The Iraqi Ministry of Health confirmed that a fire broke out in a wedding hall during a wedding in the Hamdaniya district, killing more than 100 people.
About 100 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured on Wednesday, as a result of a fire that broke out in a wedding hall during a wedding in the Al-Hamdaniya district in Nineveh Governorate, northern Iraq.
The Iraqi Ministry of Health stated that the fire claimed the lives of at least 100 people, while the Iraqi Red Crescent Society indicated that the total number of victims, including deaths and injuries, reached about 450.
Ministry of Health spokesman Saif Al-Badr told the Iraqi News Agency, "The situation is under control. Follow-up is accurate from the operations center in the ministry."
He added, "Support has arrived from all neighboring governorates and the Kurdistan region in the north of the country to the Nineveh Health Department," pointing out that there is "follow-up of the first aid provided to the injured, according to the type of injury."
He explained that "some cases of infection are simple to moderate, while others are difficult and are referred to specialized centers."
A source in the Iraqi Civil Defense told Reuters, “Initial information indicates the use of fireworks during the wedding ceremony, which led to a fire igniting inside the hall initially and the fire spread very quickly.”
According to the source, “the wedding hall is covered with highly flammable Ecobond panels that violate safety instructions and have been referred to the judiciary according to Civil Defense Law No. 44 of 2013, due to their lack of safety requirements for wet alarm and firefighting systems.”
He said, "The fire led to the collapse of parts of the hall as a result of the use of low-cost, highly flammable building materials that collapse minutes when the fire breaks out."
Israel is preparing for a mass prayer and the Shin Bet thwarts a plan to target figures including Ben Gvir
Israeli police are preparing for a "massive prayer" called by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir in downtown Tel Aviv. While the Israeli Shin Bet announced the arrest of five Palestinians who planned to carry out operations, including attacks on public figures, under Iranian direction, including the assassination of Ben Gvir.
The Israeli police are preparing for a "massive prayer" called for by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Thursday evening, in the center of Tel Aviv.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (official) said on Wednesday that the Tel Aviv police “declared a state of maximum alert in preparation for the mass prayer that Ben Gvir intends to organize, tomorrow evening, Thursday, in Dezenkov Square in Tel Aviv.”
She continued: "The police are preparing for all possible eventualities in such an event organized by Minister Ben Gvir, following the violent events that occurred during the Yom Kippur eve prayer in the same place."
Confrontations and riots broke out in the city of Tel Aviv in central Israel during Yom Kippur celebrations on Monday, as citizens confronted attempts by extremist groups to separate male and female worshipers during prayers in public squares.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, through the “X” platform, on Tuesday, accused the Israeli left of responsibility for the events, but Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid later responded to him by saying: “At the end of Yom Kippur, the prime minister should not increase incitement and conflict, but rather He should try to calm people down."
Ben Gvir called for prayer in Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv in response to the Israeli left.
He wrote in a tweet on “X” on Tuesday: “On this Yom Kippur, we saw haters trying to keep Judaism out of the public sphere. Israel is a Jewish and democratic state! I will hold a prayer service next Thursday evening in Dizengoff Square and the public is invited to attend.”
However, on Wednesday, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted an official in the Tel Aviv municipality (which it did not name) as saying: “The massive prayer that Minister Ben Gvir intends to organize on Thursday is illegal because he did not obtain permission from the Tel Aviv municipality to hold such an event.”
However, Ben Gvir has not yet announced the postponement of the prayer he called for.
On the other hand, the Israeli General Security Service, "Shin Bet", announced on Wednesday, "the arrest of five Palestinians who planned to carry out operations, including attacks on public figures, under Iranian direction," including the assassination of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (official) said: “The Shin Bet thwarted an Iranian attempt to carry out hostile activity in Israel, including intentions to harm National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Knesset member Yehuda Glick.”
Glick, a former member of the Knesset from the Likud Party, is known as the godfather of the Israeli raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The broadcaster said: “Shin Bet head Ronen Bar spoke with Ben Gvir and informed him of the attempt on his life.”
It stated that the detainees “worked under the direction of an official (whose name was not mentioned) living in Jordan, who worked on behalf of Iranian security officials,” without immediate comment from Tehran on this.
Erdogan: Türkiye's friend is a winner and its enemy is a loser, and we seek to increase our friends
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed his country's efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. He said that Turkey is working to increase its friends, and its friend will be a winner and its enemy will be a loser.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that his country seeks to increase its friends, and said, “Whoever is a friend of Turkey wins, and whoever harbors enmity toward it loses.”
This came in statements he made on Tuesday following the government meeting in the presidential complex in the capital, Ankara.
Erdogan called on his people to support Turkey's medium-term economic program, the features of which he revealed on September 6, 2023.
He stated that by the end of the medium-term economic program, which extends to 3 years, "we will achieve an economy size exceeding 1.3 trillion dollars, and the per capita national product will reach about 15 thousand dollars."
Regarding the enactment of a new constitution for the country, Erdogan stressed that the Public Alliance (the Justice and Development Parties and the Nationalist Movement) will intensify its efforts to reach a “civil and liberal constitution.”
He added: "Although we are the ones who announced the Century of Turkey, this vision is the national goal for all of the country's 85 million people."
The Century of Turkey is a vision announced by President Erdogan in late 2022, which includes the programs and goals of the Turkish Republic in its second centenary, which the country enters on October 29.
He continued: "Strengthening Turkey's strength and growth is our common goal, regardless of our political opinions."
Erdogan touched on the visit of the President of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to Turkey, noting that they discussed ways to alleviate the pain of the Sudanese people.
He expressed his hope that stability would be achieved in Sudan as soon as possible.
Since mid-April, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in clashes that a series of truces have not been able to stop, leaving more than 3,000 dead, most of them civilians, and more than 5 million displaced and refugees inside and outside the country, according to the United Nations.
Erdogan also touched on his visit to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan yesterday, Monday, noting that the visit included important messages.
He expressed his pride in the success of the operation carried out by Baku against terrorist elements in the Karabakh region, reiterating his congratulations to the Azerbaijani army.
He wished mercy to the martyrs, a speedy recovery to the wounded, and patience to the Azerbaijani people.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan announced the launch of an anti-terrorist operation “with the aim of establishing constitutional order in the Nagorno-Karabakh region,” which ended one day later with an agreement for Baku to stop its operation, and for the illegal Armenian armed groups and the Armenian armed forces present in Nagorno-Karabakh to disarm and evacuate their positions. Military.
Erdogan indicated that his country will work to implement the Zangzur Corridor as soon as possible to connect roads and railways between Turkey directly with Azerbaijan via Nakhchivan.
He added: "We want to transform our region into a basin of peace and prosperity through joint projects that will include our neighbor Iran, and we will manage this process without excluding or excluding anyone."
The Zangzur Corridor crosses the territory of the Armenian state of Zangzur, which separates the mainland of Azerbaijan from Nakhchivan, which borders Turkey.