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Iraqi firefighters extinguish a fire as civilians gather after a car bomb went off in Baghdad. Hadi Mizban/AP/Press Association Images

At least 119 people killed as bomb attacks rock Baghdad

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombing in a statement posted online.

Updated 6.40pm

A SUICIDE CAR bombing claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through a busy Baghdad shopping district today, killing at least 119 people in the deadliest attack this year in Iraq’s capital.

The blast hit the Karrada district early in the day as the area was packed with shoppers ahead of this week’s holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

It came a week after Iraqi security forces recaptured Fallujah from IS, leaving Mosul as the only Iraqi city under the jihadist group’s control.

The bombing also wounded more than 180 people, security officials said.

Mideast Iraq Bombing Iraqi security forces look for victims as civilians gather at the site of the car bomb Khalid Mohammed / AP/Press Association Images Khalid Mohammed / AP/Press Association Images / AP/Press Association Images

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited the site of the attack and vowed “punishment” for its perpetrators, his office said.

Abadi’s office later announced three days of mourning for the victims.

The blast set buildings ablaze, and firemen were still working to extinguish them some 12 hours later.

Men carried the bodies of two victims out of one burned building and a crowd of people looked on from the rubble-filled street as firefighters worked at the site.

Hussein Ali, a 24-year-old former soldier, said six workers at his family’s shop were killed in the attack, their bodies so badly burned they could not be identified.

“I will return to the battlefront. At least there, I know the enemy so I can fight him. But here, I don’t know who I’m fighting,” Ali told AFP.

IS issued a statement claiming responsibility for the suicide bombing, saying it was carried out by an Iraqi as part of the group’s “ongoing security operations”.

 ’Cowardly and heinous act’

Mideast Iraq Bombing Iraqi firefighters and civilians evacuate bodies of victims killed from in a car bomb. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

The jihadist group said the blast targeted members of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim majority, whom the Sunni extremists consider heretics and frequently attack in Baghdad and elsewhere.

UN Iraq envoy Jan Kubis condemned the “cowardly and heinous act of unparallelled proportions,” calling on authorities to bring those responsible to justice.

Officials said another explosion in the Shaab area of northern Baghdad killed at least one person and wounded four on Sunday, but the cause of the blast was disputed.

US National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price said the attacks “only strengthen our resolve to support Iraqi security forces as they continue to take back territory” from IS.

Bombings in the capital have decreased since IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in June 2014, with the jihadists apparently occupied with operations elsewhere.

But the group has struck back against Iraqi civilians after suffering military setbacks.

A video posted on social media showed men — apparently angry at the government’s failure to prevent the carnage in Karrada — throwing rocks towards what was said to be Abadi’s convoy.

But the premier struck a conciliatory tone over anger directed towards him.

“I understand the emotional feelings and actions that occurred in a moment of sadness and anger,” Abadi said in a statement.

In May, Baghdad was rocked by a series of blasts that killed more than 150 people in seven days.

 IS defeat in Fallujah 

Mideast Iraq Iraqi security forces close a bridge leading to the heavily guarded Green Zone at the beginning of June. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

With thousands of vehicles moving in and out of the city each day, such bombings are difficult to prevent.

But there are also flaws in Iraqi security measures in the city, especially the continued use of fake bomb detectors at checkpoints years after the man who sold them to Iraq was jailed for fraud in Britain.

Iraqi forces completely recaptured Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres west of Baghdad, from the jihadists a week ago.

Anti-government fighters seized Fallujah in early 2014 and it later became one of IS’s main strongholds in the country.

IS’s defeat there was compounded by a devastating series of air strikes targeting jihadist forces as they sought to flee the Fallujah area.

Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft destroyed hundreds of IS vehicles and killed dozens of fighters in two days of strikes against jihadist convoys after the end of the Fallujah battle, officials said.

With Fallujah retaken, Iraqi forces are now setting their sights on second city Mosul, the last major population centre held by IS in Iraq.

In addition to Mosul, IS still holds significant territory in Nineveh province, of which it is the capital, as well as areas in Kirkuk to its west and Anbar to its south.

The jihadist group seized control of large parts of Iraq and Syria in mid-2014, declaring an Islamic “caliphate”, committing widespread atrocities and organising or inspiring a series of deadly attacks in Western cities and across the Middle East.

- © AFP, 2016

Read: ‘Terror threat’ made against Heathrow airport

Read: Islamic State has lost control of Fallujah, and it’s a massive deal

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    Mute Kinsaleable
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:41 PM

    They’re go those horrible multinational drug companies saving lives again. .

