Protesters target King of Jordan

Crowds chanted slogans against the King and threw stones at riot police as they protested in several cities for a second day yesterday amid rising anger over fuel price increases.

Jordan has seen nearly two years of street protests calling for political reforms, but they have largely been peaceful and rarely targeted King Abdullah II himself.

Tensions rose late on Tuesday after the government announced it was raising prices for cooking and heating gas by 54 per cent to reduce a massive budget deficit and secure a $2bn loan from the International Monetary Fund.

About 2,000 protesters pelted shops with rocks in the centre of the southern city of Karak.