10 Foreign Workers Killed in Abu Dhabi Building Fire
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SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2015 JAMADA ALAWWAL 3, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Interior Ministry Moms swear by Kristen Stewart Barca slump gears up for health benefits makes history, to stunning national of eating ‘Timbuktu’ wins home defeat celebrations2 placentas28 big38 at Cesars by19 Malaga 10 foreign workers killed Min 15º Max 23º in Abu Dhabi building fire High Tide 01:48 : 14:23 Low Tide Huge blaze guts 79-floor Dubai skyscraper 08:27 & 20:44 40 PAGES NO: 16441 150 FILS ABU DHABI/DUBAI: Ten foreign workers have died in a Interior, defense fire that hit a tyre shop in Abu Dhabi, apparently trap- ping the laborers in a warehouse used illegally for panel tackling accommodation, local media said yesterday. Eight oth- ers were injured in the blaze that gutted the two-storey sensitive issues building in the Mussaffah district on Friday, Gulf News daily reported, saying that the makeshift hostel above KUWAIT: The National Assembly, during the current the shop was originally a storage area. 14th legislative term, has devoted special attention Police said the victims were of different nationalities to national security, amid insecurity and instability and that the owner of the building was arrested, the prevailing in some regional and foreign nations. The paper said. An investigation into the cause of the fire is parliament said in a report released yesterday that underway. “The injured were given first aid by medics the National Assembly’s interior and defense affairs and then taken to hospital while police and firefighters committee “has taken seri- began the grizzly task of recovering the 10 bodies,” Abu ous steps to back up state Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported. Fires at action for safeguarding cit- warehouses in industrial zones are common in the izens and expatriates, par- United Arab Emirates and authorities across the Gulf ticularly amid the current nation continue to crack down on illegal accommoda- conditions, thus putting all tion of foreign laborers. The UAE is home to millions of available resources at the foreign workers, mostly from South Asian countries. disposal of the national Meanwhile, hundreds of panicked residents fled one security system.” It further of the tallest towers in Dubai early yesterday as a huge indicated that the commis- fire engulfed the skyscraper, causing extensive damage sion had enacted legisla- to its luxury flats. The inferno gutted the upper part of the 79-storey Torch tower, triggering an evacuation of Abdullah Al-Maayouf tions at this level. The commission groups nearby blocks in the Dubai Marina neighborhood. five members, and is headed during the current term Amateur footage posted online showed fire engulfing by MP Abdullah Al-Maayouf. It includes rapporteur the upper floors of the tower - home to hundreds of Majed Al-Mutairi, in addition to MPs Sultan Al- expatriates - with debris falling onto the road as strong Shemmari, Abdullah Al-Adwani and Askar Al-Enezi. It winds fanned the flames. tackles sensitive affairs concerning the military and Resident Mehdi Ansari told AFP that the fire alarm security sectors, namely the ministries of interior and sounded at around 2 am. “I saw there was fire and defense, the National Guard and the fire department. pieces of the building falling down so I immediately On Jan 27, the commission won parliament took my wife and our baby. We took some important approval of a bill on confiscation of arms and ammu- items and went down,” he said. “When we went to the nition. At a session held on Jan 28h, the Assembly staircase, it was full of smoke. Later the staircase got amended law number 22 (1967), tackling issues relat- busier and smokier, the lights went off and some peo- ed to military service, positions, vacations and ple panicked.” Continued on Page 13 DUBAI: Flames shoot out from the high-rise Torch tower in Dubai’s Marina district early yesterday. — AP Continued on Page 13 Pacquiao, Mayweather to face off LOS ANGELES: Filipino boxing icon Pacquiao, the only fighter to win world Manny Pacquiao will meet unbeaten titles in eight weight divisions, dedicated American Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Stolen SIM on May 2 in a fight fans have long craved Arena to fans who “willed” it into being. “I between the finest boxers of their gener- am very happy that Floyd Mayweather ation. Unbeaten American Mayweather and I can give the fans the fight they have keys could made the long-awaited announcement wanted for so many years,” said Pacquiao, on Friday via the social media website who also posted a picture of the contract Shots.com, ending weeks of increasingly on Twitter. “They have waited long be spy tool intense speculation that the showdown enough and they deserve it.” had been set. “What the world has been In Manila, Pacquiao’s business manag- WASHINGTON: It would be another powerful tool in waiting for has arrived. Mayweather vs. er Eric Pineda said they knew in advance the arsenal of US and British spy services: encryption Pacquiao on May 2, 2015, is a done deal,” of the match but had left it to keys for a large share of the SIM cards used for mobile Mayweather wrote. “I promised the fans Mayweather to make the announce- phones. A report by the investigative news website we would get this done, and we did,” he ment. “We just kept it under wraps,” he The Intercept, citing leaked documents from former added, posting a picture of a signed con- told AFP. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, tract. Continued on Page 13 SANAA: Protesters hold posters with pictures of former president Abd-Rabbu said the US and British agencies “hacked into” Mansour Hadi during an anti-Houthi demonstration yesterday. — AP European manufacturer Gemalto to gain these keys. The report, if accurate, could allow the NSA and its British counterpart GCHQ to secretly monitor a large portion of global communications over mobile Yemen ex-president devices without using a warrant or wiretap. “This is a huge deal,” said Bruce Schneier, a cryptog- rapher who is chief technology officer at the security Hadi flees to Aden firm Resilient Systems, and a fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center. “The things that are the most egre- gious are when the NSA hacks everybody to get a few SANAA/ADEN: Yemen’s former president residence was looted by Houthi militiamen people,” Schneier told AFP. “They’re getting encryption Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi escaped weeks after he left, witnesses said, and at least keys of everybody, including you and me. It’s a of house arrest by the Houthi militia at his three people were seen each taking out a scorched earth policy.” The report suggests the intelli- official residence yesterday and fled to his Kalashnikov assault rifle from the house, gence services could have access to a wider range of home town of Aden, sources close to him but that was denied by Qahoum. The secu- communications than has been previously reported. said. He will make a speech later an Aden rity official in Aden told AFP that Hadi was Other documents have indicated that the NSA can television station, the sources said. Houthi’s staying in a presidential residence in Aden’s monitor email and traditional phone communications. official status since quitting last month in Khormaksar diplomatic district. Greg Nojeim, a lawyer for the Center for Democracy protest at the Houthis overrunning the His aide said Hadi will call on parliament & Technology, a digital rights organization, said the presidential palace and his private resi- to meet in Aden, as powerful tribes in the revelation suggests privacy of people around the dence remains unclear because his resig- provinces of Marib, Jawaf and Baida urged world is at risk. — AFP (See Page 27) nation was never formally accepted by the him to declare Sanaa an “occupied city”, a Manny Pacquiao Floyd Mayweather Jr parliament. tribal source said. He said Hadi “remains the The Houthis, who said they were taken legitimate president and that he resigned unaware by his flight from the capital, have under pressure from Houthis”. But Aden now called an urgent meeting of the cabi- Mayor Abdulaziz bin Habtoor, who is close Pak terror wave sparks rare criticism net in Sanaa’s presidential palace, a govern- to Hadi and met him on arrival, told AFP ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have ment ministers have begun to question ed mentioning Saudi Arabia specifically, it was ment official said. Hadi’s flight to Aden fol- the president does not intend to make a long enjoyed close relations, but Islamabad’s whether support from Saudi Arabia for semi- widely interpreted as a rebuke. lows an agreement between Yemen’s rival speech, adding that he is “sticking to his new-found resolve for fighting the root caus- naries, known as madrassas, is fuelling violent Away from the seminaries, there has also fations on Friday, brokered by the United resignation”. es of extremism has seen the Gulf state come extremism - bringing tension to the relation- been widespread criticism of the decision to Nations, to set up a transitional council that Hadi travelled overland in a convoy of keeps the parliament in place and gives a dozens of vehicles, a top security official in in for rare criticism. The two countries, both ship for the first time. allow Saudi royals to hunt the rare houbara voice to some other groups. Aden said. He passed through Yemen’s with majority Sunni Muslim populations, are Last week the Saudi embassy issued a bustard, prized in the Middle East for its sup- Hadi fled his residence in disguise, third city Taez, which like Aden is outside bound together by shared Islamic religious statement saying that all its donations to sem- posed aphrodisiac properties, in the southern Houthi politburo member Ali Al-Qahoum Houthi control.