Saturday, December 8, 2012

Saturday, December 8, 2012

In 2007, a long-time visitorto Aruba decided to make ithis second home. LeonidKozlov, former principaldancer of the Bolshoi andNew York City Ballet andstar of the Broadway revivalof “On Your Toes,” with hiswife, prima-ballerina Adri-ana, settled on the islandpart-time. Their love ofdance involved them withthe local dance community,bringing sumptuous produc-tions to the island every hol-iday season.

Leonid has blazed a stel-lar career in classical ballet,inspiring young dancersaround the world.

Leonid defection to thewest is the stuff of moviescripts. He dodged a cadre ofKGB agents that surroundedShrine Auditorium in LosAngles in 1979 to achievecreative freedom and forge anew career.

He was immediately in-vited to star with the Aus-tralian Ballet out ofMelbourne, where he firststaged his production of TheNutcracker. Eventually, hewas invited by George Balan-chine to become a lead per-former with New York CityBallet, and in 1991 openedthe Kozlov Dance Studio,where he met his wife, primaballerina Adriana.

Leonid and Adriana spendthe holidays on Aruba, joinedby some of the finest dancersin the Tri-State New Yorkarea, during which they offerworkshops and star in pro-ductions. One of the most

beloved holiday traditions inmany of the great citiesaround the world, the stagingof “Nutcracker Suite” byTchaikovsky, was performedfor the first time in Aruba atthe Cas di Cultura in Januaryof 2008.

Leonid and Adriana havededicated an enormousamount of time and all theirprofessionalism to this proj-ect with the hope of encour-aging the appreciation ofclassical dance amongst is-land youth. Forty youngdancers from the Club diMovimiento will be partici-pating in this year’s produc-tion. They hope islandvisitors will take advantageof this opportunity to enjoythis immortal holiday experi-ence performed with top in-ternational stars and thetalented Aruban dancers.

Continue on pg 3

Creating a new tradition for ArubaFamed ballet star Leonid Kozlov has made“The Nutcracker” an annual holiday treat

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) -The United Nations isstrengthening its force moni-toring a ceasefire betweenSyria and Israel because ofthe growing threat from theSyria conflict, a top UN offi-cial said Friday.

UN peacekeeping chiefHerve Ladsous said extra ar-mored cars would be sent tothe force in the strategicGolan Heights where ten-sions have escalated in recentmonths as the civil warspreads.

The unarmed UN ob-servers say they have beenthreatened and have also had

to treat Syrian forces follow-ing battles with oppositionrebels in the demilitarizedzone, according to a new re-port by UN leader Ban Ki-moon.

Four Austrian members ofthe UN Disengagement Ob-server Force (UNDOF),which has been in the Golansince 1974, were wounded asthey drove to Damascus air-port last week. Syrian and Is-raeli forces have repeatedlyexchanged fire across theceasefire line.

Canada pulled its smallcontingent out of UNDOF inSeptember and other contrib-

utor countries have raisedconcerns, diplomats said.Austria, Croatia, India, Japanand Philippines provide the1,000 troops in the force.

The UNDOF countries areto meet next week ahead ofthe UN Security Council's re-newal of the force's mandate.

UN leader Ban has recom-mended that the force get asix month approval whileadding in a new report thatUNDOF has drawn up "con-tingency planning" for aworsening of the Syrian con-flict.

UN to reinforce Golan Heights force as Syriatroubles mount

2 Saturday, December 8, 2012

From December 5-8, 2012 five journal-ists from the UStraded snow to sandat the Aruba Mar-riott Resort. Publica-tions including theNew York Resident,Curvy Magazine,Chicago Time out,Parlour Magazineand Times Unionvisited Aruba to ex-perience what the is-land has to offer.

The five journal-ists and DiamondPR rep LisaSchwartz started thetrip off with a sunsetdinner at Marriott’sbeachfront restau-

rant Simply Fish. On Thurs-day the group geared up foran adventurous jeep tour withDe Palm Tours visitingAruba’s famous sights in-cluding the Natural Pool. Inthe late afternoon they set sailwith Red Sail Sports catama-ran followed by fine dining atScreaming Eagle. The jour-nalists enjoyed the “in bed”dining experience compli-mented with a special menuprepared by the Chef.

Ready for another fun dayin the sand, Friday morningthe press tried the famousDutch pancakes for breakfastat Linda’s Pancake House.Yoga instructor Rachel Bra-then then took the group outfor a paddleboard yoga classin the Caribbean Sea. Whilesome enjoyed spa treatmentsat Mandara Spa in the after-noon, others learned how toplay beach tennis fromAruba's beach tennis pro’s. Inthe evening Pinchos Grill &Bar hosted the press’ farewelldinner.

The Aruba Marriott thanksScreaming Eagle, Pinchos,Linda’s Pancake House, DePalm Tours, Red Sail Sports,Rachel Brathen, Vela andAruba Beach Tennis for theircooperation and hospitalitywith the “Trade Snow toSand” press trip.

“Trading Snow to Sand” at the Aruba Marriott

Safe time and just order your needs onlineand get them delivered the same day at

your door. No matter if You are Tourist or Local

Visit us at:www.eshoppingaruba.com

Saturday, December 8, 2012 3

This year, they will againwelcome Albert Davydov,principal dancer with theNew Jersey Ballet to for aspecial New Year’s Gala per-formance at the OccidentalGrand Resort in Palm Beachon January 1.

He will be dancing ashow-stopping pas de deuxwith young ballet sensation,Sofia Greenbaum. It is call“Diana and “Acteon Pas deDeux.” He will also performan exciting Russian “Gopak”filled with high flying leapsand jumps.The Occidental

show will consist of a variedprogram of classic ballet,folkloric dance, tango and anew work by Leonid Kozlovtitled “”Impulse,” an intricatejazz on pointe number dance.

The production of “TheNutcracker” features stun-ning costumes and sets pro-duced by Russian masters.This beautiful productionwill be performed at Aruba’sCas di Cultura on Saturday,December 29 at 8:00 PM andon Sunday, December 30 at4:00 PM. Tickets are 35 Aru-bian florins, or $20. Ticketsare on sale at Cas di Culturaand Van Dorp Bookstores onCaya Milio Croes in Dakota,and also their branch outletsat the Divi Resort, TamarijnResort and Holiday Inn. Thespecial New Year’s Day per-formance is the same price,and tickets can be purchasedat the concierge desk in theOccidental Grand Resort inPalm Beach. You can visit theirwebsite: www.dancearuba.comfor additional information.

By Rosalie Klein

Famed ballet star Leonid Kozlov has made“The Nutcracker” an annual holiday treatContinued from pg 1

The Director of the Depart-ment of Labour and Investi-gation receives advice fromthe Layoff Commissionwhich deliberates the requestfor all work layoffs submittedto the Department of Labourand Investigation. The lawrequires all employers to sub-mit a formal petition to layoffone or more employees.

The independent LayoffCommission consists of rep-resentatives of employers’ or-ganizations andrepresentatives of the unionsin accordance with Article 3of the “LandsverordeningBeeindiging Arbeidsrelatie”(Ordinance for the termina-tion of a work relationship) inAruban law.

The Department of Labourand Investigation hereby an-nounces to all clients whomay have a petition pendingwith the Layoff Commissionthat the Commission is aboutto leave for vacation as offDecember 13 through to Jan-uary 15, 2013.

