thursday, january 3, 2013

litical feuding which spanningthe Christmas and New Yearholidays reflected the near im-possibility in forging compro-mise in Washington, wherepower is divided between aDemocratic president and theRepublican House.

It was also a signal thatObama, despite a thumping re-election win in November,may find it tough to achievesecond term legislative goalsthat include immigration re-form, clean energy legislationand gun control.

Continued on page 11

"I will sign a law that raisestaxes on the wealthiest twopercent of Americans whilepreventing a middle class taxhike that could have sent theeconomy back into recession,"Obama told reporters after thevote.

"The deficit needs to be re-duced in way that's balanced.Everyone pays their fair share.Everyone does their part,"Obama said, before heading toAir Force One to resume hisinterrupted annual vacation inhis native Hawaii.

Leading up to the deal, po-

WASHINGTON (AFP) - TheUS Congress pulled back fromthe brink of "fiscal cliff" disas-ter and sparked a New Yearstock rally with a last-minutedeal averting tax hikes andmassive spending cuts whichthreatened to unleash eco-nomic calamity.

Relief rippled out throughEuropean and Asian stockmarkets, with stocks in Spainand Italy surging by more than3.0 percent, before the all-im-portant opening on Wall Street.

The House of Representa-tives passed a deal between theWhite House and Republicanslate Tuesday to raise taxes onthe rich and put off automatic$109 billion budget cuts fortwo months, lifting the cloudsof immediate crisis.

But more hard haggling isdue in two months' time overfurther specific budget mea -sures.

The deal's fate had hung inthe balance for hours as Houseconservatives sought to addspending reductions to a ver-sion passed by the Senate inthe early hours of 2013 thatwould likely have killed thecompromise.

In the end, the House voted257 votes to 167 to pass theoriginal bill with minority De-mocrats joining a smaller bandof majority Republicans topass the legislation after afiercely contested and unusualsession on New Year's Day.

President Barack Obama,who campaigned for re-elec-tion on a platform of buildinga more equitable economicsystem, declared the deal wasa promise kept, despite fallingshort of earlier hopes for agrand deficit bargain.

US Congress agrees last-minute

fiscal-cliff deal

State Department officialsrefused AFP requests to con-firm she had been discharged,and it was not known whethershe planned to go home orwould be returning to hospitalfor more treatment.

Earlier, State Departmentspokeswoman Victoria Nulandsaid Clinton, who is beingtreated with blood thinners tobreak up the potentially dan-gerous clot, had been busykeeping in touch by telephone.

Clinton was admitted to theNew York Presbyterian Hospi-tal on Sunday after a routinescan revealed the clot in a veinin the space between her skulland her brain, and had beendue to remain there for at least48 hours.

Her doctors said in a state-ment on Monday that Clintonhad not suffered a stroke orany neurological damage.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - USSecretary of State Hillary Clin-ton was seen leaving a hospitalbuilding yesterday three daysafter being admitted for ablood clot discovered close toher brain.

CNN showed images of the65-year-old top US diplomatwearing dark glasses andwalking unaided to a blackvan, accompanied by her smil-ing husband, former presidentBill Clinton, her daughterChelsea and top aides.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Hillary Clinton seen leavinghospital building

things, there will be certainresults. For example, if wedetermine to work hard, wewill reap the benefits ofhard work. If we determineto keep on keeping on evenwhen the going gets rough,we will reach our goal. Ifwe determine to stop listen-ing to negative people andbe focused on the positive,

our lives will be much moremeaningful and we will ac-complish so much more.

Continued on page 3

tion. In some ways, we cannotanswer the question becausewe are unable to see into thefuture. Yet, in a way, we can.Because, if we do certain

Happy, Happy, Happy NewYear! The yuletide season isover....Christmas again wasgreat! We partied, enjoyedfriends and family and atefantastic food! However, forthose of us who made it outof bed today, we are facedwith the stark reality of thebeginning of a new day....anew year! Today, we areback on the job and one majorquestion is on our mind...whatwill this New Year hold forme?

