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Geopolitics

Bombs Kill At Least 56 In Baghdad On Eve Of 10th Anniversary Of Iraq Invasion

REUTERS, BBC NEWS

Worldcrunch

BAGHDAD – A spate of car bombs and shootings killed at least 56 people and wounded more than 200 in Baghdad, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Reuters reports that several car bombs hit Shi'ite districts of Baghdad on Tuesday morning -- targeting busy areas including a market, sidewalk cafes, and bus stops – while a suicide bomber driving a truck attacked a police base in a Shi'ite town just south of the capital.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. Sunni Islamists tied to the Iraqi branch of al-Qaeda have launched a number of high-profile bombings this year.

The violence comes almost exactly a decade after U.S. and Western troops swept into Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein, and shows the country still struggling with insurgency, sectarian conflict and political instability among its Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions.

According to BBC News’ Baghdad correspondent Jim Muir, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki -- who is nearing the end of his second term -- is sharply at odds with the Kurds, who have their own autonomous region in the north, while Sunni areas in the west of the country are also in revolt against Maliki's government.

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Society

Is Disney's "Wish" Spreading A Subtle Anti-Christian Message To Kids?

Disney's new movie "Wish" is being touted as a new children's blockbuster to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. But some Christians may see the portrayal of the villain as God-like and turning wishes into prayers as the ultimate denial of the true message of Christmas.

photo of a kid running out of a church

For the Christmas holiday season?

Joseph Holmes

Christians have always had a love-hate relationship with Disney since I can remember. Growing up in the Christian culture of the 1990s and early 2000s, all the Christian parents I knew loved watching Disney movies with their kids – but have always had an uncomfortable relationship with some of its messages. It was due to the constant Disney tropes of “follow your heart philosophy” and “junior knows best” disdain for authority figures like parents that angered so many. Even so, most Christians felt the benefits had outweighed the costs.

That all seems to have changed as of late, with Disney being hit more and more by claims from conservatives (including Christian conservatives) that Disney is pushing more and more radical progressive social agendas, This has coincided with a steep drop at the box office for Disney.

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