All petitions for the termi-

nation of a work relationshipwill remain in process. Caseswhich must be referred to theLayoff Commission and arepending the “legal objection”process, will have to accept adelay in the process becauseof the scheduled vacation ofthe Commission. In January2013 all pending petitionswill be forwarded to the Lay-off Commission.

Notice:Layoff Commission announcesvacation schedule


We are proud to applaud agood friend of THE MORN-ING NEWS, Madi Kock, forthe commendation she re-ceived from TripAdvisorwebsite for her consistentcommitment to providing is-land visitors the best impres-sion of Aruba possible.

Over 40 reviewers havegiven Madi’s Magical Tourstop marks for going aboveand beyond the norm inshowcasing Aruba’s out ofthe way sites, as well as herencyclopedic knowledge oflocal flora, fauna, folkloreand fun.

Madi has been running herunique, very personal toursfor a few years now, offeringvisitors not only trips to theusual spots, but real insightinto island life, includingmeeting her Aruban family.

As the reviews on TripAd-visor indicate, they love theaspect of feeling like they aretouring with friends; unhur-ried and without having tostick to a schedule. Many re-turn year after year, enjoyingthe experience of introducingfamily and friends to their“Aruban family,” MadiKock, her husband, childrenmother and brother.

We are proud to haveshowcased Madi’s tours and

bits of island wisdom in THEMORNING NEWS, and arenot surprised in the least thatshe has received this highhonor from TripAdvisor, rat-ing a consistent 5 out of 5stars from visitors who have

sampled her authentic Arubanhospitality. Anyone wishingto experience what all the fussis about can call her at 746-1397 to arrange a tour.

Congratulations Madi on ajob well done!

Madi’s Magical Tours gets topratings from Tripadvisor

Aruba has always demon-strated that our people arevery caring and kind to ourvisitors, especially the visi-tors whom have been comingto Aruba for many consecu-tive years and have becomefamily to many Aruban citi-zens.

This is also the case of Mr.Pasquale and Mrs. AnnetteBortone who have becomelike family to the staff andemployees at the Costa LindaBeach Resort.

Recently, Pasquale andAnnette visited Aruba andwere staying at their homeaway from home the CostaLinda Beach Resort, every-thing was great as always,nevertheless on this trip Mr.Bortone became very sickand needed medical assis-tance at the Hospital.

Mrs. Bortone commentedthat they treatment at the hos-pital was fantastic and shewants to share this with the

world. The nurses and doc-tors were very kind and help-ful, but the best of all was thestaff at the Costa LindaBeach Resort.

Every day they receivedcalls and visits at the hospitalfrom the staff and friendsandother members of the Resortwhom were very concerned,and showed their love to thisnice couple. Mrs. Bortonewants to thank everybody fortheir love and assistance toher,and her husband. A spe-cial thanks Miriam, Rossy,Richard and the whole staffand members of the CostaLinda Beach Resort.

Mr. and Mrs. Bortone are al-ready looking forward to theirnext visit to Aruba next year.

Aruba Tourism Authorityalso wants to send its grati-tude to Mr. Pasquale andMrs. Annette Bortone fortheir loyalty to Aruba andwishes Mr. Pasquale a speedyrecovery.

Pasquale and AnnetteBortone wants to say

masha danki

On March 15th and 16th,2013, CEDE Aruba is organ-izing for the first time onAruba, ARUBA DOET: thelargest volunteer event onAruba. The idea behindARUBA DOET is for everyAruban citizen to lend a help-ing hand these specific twodays, for at least a few hours,to improve the community.

Despite the fact that Arubasees plenty of volunteer

work; many social organiza-tions such as non-profit foun-dations, sports clubs, schoolsand care institutions haveoverdue jobs that require vol-unteer manpower to finalize.ARUBA DOET appeals tosocial organizations (job sup-pliers) and volunteers (jobfillers) and brings thesegroups together. Prime Min-ister Mr. Mike Emanlaunched the countdown for

the ARUBA DOET eventduring a press conference.Only 98 days to go beforeAruba can lend a helpinghand to improve the commu-nity of Aruba.

Job SuppliersSocial organizations (such

as non-profit foundations,sports clubs, schools and careinstitutions) can register thejobs at ARUBA DOET be-fore January 31st, 2013.

Continue on pg 5

ARUBA DOET: the largest volunteerevent in Aruba - March 15th & 16th


The jobs to be finalizedshould require no more thanone day or a half day of

work. Jobs that apply couldbe e.g. clean up a play-ground, organizing an out-

ing for the elderly, childrenor gifted people, painting acommunity center, etc. Jobsuppliers can register at ourwebsite www.arubadoet.comor at CEDE Aruba 582-7666or email [email protected].

Job Fillers

“Everyone can dochores” is the ARUBADOET motto. Many jobsare easy and require littletime to accomplish. Andmany hands make lightwork. ARUBA DOET isinviting everyone to donate

a few hours of their time onMarch 15th and 16th, 2013to ARUBA DOET. To-gether with your family orfriends, sport team, class-mates, colleagues, it makesno difference. As long asyou are there! The ARUBADOET website contains asummary of all jobs thatcan be filled.

Companies can offer theirsupport to ARUBA DOETin many ways. Perhaps bydonating manpower, or of-fering their own employees,free products or discounts.

Another example is to do-nate paint, building materi-als or meals for thevolunteers.

CEDE Aruba

ARUBA DOET is organ-ized by CEDE ARUBA inpartnership with OranjeFonds, which is the samefoundation behind NLDOET in the Netherlandsand BON DOET in Bonaire.

For more information,visit our websitewww.arubadoet.com or con-tact CEDE Aruba and askfor Mariëlle at 582-7666.

ARUBA DOET: the largest volunteer event in Aruba ...Continued from pg 4

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - ABelize archeologist is suingthe makers of a blockbuster"Indiana Jones" film forusing a likeness of a so-called Crystal Skull, whichhe says is a stolen nationaltreasure.Dr. Jaime Awe claims theskull was stolen from Belize88 years ago, and that film-makers had no right to use amodel of it in 2008's "Indi-ana Jones and the Kingdomof the Crystal Skull," ac-cording to the HollywoodReporter.In a lawsuit filed in Illinoisthis week, Awe is demand-ing the return of the CrystalSkull, which he says is a na-tional treasure, from a treas-ure-hunting family whoallegedly stole it, said theindustry journal Friday.But the legal action also tar-gets Lucasfilm, its newowner the Walt Disney Co.and Paramount Pictureswhich released the film bySteven Spielberg, for al-legedly using a replica"likeness" of the skull.Awe, head of the Institute ofArcheology of Belize,claims that the skull wasfound by the daughter of anadventurer named F.A.Mitchell-Hedges under acollapsed altar in templeruins in Belize, and taken tothe US in 1930.The family is said to havemade money exhibiting theskull, described as 5 incheshigh, 7 inches long and 5inches wide, which Awesays was used as a modelfor the Indiana Jones movie."LucasFilm never sought,nor was given permission toutilize the Mitchell-HedgesSkull or its likeness in thefilm," says the lawsuit, acopy of which was pub-lished by the HollywoodReporter.

