thursday morning," he told Agence France Presse without elaborating.

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Libya's ex-Rebels Arrive in Jordan for Training

The first batch of 10,000 former Libyan rebels arrived on Wednesday in Jordan for training in order integrate into their country's interior ministry, the kingdom's security department said.

Under a deal signed between Amman and Tripoli in December, the former rebels who helped topple Moammar Gadhafi's regime last year will receive training at an international police center east of Amman, deputy police chief Major-General Mohammed Raqqad said in a statement.

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U.N. Boosts Food Assistance to Syrians

The U.N.'s World Food Program said on Tuesday it was boosting assistance to the population in strife-torn Syria, to reach 500,000 people in the coming weeks.

"As the conflict continues, Syrians in areas affected by the violence are struggling to feed their families and WFP is deeply concerned about the potential for food insecurity," executive director Ertharin Cousin said in a statement.

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Jordan Editor Charged with Anti-Regime Incitement

A news website editor was charged with anti-regime incitement on Monday, a prosecutor said, after he published allegations over a graft probe into a $7 billion project.

"Jamal Muhtaseb, chief editor of Gerasa News, was charged with incitement against the regime today," the military state security court prosecutor told Agence France Presse without elaborating, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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U.S., Jordan to Participate in 17-Nation War Games

The United States, its ally Jordan and 15 other countries will next month participate in military exercises to be held in the kingdom, Jordan's military said in a statement on Sunday.

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, and his Jordanian counterpart Meshaal Zaben discussed the preparations for the land, sea and air exercises, the statement added.

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U.N. Says Jordan Needs Help for Hosting Syrian Refugees

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Sunday cash-strapped Jordan needs help to cope with hosting tens of thousands of Syrians who have fled the unrest in their country to the neighboring kingdom.

"Jordan has always been generous to refugees. Neighboring and other friendly countries should help the kingdom cope with the Syrian refugees," UNHCR representative in Jordan, Andrew Harper, told Prime Minister Awan Khasawneh at a meeting.

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Egypt Mufti's Visit to Jerusalem Causes Stir

Egyptian Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa's visit to Jerusalem caused a stir on Thursday in his own country, where normalization of ties with Israel remains a highly sensitive issue.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood called the trip a "catastrophe" that undermined Palestinian aspirations, and Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest authority, was to meet to discuss the issue.

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U.N. Says 12,500 Registered Syrian Refugees in Jordan

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Thursday the number of registered Syrians who have fled the unrest in their country to neighboring Jordan reached around 12,500 this month.

"In Jordan, some 12,500 Syrians had registered with UNHCR as of mid-April 2012. This figure is expected to increase as UNHCR and partners expand their outreach efforts and level of assistance to Syrians," the agency said in a statement on its website.

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Britain Arrests Cleric Abu Qatada in New Deportation Bid

British authorities on Tuesday arrested radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada, who is accused of ties to late al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden, as they resumed efforts to deport him to Jordan.

The UK government has been trying to extradite the 51-year-old Jordanian since 2005 arguing that he is a threat to national security, but British and European courts have repeatedly thwarted its efforts on human rights grounds.

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Salafist Leader: Jordan Nabs Syria-bound Jihadists

A top Jordanian Salafist leader said on Tuesday eight Sunni jihadists have been arrested as they tried to cross the border into neighboring Syria to fight President Bashar Assad's forces.

"The Jordanian authorities have recently arrested eight jihadists as they attempted to go to Syria for jihad. They are currently in the Zarqa prison waiting for prosecutors to charge them," Abed Shehadeh, known as Abu Mohammad Tahawi, told Agence France Presse.

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