world The Manila Times SATURDAY


AIFA, Israel: Thousands of Israeli firemen and rescuers on Friday fought to control a massive forest


fire that has already killed 41, as global help poured in to battle the biggest inferno in the country’s history.


As firefighters battled high winds, which were driving the blaze toward the northern port city of Haifa, po- lice and medical sources said that res- cuers had recovered another body, taking the toll to 41, and warned that the number of dead could still rise. “As of this morning, we have re-


covered 41 bodies and there are still three people missing,” said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, add- ing that there were 16 people in-


ers from a facility in the forest. Rosenfeld added that two police officers and a third person were still missing and warned that the toll could still rise.


B 7


December 4, 2010


Forest fire hits Israel, kills at least 41 H


By early Friday, five Greek planes, a Bulgarian craft with 100 firefight- ers, and a Cypriot plane and heli- copter had reached Israel, a military spokesman said.


jured, including three seriously hurt and one in critical condition. He also said that 13,000 people had been evacuated from the blaze, which had so far incinerated more than 10,000 acres of land and had already reached the southern part of Haifa, Israel’s third largest city. Police and rescue workers con- firmed that most of the dead were prison guards on board a coach who had been trying to evacuate prison-


Seoul vows air strikes if Pyongyang attacks again


SEOUL: South Korea will hit back with air strikes at the North and “punish the attacker thoroughly” should the regime launch another assault, the country’s defense min- ister-designate warned on Friday. The tough words came as the larg-


est-ever US-Japan war games kicked off in waters off the tense Korean pe- ninsula, and as the United Nations (UN)’s atomic watchdog voiced “great concern” about the North’s nuclear ambitions. The maneuvers in the East China


Sea dwarf US-South Korean exer- cises this week in the Yellow Sea. These were designed as a show of force to Pyongyang after its regime launched a deadly artillery strike against South Korea.


In Seoul, the nominated defense minister Kim Kwan-Jin told a parlia- mentary confirmation hearing that if the communist regime of Kim Jong- Il attacked again, “we would defi- nitely use the air force to strike back.” The South’s military counter-at- tacked with artillery fire after the North shelled a border island on November 23, killing two civilians and two marines, but refrained from using air power for fear of es- calating the clash.


Kim, a retired four-star general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the South would exercise its right to self- defense and “punish the attacker thoroughly until the source of hos- tility is eliminated.”


But he dismissed the chance of full-scale war as slim, citing the military prowess of South Korean and allied US forces, which have 28,500 troops based in the country. The South also plans to have five


days of artillery firing next week. But the defense ministry held off on scheduling a drill on Yeon- pyeong—which was hit in the No- vember 23 attack and is just 12 kilometers from North Korea’s coast—saying that it could come “by the end of this year at the latest.” The United States, meanwhile, joined forces with officially pacifist Japan in a giant display of military firepower dubbed “Keen Sword,” with 60 warships, 500 aircraft and 44,000 troops in southern Japanese waters. The long-scheduled drill comes in


a year when China has had a bitter maritime territorial row with Japan and quarrelled with Southeast Asian nations over what the regional gi- ant claims are its ancestral waters. China—which has resisted calls publicly to condemn its long-time ally North Korea for the artillery attack— has instead called for negotiations with Pyongyang, saying that to talk is better than to “brandish weapons.” Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have snubbed Beijing’s proposal for six-way talks that would also involve Moscow, opting instead for their own three-way meeting to be hosted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday. UN International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano in Vienna expressed “great concern” over reports that the North—which has twice tested atom bombs—had built a modern new uranium enrichment plant. A US scientist who toured the


Yongbyon nuclear complex last month called it “stunning.” He warned that, although it appeared to be for civilian use, it could be con- verted to make weapons-grade ura- nium to add to the regime’s pluto- nium stockpile.


BY EUGENE SHEFFER


Shortly after midnight, police said that strong winds had pushed the fire to the edge of southern Haifa, which has a population of more than 265,000 people. However, early on Friday, Israel’s Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch was cautiously opti- mistic that efforts to curb the blaze were taking effect.