Belize archeologistsues over Indiana

Jones skull

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Pres-ident Barack Obama will beginhis second term in low-keyfashion, with a small privateswearing-in ceremony on Jan-uary 20 before he takes theoath of office before the eyesof the world the next day.

The double ceremony isnecessary because the USConstitution states that presi-dential terms end at noon onJanuary 20, but the pageantryof inauguration ceremoniestraditionally are not held whenthat day falls on a Sunday.

Obama will then re-take theoath of office in the traditionalspot, on a platform erected atthe west front of the US Capi-tol Building, on Monday, Jan-uary 21, on a day of paradesand glittering inaugural balls.

It will not be the first timethat Obama has had to undergotwo separate swearing-in cere-monies.

In 2009, Chief Justice JohnRoberts stumbled over the

script of the oath when heswore Obama in at the Capitol,and was called to the WhiteHouse to repeat the oath overwhat officials said was "anabundance of caution."

This year's events willlikely lack the historic echoesof Obama's first inaugural,when more than two millionpeople crowded onto the Na-tional Mall to watch him for-mally become America's firstblack president.

The committee said Obamawould hold a national day ofservice before his inaugura-tion, as he did in 2009, andwould take part in events withhis wife Michelle and cabinetmembers to honor civil rightsicon Martin Luther King.

It also said that the four liv-ing former presidents --George W. Bush, Bill Clinton,George Bush and JimmyCarter -- would serve as hon-orary co-chairs of the Presi-dential Inaugural Committee.


International news

Low-key start to secondterm for Obama

WASHINGTON (AFP) - TheUnited States on Friday ex-tended exemptions from sanc-tions designed to choke Iran'soil exports to nine major eco-nomic powers, includingChina, Taiwan, India andSouth Korea.

The Obama administrationruled that the economies con-cerned had taken steps to re-duce imports of Iranian oil, sotheir financial institutionswould not face measures underUS law designed to punishTehran's nuclear program.

The nine economies in-volved in the decision arethose of China, India,Malaysia, South Korea, Singa-pore, South Africa, Sri Lanka,Turkey and Taiwan.

They were granted exemp-tions to US sanctions legisla-tion starting in June, andPresident Barack Obama isbound by law to reconfirm theexemptions every six months.

The administration stylesthe exemptions as a sign thatits effort to build pressure andisolate Iran by throttling itspetrochemical sector is work-ing as part of tough diplomacywith other world powers on thenuclear issue.

"Iran's oil production fell byone million barrels per day inSeptember and October 2012,compared to the same period in2011," Secretary of State HillaryClinton said in a statement.

"This has reduced Iran's ex-port volumes and oil revenues,which fund not only the nu-clear program but its supportfor terror and destabilizing ac-tions in the region.

"The message to the Iranianregime from the internationalcommunity is clear: take con-crete actions to satisfy the con-cerns of the internationalcommunity through negotia-tions ... or face increasing iso-lation and pressure."

US extends exemptionsfor Asian powers to Iranoil sanctions

BRASILIA (AFP) -Venezuela became a fullmember of Mercosur at asummit of the South Ameri-can regional trading bloc Fri-day while Bolivia took a firststep toward joining.

Host country Brazil hailedVenezuela's entry, whichmarked the group's first en-largement since Argentina,Brazil, Paraguay andUruguay founded it in 1991.

But Venezuelan PresidentHugo Chavez did not attend.The firebrand leftist leaderappeared in public for thefirst time in three weeks onFriday as he returned homefrom Cuba after his latestcancer-related medical treat-ment.

Brazilian President DilmaRousseff hailed the decisionby Bolivia, a Mercosur asso-ciate member along withEcuador, to take the first step

toward full membership.Ecuadoran President

Rafael Correa said his coun-try would decide early nextyear on whether to seek fullmembership amid concernabout the impact integrationmight have on its dollar-based economy.

With the admission ofVenezuela, which boasts theworld's largest proven oil re-serves, the bloc is now an en-ergy and agricultural giantwith a GDP of $3.3 trillion(83 percent of that of SouthAmerica) and a population of275 million.

Bolivia and Ecuadorwould boost Mercosur's pop-ulation to nearly 300 million.

Uruguayan President JoseMujica meanwhile said thesummit would mull whether tojumpstart stalled negotiationson a free trade agreement withthe European Union.

Venezuela formally becomesfull Mercosur member

VATICAN CITY (AFP) -Mercedes-Benz presentedPope Benedict XVI with asleek, ecologically-friendly"popemobile" on Fridaywhich has been vamped upwith the latest gadgets formaximum comfort, the Vati-can said.

The 85-year-old head ofthe Roman Catholic Churchwas given two models of thenew white Class M car --which has bullet-proof win-dows and runs on unleadedpetrol -- at a ceremony in theVatican gardens.

Benedict will be takingone of them for a spin for thefirst time today, when he vis-its the square at the SpanishSteps in central Rome for ayearly ceremony celebratingthe Immaculate Conception.

"It's a joy to be able to ac-company Benedict XVI onhis journeys. It's an importantcommitment which we carryout with passion," said DieterZetsche, chairman of Daimler

AG, the German companywhich produces the luxuryMercedes-Benz brand.

Popes have been usingMercedes cars for over 80years, he said.

The new model has beenlowered by a few centimetresto make it easier to transportby plane when Benedict trav-els abroad. The air-condition-

ing and lighting have alsobeen improved in a bid tohelp the head of theworld's 1.2 billionCatholics relax duringlong trips.

Mercedes has pro-vided the special cars tosuccessive popes sincethe 1980s, the high-sized,reinforced glass designallowing for maximumviewing with high levelsof security.

The bullet-proof windowswere added after Turkish as-sassin Mehmet Ali Agca shotand wounded pope Jean PaulII in 1981.

German-born Benedict isgoing to be pleased that thenew model is ecologically-friendly.

Sometimes labelled "thegreen pope" in the Italianpress, he has emphasised thedefence of "God's works" andtherefore the need to protectthe environment.

Benedict XVI gets vamped-up Mercedes popemobile

ACCRA (AFP) - Voting inGhana's presidential and par-liamentary polls on Fridaywas extended to the follow-ing day due to delays linkedto problems with a new bio-metric identification system,an electoral official said.

"Voting will continue to-morrow so that these peoplewill have the opportunity tocast their ballots," electoralcommission spokesmanChristian Owusu-Parry saidon local radio.

Asked who he was refer-ring to, he said those affectedby biometric machine break-downs.

Further details were notimmediately available,though the electoral commis-sion was expected to issue astatement.

Ghana has been seeking tolive up to its reputation as anexample of stable democracyin turbulent West Africa inthe tight election.

Voting went smoothly inmany areas, but the new bio-metric system requiring elec-tronic fingerprints fromvoters suffered a number ofbreakdowns in certain dis-tricts. Materials also arrivedlate in some areas, causingsome polling stations to openbehind schedule.

President John DramaniMahama is vying for a firstelected term against main op-position candidate NanaAkufo-Addo in a nation reap-ing the benefits of a boomingeconomy fuelled in part by anew and expanding oil indus-try. The results are expectedto be close.

