ISRAEL // The massive fire ripping through northern Israel was still incinerating swathes of land on Saturday, with little sign that Israeli and foreign firefighters were winning the battle to contain it.
With 41 people dead and more than 17,000 people evacuated from their homes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to bring in more international forces to join those already working to battle the biggest inferno in Israel's history.
As the fire raged for a third straight day, Israel's fire and rescue chief Shimon Romeah said they were still some way off from harnessing the blaze.
"At this stage, we are still far from controlling the fire. It is not us controlling the fire, the fire which is controlling us," he told army radio.
"In many areas where we thought we had finished, the fire has reappeared. And it is starting up in places we thought we had saved, despite our efforts to contain it."
Police said the blaze had destroyed homes in three areas overnight: in the artists village of Ein Hod, in Nir Etzion and in youth village Yemin Hod, all of which had already been evacuated.
As dawn broke, around 10 international water bombers resumed their work, flying sorties over the towering flames. They were backed up by a recently arrived Russian aircraft capable of dropping 42,000 litres (9,200 gallons) of water at a single pass.
Smaller planes also swooped over the blaze, dumping gallons of fire retardent in the hope of cutting off the flames which are raging through a pine forest and nature reserve just outside the northern port city of Haifa.
Meanwhile on the ground, more than 550 firefighters continued their efforts round the clock to tame the blaze -- around 450 Israelis backed up by some 100 firemen from Bulgaria and a number from Jordan.
In the Druze village of Isfiya, hundreds of residents, many wearing pyjamas and flipflops, stood on rooftops and balconies, silently watching as the towering flames licked their way towards the village, an AFP correspondent said.
Overhead, small planes ran multiple sorties, dumping clouds of orange fire retardant in the hope of boxing in the flames, he said.
With 41 people dead, and 17 injured, one of them critically, officials said there were still four people listed as missing.
By nightfall on Friday, the fire had incinerated more than 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) of land, with flames reaching the southern outskirts of Haifa, Israel's third-largest city.
As offers of international help poured in, with some 16 countries pledging assistance, Netanyahu asked for further reinforcements from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Norway and The Netherlands.
Planes and helicopters from Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Britain and Russia are already engaged in the massive operation. Later on Saturday, reinforcements were due to arrive from the United States, Spain, Italy, Romania, Switzerland, France, Croatia and Azerbaijan, the foreign ministry said.
In a phone call overnight, US President Barack Obama promised to send 45 tonnes of fire retardant as well as 12,000 litres of class A foam, along with a team of experts with fire fighting equipment, a White House aide said.
The Pentagon is also mobilising National Guard troops and assets equipped with targeted fire-fighting systems to help Israel fight the fire.
And UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon offered to mobilise international help, saying the fire was a terrible tragedy.
Police chief Dudi Cohen confirmed late on Friday that the blaze had broken out in one location, saying investigators were still looking at whether it was an accidental or arson.
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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Company%20Profile
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJustine%20Triet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESandra%20Huller%2C%20Swann%20Arlaud%2C%20Milo%20Machado-Graner%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Kibsons%20Cares
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Draw for Europa League last-16
Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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SPECS
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MATCH INFO
UAE Division 1
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 12-24 Abu Dhabi Saracens
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Company%20Profile
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