Iraq's prime minister lifts decade-old curfew in Baghdad


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Starting on Saturday, Baghdad's residents will once again be free to roam their city's streets as late as they like, The Associated Press reports.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on Thursday that a decade-old, midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew in the city will be lifted, effective Saturday, and he also declared four of Baghdad's major neighborhoods as weapons-free zones. Some streets that had been closed to pedestrians and traffic due to security concerns will also reopen.
Al-Abadi did not offer an explanation for the decision or its timing, which AP notes is curious, as Baghdad is still struggling with near-daily suicide and car bombings — and Iraq as a whole is fighting to regain control of northern and western parts of the country that have been captured by Islamic State militants.
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A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
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