Ghana vote extendedto Saturday overtechnical delays

Pope Benedict XVI andMercedes Benz CEO DieterZetsche walk past the newpopemobile

SYDNEY (AFP) - Two Australian radio presenters whoduped a nurse at the hospital which treated PrinceWilliam's pregnant wife Catherine will not return to work"until further notice" as they faced growing public angerafter the woman was found dead. Media reports Fridaysaid nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who had worked at theKing Edward VII hospital in London for four years, hadcommitted suicide while police said they were treatingthe death as unexplained. Saldanha had accepted thehoax call from two radio presenters from Sydney's 2DayFM pretending to be Queen Elizabeth II and William's fa-ther Prince Charles, before passing it onto a colleaguewho divulged details of Kate's condition. The radio sta-tion said the presenters, Mel Greig and Michael Chris-tian, "are both deeply shocked" over news of the nurse'sdeath.

The missiles will arrive inTurkey mid-January, DefenceMinister Jeanine Hennis toldDutch news agency Novum.

The exact location for themissiles' deployment will bedecided in talks with Turkey,the United States and Ger-many.

The government statement

said a maximum of 360 sol-

diers would be sent to Turkey

to operate the missiles.

NATO on Tuesday ap-

proved Turkey's request for

Patriot missiles to defend its

border against Syria following

a series of blunt warnings to

Damascus not to use chemical

weapons.

THE HAGUE (AFP) - TheDutch cabinet on Friday gavethe go-ahead to sending NATOPatriot missiles to Turkey todefend its border against Syria,along with a maximum 360soldiers to operate them.

The deployment, whichcomes on the heels of a similarGerman move, will be initiallyfor one year and the govern-ment said the surface-to-airmissiles could not be used of-fensively.

"The aim of the Patriot de-ployment is not to enforce ano-fly zone or to carry out at-tacks," Prime Minister MarkRutte told journalists after theweekly cabinet meeting.


The German governmentannounced Thursday it had ap-proved its participation, sayingit would also send up to 400troops. The move still needs tobe approved by the Germanparliament.

NATO head Anders FoghRasmussen said the alliance'sdecision reflected a "steadfastcommitment" to preserving thesecurity of its 28 memberstates.

The alliance said that theNetherlands, Germany and theUnited States would providethe Patriot missile batteries,which would come under thecommand of the Supreme Al-lied Commander Europe(SACEUR).

Dutch to send Patriot missilesto Turkey-Syria border

International News

from the 13,000 complaintsthat police receive.

The anti-social residentswill be housed in shipping con-tainers or caravans that will beplaced in sparsely populatedparts of town so that they caneasily be monitored.

They will have to stay inthe "cooling off" units for sixmonths at most after whichthey can move into another"normal" home, but not in theneighbourhood they camefrom, said Limon.

"The aim of this project isto be able to reinsert people insociety, not to isolate them forlife," she said.

The so-called "receptioncentres" will consist of a max-imum 10 housing units, Ams-terdam city hall said in adocument outlining the projectand seen by AFP.

THE HAGUE (AFP) - Amster-dammers guilty of "really un-acceptable" behaviour towardstheir neighbours will from nextyear be removed from theirhomes and made to live to-gether in special housing com-plexes, the city said on Friday.

"It happens that people areintimidated, persecuted bytheir neighbour and find them-selves in such an unbearablesituation that they decide tomove," said Tahira Limon,spokeswoman for Amster-dam's Labour mayor Eberhardvan der Laan.

"We feel that it is the peoplebehind the intimidation whoare really unacceptable, andnot the victims who must leavetheir homes," she said.

Amsterdam has aroundseven cases of such extremelyanti-social behaviour each year

Amsterdam to moveproblem neighbours to'special units'

fer hundreds of detainees heldat a prison in Bagram, north ofKabul, to Afghan control.

Karzai's frequent anti-Amer-

ican diatribes have irritated US

officials, and Defense Secre-

tary Leon Panetta revealed

Washington's exasperation

with the Afghan leader in com-

ments to reporters in October.

With the US-led war claim-

ing the lives of more than

2,000 Americans, Panetta said

it would be helpful if Karzai

"every once in a while, ex-

pressed his thanks for the sac-

rifices that have been made by

those who have fought and

died for Afghanistan rather

than criticize."

WASHINGTON (AFP) -Afghan President HamidKarzai said Thursday thatNATO and the United Stateswere partially to blame for in-security in his country andthreatened to suspend negotia-tions on a future role for USforces.

He also said that allegationsof corruption against his gov-ernment were ill-informed andthat the United States waslargely responsible for fuelinggraft in the impoverished coun-try.

Karzai, who has long had astrained relationship with hisAmerican partners, alleged thatthe United States has failed toabide by an agreement to trans-

NATO shares blamefor 'insecurity' inAfghanistan: Karzai

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Belgiumon Friday raised its terrorthreat level to the second-high-est ahead of the release of anew home-made film on theInternet next week criticisingthe Prophet Mohammed.

Interior Minister Joelle Mil-quet said the decision by a ter-ror analysis and coordinationunit was "a simple preventa-tive measure," taking the levelof threat up from two to threeout of a maximum of four.

The decision was takenahead of the release, plannedfor December 14, of "The In-nocent Prophet" which an on-line trailer says is "from thepoint of view of an ex-Mus-lim".

The film is presented as thework of a man living in Spaincalled Imran Firasat and said tobe inspired by "The Innocenceof Muslims", a film released inSeptember that triggered awave of anti-US protestsacross the Middle East andblamed for more than 30deaths.

Belgiumraises terror level

Royal hoax DJs 'will not return' amid anger overnurse death

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Theassembly that awards theNobel Medicine Prize said Fri-day it had never heard of astem cell researcher who hasfiled a US lawsuit against it forallegedly crediting his work tothis year's laureates.

Rongxiang Xu, a Los Ange-les-based researcher who de-scribes himself as the founderof "human body regenerativerestoration science", claims hemade a key discovery creditedto the Nobel winners a decadebefore they did.

He filed a lawsuit in Califor-nia this week against the NobelAssembly at the Karolinska In-stitute, which awarded thisyear's prize to Shinya Ya-manaka of Japan and JohnGurdon of Britain.

They were honoured fortheir work in cell program-ming, a research area that hasnourished dreams of replace-ment tissue for people crippledby disease.

In awarding the prize, theNobel jury said: "Their find-ings have revolutionised ourunderstanding of how cells andorganisms develop," and "cre-ated new opportunities to studydiseases and develop methodsfor diagnosis and therapy."

Describing his lawsuit as afirst against the Nobel Assem-bly, Rongxiang Xu said he dis-covered "regenerative" cells in1984 while studying treat-ments that have benefited 20million burn victims in 73countries.

Alleging libel and unfaircompetition in the suit filed inOrange County, southern Cali-fornia, he claimed his goodreputation was defamed by theassembly, which is made up of50 professors at the KarolinskaInstitute.

Nobel assemblysays hasneverheard ofUS plaintiff

tioned in hospitals, but forscentists to identify whatscents the dogs are detecting,explained Michael Muellerfrom the Otto Wagner Hospitalin Vienna, who collaboratedon the pilot project.

This in turn could help sci-entists reproduce in the longterm a kind of "electronicnose" -- minus the waggingtail -- that could help diagnoselung cancer in the early stages,thereby dramatically improv-ing survival rates, Muellersaid.

