Jordan bans media coverage of royal rift

Jordan yesterday banned all news outlets and social media users from publishing any content related to King Abdullah's half-brother Prince Hamza after the latter was accused of plotting to destabilise the country. Prince Hamza pledged allegiance to King Abdullah late on Monday after mediation by the royal family, two days after the military warned him over actions it said were undermining "security and stability" in Jordan and placed him under house arrest. In unprecedented public criticism, Hamza, who was crown prince until King Abdullah removed him from the post in 2004, accused Jordan's leaders of corruption and serving only their own interests. The government says he liaised with people linked to foreign parties in a plot to destabilise Jordan and that he had been under investigation for some time.