On the eve of a historic day in Kurdistan, the region’s two biggest hubs were a tale of two cities. In Erbil, the centre of Monday’s independence referendum, a festival feel that had built for the past week had taken over neighbourhoods. None were of the Kurdish president, Massoud Barzani, who will take the Kurds of Iraq to the polls on Monday. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Masoud Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, at a press conference in Erbil before the referendum on independence. European diplomats also believe the PUK support – as begrudging as it appears – marks a moment for the Kurds.

Source: The Guardian September 25, 2017 04:00 UTC