VIENNA (AFP) - Dogs aresurprisingly adept at sniffingout lung cancer, results from apilot project in Austria sug-gested, potentially offeringhope for earlier, life-saving di-agnosis.

"Dogs have no problemidentifying tumour patients,"said Peter Errhalt, head of thepulmonology department atKrems hospital in northernAustria, one of the authors ofthe study.

The test saw dogs achieve a70-percent success rate identi-fying cancer from 120 breathsamples, a result so "encourag-ing" that a two-year study 10times larger will now takeplace, Errhalt said.

The results echo anecdotalevidence of odd canine behav-iour when around cancer suf-ferers and are backed up by theresults of similar small studies,including one by German sci-entists in 2011.

The ultimate aim is nothowever to have canines sta-


Health & Living

matter, according to the paper,published in the latest issue ofthe journal Food and Environ-mental Virology.

Co-author Marilyn Ericksonrecommendedg what to do, sheacknowledged that it could beimpractical to wash a knife orgrater between each vegetable.

However, "it would be wiseto wash (the utensil) carefullybetween meals rather thanleaving it on the counter, think-ing it's not that dirty," using adishwasher or at dishwater-type temperature, she said.

Previous research into con-tamination of kitchen utensilsand surfaces has focussed onbacteria, not viruses.

A 2011 study found that thenorovirus is the leading causeof foodborne illnesses in theUnited States. Ingesting as fewas between one and 100norovirus particles can causevomiting or diarrhoea.

PARIS (AFP) - People prepar-ing food are advised to washtheir hands to prevent thespread of disease, yet an un-seen threat may well lie ontheir kitchen knife, a newstudy says.

Researchers at the Centerfor Food Safety at the Univer-sity of Georgia used newknives and graters on six typesof fruit and vegetables that hadbeen smeared with minutedoses of hepatitis A virus anda "vomiting" bug callednorovirus.

More than half of the uten-sils became contaminated bythis contact -- and in turn oftenhanded on virus to non-conta-minated produce.

The experiment was con-ducted on cucumbers, straw-berries, tomatoes, carrots andcantaloupe and honeydew mel-ons.

The type of knife, whetherserrated, sharp or dull, did not

Food viruses can be spreadby kitchen knives - scientists

Dogs can sniff out lungcancer, pilot study shows

need for funds for more vac-cine.

The death toll has now sur-passed that of a 2005 yellowfever outbreak in Sudan'sSouth Kordofan state whichcaused 163 deaths from 604cases over about five months.

The yellow fever virus nor-mally circulates among mon-keys but could be linked tomore mosquitoes breeding thisyear after heavy rains andflooding in the region.

Mosquitoes can become in-fected from the primates andtransfer the virus to humans,Banerjee said, adding that theDarfur cases are concentratedamong the region's nomads.

There is no specific treat-ment for the illness found intropical regions of Africa andthe Americas but it can be con-tained through the use of bednets, insect repellents and longclothing.

Vaccination is the most im-portant preventative measure.

KHARTOUM (AFP) - An out-break of mosquito-borne yel-low fever which has killed atleast 165 people in Sudan'sDarfur region is Africa's worstin decades, the World HealthOrganisation said.

Since September 2, therehave been 732 suspected yel-low fever cases in Darfur, in-cluding 165 deaths, said aseparate report from WHO andSudan's health ministry.

Outbreaks in other countrieshave been smaller becausetheir routine vaccination pro-grammes have started to in-clude yellow fever, whereasDarfur had never had vaccina-tions for the virus until lastmonth, Banerjee said.

That has left the populationwith no immunity.

"The outbreak is very signif-icant and the spread of the dis-ease shows no signs ofstopping," UN humanitariancoordinator Ali al-Za'tari said.

He said there was an urgent

Darfur yellow feveroutbreak worst indecades: WHO

pm (0900 GMT) in Ishino-maki, a city badly hit by the2011 quake-generated tsunamithat wrecked a large swathe ofcoast, killing thousands.

There were no immediatereports of any fatalities follow-ing the quake, which had amagnitude of 7.3, according tothe United States GeologicalSurvey.

Several smaller tsunamiswere also recorded.

The 7.3 quake struck 36kilometres (23 miles) underthe Pacific, the US GeologicalSurvey said, with an epicentre284 kilometres (176 miles)east of Sendai.

It was followed by a 6.2 af-tershock and another tremormeasuring 5.5.

TOKYO(AFP) - A one-metre-high tsunami hit northeastJapan Friday after a powerfulundersea quake struck off thecoast, sending thousands flee-ing to safety in a region thatwas devastated in last year'squake-tsunami disaster.

Broadcasters urged resi-dents along the shoreline to re-member the 2011 catastropheand move to higher groundwhen the initial tremors rockedthe region.

Telephone systems jammedup with the sheer volume ofcalls, complicating officials'efforts to evacuate exposedareas until the tsunami warn-ing was lifted two hours later.

Meteorologists said thewave swept ashore just after 6

a country's facilities, includingverifying the destruction ofchemical weapons that theymight possess.

US officials said privatelythis week that the Syrianregime had begun mixing pre-cursor chemicals that could beused for sarin, a lethal nerveagent. Some media reports saidthe substance had been loadedinto bombs for warplanes.

The comments came amidfierce fighting on the outskirtsof Damascus and growingfears in Western capitals thatthe increasingly desperateregime might decide to usesome of its chemical arms.

Washington worries thatbattlefield advances by rebelscould prompt Assad to usechemical weapons; or thatsuch stocks could become in-secure or find their way intothe hands of groups hostile tothe United States and its allies.


HAVANA (AFP) - Cuba hascharged 13 people with fraudfor operating two secret tele-phone networks that let peoplemake cheaper calls andcheated the state-run monop-oly, a newspaper said Friday.

The official daily Granmasaid the suspects will be triedfor "illicit economic activity,"which carries a maximum jailterm of three years, and fraud,which can land them in prisonfor four to 10 years.

All are accused of using thestate-owned telephone com-pany Etecsa to make money.

One of the networks, linkedto a telecommunications com-pany owned by a Cuban livingin Canada, used a computer

program and Etecsa's cellphone grid so that text mes-sages sent to Cuba werecharged at a lower rate,Granma said.

The other network operatedwith funds from a companyowned by a Cuban resident ofSpain. It rigged things so callsto Cuba from outside the is-land and using Etecsa's land-line grid showed up asdomestic calls, the newspapersaid.

Both Canada and Spainhave significant and growingCuban communities.

Both networks have beenoperating since 2009 and costEtecsa three million dollars inlost revenue, Granma said.

Cuba charges 13 over piratetelephone networks

Sci-Tech

THE HAGUE (AFP) - Theworld chemical weaponswatchdog has asked Syria tosign up to a convention ban-ning their use, expressing "se-rious concerns" that for thefirst time in the agreement'shistory they might be used.

The announcement by theOrganisation for the Prohibi-tion of Chemical Weapons(OPCW) came amid specula-tion that Syria is consideringusing chemical weapons in itswar with rebel forces.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon saidFriday that any such movewould be an "outrageous

crime". On Monday, US Pres-ident Barack Obama warnedAssad of "consequences" if heused chemical weaponsagainst his own people.

The Hague-based OPCWhas in the past repeatedlyasked Damascus to sign up tothe convention, but to no avail.

