Black Box Data Indicate Russian Plane 'Bombed'
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SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015 MUHARRAM 26, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Black box data indicate Min 16º Max 25º Russian plane ‘bombed’ High Tide 09:55 & 22:15 Governments warn citizens against travelling to Sharm El-Sheikh Low Tide 04:05 & 15:35 40 PAGES NO: 16691 150 FILS PARIS: Black box data from the Russian plane that crashed in Egypt last week indicate it was bombed, sources said yesterday, ahead of a first update from the Egyptian-led probe into the disaster. Both the flight data and voice recorders failed 24 minutes after the plane took off from Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort en route to Saint Petersburg on October 31, when it plummeted from the sky into the Sinai Peninsula killing all 224 people on board. Cairo and Moscow initially dismissed a claim Islamic State (IS) jihadists downed the plane, but mounting evi- dence that the Airbus A321 was attacked has prompted a growing list of governments to warn against travel to Sharm El-Sheikh. On Friday, President Vladimir Putin ordered all Russian flights to Egypt halted, in a fresh blow to the country’s already struggling tourism industry. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agencies the measure did not mean Moscow believed the crash- the worst aviation disaster in Russia’s history-was due to an attack, and the investigation continued. The head of Russia’s emergencies ministry said Russian experts had taken samples from the crashed jet and were testing it for any traces of explosives. But a source close to the investigation said the black box data “strongly favors” the theory a bomb on board brought down the plane. Another person close to the case in Paris said the plane had suffered “a violent, sudden” end, saying: “Everything was normal during the flight, absolutely normal, and sud- denly there was nothing.” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s office said he called Putin and they agreed to bolster coordination to “strengthen security measures for Russian planes”. Nearly 80,000 Russian tourists are estimated have been stranded KUWAIT: A panorama photo captures a tide at the seashore in Kuwait City. — KUNA in Egypt by their government’s decision to halt flights. Continued on Page 13 US steps up screening Nastiness threatening the of Middle East flights online reader comments WASHINGTON: The United States said Fewer than 10 airports in the region it was stepping up security screenings will be affected by the measures, White WASHINGTON: The Internet was sup- “They like the idea of the comments largest online news publisher 24.com and Independent of US-bound flights from some Middle House spokesman Josh Earnest said. posed to facilitate better exchange because it brings readers back, it creates a Online has done the same. Controlling online forums can East airports as a precaution after the “This is a specific reaction to the infor- between the public and news media. But community of people who are dedicated be especially tricky in countries where news organizations crash of a Russian airliner in Egypt. mation that we have learned about vile and hateful comments changed all and that’s good for advertising,” she said. may be held liable for defaming content from readers. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh this incident in the Sinai Peninsula,” that. In the face of rising vitriol-attacks, big- “But the downside is that when people see Some news organizations have sought to clamp down on Johnson said the United States also Earnest explained, stressing there was otry and general nastiness-news organiza- lots of vitriol and attack, even if they are incivility by requiring registration and banning anonymity. would review its assessments of cer- no specific threat to the US. “But it is tions are increasingly throwing in the towel not using bad language, it turns people off. One tool is from Facebook, whose plug-in verifies the tain foreign airports and offer them the prudent exercise of an abundance on online comments. Last month, Vice The worry is that instead of fostering com- identity of those who post comments, requiring people to help with security, as well as take other of caution, given the information that Media’s Motherboard news site turned off munication, you lose readers.” Research this use their real names. Some evidence indicates the measures, “both seen and unseen.” US officials have learned about this air- reader comments, saying “the scorched year by University of Houston professor Facebook platform and other tools have helped the tone. There is growing evidence that the line disaster in the Sinai Peninsula.” earth nature of comments sections just sti- Arthur Santana found anonymous com- Continued on Page 13 plane that crashed Saturday in the Johnson described the US actions fles real conversation.” It instead began tak- ments on online news sites can often bring Sinai, killing all 224 people, was as “interim, precautionary enhance- ing “letters to the editor” to be screened by out the vilest of views, particularly on hot brought down by an explosion. ments to aviation security with staff. Vox Media’s online news site The topics such as immigration. Radioactive leak Sources close to the investigation said respect to commercial flights bound Verge said in July it was “turning off com- “Often the targets of the incivility are that information from the airliner’s to the United States from certain for- ments for a bit,” noting that the tone was marginalized groups, including racial KUWAIT: Firemen are trying to contain a radioac- flight data and voice recorders “strong- eign airports in the region.” He said “getting a little too aggressive and nega- minorities,” Santana said in the Newspaper tive leak at the Air Cargo Building. A security source ly favors” the theory that a bomb expanded screenings would be tive.” Research Journal. Santana found readers said the leak was from two parcels (out of 25) that exploded on board the Airbus A321. applied to items on aircraft, airport Blogging platform Medium this past referred to immigrants as “cockroaches, arrived from London aboard Emirate Airlines. The Russia halted flights to Egypt, while assessments would be enhanced in week allowed its users to hide reader com- locusts, scumbags, rats, bums, buzzards, parcels are for the Health Ministry. Spokesman of Britain scrambled to evacuate passen- conjunction with US international ments, acknowledging that “sometimes blood-sucking leeches, vermin, slime, dogs, the Customs Department Mishal Al-Jaraid con- gers in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El- partners, and offers of help would be you may not want to get in a discussion.” brown invaders, wetbacks,” among others. firmed the news about the leak. He said the inci- Sheikh after cancelling flights follow- made to beef up aviation and airport The Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, Santana said that newspapers “have dent happened when a driver had a minor accident ing the crash. security. Johnson said they were news website Re/code, the millennial- expressed frustration with rampant incivili- which damaged five parcels. Officials from the Johnson noted that the facts and designed to provide “an additional lay- focused news site Mic and Popular Science ty and ad hominem attacks in their com- Ministry of Health and Fire Department are going circumstances surrounding the crash er of security for the traveling public.” also have shut off comments. And Vox.com menting forums,” but may also be hurting through the necessary procedures in containing were still under investigation, “At this time, these security enhance- launched last year without them, saying their own reputations by becoming a place the leak. Statements by the Health Ministry officials although US President Barack Obama ments are intended only for certain that “flame wars” turned readers off. for mud-slinging. indicate that readings of the parcels are normal. on Thursday acknowledged the “possi- foreign airports in the region,” he said “Newsrooms are really struggling with this,” The problem is not limited to US news The parcels have been placed in the storage area at bility that there was a bomb on board.” in a statement. — AFP said Jennifer Stromer-Galley, a professor of sites: “Flame wars” have forced the shut- the cargo area. information studies at Syracuse University. down of comments on South Africa’s MP Saleh World alarm Epic handshake United beat plans to grill as Burundi highlights West Brom, Oil Minister poised to crush China-Taiwan close gap on Al-Omair3 opponents7 Summit12 EPL20 leaders LOCAL SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015 Russian book highlights Amir’s achievements MOSCOW: A book, issued in Moscow, Russia The bilateral ties between the two countries the book says, recalling Kuwait’s hosting of the recently under the title of ‘Kuwait at the turn of were influenced by regional and international Arab-African summit in 2003 and the offering of the last millennium - domestic and foreign poli- developments since the Middle East became the more than USD one billion in soft loans for cy developments,’ sheds light on the national focal point of major events that changed the African countries. achievements made by His Highness the Amir world’s power balance and made it difficult to Regarding Kuwait’s ties with neighboring Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. maintain the status quo, according to the book. countries, the book pointed out that Kuwait The book, authored by Yelena Malcolm Yan, Since he assumed power in 2006, His responded promptly to the humanitarian disas- an expert in Kuwaiti affairs and head of the Highness the Amir has attached great impor- ters in Iraq and offered relief aid to the Iraqi peo- department of contemporary east at the Russian tance to the foreign policy issues and strength- ple despite the negative impacts left by the Iraqi ened the neighborly ties with the Gulf invasion of Kuwait.