Miscellaneous News

Massive Fire Breaks Out In Dubai Skyscraper
The fire ran up at least 20 stories of the building.
12/31/2015 01:01 pm ET | Updated 2 hours ago

JON GAMBRELL/ASSOCIATED PRESS
A massive fire broke out in a skyscraper near Dubai's New Year's Eve fireworks display on Thursday.


DUBAI, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Fire engulfed a 63-story skyscraper in downtown Dubai near the world's tallest building on Thursday night, but the block was successfully evacuated and there were only light injuries, the emirate's police chief said.

Tongues of flame shot skywards from one side of the luxury Address Downtown Dubai hotel and residential block, which stands across a plaza from the 830-meter Burj Khalifa tower where people were gathering for a spectacular fireworks display due to mark the start of the New Year. Television pictures showed pieces of blazing debris raining down.

KARIM SAHIB VIA GETTY IMAGES
The Address Downtown Dubai hotel stands across the famous Burj Khalifa tower.

KARIM SAHIB VIA GETTY IMAGES
Pictures showed pieces of blazing debris coming down from the building.
The Dubai government's media office said the blaze was 90 percent under control. Police chief Major General Khamis Matar told Al Arabiya television: "All residents of the hotel were evacuated and there are 14 injured, with light injuries."

A medic on the scene who declined to be identified told Reuters: "There are more than 60 people injured with light injuries from smoke inhalation and from crowding while in the stairs evacuating the building."

One resident staying on the 15th floor of the tower, completed in 2008, told Britain's Sky News of "absolute pandemonium" as those inside realized the building was ablaze.

"The alarms went off when the building was already properly on fire," he said.

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FIREWORKS TO GO AHEAD

Major General Rashed al-Matrushi, general director of the Dubai Civil Defence, told the pan-Arab television channel Al Arabiya that the Burj Khalifa festivities would go ahead despite the fire, saying: "Of course, it will not affect the celebration."

A Reuters correspondent saw police evacuating a viewing area near the base of the Burj Khalifa, where tourists and Dubai residents were set to enjoy one of the world's largest pyrotechnic displays to usher in 2016.

The Dubai government's media office said the blaze had started on the 20th floor, on the outside of the 300-meter tower, and that internal fire-fighting systems were operating to try to prevent it getting inside the hotel. Four fire brigade teams were at the site.

Dubai is a trade, tourism and investment hub for the Gulf region, and is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 160-story Burj Khalifa tower opened in 2010 and stands almost 830 meters (2,722 feet) tall.

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A Florida couple witnessed the gruesome aftermath of a crew member’s death on board a Carnival cruise ship earlier this week.

Around 6:15 p.m. ET Dec. 27, a cruise ship worker was killed while working on an elevator on board the Carnival Ecstasy, according to Carnival spokeswoman Jayme Eglin.

Miami-Dade police identified the victim as Jose Sandoval Opazo, 66, who worked as an electrician on board the ship, reported

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.

Matt Davis of Fort Myers, Fla., said he and his family boarded the ship Christmas Day in Miami. On Sunday evening, they were on their way to dinner when they saw blood streaming down the doors of an elevator.

"To look and see the elevator with just blood coming down like a sheet and not stopping, ... it was a real life scene of The Shining," Davis told WFTX.

Davis captured video of the elevator doors struggling to close.

He said crew members tried to usher passengers away from the doors following the incident, and 45 minutes later the elevator was sectioned off.

"Somebody was inside or behind that wall when the elevator came down, and I don't know what happened, but something terrifying happened," Davis told WFTX.

Carnival is providing support to those affected, according to Eglin.

“Full investigation into the cause of the accident is under way,” Elgin said.

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Gunshots and a blast were heard from the Indian Air Force (IAF) frontier base near Pathankot town on Sunday morning leading to speculation that one more terrorist could still be holed up inside.

While four terrorists, who carried out a Fidayeen attack at the IAF base on Saturday, were killed by security agencies during a gunfight that lasted for 15-hours. There were confusing reports about the fifth terrorist being killed.

The gunshots and blast were heard on Sunday morning during search and combing operation inside the base, the IAF and Punjab Police sources told IANS.

The technical area, where the IAF's MIG-21 fighter jets, MI-35 attack helicopters and other critical assets were stationed, was secure, they said.

A thorough search and combing operation continued at the Indian Air Force (IAF) frontier base near Pathankot town on Sunday following Saturday's terror attack.

Security agencies, including the Army, National Security Guards (NSG), Indian Air Force, para-military forces and Punjab Police were involved in the massive search operation inside the IAF base and nearby areas.

IAF helicopters could be seen flying over the base and nearby areas through the night and since early Sunday to assist ground forces in the operations.

