Internet Security

Iraq’s prime minister visits wedding fire victims as 2 more people die from their injuries

Share this Story : Iraq’s prime minister visits wedding fire victims as 2 more people die from their injuries Copy Link Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail LinksPMN WorldPMN NewsIraq’s prime minister visits wedding fire victims as 2 more people die from their injuriesAuthor of the article:The Associated PressQassim Abdul-zahra And Kareem ChehayebPublished

Iraq’s prime minister visits wedding fire victims as 2 more people die from their injuries

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BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister on Thursday visited injured patients and the families of victims in northern Iraq days after a deadly wedding fire killed around 100 people, as two more people died from their injuries and additional remains were recovered.

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani arrived in Nineveh province early Thursday with a delegation of ministers and security officials, state television reported. He met with the wounded and family members of victims at Hamdaniyah Hospital and Al-Jumhoori Hospital. He later visited the Syriac Catholic Mar Behnam Monastery to express his condolences to victims.

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Around 250 panicked guests surged for the exits on Tuesday night in the Haitham Royal Wedding Hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya near Mosul after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.

Two critically burned victims — a 30-year-old woman and a 4-year-old child — died from their injuries in the hospital, a health official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The remains of a child and a woman were also recovered under the rubble at the wedding venue, according to a security official. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Authorities said around 100 people died in the incident, and the death toll is expected to rise further with at least 100 other people still injured, many of them critically burned.

The venue’s owners have been accused of violating safety protocols.

The Mosul Municipality on Wednesday called for the closure of hotels, restaurants, and other venues that don’t have safety approvals or have ignored warnings.

Funeral processions continued Thursday at the Saint Behnam Syriac Catholic Church. A video circulating on Iraqi media and social media showed the bride and groom among the crowd mourning.

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The Interior Ministry said highly flammable building materials contributed to the disaster and accused the owners of violating safety and security protocols. The tragedy was the latest to hit Iraq’s Christian minority, which has dwindled to a fraction of its former size over the past decade.

A security official told the AP that one of the venue’s owners and 13 workers and employees are currently under investigation. The official said that negligence caused the incident and that the government is preparing to compensate survivors and the families of victims. He speak on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

A government spokesperson said the authorities will conduct strict inspections of hotels, schools, restaurants and event venues to make sure they are complying with safety standards.

One owner of the venue, Chonny Suleiman Naboo, told The Associated Press that an electrical fault caused the fire and denied that they had neglected safety procedures.

___

Chehayeb reported from Beirut.

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BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister on Thursday visited injured patients and the families of victims in northern Iraq days after a deadly wedding fire killed around 100 people, as two more people died from their injuries and additional remains were recovered.

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani arrived in Nineveh province early Thursday with a delegation of ministers and security officials, state television reported. He met with the wounded and family members of victims at Hamdaniyah Hospital and Al-Jumhoori Hospital. He later visited the Syriac Catholic Mar Behnam Monastery to express his condolences to victims.

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Around 250 panicked guests surged for the exits on Tuesday night in the Haitham Royal Wedding Hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya near Mosul after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.

Two critically burned victims — a 30-year-old woman and a 4-year-old child — died from their injuries in the hospital, a health official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The remains of a child and a woman were also recovered under the rubble at the wedding venue, according to a security official. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Authorities said around 100 people died in the incident, and the death toll is expected to rise further with at least 100 other people still injured, many of them critically burned.

The venue’s owners have been accused of violating safety protocols.

The Mosul Municipality on Wednesday called for the closure of hotels, restaurants, and other venues that don’t have safety approvals or have ignored warnings.

Funeral processions continued Thursday at the Saint Behnam Syriac Catholic Church. A video circulating on Iraqi media and social media showed the bride and groom among the crowd mourning.

Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

The Interior Ministry said highly flammable building materials contributed to the disaster and accused the owners of violating safety and security protocols. The tragedy was the latest to hit Iraq’s Christian minority, which has dwindled to a fraction of its former size over the past decade.

A security official told the AP that one of the venue’s owners and 13 workers and employees are currently under investigation. The official said that negligence caused the incident and that the government is preparing to compensate survivors and the families of victims. He speak on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

A government spokesperson said the authorities will conduct strict inspections of hotels, schools, restaurants and event venues to make sure they are complying with safety standards.

One owner of the venue, Chonny Suleiman Naboo, told The Associated Press that an electrical fault caused the fire and denied that they had neglected safety procedures.

___

Chehayeb reported from Beirut.

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Internet Security

Oregon passes bill to establish legal control standards for digital assets

Key Takeaways Oregon passed Senate Bill 167 to update commercial laws and include digital assets in the UCC. The new law allows digital assets to be used as collateral and recognizes electronic records and signatures. Share this article Oregon has enacted Senate Bill 167, updating the state’s commercial laws to incorporate digital assets into the

Key Takeaways

  • Oregon passed Senate Bill 167 to update commercial laws and include digital assets in the UCC.
  • The new law allows digital assets to be used as collateral and recognizes electronic records and signatures.

Share this article

Oregon has enacted Senate Bill 167, updating the state’s commercial laws to incorporate digital assets into the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC).

