A fire that tore through a shopping centre in the Iraqi city of Kut has left dozens dead and injured, state media has reported.

The blaze at the mall, which had reportedly opened five days ago, broke out on Wednesday night and has since been brought under control.

Medical officials quoted by news agency AFP said 55 people died in the fire, with rescuers still looking for missing people.

“A tragedy and a calamity has befallen us,” regional governor Mohammed al-Miyahi said, adding that legal action would be brought against the shopping centre’s owner.

Videos on INA’s news channel show flames ripping through several floors of a multi-storey building as firefighters try to douse them.

Other clips circulating on social media appear to show a small number of people on the roof during the fire, as well as the burned out insides of the centre.

A number of people were rescued from the building by firefighters, al-Miyahi told local media.

Ambulances were still taking casualties to hospitals in the city, which is about 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad, at 04:00 local time.

Firefighters are continuing to search for missing victims.

Nasir al-Quraishi, a doctor in his 50s, told AFP he lost five family members in the blaze.

“A disaster has befallen us,” he said. “We went to the mall to have some food, eat dinner and escape power cuts at home.

“An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted and we couldn’t escape it.”

A medical source told the agency: “We have more than 50 martyrs, and many unidentified bodies”.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, with preliminary findings expected within two days, al-Miyahi said.

“The tragedy is a major shock,” he said, adding that a “serious review of all safety measures” would take place.

The shopping had opened just five days ago, AFP reported.

It has been named as the Corniche Hypermarket Mall in the centre of Kut by local media.

(BBC News)

Sri Lankan-born Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, is facing criticism over allegations of supporting an individual with links to the LTTE, to secure Canadian citizenship.

According to foreign media reports, Anandasangaree had written 02 letters in 2016 and 2023 to the Canada Border Services Agency, expressing support for Senthuran Selvakumar, a Sri Lankan national said to be linked to the LTTE, a banned terrorist organization in Canada.

At the time of sending the letters, Anandasangaree was serving as a Member of Parliament.

The Canadian immigration authorities had previously rejected Selvakumar’s citizenship application multiple times, citing his direct ties to the LTTE.

In his letters, Anandasangaree is said to have requested consideration on humanitarian grounds, highlighting concerns about Selvakuma being separated from his wife and child in Canada.

However, critics argue that any support for an individual affiliated with the LTTE amounts to support for terrorism, and have raised concerns over Anandasangaree’s role as Public Safety Minister.

In response, Anandasangaree’s office issued a statement saying it would be inappropriate to comment further as the matter is currently before the courts.

The Minister emphasized that he has not issued any such letters since taking office and maintained that his previous actions were based on humanitarian concerns, not political or ideological support.

He reiterated that he has “never supported any terrorist organization” and would never act in favor of one.

The matter has reportedly been brought to the attention of the Canadian Prime Minister, though an official comment is yet to be made.

(Source : Global News Canada)

Thousands of Afghans have moved to the UK under a secret scheme which was set up after a British official inadvertently leaked their data, it can be revealed.

In February 2022, the personal details of nearly 19,000 people who had applied to move to the UK after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan were leaked.

The previous government learned of the breach in August 2023 when some of the details appeared on Facebook.

A new resettlement scheme for those on the leaked list was set up nine months later, and has seen 4,500 Afghans arrive in the UK so far.

But the existence of the leak and relocations were kept secret after the government obtained a super-injunction stopping it from becoming public.

Details of the major data breach, the response and the number of Afghans granted the right to live in the UK as a result only came to light on Tuesday after a High Court judge ruled the gagging order should be lifted.

The leak contained the names, contact details and some family information of people potentially at risk of harm from the Taliban.

Downing Street would not confirm whether the official responsible for the leak had faced disciplinary action, with a spokesman saying they would not comment on individuals.The government also revealed on Tuesday:

• The MoD believes 600 Afghan soldiers included in the leak, plus 1,800 of their family members, are still in Afghanistan
• The scheme is being closed down, but relocation offers already made to those who remain in Afghanistan will be honoured
• The secret scheme – officially called the Afghan Relocation Route – has cost £400m so far, and is expected to cost a further £400m to £450m
• The breach was committed mistakenly by an unnamed official at the MoD
• People whose details were leaked were only informed on Tuesday

Speaking in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary John Healey offered a “sincere apology” to those whose details had been included in the leak, which came to light when some appeared on Facebook.

He said it was as a result of a spreadsheet being emailed “outside of authorised government systems”, which he described as a “serious departmental error” – though the Metropolitan Police decided a police investigation was not necessary.

Healey said the leak was “one of many data losses” related to the Afghanistan evacuation during that period, and contained the names of senior military officials, government officials and MPs.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch apologised on behalf of her party.

She told LBC: “Somebody made a terrible mistake and names were put out there… and we are sorry for that. That should not happen.”

In a 2024 High Court judgement made public on Tuesday, Mr Justice Chamberlain said it was “quite possible” that some of those who saw parts of the leaked document in a Facebook group “were Taliban infiltrators or spoke about it to Taliban-aligned individuals”.

It had earlier been feared the number of people at “risk of death or serious harm” because they appeared on the list, or because their family member did, could be as high as 100,000.

However, a review of the incident carried out on behalf of the MoD found it was “highly unlikely” an individual would have been targeted solely because of the leaked data, which “may not have spread nearly as widely as initially feared”.

The MoD has declined to say how many people may have been arrested or killed as a result of the data breach.

The same review judged the secret scheme to be an “extremely significant intervention” given the “potentially limited” risk posed by the leak.

An email has been sent to those impacted by the breach, urging them to “exercise caution”, and take steps like protecting their online activities and not responding to messages from unknown contacts.

Healey said those who have been relocated to the UK have already been counted in immigration figures.

(BBC News)