Toddler New Zealand triplets are among thirteen children and six adults killed in a fire at one of Qatar's most upmarket shopping malls.
NZ Prime Minister John Key has confirmed the dead two-year-olds were the children of expatriate workers in the Persian Gulf state. Mr Key said the children were in a nursery or crèche in the mall.
"It's a great tragedy," Mr Key said this morning, adding that consular staff were on the way from Saudia Arabia.
Thirteeen children dead ... smoke rises above the mall. Photo: AP
"The family are obviously dealing with terrible grief."
Four teachers and two emergency workers, believed to be firefighters, were also among the dead, the Qatari ministry said on its official Twitter page.
Four of the other dead children were Spanish, Spain's Foreign Ministry said, and a three-year-old French child was also killed, the deputy minister for overseas French citizens, Yamina Benguigui, said.
Nineteen dead ... family members of a victim react to the news. Photo: AP
Many of the victims died as rescuers struggled to reach the childcare centre at the Villaggio mall in the capital Doha, the Minister of State for Interior Affairs, Sheik Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, said.
"We tried our best, but when we got there, the children were trapped inside," Sheik Abdullah told reporters in Doha.
"We are very sorry for what happened. We tried as much as we could to save these people.
Smoke rises above the shopping mall. Photo: AFP
Another 17 people were injured, including four children, according to authorities.
Most of those hurt were rescuers responding to the blaze.
Witnesses earlier reported thick black smoke pouring from the ritzy mall about midday (local time) on Monday.
Amateur photos and videos posted online showed firefighters rescuing victims by climbing on the roof.
The Interior Ministry said the fire was extinguished hours later.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Sheik Abdullah said all buildings in the country abide by safety requirements, but a special committee will nonetheless be set up to monitor building safety standards, according to the ministry's Twitter feed.
The Villaggio opened in 2006 and is one of Qatar's most popular shopping and amusement destinations.
Retailers include many well-known Western brands, such as Foot Locker, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and Marks & Spencer.
Malls throughout the oil-rich Arab Gulf are popular with families looking for entertainment destinations that provide relief from soaring summer temperatures.
The Villaggio includes an ice skating rink, theme park, cinema and indoor Venice-style gondola rides.
- with stuff.co.nz and agencies
Manchester shopping wins award for response to riots - bdaily.co.uk
Manchester’s “I Love MCR” campaign has been recognised by the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) for its response to the August riots.
The campaign received a Purple Apple Marketing Award for the best use of media relations through the summer riots.
The judges said the campaign was “a shining example of professionals joining forces with the emotions and activities on the street with fantastic results.”
It was recognised as a quick-thinking response that created great PR for the city in extremely negative circumstances.
Andrew Stokes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester, said: “The ‘I Love MCR’ campaign was ‘Team Manchester’ at its finest. In partnership with Manchester City Council, Manchester Arndale and Cityco, we were able to show the world what real Mancunians were all about.
“The response was overwhelming, with over 350 businesses supporting the campaign and social media figures that topped 21,000 on Facebook and 46,000 on Twitter.
“The media coverage alone was valued in excess of £750,000 and we are delighted that the BCSC judges rewarded that success.”
Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s city centre spokesperson, said: “The ‘I Love MCR’ logo has become the lasting image of the city’s resilience after last year’s riots – embodying the spirit of the clean-up operation and symbolising Manchester’s strength in trying times.
“The Manchester Moment on Market Street in particular was one of those rare and special occasions that captured the imagination of the public and through the campaign truly brought out the best in the city’s people.”
The Trafford Centre also received a merit for its ‘The Beauty Banquet’ event, which saw beauty retailers across the Centre showcase the latest beauty innovations.
David Allinson, centre director Manchester Arndale, commented: “The judges agreed that The Denim Surgery was a great event and contained a real first with the 3D body scanner being the unique ‘hook’ to get people to visit the centre.
“The cracking results which we achieved, both in terms of sales figures and customer awareness, were very impressive with nearly 6.5million people reached by the PR campaign alone.
“Retailers also loved it too with over 50% of participating retailers reporting an increase in denim sales versus the previous year, with one reporting as high an increase as +96% in women’s jeans.”
The big beasts of the dressing room won Chelsea the Champions League - but do any of them have a future at the club? - Daily Mirror
We've all been told, time and again, how strong it is.
The most powerful dressing room in the country.
Too powerful for Luiz Felipe Scolari. The players who did for Andre Villas-Boas.
Indeed, the very men who, in the aftermath of Villas-Boas' exit, were blamed directly by Roman Abramovich for being responsible for the Portuguese manager's failure.