The legislation, signed by Governor Tina Kotek on May 7, introduces UCC Article 12, which creates a legal framework for digital assets including crypto assets, tokenized records, and electronic money.

The bill amends Article 9 to allow digital assets to be used as collateral in secured transactions. It also updates several UCC articles to recognize electronic records, signatures, and hybrid transactions to support digital commerce.

The new law includes transitional provisions that maintain the validity of transactions made before the act’s effective date and provides a one-year period for existing security interests to comply with the new regulations.

Before these changes, there was legal uncertainty about how digital assets fit into existing commercial laws, especially when used as collateral or transferred between parties. The UCC amendments clarify how rights in these assets can be legally controlled, perfected, and enforced.

Apart from SB 167, House Bill 2071 is another crypto-related bill introduced in Oregon.

This proposed legislation focuses on blockchain and digital asset rights. It is aimed at protecting and promoting the use of Bitcoin and other digital assets in the state by limiting regulatory barriers and clarifying the legal framework for blockchain-based activities.

Some of the highlights of the bill include a prohibition on state and local governments from restricting or impairing a person’s ability to accept digital assets as payment for lawful goods and services, as well as the right to conduct peer-to-peer transactions via blockchain or digital asset networks.

The bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process and has not yet advanced to a vote in either the House or the Senate.

Unlike most US states, Oregon lawmakers have not proposed any bill to create a state Bitcoin reserve as of now.

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Internet Security

White House rejects parts of Trump advisers’ sovereign wealth fund proposal

Key Takeaways The White House has rejected parts of a sovereign wealth fund proposal created by Trump’s advisers. The details of the sovereign wealth fund are still under debate with no final decisions announced yet. Share this article The White House has opposed certain elements of a sovereign wealth fund proposal developed by Treasury Secretary

Key Takeaways

  • The White House has rejected parts of a sovereign wealth fund proposal created by Trump’s advisers.
  • The details of the sovereign wealth fund are still under debate with no final decisions announced yet.

Share this article

The White House has opposed certain elements of a sovereign wealth fund proposal developed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at President Trump’s request, according to a new report from CBS News.

The plan, reportedly delivered by early May, follows Trump’s February executive order directing the Treasury and Commerce departments to develop a framework for a US sovereign wealth fund within 90 days.

The order fueled speculation that the fund might be used to acquire Bitcoin on behalf of the US government.

However, at the time, Bessent and Lutnick said that the fund would indeed focus on warrants, equity, and other non-crypto investments. Still, David Sacks, Trump’s crypto czar, indicated that Bitcoin could be included in the fund’s portfolio.

That no longer appears to be the case after Trump signed a separate executive order establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve and a digital asset stockpile on March 6, which suggests a standalone approach to crypto holdings.

There were also rumors that the fund might be financed through tariffs and other revenue sources despite ongoing budget deficits. But Lutnick later clarified that tariffs would not be used to support the sovereign wealth fund.

According to the CBS News report, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said the Treasury and Commerce Departments have developed plans in response to Trump’s directive, but no final decisions have been made.

The administration, Desai added, continues to view the initiative as part of its broader effort to safeguard national and economic security.

Details of the fund’s structure and purpose remain under discussion, with no formal announcement expected in the near term.

Sources say Trump has not yet decided how the fund’s proceeds would be used, though he has previously floated the idea of it taking a stake in TikTok, which faces a potential US ban unless ByteDance divests.

Regarding the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the Digital Asset Stockpile, Bessent and Lutnick are also tasked with outlining operational guidelines, custody frameworks, and acquisition strategies. These plans are expected to remain separate from the sovereign wealth fund initiative and are designed to be budget-neutral.

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Internet Security

Crypto Security Breach at Lido DAO Triggers Governance Response

TLDR Lido DAO started an emergency vote to rotate a compromised Chorus One oracle The exploit drained ETH balance and likely resulted from a hot wallet private key leak The issue is restricted to one oracle and is not system-wide Cybersecurity remains a critical issue for cryptocurrency and DeFi Over $2 billion in crypto was

TLDR Lido DAO started an emergency vote to rotate a compromised Chorus One oracle The exploit drained ETH balance and likely resulted from a hot wallet private key leak The issue is restricted to one oracle and is not system-wide Cybersecurity remains a critical issue for cryptocurrency and DeFi Over $2 billion in crypto was […]
The post Crypto Security Breach at Lido DAO Triggers Governance Response appeared first on Blockonomi…
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Internet Security

CZ Shares Security Warning After Ledger Discord Hack Exposes User Data

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder and former CEO of Binance, shared a security warning after receiving a message regarding a hack of Ledger’s Discord admin account, where a scammer falsely claimed a security flaw and urged users to enter their recovery phrases on a phishing site. Zhao highlighted two critical lessons: the necessity of never sharing

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder and former CEO of Binance, shared a security warning after receiving a message regarding a hack of Ledger’s Discord admin account, where a scammer falsely claimed a security flaw and urged users to enter their recovery phrases on a phishing site. Zhao highlighted two critical lessons: the necessity of never sharing [……
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