New Tunisia govt wins confidence vote in parliamen

10:40, February 27, 2020

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  Iraq parliament postpones confidence vote as deadline looms

  Iraqs bitterly divided parliament postponed a vote of confidence in prime minister-designate Mohammad Allawis government for a second time Saturday, as political wrangling continued ahead of a looming deadline.Baghdad (Photo: AFP)Parliament speaker Mohammed Halbusi said that the crunch vote, which had already been delayed last week for lack of a quorum, would now be held on Sunday.Midnight (2100 GMT) Sunday is the deadline for lawmakers to end a protracted political vacuum and agree on a new government or see President Barham Saleh designate a premier unilaterally.Failure to go ahead with the vote could also trigger a call for mass protests from populist cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose supporters form the largest bloc in parliament and who has demanded that lawmakers approve Allawis government.Iraqs current parliament is the most divided in its recent history and Allawi is struggling to secure support from the countrys Sunni Arab and Kurdish minorities.Kurds and Sunnis are also opposed to a non-binding vote passed by parties representing the Shiite majority for the immediate departure of the 5,200 US troops stationed in Iraq.Iraq has been without a government since Allawis predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi quit under pressure from the street two months ago.Protests have gripped Baghdad and the mainly Shiite south since October, demanding a government of technocrats not beholden to party political or foreign interests to tackle rampant corruption and a failing economy.Demonstrators have already rejected the choice of Allawi for premier, saying he is too close to the confessional political system they have rallied against for months.

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  Highlights of women's singles 3rd round match at Qatar Open

  Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic hits a return during the women's singles third round match against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia at the 2020 WTA Qatar Open in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 26, 2020. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua) Ons Jabeur of Tunisia hits a return during the women's singles third round match agai

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  Brands show confidence in market potential with new product releases

  A number of companies have recently launched their latest products in the Chinese market, showing that potential for consumption remains despite the ongoing epidemic. One of them was electronics giant Xiaomi, which introduced its newest flagship smartphone model at an event on online shopping websit