As thousands of firefighters, po- lice and army troops continued ef- forts to tame the blaze, offers of in- ternational help poured in, with more than a dozen countries pledg- ing to send firefighting planes, heli- copters and personnel to help.


The foreign ministry said that it had also received pledges of help from Azerbaijan, Britain, Croatia, Egypt, France, Jordan, Romania, Russia, Spain and Turkey. US President Barack Obama ex- pressed his “deepest condolences” for the victims and said that US fire- fighters were on standby to help, while Australia also said that its forces were ready to help. Visiting the scene on Thursday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the blaze as “a fire on an interna- tional scale.” He was expected to convene an


LONDON: Fresh snowfalls swept northern Europe, shutting down airports, blocking roads and forcing Eurostar international rail service cancellations, as forecasters warned of more to come on Friday. The unseasonable cold snap, which has


lasted nearly a week, has brought Britain grinding to a halt, with thousands of schools closed and commuters stranded as rail services were cancelled and icy roads deemed unsafe. Gatwick Airport, Britain’s second busiest airport after Heathrow, closed for a second consecutive day, sparking outrage at the nation’s apparent inability to cope with the cold. The London airport said that it


hoped to reopen on Friday morning, but warned travellers to expect further delays and disruption. Ministers have promised a review of


how the transport network is coping, as newspapers said that Britain had become a “laughing stock” abroad, but pointed


out that the rest of Europe was also faring badly as temperatures plummeted. Eurostar, which runs trains between


London and Paris and Brussels, cancelled more than 20 trains on Thursday and said that it would operate a significantly reduced service until Sunday. Geneva’s international airport only


reopened on Thursday morning after heavy snow caused it to close for a day and a half, but its schedule was still subject to heavy delays. Flights resumed at Dublin Airport on


Thursday night after it was closed to allow snow and ice to be cleared from the runways. Dozens of flights were cancelled or


delayed at airports in Paris, Prague and Frankfurt—one of Europe’s key hubs. The freezing weather has claimed 28


lives across central Europe this week, including 18 deaths since Tuesday in Poland, mostly of homeless men, as temperatures there plunged to minus 33 degrees Celsius.


worldinbrief


MALAYSIA TO DEPORT TERROR SUSPECT KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia confirmed on Friday that it has detained an Indonesian terrorist suspect linked to the Jemaah Islamiah outfit and will deport him as soon as possible.


US ADMITS FAILURE TO SECURE FREEZE RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: The United States admitted that it has failed to win a new Israeli settlement freeze, a Palestinian official said on Thursday, in a potential knockout blow to stalled peace talks.


AFP


SAUDI KING TO UNDERGO MORE SURGERY RIYADH: Saudi King Abdullah, 86, will undergo more surgery on his back in the United States on Friday, the royal court said, nine days after his first operation to fix a herniated disc.


12 1 Snow storms that have swept the


continent in recent days intensified in many places on Thursday, leaving commuters and motorists miserble. In Germany, Berlin woke up to more


than 10 centimeters of snow, while almost 40 centimeters fell in Gera in the southeast, causing disruptions on train services and the closure of numerous roads. Danish officials, meanwhile, sent out the army in armored cars to transport patients, as well as the frail and elderly, to hospitals to the south of Copenhagen after heavy snowfall cut off normal traffic. In the northern French region of Normandy, snow measured 60 centimeters near the city of Cherbourg—the biggest snowfall in more than 40 years. In the western Balkans, heavy rain caused flooding in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, with more than 1,000 people evacuated from their homes, local media said.


AFP


LEGAL PRESSURE BUILDS ON ASSANGE STOCKHOLM: Sweden said on Thursday that it would issue a fresh arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, while US senators unveiled a bill aimed at punishing him and his whistleblowing website.


