Iraq Shopping Mall Fire Kills 61, Israel Strikes Gaza Catholic Church, Weekend Diversions

Andrew Sheves Good morning.

🇮🇶** Iraq Shopping Mall Fire Kills 61**

A fire at a week-old shopping center in Kut, Iraq killed 61 people with many still missing after an air conditioner explosion triggered the blaze. Survivors described being trapped as the fire spread rapidly through the mall, which lacked proper fire extinguishing systems according to witnesses who lost family members. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an immediate investigation as the tragedy highlights Iraq’s persistent safety standard problems, following similar deadly fires including a 2023 wedding party blaze that killed over 100 people and a 2021 hospital fire that claimed more than 90 lives. More - BBC

🇻🇦** Israel Strikes Gaza Catholic Church**

Israeli forces bombed Gaza’s only Catholic church, killing three people including a 60-year-old janitor and 84-year-old woman while wounding 10 others, including the priest, at the Holy Family Church sheltering displaced civilians. Prime Minister Netanyahu called it “stray ammunition” after Trump expressed his “not positive reaction” to the strike, while Pope Leo called for an immediate ceasefire expressing “deep sadness” over the attack. A UN report found Israel has destroyed over half of Gaza’s religious sites since October 2023, with this latest strike coming as part of what Hamas called “a comprehensive war of extermination against the Palestinian people.” More - Al Jazeera

Africa Stability Ratings and News Summary

More Unstable

🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇧🇯 Benin, 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso, 🇧🇮 Burundi, 🇨🇲 Cameroon, 🇨🇫 Central African Republic, 🇹🇩 Chad, 🇰🇲 Comoros, 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic Of The Congo, 🇩🇯 Djibouti, 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea, 🇪🇷 Eritrea, 🇸🇿 Eswatini, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, 🇬🇦 Gabon, 🇬🇳 Guinea, 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau, 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇱🇸 Lesotho, 🇱🇷 Liberia, 🇲🇬 Madagascar, 🇲🇼 Malawi, 🇲🇱 Mali, 🇲🇷 Mauritania, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇲🇿 Mozambique, 🇳🇪 Niger, 🇳🇬 Nigeria, 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo, 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone, 🇸🇴 Somalia, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇸🇸 South Sudan, 🇸🇩 Sudan, 🇬🇲 The Gambia, 🇹🇬 Togo, 🇺🇬 Uganda, 🇪🇭 Western Sahara, 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

More Stable

No countries were more stable over this period

Unchanged

🇦🇴 Angola, 🇧🇼 Botswana, 🇨🇻 Cape Verde, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇲🇺 Mauritius, 🇳🇦 Namibia, 🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇸🇳 Senegal, 🇸🇹 São Tomé and Príncipe, 🇹🇿 Tanzania, 🇿🇲 Zambia

Regional News Summary

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains embroiled in the M23 conflict, which poses significant risks to the global supply of critical minerals essential for the tech industry. A recent BBC report provided rare access to a mine that is crucial for powering mobile phones, underscoring the importance of these minerals in the global economy [SOURCE - BBC]. This situation has raised alarms about potential neo-colonial exploitation, with countries like Pakistan expressing concerns over the scramble for these resources [[SOURCE - Associated Press of Pakistan]](https://www.app.com.pk/foreign-correspondent/scramble-for-critical-minerals-raises-fears-of-neo-colonial-exploitation-especially-in-africa-pakist

Carpe tomorrow!