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jul 31st 2015, 6:05 PM

    It must have been all the religious people praying! #sciencesaves

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    Mute Kinsaleable
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    Jul 31st 2015, 7:09 PM

    There. . stupid autotext

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    Mute John Curry
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:22 PM

    another good means of prevention would be to stop eating monkeys. some will think that is a racist remark but it isnt. Bush meat has been proven to be the cause of the outbreaks.

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    Mute Ryan Anthony
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:51 PM

    Thats actually just a theory the reservoir of ebola is still a mystery. One would think though, if someone said to you “a virus may begin in that food you are eating that melts your organs and has a 70pc fatality rate, people would give that food a miss.

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Jul 31st 2015, 3:03 PM

    There is also a belief bats are a major contributor to the spread. Fruit plants kept near pigs attract bats and spread to pigs to humans.
    I wouldn’t be too cocky about it as mad cow was spread and produced by western farming. We also had horse meat issues.

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    Mute Ryan Anthony
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    Jul 31st 2015, 3:16 PM

    The first theory was bats have it (as they were res for Marburg a similar virus), they eat stuff, drop it half finished, their saliva maybe has high enough concentration of virus (unlike human saliva in an ebola victim) to infect the gorillas who eat the leftovers…Africans preparing bush meat get infected.

    It wasnt so much them eating it that might infect them (ebolas vv weak and would not survive cooking) its the people preparing it getting cut on bones etc or eating bits raw that might do it…they’re crazy..and stupid. Theres a youtube doc where you can see them munching away even after theu’re told..

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Jul 31st 2015, 3:27 PM

    Crazy is strong. They don’t have the same education or belief in medicine we have. From their point of view something they did for generations isn’t suddenly now fatal.

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    Mute Erica Corcoran
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:22 PM

    But vaccines cause autism, and we all know it’s much better to die of a horrible disease than have autism, right? This is sarcasm if you didn’t know…

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    Mute Doogle Knows
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:28 PM

    Yes autistic parenting is cruel.

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:18 PM

    Page 11 of the Tripedia vaccine on the FDA website lists autism and sudden infant death syndrome as adverse effects because of “seriousness or frequency of reporting”. So to say there is no truth in this whatsoever is a bit naive.

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    Mute John B
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:27 PM

    Jimmy, I gift to you a tinfoil hat. The fda website does not state that autism and sids are adverse effects. It states that these are post approval reports. Basically, vaccine side effect follow up is so detailed that doctors are supposed to notify of anything that happens to a child that received the vaccine, even if there is no relation. But hey, I’m not one to let facts get in the way of a good debate.

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    Mute Erica Corcoran
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:31 PM

    Jimmy, pls, stahp

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:54 PM

    I know people who say their child got autism because of the shots. Would you tell them put on a tinfoil hat?

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    Mute Erica Corcoran
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:57 PM

    Absolutely.

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    Mute John B
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    Jul 31st 2015, 10:44 PM

    Jimmy, your sentence is written incorrectly, your friend got autism AND vaccinated, not BECAUSE. Autism is devastating, but there is no scientific evidence at all that shows a link between the two. One anecdote does not mean causation, in the same way that I cannot say that my kids got vaccines and didn’t get autism means vaccines are safe. It is only by analysing thousands of cases. Kids get autism irrespective of vaccination.

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Jul 31st 2015, 11:11 PM

    So you think that you know about this child more than his parents? Rates are soaring since the 80s and getting worse, so i don’t believe this should be passively dismissed. A quick google search of “cdc fraud” will show you there has been a cover up of the reports.

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    Mute Erica Corcoran
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    Jul 31st 2015, 11:19 PM

    Uh, rates are soaring because the criteria is widening all the time as we learn more and more. Please, stop being ridiculous.

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Aug 1st 2015, 3:02 AM

    1 in 2000 children in the 80s to 1 in 150 today in the US today. What are you on about woman, criteria widening. There seems to be no end to this widening criteria.

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    Mute Erica Corcoran
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    Aug 1st 2015, 3:26 AM

    I see basic logic isn’t your thing.

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:55 PM

    People really need to check their conspiracy theories and assumptions on racist reasons at the door. The disease was first identified in 1976 and it scared the hell out of the medical community. Real fear it would spread so research started. Nearly 40 years later they found a vaccine.
    It was and is really only a risk in Africa. The recent outbreak was still only a risk in Africa and required quarantine and other precautions. The vaccine was not suddenly studied because it was a risk outside of Africa. The outbreak did spur more study because there was a sudden huge outbreak.