PENTAGON, SENATORS CLASH ON GAY BAN WASHINGTON, D.C.: US defense leaders pushed back on Thursday (Friday in Manila) against Republican senators opposed to allowing gays to serve openly in the military, saying troops are ready for the change.


HAITI SIMMERS AMID VOTE LIMBO PORT-AU-PRINCE: Tensions simmered in Haiti on Thursday (Friday in Manila) with its political future hanging in the balance, as protesters renewed charges of vote-rigging and cholera fears led to deadly mob violence.


emergency Cabinet session in Tel Aviv on Friday to discuss the tragedy. Dramatic footage showed flames rushing across the forest floor, en- gulfing trees and sending thick plumes of smoke into the air. An Agence France-Presse photog- rapher counted at least 20 charred bodies lying on orange stretchers by the side of a road, their clothes burnt off their bodies and only their boots intact.


Other footage showed the gutted remains of the bus, which one wit- ness, fireman Dudu Vanunu, said had been consumed by the flames. Fire and rescue officials said that


it was not immediately clear what caused the blaze, which swept through the pine forest covering the Carmel hill ridge, one of Israel’s most popular beauty spots.


Fresh snowfalls continue to batter Europe


»horoscope


TODAY’S birthday (12/04/10). Expect more opportunities this year, and for them to suit your talents and intellect closely. Ideas flow more easily when you take note of your dreams. When you imagine your future clearly defined, and then refine it, everything opens up. Share this for more power. To get the advantage, check the


day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19)—Today is a 7—Ignore ordinary demands and play today. You deserve the break. Team up with others to put an imaginative plan into action for a truly fun game. Taurus (April 20-May 20)—Today is a


9—Create your own possibilities today. Independent thinking increases enthusi- asm for a project that seemed mundane. Each member offers a unique view. Gemini (May 21-June 21)—Today


AFP


is a 6—To accomplish all your creative goals today, ask a partner to lend a hand. Together you make huge progress, and by the end of the day it’s all done. Cancer (June 22-July 22)—Today is a


7—Intelligent use of supplies and time help to get housework completed early. Then use your imagination to stretch your money to cover educational or travel plans. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)—Today is a


6—If you have a long list of tasks today, divide them among coworkers. You conquer the list and celebrate later. Keep your personal, ethical principles in mind. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)—Today is a 7—An opportunity arrives, compli- ments of a coworker. Use your talents to create something wonderful that may also provide income. A female inspires. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)—Today is a


9—Use your creativity to provide nurturing for siblings, friends and yourself. A difficult moment has passed, and now you can address the future. Breathe and relax. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)—Today is


a 7—Whether you pursue family chores or personal interests, some expenditures are necessary. A female helps to figure out what you need to get the job done. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)—Today


is a 9—You may have one too many irons in the fire today. Luckily, someone comes along to help you get everything done. Group members participate cheerfully. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)—


Today is a 7—Reserve mental space for multitasking. Your personal responsi- bilities and social events fill the schedule. You can manage both with some quiet reflection. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)—


Today is a 7—Take charge in group situations. Your ideas match your personality perfectly now, so you’re at your most persuasive. A teacher provides the materials you need. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)—Today


AFP


is a 7—Overlapping schedules have you in two places at once. Although a social event is important personally, handle work requirements first. Then party down! BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.


2 CHALLENGEof The Times BY CELSO BINAMIRA-GO BERINGUELA


3 44 1 8


11 14 21 11


Series no.04


Solve and arrange five (5) consecutive numbers into the given figures. Every three (3) numbers lying on the two (2) diagonals [forming the multiplication sign; TIMES or X] should have the same totals. Four (4) arrangements are needed. Given as clues is the Common Total (CT) (at the center) and other numbers to help you solve the puzzle.


14 25


52 41


»Sudoku 33


33 9


Series no.03 BY MICHAEL MEPHAM


Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.


Solution to today’s puzzle will be published tomorrow.


21 54


45 12


Solution for yesterdays puzzle.


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