This week, Iraq was plunged into more political uncertainty. Lawmakers from the parliamentary bloc of powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr resigned en masse at their leader's request. The Sadrist bloc is the largest in parliament and since an election last October, parties have been unable to form a government. The move aims to up pressure in a bid to end the country's political paralysis. We take a closer look.
Meanwhile, more than half of the population of Syria – some 12.5 million people – don't have enough to eat, according to the World Food Programme. Now, with the country in the middle of a summer drought, the situation is becoming even worse. As if that wasn't enough, the war in Ukraine is contributing to soaring food prices.