Signatories of the conven-tion grant the OPCW access to

Chemical weapons watchdogcites 'serious concerns' overSyria

Tsunami hits Japanafter 7.3-magnitudequake


DEC 08 - DEC 14

O’stad : ‘ Botica Fergusonstr. ’ - S.N. ‘ San. Nicolaas ’

FREE Coverage on our website:

www.themorningnewsaruba.com

beginning of the year.Taking this year and next

year as a whole, GDP wouldexpand by 0.7 percent in 2012and then by just 0.4 percent in2013, the Bundesbank pre-dicted.

That represents a markeddownward revision from thecentral bank's previous fore-casts in June, when it had beenpencilling in growth of 1.0 per-cent for 2012 and 1.6 percentfor 2013.

n its regular quarterly staffeconomic projections, theECB forecast that the eurozoneeconomy will contract boththis year and next year andonly return to growth in 2014.

ECB chief Mario Draghi ar-gued that the central bank'spolicy of low interest rates -- itheld them at their historicallow of 0.75 percent on Thurs-day -- would help fuel recov-ery.

Also dulling the economicoutlook was the release of theUniversity of Michigan con-sumer sentiment index, whichdeclined to 74.5 from Novem-ber's 82.7 -- the best level infive years.

The data is crucial for the oilmarket because the UnitedStates is the world's largestconsumer of crude.

Market sentiment was alsodampened somewhat afterGermany's Bundesbankwarned that the eurozone pow-erhouse could sink into reces-sion early next year, but waswell placed to reboundstrongly.

The German central bank, inits latest updated twice-yearlyforecasts, said there were "in-dications that economic activ-ity may actually fall in the finalquarter of 2012 and the firstquarter of 2013."

FRANKFURT (AFP) - TheGerman economy, Europe'sbiggest, will not be able to es-cape the crisis and may evenflirt briefly with recessionearly next year, but is wellplaced to rebound strongly, theBundesbank said Friday.

The German central bank, inits latest updated twice-yearlyforecasts, said there were "in-dications that economic activ-ity may actually fall in the finalquarter of 2012 and the firstquarter of 2013."

Recession is technically de-fined as two consecutive quar-ters of negative growth andmany of Germany's eurozoneneighbours have been pushedinto recession, in some casesdeep, by the region's long-run-ning debt crisis.

Although Germany hasmanaged to hold up to the cri-sis fairly well, growth hasslowed here as well since the

Obama administration was"absolutely" ready for theeconomy to tumble over thefiscal cliff if a deficit-reduc-tion deal did not includehigher tax rates for thewealthy.

Boehner on Friday de-scribed such comments as"reckless talk."

"I came out the day afterthe election to put revenueson the table, take a step to-wards the president, to try toresolve this. When is hegoing to take a step towardsus?"

The top Republican inCongress suggested theremight be wiggle room in thenegotiations, which mustthrash out a deal by year endor have taxes rise by what theWhite House says is about$2,200 per US household.

The top rate is due to risefrom 35 percent to 39.6 per-cent if Bush-era tax cuts ex-pire four weeks from now.

Boehner did not reject out-right a query about whetherhe envisioned a potentialcompromise that would seethe rate rise to a compromiseof 37 percent while somehowprotecting small businesses, agroup which Republicanshave long claimed can ill af-ford higher taxes.

WASHINGTON (AFP) -House Speaker John Boehnersaid Friday there was "noprogress" in deficit talks andaccused the White House ofrecklessly pushing the coun-try to the fiscal brink over taxhikes.

"This isn't a progress re-port because there is noprogress to report," saidBoehner, the main Republi-can in negotiations with Pres-ident Barack Obama onlooming tax hikes and spend-ing cuts that could push thecountry into recession.

"When it comes to the fis-cal cliff that's threatening oureconomy and threateningjobs, the White House haswasted another week."

Obama sent Treasury Sec-retary Timothy Geithner toCapitol Hill last week with anopening gambit, proposing$1.6 trillion in new tax rev-enues over the next decade,mainly from higher tax rateson the wealthiest two percentof Americans.

A Republican counter-offer included a plan for $800billion in tax revenue raisedthrough closing loopholesand ending some deductions.Both plans have been re-jected.

Geithner raised eyebrowsWednesday when he said the

NEW YORK (AFP) - Oilprices slipped Friday as a dipin the US unemployment ratefailed to allay skepticism abouteconomic recovery in theUnited States and Europe andthe strength of crude demand.

New York's main contract,West Texas Intermediate fordelivery in January, finished at$85.93 a barrel, down 33 centsfrom Thursday's closing level.

In London trade, BrentNorth Sea crude for Januaryfell one cent to $107.02

Oil prices were up initiallyfollowing the release of USgovernment data showing asurprise fall in the nation's un-employment rate to 7.7 percentin November, its lowest levelsince December 2008.

"Of course the job reportthis morning was better thanexpected," said independentanalyst Andy Lipow.

However, he added, therewas some amount of skepti-cism about the impact of Su-perstorm Sandy, which hit theEast Coast in late October andearly November. In releasingits statistics, the Labor Depart-ment said the hurricane "didnot substantively impact" thedata.

"Other than that, there (is)still concern with some of theeconomic news that came outof Europe, notably regardinggrowth in Germany," he added.

Oil slips amid concerns aboutdemand for crude

Germany faces temporaryeconomic slowdown:Bundesbank


Finance

YESTERDAY’S

Crossword Answer

Top Republican warns'no progress' yet onfiscal cliff talks

ROME (AFP) - Italian policeon Friday raided the Milan of-fices of US social media giantFacebook over possible viola-tions of tax laws, Italian mediareported.

Facebook Italia is based inMilan and is associated withFacebook Inc. in the UnitedStates and Facebook Ireland.

"Facebook pays taxes inItaly as part of its activity inthe country and takes its obli-gations in terms of Italian taxlaw very seriously," the com-pany said in a statement.

The Italian-registered com-pany, according to its officialdocument, has social capital of10,000 euros ($13,000) and 11employees and therefore paysvery low taxes, Italian mediareported.

Facebook Italia had grossrevenues of 2.0 million eurosin 2011, which counted as"services" for promotion onthe Italian market.

A probe by Italian tax policeagainst Google Italy last monthfound that the company failedto declare income of 240 mil-lion euros ($310 million) andpay value added tax of 96 mil-lion euros.

Italian taxpolice raidFacebookoffices

U.S.A.

Dutch Antilles

Canada

Britiain

Switzerland

Netherlands

Sweden

Denmark

Norway

Japan

(per 10,000)

USD

ANG

CAD

GBP

CHF

EUR

SEK

DKK

NOK

JPY

1.77

98.00

1.77

2.80

191.71

230.59

25.91

30.23

30.67

214.88

1.78

100.00

1.79

2.85

192.43

232.69

26.63

30.95

31.39

216.84

1.80

100.20

1.81

2.90

191.67

232.15

27.20

31.37

31.91

218.62

Currency

Code

Buying

rate

banknotes

Buying

ChequesSelling

Rate

Current as of:

12/06/2012

All rates for amounts up to AWG 100,00 per item.

MEDELLIN (AFP) : Colombian Miguel Restrepo (L), andhis wife Maria Garcia look on inside the sewer wherethey live on December 4, 2012, in Medellin, Antioquia de-partment, Colombia. Restrepo, 62, is a homeless manwho has lived with his wife for more than twenty yearsin a sewer, near Medellin's downtown. The place isaround three by two by 1.4 meters of height and has astove, a television, a bed and a fan.

