After a year of political gridlock and instability, Iraq is finally on the verge of forming a government as Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Shia al-Sudani assembles his cabinet. But three years after a mass protest movement over corruption, unemployment and a lack of basic services upended the country's political system, many Iraqis remain sceptical that change is on the way. Our correspondents Marie-Charlotte Roupie and Yasmine Mosimann report from Baghdad.
Over in the West Bank, tensions have been rising for months. More than 120 Palestinians have been killed this year amid raids by Israeli armed forces, the highest death toll in seven years. The violence is making it difficult for the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, to maintain its legitimacy among the local population. Young Palestinians disillusioned with the Authority's security cooperation with Israel are increasingly supportive of armed groups, as confrontations continue with Israeli settlers in the occupied territory.
Finally, Lebanon's ongoing economic and financial crisis has not spared the country's pharmaceutical sector. Now, cancer patients – including those with breast cancer – are facing a critical shortage of necessary medication. Beyond their physical suffering, the situation is also taking a toll on patients' mental health. Our Beirut correspondent Joëlle Maroun reports.