This is a legitimate ques-

2 Thursday, January 3, 2013

What will 2013 hold for me?

A third scenario staged in2012, which actually datesback to several previousyears, is the global economicsituation which continues tobe felt here. With all of theapplauded efforts of the gov-ernment to put more spend-ing money into the hands ofthe people who most need it,there is still an economicgloom lingering. Everyone iscomplaining about the risingcost of everything. Fewerpeople are spending moneyon those things we once en-joyed, like eating out, goingto the movies, etc. This is sowe can have enough to spendon the essentials which havebecome so expensive! If wefollow the global trend, 2013does not provide us with anyhope for improvement, soAruba needs to brace itselffor what is looming on thehorizons economically in2013! Prices may continue torise especially in the face ofwhat is taking place in theUSA.

A fourth scenario staged in2012 is Aruba’s “open-sky”policy with respect to solarpanels for homes and com-merce.

Continued on page 3

Aruba bracing for 2013!Every continent of the worldbegins a new year with ex-pectancy and some trepida-tion. This is because everyNew Year brings a measureof uncertainty with it. We arenot able to see into the future,hence cannot know for cer-tain what may befall us. Whatwe do know are the scenariosthat have already been stagedback in 2012, which will beplayed out in 2013.

One scenario staged in2012 is that Valero Refinerywill take on a new modusoperandi in 2013. This newope rational format may meanless income for the islandwith all of the consequencesof that for San Nicolas andfor the overall economy ofAruba. Another scenariostaged in 2012 is the growinglocal crime rate, which if notstemmed quickly may takeon dangerous proportions forour different industries: com-merce, education andtourism! Police and the Jus-tice system must resolve tomake this priority numberone and to do whatever theymust to stem the tide of crimeon this otherwise peaceful is-land.

EDITORIAL

Scenarios to play out in

2013 in Aruba

beginning of the year soonturned into increased opti-mism due to a possibletake-over announcement,which in September fadedto a minimum with thepublication of contract ter-mination of most of full-time employees bymid-November. Buoyant

tourism partly cushioned theoutput loss related to oil re-fining activities. However,the effect of the indefinitesuspension of these activitieswas still major. Based onCBA’s estimates, the eco -nomy contracted by slightlymore than 4 percent in thefirst six months of 2012,while the underlying growth(i.e., excluding the effect ofthe refinery closure) was onthe positive side. Govern-ment finances remained on afragile path requiring contin-uous prudent fiscal manage-ment, while the balance ofpayments re corded a deficitin the first half of 2012 forthe first time since 2005. Ona positive note, inflationarypressures abated significantlyassociated with major struc-tural reduction in water andelectricity tariffs. Further-more, monetary and pruden-tial indicators continued to beat adequate levels.

fixed schedule, reviewing themost recently available data.The statistical tables formerlyincluded in the QuarterlyBulletin will remain availablethrough a separate release.

As is the case with all itspublications, speeches andpresentations, the CBA willcommunicate the release ofSOE report to the local pressand make it available on itswebsite (www.cbaruba.org).With this modernization, theCBA hopes to reach abroader readership and pro-mote public knowledge on fi-nancial and economicmatters.

Brief overview of developments in the

first nine months of 2012During the first three quar-

ters of 2012, the Arubaneconomy was impacted bythe uncertainties related tothe future of the oil refinery.An unclear situation at the

ORANJESTAD -- Sinceits inception in 1986, theCBA has complied withits duty to provide timelyand reliable assessmentsof economic and finan-cial developments,among others, through itsQuarterly Bulletins. Asan autonomous institu-tion within Aruba’s publicsector, the CBA recognizesthat it is important for policymakers and the public to haveaccess to factual informationas well as independent com-mentary on economic and fi-nancial developments.

