• Tunisia's constituent assembly overwhelmingly approved the north African country's new government, two months after the first free elections since its January revolution.
  • The line-up unveiled by Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party was approved in a confidence vote with 154 in favour, 38 opposed and 11 abstaining.

  • The creation of a new government is a major milestone for Tunisia following the popular revolt against Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, who had been in power for 23 years, that began in December 2010.

  • It triggered what became known as the Arab Spring -- uprisings across the region that also led to the overthrow of veteran dictators in Libya and Egypt.

  • Ben Ali ultimately fled to Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia has charged him in absentia with many crimes including murder.
 
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