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    Mute John Lennox
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    Jul 31st 2015, 6:33 PM

    Places in Africa where proper hygiene and quick disposal of bodies during outbreaks were followed saw a quick end to the disease.

    It wasn’t a priority because it usually burned out quickly and following procedure stopped it.

    There are many many diseases in Africa that are being worked on that still kill and will kill more than ebola ever did.

    Up to this year the common flu killed more than Ebola in its 50+ years in the public.

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    Mute Fian
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:08 PM

    fantastic news .

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    Mute mary carey
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:25 PM

    I know all vaccines take money and serious labour to produce. But look how quickly they developed a vaccine when they put their minds to it.

    How long has Ebola been around? How long has it been killing people? But it’s only when it threatened the western world that pharmaceutical companies decided to try to prevent it…

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    Mute Romeo Sensini
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:28 PM

    So. They arnt charities. Why don’t you go help develop it out of your own pocket.

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    Mute Paul Debussy
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:36 PM

    Africans or whoever could start developing their own vaccines if they are that concerned about it.

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    Mute mary carey
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:40 PM

    Yeah. Fair point. This isn’t about not giving a hoot about Africans. It’s just about when they really put their minds to it in research – they can come out with results.

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:46 PM

    Considering that vaccine development can take over a decade, I doubt that this new development has been precipitated by any recent outbreak.

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    Mute Ryan Anthony
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:56 PM

    It was never a threat to the western world for a long list of reasons, that was all mass hysteria based on public misunderstandings of how its transmitted, and conspiracy theorists, as the fact that the much predicted huge western outbreak never happening proved.

    They’ve been working on ebola for’ decades, a bigger outbreak = bigger study sample + more data thats why they made breakthroughs.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:57 PM

    Mary, disease was first discovered in the mid 70′s. By your logic we should have a vaccine against HIV by now but we don’t

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    Mute mary carey
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:58 PM

    Okay – but how come a vaccine is developed within six months of the biggest outbreak?

    I know vaccine development takes a long time. But as proven with swine flu (yes – virus, different, I know) but there, they also managed to develop a vaccine within six mths.

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    Mute mary carey
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    Jul 31st 2015, 3:01 PM

    Just to add upon reading ispr’s comment above – I am not a conspiracy theorist. I don’t think drug companies breed disease to make money from. I know they are money making organisations – not charities.

    Still I’m just saying: when they put their minds to it – they can really get some good and hopeful results

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    Mute Ryan Anthony
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    Jul 31st 2015, 3:07 PM

    You are confusing, I think anyway, when they started working on it with when the news started reporting on it. Like I said the later breakthroughs are easier when you have more people to study this was way way bigger than any previous outbreak thats why everyone was so worried.

    Local cultural practices like washing of the dead and, its theorized, bush meat , were driving it thats among reasons wjy it was never a threat to the west. Worst case scenario Ireland might have got 5-10 cases on a really really bad day, and we’ve had a viral hemmoragic fevers plan since 2000 since b4 even the Office of Emergency Planning was created and we stockpiled all those influenza and smalox vaccines.

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    Mute Ryan Anthony
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    Jul 31st 2015, 3:10 PM

    Sorry Mary I read your stuff during the outbreak I know youre mot was referring to our 4-5 resident truthers on here who predicted this would be rampaging through Europe by now if we didnt ban flights from Morocco which was 4500 miles from the outbreak, and hurling abuse at me when I countered their nonsense about it already being airborne. Obviously they were wrong

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    Mute mary carey
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    Jul 31st 2015, 3:25 PM

    I never went along with theorists belief of it being airborne/transcontinental etc. And like u read my stuff, I read urs. And ur constant ‘mammy-ing’ irked me too. The ‘everything will be fine’ attitude annoyed me.

    I am not for mass chaos but nor was I for ur stuff. I am glad they were vigilant about travel from Africa and about workers being quarantined. And we will never know if it was right or wrong to implement those measures.

    I accept the point about a larger sample group to study from. But your tone is patronising and condescending.

