Page 6 - aruba-today-20210122

A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 22 January 2021
Twin suicide bombings rock central Baghdad, at least 32 dead

BAGHDAD (AP) — Twin the first suicide bomber
suicide bombings ripped cried out loudly that he
through a busy market in was ill in the middle of the
the Iraqi capital on Thurs- bustling market, prompting
day, killing at least 32 peo- a crowd to gather around
ple and wounding dozens, him — and that's when he
officials said in what was detonated his explosive
the first massive bombing belt. The second detonat-
in years, harkening back ed his belt shortly after, he
to darker days of rampant said. "This is a terrorist act
militant attacks. perpetrated by a sleeper
The rare suicide bombing cell of the Islamic State,"
hit the Bab al-Sharqi com- al-Khafaji said. He said IS
mercial area in central "wanted to prove its exis-
Baghdad amid height- tence" after suffering many
ened political tensions over blows in military operations
planned early elections to root out the militants.
and a severe economic At the Vatican, Pope Fran-
crisis. Blood was splattered cis denounced the attack
on the pavement of the in Baghdad as a "senseless
busy market amid piles of act of brutality" and urged
clothes and shoes as survi- Iraqis to keep working to
vors took stock of the disar- replace violence with fra-
ray in the aftermath. ternity and peace. The
By sundown, crowds reap- telegram of condolences
peared at the site of the sent to the Iraqi president
deadly attack, carrying the People and security forces gather at the site of a deadly bomb attack in a market selling used was particularly heartfelt,
coffins of the deceased in clothes, Iraq, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. given Francis is due to visit
a show of defiance. Many Associated Press Iraq in early March to try to
questioned the timing of encourage the country's
the attack, which occurred fears of an IS resurgence. said at least 32 people try announced that all of Christian communities that
a day after President Joe No one immediately were killed and 110 were its hospitals in the capital have been devastated
Biden was sworn into of- claimed responsibility for wounded in the attack. He were mobilized to treat the by IS persecution. Thurs-
fice. The U.S.-led coalition the attack, but Iraqi military said some of the wounded wounded. Maj. Gen. Tahsin day's twin suicide bomb-
recently ceased combat officials said it was the work were in serious condition. al-Khafaji, spokesman for ings marked the first in
activities and is gradually of the Islamic State group. Iraq's military previously the Joint Operations Com- three years to target Bagh-
drawing down its troop Iraq's health minister Has- put the number of dead mand, which includes an dad's bustling commercial
presence in Iraq, sparking san Mohammed al-Tamimi at 28. The Health Minis- array of Iraqi forces, said district.q

Dutch lawmakers back coronavirus curfew despite criticism

businesses and protect jobs sion, you get a fine. We tax office.
amid the crippling eco- are losing our freedom en Tunahan Kuzu, of the Think
nomic downturn caused masse and that is no fun. party, warned that Rutte's
by the pandemic and lock- Believe me, I know what I'm proposal would turn the
down. talking about," said Wilders Netherlands into a "police
Prime Minister Mark Rutte who has for years lived state," while other lawmak-
said a curfew is needed to under round-the-clock se- ers urged the government
rein in the spread of CO- curity because of death to better enforce existing
VID-19, but some opposi- threats prompted by his stri- lockdown measures such
tion lawmakers angrily de- dent anti-Islam policies. as the call for people to
nounced it as an excessive The lengthy parliamentary work from home.
restriction of liberties. debate underscored grow- The Netherlands joins other
Rutte said that medical ing frustration at months European Union countries
experts have warned the of restrictions intended that have told people to
government that the threat to tackle the pandemic, stay home after dark, in-
In this Tuesday Dec. 15, 2020, file photo, A skull is glued onto a
traffic light on the near-empty Dam Square with the Royal Pal- of more contagious vari- which has killed more than cluding Belgium, France,
ace, seen center rear, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. ants "is so serious that you 13,000 people in the Neth- Italy, Greece and parts of
Associated Press have to impose this terrible erlands. Germany.
measure of a curfew in ad- With the government in The Netherlands has been
By MIKE CORDER p.m. to 4:30 a.m. — shifting dition to the existing lock- caretaker mode since re- in a tough lockdown since
THE HAGUE, Netherlands the start a half hour later down measures." signing Friday, it needs ap- Dec. 15. Numbers of infec-
(AP) — A majority of Dutch than originally planned. The Geert Wilders, leader of the proval from lawmakers to tions and hospital admis-
lawmakers backed the measure likely will come largest opposition party, impose the curfew. After sions have been declining
government's planned into force Saturday. called the proposed cur- hours of debate in parlia- in recent weeks, but health
curfew Thursday, despite The government on Thurs- few "a sign of utter impo- ment, it remained unclear authorities are concerned
fierce criticism from some day also announced an tence and panic" from the if a majority would support that the more infectious
opposition legislators. extension of financial sup- government. the measure. Rutte's coali- mutation of the coronavi-
The four parties that make port measures to business, "We are being imprisoned tion quit over a scandal rus first detected in Britain
up the ruling coalition and pumping an extra 7.6 bil- at home on the orders of involving thousands of par- will make up the major-
several opposition parties lion euros ($9.2 billion) into Mark Rutte. If you leave ents wrongly being labeled ity of Dutch cases by mid-
backed a curfew from 9 efforts to prop up ailing home without his permis- fraudsters by the country's February.q