"The search ops are continuing. Everything is being looked at minutely. The operation will end only after this is completed," a senior Punjab Police official told IANS.

Security agencies were particularly investigating the local support that the terrorists got in the area after entering Indian territory from the border belt with Pakistan on December 30-31. The border is about 30 km from here.

At least four terrorists, , were killed in a gunfight that lasted over 15 hours after they breached a high-security perimeter and entered the IAF base in northern Punjab early on Saturday to carry out a Fidayeen attack.

Uncertainty prevailed on the number of terrorists being killed in the attack on the Pathankot air base, with Home Minister Rajnath Singh withdrawing a tweet putting the number at five.

"I congratulate our armed forces and security forces on successfully neutralising all the five terrorists in 'Pathankot Operation'," Rajnath Singh had tweeted on Saturday evening.

The tweet was, however, withdrawn soon after. At the time of the initial tweet, the number of terrorists being killed was placed at four.

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BURNS, Ore. (AP) — A peaceful protest Saturday in support of an eastern Oregon ranching family facing jail time for arson was followed shortly afterward by an occupation of a building at a national wildlife refuge.


Ammon Bundy, the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was involved in a standoff with the government over grazing rights, told The Oregonian (

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) that he and two of his brothers were among a group of dozens of people occupying the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Ammon Bundy posted a video on his Facebook page asking for militia members to come help him. He said "this is not a time to stand down. It's a time to stand up and come to Harney County," where Burns is located. Below the video is this statement: "(asterisk)(asterisk)ALL PATRIOTS ITS TIME TO STAND UP NOT STAND DOWN!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! COME PREPARED."

In an interview with reporters late Saturday night that was posted on Facebook, Bundy said he and others are occupying the building because "the people have been abused long enough."

"I feel we are in a situation where if we do not do something, if we do not take a hard stand, we'll be in a position where we'll be no longer able to do so," he said.

Bundy said the group planned to stay at the refuge indefinitely. "We're planning on staying here for years, absolutely," Ammon Bundy said. "This is not a decision we've made at the last minute."

Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward told people to stay away from the building as authorities work to defuse the situation, the Oregonian reported.

"A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution. For the time being please stay away from that area. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Please maintain a peaceful and united front and allow us to work through this situation," Ward said in a statement.

An Idaho militia leader who helped organize the earlier march said he knew nothing about activities after a parade of militia members and local residents in Burns walked past the sheriff's office and the home of Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven.

Ammon Bundy's father, Cliven Bundy, told Oregon Public Broadcasting on Saturday night that he had nothing to do with the takeover of the building.

Bundy said his son felt obligated to intervene on behalf of the Hammonds.

"That's not exactly what I thought should happen, but I didn't know what to do," he said. "You know, if the Hammonds wouldn't stand, if the sheriff didn't stand, then, you know, the people had to do something. And I guess this is what they did decide to do. I wasn't in on that."

His son Ammon told him they are committed to staying in the building, Cliven Bundy told Oregon Public Broadcasting.

"He told me that they were there for the long run. I guess they figured they're going to be there for whatever time it takes_and I don't know what that means," Cliven Bundy said. "I asked him, 'Well how long can ya, how long you going to stand out there?' He just told me it was for long term."

Beth Anne Steele, an FBI spokeswoman in Portland, told The Associated Press the agency was aware of the situation at the national wildlife refuge. She made no further comment.

Some local residents feared the Saturday rally would involve more than speeches, flags and marching. But the only real additions to that list seemed to be songs, flowers and pennies.

As marchers reached the courthouse, they tossed hundreds of pennies at the locked door. Their message: civilians were buying back their government. After the march passed, two girls swooped in to scavenge the pennies.

A few blocks away, Hammond and his wife, Susan, greeted marchers, who planted flower bouquets in the snow. They sang some songs, Hammond said a few words, and the protesters marched back to their cars.

Dwight Hammond has said he and his son plan to peacefully report to prison Jan. 4 as ordered by the judge.

Dwight Hammond, 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, said they lit the fires in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires.

The two were convicted of the arsons three years ago and served time — the father three months, the son one year. But a judge ruled their terms were too short under federal law and ordered them back to prison for about four years each.

The decision has generated controversy in a remote part of the state.

In particular, the Hammonds' new sentences touched a nerve with far right groups who repudiate federal authority.

Ammon Bundy and a handful of militiamen from other states arrived last month in Burns, some 60 miles from the Hammond ranch.

In an email to supporters, Ammon Bundy criticized the U.S. government for a failed legal process.

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siegecrossbow said:

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Didn't your website cover a similar issue Jeff?

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