Shiite forces within Iraq’s ruling Coordination Framework have reached an impasse over selecting a new PM, with both Nouri al-Maliki and current PM Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani firmly backing their own bids.

Libya’s electoral scene remains mired in deep divisions, with parliament and the High Council of State clashing over the HNEC’s leadership and budget, leaving the country’s path to credible elections unclear.

Over three consecutive meetings, Iraq’s National Sunni Political Council has failed to agree on a single candidate for the post of parliament speaker, the highest office representing the Sunni bloc under the country’s political norms since 2003.

After years of anticipation on Tunisia’s streets, the country’s most politically charged murder case concluded on October 14, 2025, when the Court of Appeal’s terrorism chamber in Tunis convicted 24 defendants in the assassination of leftist leader Chokri Belaid while clearing Ennahda of any involvement.

As Iraq’s parliament set its late-August agenda without the Popular Mobilization Forces law, questions arose over whether Shiite factions had bowed to U.S. pressure and abandoned legislation they once pledged to force through.