No-confidence vote: Pakistan PM Imran Khan gets a weekend breather

Pakistan National Assembly's crucial session on a no-trust motion against embattled PM Imran Khan was adjourned on Friday without tabling of the resolution, amid vociferous protests from opposition

Pakistan National Assembly’s crucial session on a no-trust motion against embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan (pictured) was adjourned on Friday without tabling of the resolution, amid vociferous protests from opposition lawmakers.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said that the session was adjourned till 4pm on March 28 due to the demise of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker Khayal Zaman on February 14.

Several prominent opposition members, including Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples' Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chair Asif Ali Zardari were in the Parliament House on Friday to participate in the much-anticipated session.

As Speaker Qaiser adjourned the session, opposition leaders started protesting, requesting him to take up the motion but the speaker did not turn their microphones on and retired to his chamber. The speaker said t the decision on taking up the no-confidence motion would be taken in the next session.

Evidence signals midair break-up of China plane
 
At least one piece of the Boeing  737-800 that crashed in China appears to have broken loose well before impact, a finding that adds mystery to the plane’s fatal dive.  The piece suspected to have come from the China Eastern Airlines jet was found about 10 km  from the main wreckage area, Chinese officials said.  If investigators confirm that the part came from the jet, it would indicate the plane suffered some kind of midair breakup, which could offer clues about what led to Monday’s crash or at least shed light on the flight’s final seconds. “The questions are: exactly what piece was it and when did it come off?” said Jeff Guzzetti, the former chief of accident investigations at the US Federal Aviation Administration.              
 
Fire in Saudi city before F1 race; Houthis claim attacks
 
A raging fire erupted Friday at an oil depot in Jeddah ahead of an F1 race in the Saudi city, according to videos, with Yemen's Houthis rebels acknowledging they had launched a series of attacks on the kingdom. While Saudi Arabia and its state-run oil behemoth Saudi Aramco did not immediately acknowledge the blaze, it appeared to be centred on the same fuel depot that the Houthis had attacked in recent days.
 
The North Jeddah Bulk Plant sits just southeast of the city's international airport, a crucial hub for Muslim pilgrims heading to Mecca. Videos of the blaze corresponded to known geographic features around the plant. Saudi Aramco did not respond to a request for comment. Those at the F1 track could see the large black smoke cloud in the distance.             
 
N Korea: New ICBM to curb ‘dangerous’ moves by US
 
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un near Hwasong-17 —the country’s latest ICBM. North Korea said the new ICBM — test-fired on Thursday — will curb dangerous moves by the US
 
Microplastics found in blood for the first time
 
Microplastics were detected in human blood for the first time, according to a study that may indicate the potential for particles to travel to organs.
 
Scientists found 17 of the 22 healthy people they took samples from had quantifiable amounts of plastic particles in their blood. Researchers said further study is needed to determine the health risks of the materials.
 
Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment and can be found in marine animals to drinking water, though the WHOhas said there’s insufficient information to draw firm conclusions about how toxic they are for people and more research is needed.
Over 300 mt of plastic are produced every year and at least 14 mt end up in the ocean where they can be ingested by animals and risk entering the human food supply chain, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Some materials can take centuries to break down, and growing concerns about their pollutive impacts have spurred bans on single-use plastic bags.