Taipei 101 skyscraper the world's tallest building

Photo: Standing at 508 meters (1,679 feet) with 101 floors, the world's tallest building the Taipei 101 presents a new model for the Asian skyscraper seen in Taipei, Taiwan, in this recent file photo.

TAIPEI, Taiwan- A global architectural group on Friday declared the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan's capital the world's tallest building. The 512-metre-tall structure, which some liken to a giant bamboo shoot of glass and steel, received the title from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization involved in the planning, design and construction of skyscrapers. "There's no dispute whether Taipei 101 is the tallest building in the world," said Ron Klemencic, chairman of the council, as he formally certified the building's record with a new plaque. The CN Tower in Toronto remains the world's tallest freestanding structure at 533.3 metres but it does not qualify as a building. Before the title ceremony, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian told Klemencic that the record "not only gives affirmation to Taiwan's architectural industry, it's also the pride and honour of Taiwan's 23 million people." The 101-storey skyscraper is 56 metres taller than the previous record-holder, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Taipei 101 also claims a hat trick for having the highest structural top, tallest roof and the highest occupied floor. It also has two of the world's fastest elevators, which travel just over 1,000 metres per minute and can go from the ground floor to the 89th floor in 39 seconds. To determine a building's height, the council measures from the sidewalk level of the main entrance to the skyscraper's architectural top, which can include a penthouse, tower, spire or pinnacle. Flagpoles, TV and radio antennas aren't included. Last October, Taiwan celebrated the skyscraper's record-breaking status when a pinnacle was installed on top of the building. It features office space, a shopping mall and an observatory. Klemencic acknowledged that the future of tall buildings seemed uncertain after Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States destroyed the World Trade Center towers in New York. "There was a strong emotional reaction from the public and even in the building industry," he said. But he added that people now understand that the real threat came from airplanes. The terrorists could have easily attacked other structures, such as sports stadiums, he said. Taipei 101 "is a much safer place to be than a house because of all the safety systems," he said. Klemencic said the building has a state-of-the-art sprinkler and smoke control system. It also features "areas of refuge" - specially reinforced places with fire protection - that people can go to without evacuating the building. "If there's a fire on the 75th floor, you only need to go down a few floors to a place built to be more fire safe and stronger," he said. -CP

28 killed in bombing at Sinai resort, Israeli vacation spot

TABA, Egypt- Israel's intelligence chief on Friday blamed al-Qaida for the bombings at resorts in Egypt's Sinai peninsula that officials said killed at least 28 people, including many Israelis celebrating a Jewish holiday, and wounded more than 100. Israeli and Egyptian rescuers dug through the debris of the Taba Hilton, the site of the biggest blast, where at least four people were believed still buried after the bomb sheared off the outer rooms of a 10-storey wing. Two smaller blasts quickly followed in Ras Shitan, a camping area near the town of Nuweiba, 55 kilometres south of Taba. Thousands of frightened Israeli tourists rushed back home, streaming into Eilat just across the border Friday. Many complained bitterly that Egyptian authorities prevented tourists from leaving the resorts after the blasts and delayed them at the border. The Israeli intelligence chief, Maj.-Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash, blamed the bombings on Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network at an emergency cabinet meeting. Egyptian government spokesman Magdy Rady said it was too early to speculate. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office said he and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak agreed by telephone that they must fight terrorism together. At the Hilton, Israeli military rescuer Gefan Naty told The Associated Press it was unlikely any more survivors would be found. "I don't believe anyone is still alive," he said. "We just pulled out one child," about 10 years old, who was dead. Sinai's resorts were particularly crowded Thursday, the last day of the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, when thousands of Israelis vacation there. In Ottawa, Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew issued a statement Friday condemning the attacks and expressing sympathy to the victims and their families. "While the details of these bombings are still coming in, it seems clear that the targets were the many Israeli tourists who were on vacation at these Egyptian resorts," Pettigrew said. "It is all the more offensive that Israelis were targeted during the religious holiday of Sukkoth." "Canada condemns this assault and calls for the swift apprehension of those responsible," he added. The most devastating of the bombings was at the Hilton, where a car laden with explosives crashed into the lobby and detonated, an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity. There were reports of a second or third explosion in the compound, one of which may have been a suicide bomber. South Sinai Gov. Mustafa Afifi said there were three car bombs: one at the Hilton and two at Ras Shitan. He added that an Egyptian security guard got suspicious and tried to stop one of them at the camping area. "In Ras Shitan, one of the cars was intercepted, so it blew up away from" the lodgings, Afifi said. He did not elaborate. At the Hilton, the burned-out shell of a vehicle rested inside a meeting room.