Iraqis welcome al-Maliki's decision to step down, but immense challenges loom for successor

Nouri al-Maliki's decision to step down as Iraq's prime minister raised hopes Friday for a new government that can roll back an increasingly powerful Sunni insurgency and prevent the country from splitting apart. The man tapped to become the next prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, a veteran Shiite lawmaker, faces the immense challenge of trying to unite Iraqi politicians as he cobbles together a ...