Freek Bartels, Manuela vanG e e n h o v e n , C a r o l i n aDijkhuizen and Biggie Boy.These artists are awesome,each in their own way. Ex-pect hiphop to make roomfor musical songs, r&b forclassical music, reggae forpop and enjoy!

Cas di Glas is held from

December 12 – 16 at the

Palm Beach Plaza Mall.

Three deejays will be lockedup in the House of Glass;during those days they aregoing to try and raise asmuch money as they can forthe charity of this year’sevent. A beach tennis courtwill be laid out and free clin-ics, a competition and a tour-

--Yes, you are in for a treat!At upcoming Cas di Glas, afundraising event at the PalmBeach Plaza Mall, a variedschedule is sure to delightyou. Super artists, somelocal, some international, aregoing to perform free ofcharge for this year’s goodcause, which is Wit GeleKruis Aruba. WGK has agreat project in mind for theelderly, so please donate yourmoney and help raise fundsto support the island’s ̀ grand-inan’.

So who is coming? We’lljust give you some names:Levi Silvanie, Hot OnesBand, Datapanik, DJ Fellow,Jasper Taconis, Junior Tecla,

Keep your eyes peeled for

the schedule of perform-

ances at the Palm Beach

Plaza Mall – and be there!

Register for this walk at Ide-fre or at Flora; participation(and suit) costs AWG. 25,--.The entire amount goes toWit Gele Kruis Aruba.

nament will see great actionin the sand. Cas di Glas startsoff with a playful caminata:Flora’s Santa Claus Cami-nata, a 5 K walk in SantaClaus suits.

HAVANA - Cubans participate in a Mayan ritual at Bacuranao beach in eastern Havana,on December 6, 2012. Mayan leaders are in Cuba delivering conferences and makingceremonies to celebrate the beginning of a new era


Wow, have you seen the line-up of artists at upcoming Cas di Glas?

Biggie Boy

Michael Lampe - Datapanik

Levi Silvania

Hot Ones Band

Junior Tecla

Jasper Taconis

Manuela van Geenhoven

blackjack tournament willkeep veteran high-rollershappy, as well as periodic spe-cial events that attract an in-ternational crowd; stop by andcheck their schedule.

Add to all this free drinkswhile testing the slots or

trying your hand at thetables, and the oppor-tunity to enjoy exclu-sive pay-per-viewmajor sporting eventsat one of their dozens

of plasma screens, andyou can understand

why loyal patrons findCool Casino THE fun place

to play. Slot machines areopen from 10:00 AM until4:00 AM daily, and gaming ta-bles open at 5:00 PM; ask fortheir schedule of specialevents and bonuses, as thereare so many choose from, butevery day offers something toget the adrenaline flowing!


morning “Kaffie Klatch” andtriple points when using theirmembership cards.

Cool Casino is a greatplace to learn to understand

s u c htable games as Craps andRoulette, as they offer free in-structions and minimums forbeginners with which anyonecan have fun and feel verycomfortable. High-stakes ta-bles and a major weekly

The great perks of gaming atCool Casino in the PalmBeach has created a dedicatedclientele; ask them what theylike about the cozy casino,and they don’t know where tostart! The free slot tourna-ments every Sunday?Major pay-offs in theirweekly Blackjack tour-naments every Tues-day and Friday?Ladies’ night everyWednesday with en-tertainment from greatlocal bands? Or perhapsjust the terrific benefits ofbeing “One Cool Member”which earns players bonuspoints towards additional ac-tivities, free dinners, daypasses at the Riu Resort,credit for play, or best of all:hard, cool cash! The casinoopens daily at 10:00 AM andon Saturdays and Sundays, allare greeted with an early

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One of the distinctions ofAruban cuisine is incorporat-ing unique indigenous ingredi-ents such as in Wild CucumberStew and a particular light fishchowder accompanied by thelocal specialties pan bati (cornmeal pancake) and funchi (thelocal version of polenta.)

.Seafood main courses forCatch of the Day Aruban Styleto shrimp and a mixedseafood platter with shrimp,fish, squid, scallops and mus-sels. Meat dishes such as BBQChicken and Ribs or GrilledTenderloin, each including achoice of 2 side dishes; allquite yummy and bargain-priced to boot!

The Queen’s is located onthe second level of PalmBeach Plaza, tucked into acozy corner at the front of themall. If you have a mind to trythe real deal in Aruban food,without a doubt, this is theway to truly eat like a local.They are open from 11:00 AMto 11:00 PM, daily, offering in-door and outdoor dining.Aside from an extensive menuthey also have daily specialsmade from whatever is in sea-son and Mama Luisa is in themood to prepare, so don’t for-get to ask about what isn’t onthe menu!

An elegant décor with abreezy terrace overlookingPalm Beach welcomes gueststo Varella Innocencia’s verypopular restaurant showcasingauthentic local cuisine:

The Queen’s.They may have moved

from Oranjestad to hipper newdigs in Palm Beach Plaza, butthe food and prices are strictlynative, which is what first wonthis charming eatery theirloyal clientele. Varella’s mom,Luisa, is still in the kitchen,conjuring up the deliciousdishes that have been in herfamily for generations, ac-knowledged on the menu withitems such as “Carni Stoba diMamachi”-“Grandma’s BeefStew,” and their ArawakSteak, along with local delica-cies like Keshi Yena -“FullCheese.” This is a tasty, fillingstew of chicken, with other in-gredients that are handy thatday, all incased in a thick skinof melted Gouda. It was verysatisfying and particularlymemorable paired with TheQueen’s garlic bread and veryspecial Pica, a mix of choppedonions and the famous localhot pepper, Madame Janette.Not overly spicy, it lends thatperfect bit of tang to this deli-ciously picturesque meal.

Eat like a local at The Queen’s

restaurant at Palm Beach Plaza

Varella, Luisa and the next generation of chef

Grandma’s clasic Stew beef with Rice and Potato salad

eight home games ofthe season, and thisdefeat came despite31 points, 10 reboundsand nine assists fromHeat superstar LebronJames.

Felton led theKnicks with 27 points.Steve Novak scored18 points -- nailingfour three-pointers --and J.R. Smith andJason Kidd both con-nected on three frombeyond the arc for theKnicks, who wontheir fifth straightgame despite the ab-sence of Carmelo An-thony.

Anthony sat outafter having stitches toclose a laceration on

the middle finger of his lefthand which he suffered late ina victory over Charlotte onWednesday.

He warmed up before thegame, but the Knicks an-nounced shortly before tip-offthat he wouldn't play.

MIAMI (AFP) - Guard Ray-mond Felton made six of NewYork's 18 three-pointers Thurs-day as the Knicks used a long-range barrage to hand theMiami Heat their first homeloss of the NBA season, 112-92.

Reigning NBA championsMiami had won their first


SPORTS

ATHENS (AFP) : Fenerbahce Ulker's Sto Romain (L) tries

to score in front of Panathinaikos Athens' Bramos

Michael (R) during their Euroleague basketball match in

Athens yesterday .

