Iraqi president falls ill, has immediate checkup

? Iraqi President Jalal Talabani fell ill Sunday and was rushed unconscious to a hospital before being flown to neighboring Jordan for an immediate medical checkup, medical and government officials said.

Talabani’s son, Qubad Talabani, said his father was suffering from fatigue and exhaustion.

“He did not have a heart attack” or a stroke, he told CNN. He said his father had “made his own way off the plane” when he landed in Jordan.

“He’s absolutely up and about, being able to communicate,” the president’s son said.

Iraq’s ambassador to Jordan, Saad Al-Hayyani, told The Associated Press Talabani had not suffered a heart attack or stroke.

A brief statement issued by Talabani’s office said the 73-year-old president had fallen ill because of “continuing hard work over the past few days,” but added there was “no cause for worry.”