To improve the accessibi -lity of the presented informa-tion, the CBA has decided toimpart new dynamism to itsQuarterly publication, bysubstituting it with a new re-port titled The “State of theEconomy” (SOE). To reach abroader readership, this m -dernized quarterly publica-tion will present the relevanteconomic commentary in amore accessible narrative,aided by topical charts. TheSOE will focus on interpre -ting the most recent develop-ments in the context ofobserved trends.

To facilitate timely dis-semination, the publicationschedule will be based on a

ELMAR finally decided toallow everyone the opportu-nity to install solar panels athome; however, the price ofthis important commodity isstill way above the budget ofthe average citizen, and in par-ticular above the means ofthose who would benefit mostfrom solar energy cost reduc-tion.

In 2013, Aruba needs to actmuch more ra pidly and pru-dently regarding the introduc-tion of solar ener gy for theindividual homeowner. Pricesmust be more reasonable tomake solar ener gy accessibleto all.

As we move into 2013, wedo so with high expectations ofa productive, safer, less expen-

sive and happierAruba! Our eyes re-main focused on whatis positive and wemust rally together asone people to makeonly good things hap-pen for Aruba, for usindividually.

Happy New Yearfrom all of us at TheMorning News!

Thursday, January 3, 2013 3

Scenarios to play out

in 2013 in ArubaContinued from page 2

Let us begin today with theresolve to make a differencewherever we are! Let todaybe the first day of your newbeginning as a purposefulperson. Aruba needs peoplewith vision, people with thedetermination to work hardand to make a contribution tothe overall welfare of this is-land! You are a very worthyperson or else you wouldn’tbe here!

You have 2013 to live outyour supreme worth, don’twaste this marvelous oppor-tunity.

Aruba can be a betterplace in 2013 just because ofyou! Whatever you put into2013 is what it will hold foryou, besides those thingsover which you have no con-trol.

Happy New Year, mayGod grant you a year ofblessing, peace, happinessand good health!

[email protected].

What will2013...

Continued from page 2

State of the Economy: A newpublication

ported the opposition. Severalof them disappeared and theirsurvivors have now decided toforce an investigation.

Some 12,000 people disap-peared during the junta periodbetween 1976 and 1981.

Zorreguieta’s role in thejunta led to him being bannedfrom attending Máxima’s we -dding to Dutch Crown PrinceWillem-Alexander. Since then,he and his wife have made se -veral private visits to theNetherlands and he attendedthe christenings of all threegranddaughters.

THE HAGUE -- A new com-plaint against the father ofPrincess Máxima has beenmade by the families of fourpeople who disappeared dur-ing the Argentine junta era, ac-cording to Argentine media.

Jorge Zorreguieta was agri-culture minister during the dic-tatorship of Jorge Videla andhas always denied having anyrole in the disappearances.

The four disappeared du -ring the period Zorreguietaheaded the farming instituteINTA where many workerswere sacked because they sup-

while establishing the popularholiday ballet as a standing tra-dition on Aruba, to be enjoyedby residents and visitors alike.

Rosalie Klein

ballet, folkloric dance, tangoand a new work by Leonid Ko-zlov titled “”Impulse,” an intri-cate jazz on pointe number.

The Kozlovs aspire to sti -mulate the Aruban communityto appreciate these art forms,

Grand Resort in Palm Beachon Tuesday, January 1. AlbertDavydov was featured in ashow-stopping pas de deuxwith Sofia Greenbaum titled“Diana Acteon .” Mr. Davydovalso treated the audience withan exciting Russian Gopakfilled with high flying leapsand intricate jumps. The NewYear program featured classic

intensively with local youngdancers at the Club diMovimiento in Bubali to ex-cite interest and community in-volvement in the world ofclassic ballet. The appreciationfor this rare treat was evidentwith a standing ovation fromthe audience.

