Intelligence apparatus at centre of Talabanis' internecine struggle

• RUSSIA - Mobilisation a pretext for settling scores between siloviki and opponents.

• IRAQ - The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan puts end to internal feud.
  

• EUROPEAN UNION - EEAS seeks private sector contractor for future strategic foresight hub.
  

• FRANCE/GERMANY/UNITED STATES - Macron tries to revive cyber action programme at UN.
  

• UNITED STATES/CHINA - Battle of defence attachés in Indo-Pacific region.
  

Talabani family feud hinders presidential negotiations 

The yearlong rift within the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is hampering talks between Iraqi Kurdistan's political parties as they tackle the very urgent task of appointing a president. It has also prompted Baghdad to take direct action.

• UNITED STATES - Pentagon preps to join titanium war

• EGYPT - The Mukhabarat al-Amma gets authority to extend its business interests

• IRAQ - Bafel Talabani sacks his intelligence chief by way of conciliation

Pentagon concerned about Peshmerga's slow unification 

Washington is keen for the Peshmerga forces to speed up their unification so they can share strategic intelligence against Islamic State. But local alliances continue to hold sway over the need to put up a common front.

Dynasty case unravels Kurdish clan dispute over oil 

The rivalry between Barzani and Talabani clans is at the centre of a legal battle between oil junior Dynasty and former oil minister of Iraqi Kurdistan's Ashti Hawrami.

Qaiwan, the Iraqi oil firm behind Lebanon swap solution 

So that it can fulfil its commitment to supply Beirut with oil to help ease the country's energy crisis, Irak has called in trader Qaiwan to set up a swap system as Kudistan crude is too high in sulphur to be used in Lebanon's power plants.

UPK still dreams of Kirkuk 

According to our sources, the status of the oil city

Kurds hot on Al Baghdadi's trail 

Sought by the intelligence services of every country fighting Islamic State, the organisation's elusive leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi is being actively hunted by the Kurdish forces.