Baghdad Curfew

It's 1.30 am and the Aroma Cafe; in an affluent district of Baghdad is buzzing, packed with people enjoying a traditional pre-dawn Suhoor meal before starting their daily Ramadan fast.

Five blasts across Baghdad on Saturday tempered Iraqis' anticipation of a more relaxed and accessible capital as the government prepared to lift a night-time curfew that has kept the city on a war-time footing for more than a decade.

Iraqis roared through central Baghdad in dozens of cars flying flags, honking horns and filling the street with smoke from their screeching tyres to celebrate the end of a years-old nightly curfew.

Iraq's years-old nightly curfew was raised on Sunday in a bid by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to ease restrictions on daily life despite persistent violence plaguing the country.

At least 34 people were killed in three bombings around Baghdad on Saturday, police said, hours before the government was due to lift a long standing night time curfew on the capital.

A suicide bomber struck a restaurant in Baghdad on today, killing 12 people hours before a years-old nightly curfew is due to be lifted, security and medical officials said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an end to the nightly curfew that has been in force in Baghdad for years, Brigadier General Saad Maan said on Thursday.

It's 1.30 am and the Aroma Cafe; in an affluent district of Baghdad is buzzing, packed with people enjoying a traditional pre-dawn Suhoor meal before starting their daily Ramadan fast.

Five blasts across Baghdad on Saturday tempered Iraqis' anticipation of a more relaxed and accessible capital as the government prepared to lift a night-time curfew that has kept the city on a war-time footing for more than a decade.

Iraqis roared through central Baghdad in dozens of cars flying flags, honking horns and filling the street with smoke from their screeching tyres to celebrate the end of a years-old nightly curfew.

Iraq's years-old nightly curfew was raised on Sunday in a bid by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to ease restrictions on daily life despite persistent violence plaguing the country.

At least 34 people were killed in three bombings around Baghdad on Saturday, police said, hours before the government was due to lift a long standing night time curfew on the capital.

A suicide bomber struck a restaurant in Baghdad on today, killing 12 people hours before a years-old nightly curfew is due to be lifted, security and medical officials said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an end to the nightly curfew that has been in force in Baghdad for years, Brigadier General Saad Maan said on Thursday.