IRAQ
 
‘Mam Jalal’ Stroke Leaves Political Vacuum
 
Iraq’s Kurdish President, Jalal Talabani, is in Germany seeking treatment, after suffering a stroke on 17 December.
 
Mr Talabani, known as ‘Mam Jalal’ (Uncle Jalal), has been an increasingly vital mediator between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). And what looks set to be a prolonged absence from political activity comes amid an ongoing crisis in central...