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    Mute John R
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:51 PM

    Mary I do not think that Ryan’s tone can be construed as patronising and condescending. Knowledgeable, rational, direct, no BS, but patronising and condescending I think not. And he was absolutely right to call it as he did and the facts and the outcome have proven him to be correct. Reason is a far better approach to these issues than emotion. The outcomes are also better. I am not accusing you of being emotional btw! I simply think that the hysteria and paranoia which passed for debate by some commentators on The Journal during the outbreak has been proven to be embarrassingly wrong. They are very silent now but it won’t stop them from behaving in exactly the same way in the future. This is a victory for reason and medical science and for Governments who held their nerve.

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    Mute The Viking
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:20 PM

    The vaccine has been their since day 1 . It was a man made disease and they were holding back the cure. Population cull..

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    Mute James Comiskey
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:49 PM

    @Viking one problem with your conspiracy theory . in terms of global population the virus has killed f all . and now they’re producing a vaccine . explain that one

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:55 PM

    More people die from the flu than Ebola!

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    Mute Ryan Anthony
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    Jul 31st 2015, 3:01 PM

    So you and the nut brigade have stopped predicting ijts gonna cause a western outbreak as a pretense for martial law and world govt then? Maybe when yoir v specific hysterical predictions are proven wrong ypu could I dunno change your mind maybe?

    You lunatics had the public terrified with your ignorance and you lamasted tjose of us myself included who tried to provide them with proper information, best you can do is slink away

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    Mute John R
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:52 PM

    Ryan, do not demean your intellect engaging with the likes of The Viking. If this were medieval times he’d be out burning witches at the stake and eating bat poo as a cure for ailments.

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    Jul 31st 2015, 5:28 PM

    If so, it’s not a very efficient population cull

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    Mute John B
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:29 PM

    It’s such a shame that science cannot come up with a vaccine against stupidity.

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    Mute Supernova
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:22 PM

    Funny we only hear about ebola again as it was only killing poor Africans, not effecting Europeans and Americans therefore it’s not important..

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    Mute Romeo Sensini
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:27 PM

    You think that’s funny?

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    Mute Supernova
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:30 PM

    Hardly… Ffs does anyone on here every get comments? No one ever gets sarcasm either, you have spell out back and white for them

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    Mute Erica Corcoran
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:35 PM

    Haha Supernova, that’s exactly why I put a disclaimer on my comment above.

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    Mute Supernova
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    Jul 31st 2015, 2:38 PM

    Haha it drives me mad at times

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    Mute hit shappens
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:51 PM

    whats a disclaimer?

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    Mute M
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    Jul 31st 2015, 5:18 PM

    Im thankful there are plenty of rational people on here. But holy crap there is some ejits out there, hopefully they will be of little consequence.

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    Mute Carlos André
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    Jul 31st 2015, 5:03 PM

    Great news!

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    Mute ✨Barbara Christopher
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:00 PM

    There is no doubt in my mind that there is a cure out there for cancer. Overnight they have found a cure for Ebola, yet our loved ones are allowed to die from a disease that’s been around for years. Just doesn’t make any sense!

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    Mute Fian
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:12 PM

    problem is there isnt just one type of cancer there are more than 200 so one cure does not suit all . if there was a cure out there it would be out . its too big a thing to hide . and plenty of CEOs of pharma companies die or jave family members die from cancer aswell . if they had a cure available fo you think they would leave it sitting on the shelf for the sake of company profits

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    Mute fiachra29
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:23 PM

    Also if they had a cure for cancer people would be willing to pay far more for it, these ridiculous theories that the big pharma is holding back the cure because current treatment is more profitable makes no sense whatsoever a cure would be way more profitable.

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    Mute Jimmy
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    Jul 31st 2015, 8:34 PM

    A once off payment for a cure or constant treatment for years. I would say treatment is more profitable.

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    Mute Gemma Shah
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:35 PM

    Do you ever feel that we’re just so arrogant?

    These diseases exist for a reason, a very good reason. Every now and then a cull of humans is necessary.

    I know, I know, if it were me or mine infected we’d take the damn vaccine.

    Just sometimes I wonder exactly how much damage we’re causing?

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    Mute Stephen Bernard
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    Jul 31st 2015, 5:09 PM

    Do you think about what you say, or just blurt out stuff you’ve read on Jayden Smith’s Twitter?

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    Mute John Fergus
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:30 PM

    hmm so people need to be culled to reduce the damage they are doing. tell you what gemma you first.

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    Mute John B
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:32 PM

    Ah Gemma, the naturalistic fallacy. So how far do you want to are your argument? Does that mean that any medical intervention that alters nature is wrong? Sooooo meningitis, broken bones, heart attacks, should we not treat those also? Or where do you draw the arbitrary line in the sand.

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