Families on Tuesday buried loved ones who were among at least 35 killed in a bombing hours earlier in a busy market in Iraq’s capital.
Coffins were carried by relatives and placed on minibuses that took them to the burial after funerals were conducted on Monday night.
The blast occurred on Monday in a market in Sadr City, a Baghdad suburb, that was crowded with shoppers before the Eid Al Adha holiday.
Iraq’s military said its investigation found that the blast was caused by a bomber who detonated a suicide vest in the middle of the popular market.
Iraqi security officials initially said the attack was caused by a roadside bomb.
The military said at least 50 people were wounded in the attack, which was the third against Sadr City this year.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. It said in a statement posted online that the bombing was carried out by a man it identified as Abu Hamza Al Iraqi.
Child victims
The attack occurred a day before Eid Al Adha, when many residents were shopping for gifts and clothes.
Hussein Al Lami laid to rest his nephews Murtada and Amir Sahi, both 12, on Monday night, soon after they were killed in the attack.
“The calamity was huge, especially for the parents and relatives of the two martyrs,” Mr Al Lami said.
“Today, Iraqis are spending Eid with calamity after they suffered in this terrorist act. Now there is misery in every Iraqi house.”
At the dilapidated Sadr General Hospital, where most victims were taken, Ali Faisal, a young doctor, said many were “dead on arrival”, and others suffered burns and fractures.
“I, myself, declared the time of death for two children, a six-year-old and an eight-year-old,” he told AFP.
“A four-month-old baby was also killed.”
Waiting in the corridor was Nowraz, 25, wearing a face mask and a flowing black abaya.
She said she was waiting to see her cousin, Saberin, who survived the blast but was wounded.
Saberin had gone to the market with her 16-year-old daughter, Aya, and her 18-month-old son.
“We didn’t know they were at the market,” said Nowraz. “She went with Aya and her son to buy clothes for Eid.”
The infant survived with serious burns, but Aya died.
“She’s in a terrible state,” Nowraz said of her cousin. “We’re afraid to tell her that her daughter is dead.”
A history of attacks
In June, 15 people were wounded when a bomb placed under a kiosk in another Sadr City market was detonated.
In April, at least four people were killed in Sadr City by a blast caused by an explosive device attached to a parked car at the market.
Large bomb attacks, once an almost daily occurrence in Baghdad, have slowed in recent years since ISIS was defeated on the battlefield in 2017.
While sporadic attacks still cause appalling suffering, the scale of attacks has also decreased in recent years.
At Al Qaeda in Iraq’s peak – the forerunners of ISIS – mass-casualty car bombings in Sadr City were common. In November 2006, at least 144 people were killed in a series of bombings in the area, one of the worst incidents in the sectarian conflict that was gripping the country at the time.
The attack on Monday has drawn widespread condemnation.
In a message to his envoy in Iraq, Pope Francis expressed his deep sadness at the loss of life.
He “sends condolences to the families and friends of those who have died”, the Vatican said on Tuesday evening.
The Pope also renewed “his fervent prayers that no act of violence will diminish the efforts of those who strive to promote reconciliation and peace in Iraq”.
He made a pilgrimage to Iraq in March, when he emphasised the need for peaceful coexistence in the country.
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The specs
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Rating: 2.5/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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SPECS
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Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
The biog
Name: Dr Lalia Al Helaly
Education: PhD in Sociology from Cairo
Favourite authors: Elif Shafaq and Nizar Qabbani.
Favourite music: classical Arabic music such as Um Khalthoum and Abdul Wahab,
She loves the beach and advises her clients to go for meditation.
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Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
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Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
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Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