But the men who turned Roberto Di Matteo's vision into Champions League-winning reality, who delivered Abramovich his Holy Grail.
And while the click is ticking on the longevity of the men who have made Chelsea into the force they are, nobody in the Stamford Bridge hierarchy plans to call "Time" on them yet.
Of course, there will be some changes.
Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa and Salomon Kalou have been released and there is no certainty yet whether Florent Malouda and Paolo Ferreira will be back to see out their Chelsea contracts.
Then, of course, there is the court case hanging over the biggest voice of all, skipper John Terry. The findings of District Judge Howard Riddle after the Chelsea captain formally enters his "Not guilty" plea on July 9 will have huge repercussions.
For now, though, Terry remains part of the fabric of Chelsea - even if it seems nobody actually knows who "the manager" will be next season.
And while we were led to believe that Abramovich's anger at the players was so great that wholesale change had become a necessity this summer, it does seem the owner has had a partial change of heart.
What Abramovich actually thinks, of course, is always a guess, given his reluctance to say anything in public.
But chief executive Ron Gourlay rarely says anything which does not have the official stamp of approval and asked to discuss the power of the dressing room, he gave a clear insight into the thinking of the club.
Gourlay said: "From my experience in the role this idea of the players having too much power has all been blown out of proportion.
"There has always been big players in the dressing room since Roman bought the club.
"Big players have big views but it has never been out of control at any time.
"We're all in it together and that's where we sit with these things. It's not about player power. We asked everybody that everyone has to step up to the bar and work together. That's exactly what they've done."
The truth may be different, of course. Scolari explicitly blamed Drogba, Michael Ballack and Petr Cech for his exit - strangely enough, he excused himself from responsibility - but Gourlay insisted: "That's why we have big players.
"We have many, many captains in our team and players at international level, strong personalities, but used properly they're very good at ensuring we go out on the field in the right frame of mind and for our young players' development."
Young players like Nathaniel Chalobah and Lucas Piazon are set to be introduced into the first team frame next season, while it does appear as if it might be a make or break campaign, too, for Josh McEachran, who barely got a kick during his four months on loan at Swansea.
Gourlay added: "Chalobah and one or two of the guys, we have to get a programme through which they can play. There's no point in them sitting on the bench every week."
A promise for the future, for a conveyor belt of talent. Then again, at Chelsea in particular, we have heard it all before.
When it matters, understandably, short-term expediency tends to be put in front of long-term benefits. It is only if Abramovich is not going to fund the club's debts for ever that they will have to truly make Cobham a nursery.
In the meantime, it seems the loudest voices in football will be allowed to keep shouting. When they can point to the biggest pot in the game, that doesn't seem too hard a call to make.
The antis are growing in number and force, demanding the club says "No".
For many, unless Chelsea is at Stamford Bridge, it will not be Chelsea.
In reality, though, that is just not going to happen.
The sheer logistical problems that would need to be overcome - let alone the staggering costs - mean a move is essential.
But making public their interest in the potentially available site at Battersea Power Station, with plans for a 60,000-capacity home announced on the eve of the FA Cup Final, Chelsea knew what they were doing.
The local Hammersmith and Fulham Council seem to be doing everything they can to stymie any possible chance of Chelsea finding a home in the borough, which is why the Blues have listened to the blandishments of neighbouring Wandsworth, where the Thames itself is the natural and political boundary.
Suddenly, though, Hammersmoth seem to be changing their tune.
You sense that, if Chelsea had a choice, they would prefer to build on Earl's Court rather than at Battersea, although there is no doubting they wish the south bank option to remain open when the list of remaining contenders is announced.
Chief executive Ron Gourlay said: "We need a 22 acre site and there is not one other than Battersea, Earls Court or Stamford Bridge.
"But it will be challenging. We have even looked at a rebuild here at Stamford Bridge but it just doesn't seem viable. Moving away from the stadium is a major step but to keep the club moving forward is a challenge in itself.
"With Battersea there is a bidding process at this time. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will get some feedback because we are still working and looking at the Bridge to see if there is anything we can do here.
"It's no secret that mine and the board's preferred stadium is Stamford Bridge and to get the capacity we need to get economically viable plans and major planning applications passed.
"That's why we decided on a three mile parameter for a move. Battersea is within that. Earls Court and of course Stamford Bridge.
"We don't want to lose opportunities if they are there. We need a bigger stadium and we have to work out how to do it.
"I'm sure Hammersmith and Fulham want Chelsea to stay here. But it can only be done if it's economically viable and presently we haven't come up with that model."
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