The Heat just couldn't takeadvantage. Dwyane Wade en-dured a 3-for-13 night fromthe floor, contributing 13points, while Heat center ChrisBosh made just 3-of-12 fromthe floor and scored 12.

The contest was tied at half-time, but the Knicks connectedon eight of their 13 three-pointattempts in the third period toseize control.

The Knicks solidified theirhold on the top spot in theEastern Conference, while theHeat suffered their secondstraight defeat after a shockingloss to the league-worst Wiz-ards in Washington on Tues-day.

The teams entered the gamewith the top two records in theEastern Conference, theKnicks at 13-4 and the Heat at12-4.

Now at 14-4, the Knicks areoff to their best start since the1995-96 season and havebeaten the Heat twice. Theyrouted Miami by 20 points inNew York in their season-opener.

SOCHI, Russia (AFP) - Former world champions

Daisuke Takahashi and Mao Asada put Japan top after

the opening day of the ISU Grand Prix figure skating se-

ries finals being staged in 2014 Winter Olympics host

city Sochi on Friday. Olympic men's bronze medallist

Takahashi, 26, outshone two-time reigning world cham-

pion Patrick Chan with an error-free rock'n'roll medley

on the ice of the new 12,000-seater Iceberg arena in the

Black Sea resort city. Earlier former two-time world

champion Asada grabbed the women's lead with her

flawless "I Got Rhythm" routine earning 66.96 points.

NBA: Knicks down Heat withlong-range barrage Euroleague basketball :

Figure skating: Takahashi,Asada put Japan top atGP finals

proof as to who is the betterfighter. He also wants to avoidsuffering back-to-back lossesfor the first time in his 17-yearcareer.


camp ... He wasn't so compas-sionate in sparring this time."

Pacquiao, who is also eagerto redeem himself after suffer-ing a defeat in his most recentfight to Tim Bradley, is tired ofMarquez blaming his failure towin in their series on biasedjudging.

Marquez claims he won allthree fights -- although twowere scored in favour of Pac-quiao and one ended in a draw.

Pacquiao and Marquez, ofMexico, have fought a total of36 rounds with their most re-cent fight being 13 monthsago.

They met for the first time in2004 for the featherweighttitle. Marquez survived threeearly knockdowns to scrapeout a draw.

Fast forward four years andthey would meet again at 130pounds. Pacquiao wasawarded a split decision by thenarrowest of margins as onejudge gave the victory to Mar-quez, the second favoured Pac-quiao and the third gave it toPacquiao by just one point.

In November 2011, Pac-quiao won on a majority deci-sion that was roundly booedwhen it was announced. An in-censed Marquez stormed outof the ring thinking he hadwon the fight.

Pacquiao sees this fight as achance to provide definitive

LAS VEGAS (AFP) - Filipinosouthpaw Manny Pacquiaoneeds a statement victory overJuan Manuel Marquez in thefourth installment of their epicrivalry today to prove once andfor all who is the better fighter.

Pacquiao, 33, will face the39-year-old Marquez for thefourth time in eight years in a12-round non-title welter-weight fight at the MGMGrand Hotel and Casino.

Trainer Freddie Roach saidhe has seen a meaner, harder-punching Pacquiao in theirsparring sessions at the WildCard Gym in Hollywood.

"I think he has the fire un-derneath him that he used tohave," Roach said. "He hasfour knockdowns in training

Boxing: Pacquiao seeks definitivewin to silence Marquez

Henderson [17-2] is unbeaten in the UFC so far, andvows to stay so. That’s impressive. Sure, fans may knowhe’s not fireworks on legs, with most of his victoriescoming the way of decisions, but an undefeated recordalways counts for something in the UFC and it will countwhen Henderson stares across the Octagon at Diaz.Diaz, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 5, might be a career16-7 and a very unsavory 11-5 in the UFC but there is anever growing chorus cheering Diaz’s chances againstHenderson.

UFC Preview: Henderson - Diaz

The Atlanta Falcons, al-ready assured of the NFCSouth division title, continuetheir quest for the best recordin the NFC when they visitthe Carolina Panthers.

In other games, the TampaBay Buccaneers will try to re-bound from back-to-back de-feats when they host fadingPhiladelphia, Buffalo host St.Louis, rookie quarterbackAndrew Luck and his Indi-anapolis Colts host the Ten-nessee Titans and the NewYork Jets visit Jacksonvillewith Mark Sanchez reinstatedas starting quarterback afterbeing benched against Ari-zona last week.


OAKLAND (AFP) - TheDenver Broncos, their AFCWest division title secure, de-feated Oakland 26-13 onThursday to notch theireighth straight NFL victoryand edge toward a possiblefirst-round playoff bye.

Peyton Manning joinedBrett Favre as the only NFLquarterbacks with 5,000 ca-reer pass completions, throw-ing for 310 yards and atouchdown.

The resurgent NFL veteran,in his first season in Denver,completed 26-of-36 passes asthe Broncos improved to 10-3.Their eight-game winningstreak is the club's longestsince the 1998 Broncosopened the season 13-0.

Knowshon Moreno ran for119 yards and a score andEric Decker recorded eightreceptions in the win.

The Broncos moved ahalf-game ahead of NewEngland and Baltimore forthe second-best record in theAmerican Football Confer-ence, behind Houston.

Houston visit New Eng-land on Monday night, whileinjury-hit Baltimore, whoown a two-game lead atopthe AFC North division, opena daunting final four gamesagainst Washington and theRedskins' rookie quarterbacksensation Robert Griffin IIIon Sunday.

Already without defensiveveteran Ray Lewis, who re-

turned to the practicefield this week but won'tbe fit for game actionuntil December 16, theRavens will also bemissing linebacker Ter-rell Suggs, who tore hisright biceps Sunday.

Baltimore couldclinch a playoff berthwith a win this week-end, but only if Pitts-burgh or Cincinnatilose.

The Steelers gotsome good news Thurs-day, as coach MikeTomlin announced thatquarterback Ben Roeth-lisberger will startagainst the SanDiego Chargers.

"Big Ben" missed threegames with rib andshoulder injuries.

Cincinnati, trying toearn back-to-back play-off appearances for thefirst time in 30 years,host a Dallas Cowboysteam that remains in thehunt for a wild cardberth.

NFC West divisionleaders San Franciscowill try to bounce backfrom an overtime loss toSt. Louis when they hostthe struggling MiamiDolphins.

Seattle, second in theNFC West, will try to

stay in touch when they hostArizona.

Green Bay, who regaineda narrow lead atop the NFCNorth with a win over Min-nesota last week along with aChicago defeat, host a De-troit Lions team that haven'twon at the Packers' LambeauField since 1991.

The Bears, meanwhile,visit Minnesota.

New Orleans host thereigning Super Bowl cham-pion New York Giants, whowill be trying to bounce backfrom a loss on Monday toNFC East division rivalsWashington.

NFL: Denver Broncos cruise past OaklandRaiders

Darrius Heyward-Bey #85 of the Oakland Raiders gets tackledby D.J. Williams #55 of the Denver Broncos as Jim Leonhard#36 looks on

Antrel Rolle #26 of the New York Giants dives onto running backAlfred Morris #46 of the Washington Redskins after Morrisrushed for a first down during the closing moments of the Red-skins 17-16 win at FedExField on monday

Saturday, December 8, 2012

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