A New Year’s Gala wasperformed at the Occidental

The husband and wife team ofinternationally renowned dan -cers Leonid and Adriana Ko-zlov again staged the holidayclassic “The Nutcracker” at theCas di Cultura over the finalweekend of 2012. Bringingthis beloved tradition to Arubajust a few years ago, the part-time island residents staged asumptuous production featu -ring guest stars Albert Davy-dov, principal performer of theNew Jersey Ballet and risingyoung star Sophia Greenbaum.Over 40 Aruban dancers of allages performed beautifully inthe chorus.

Audiences were thrilled bythe elegant production featur-ing costumes and sets speciallycommissioned by renownedRussian designers for the bal-let. Tchaikovsky’s immortalmusic was matched with livelydance and stunning costumes.The beauty of dance was ac-companied by the drama, co -medy and fantasy of LeonidKozlov’s choreography.

The Kozlov’s worked havecontributed their time to work


“Nutcracker” by Kozlov Dance Int’l again delights audience

Guest star Albert Davydov and Clara

Sophi Greenbaum in action

New complaint against

Princess Máxima's father

for Argentine junta role

WILLEMSTAD – Curacao po-lice have arrested seven sus-pects in connection with theNovember 30 heist of 70 goldbars worth an estimatedUS$11.5 million from a vesselre portedly registered in Guyana.

Media reports at the time ofthe theft said that 470 poundsof raw gold divided into 70bars were hauled off the MVSummer Bliss by six menwearing hoods, masks andjackets emblazoned with theEnglish word “police”.

The masked men are said tohave assaulted the ship’s cap-tain and made off with the lootshortly after the boat docked inthe Dutch Caribbean island.

Last Friday, police spokes -man Reginald Huggins saidthat one of the suspects is fromBonaire, three are fromVenezuela and the remainderfrom Curacao. One of the menwas later released while theothers were still being interro-gated.

One of the men arrested isthe owner of a local jewellerystore, while at least two othersuspects were said to havebeen nabbed at the jeweller’shome. During the investigationthe police have confiscated ar-ticles that are very importantfor the case.

In the preliminary part ofthe investigation the customsalso participated actively. Fur-thermore because this investi-gation has some internationalaspect to it, the Police Corpshas communication with theauthorities from these coun-tries.

The investigation in thiscase continues.

The country of origin of themassive haul is still not clear.

by patronage and generousgovernment handouts to thepoor, can survive withouthim.

If new elections are held,opposition leader HenriqueCapriles, who gave the co-mandante a good run for hismoney in the October elec-tion, might prevail and seek tobegin a new era.

For now, both the govern-ment and the opposition areleaving open the possibility ofpostponing the inauguration,depending on how Chavez'shealth evolves.

tober.The Venezuelan constitu-

tion calls for new electionswithin 30 days if the presi-dent-elect is unable to take theoath of office.

The constitution demandsthat new elections be calledwithin 30 days if Chavez, whohas dominated Venezuelanpolitical life since takingpower in 1999, dies or is de-clared incapacitated before hisinauguration.

But the key question iswhether Chavismo, Chavez'sleft-wing movement marked

rately spreading what he saidwere sick lies and rumorsabout Chavez's condition.

Maduro, who said he hadspoken twice with Chavez du -ring a three day visit to Ha-vana, returned to Caracasyesterday to face the growingdoubts and political pressuresin a nation that has the world'slargest proven oil reserves.

At the top of his to do listwill be to sort out what hap-pens if Chavez, 58, is unableto be sworn in to a new sixyear term on January 10 fol-lowing his re-election in Oc-

vernment of "outlandish irre-sponsibility" in trying to makeit appear that Chavez was ex-ercising his duties as presidentas he underwent a difficult re-covery in Cuba.

Vice President NicolasMaduro said in a television in-terview from Havana Tuesdaythat Chavez was consciousand fully aware "of how com-plex the postoperative condi-tion is."

But Maduro provided fewspecifics about the president'shealth even as he accused theVenezuelan right of delibe -

CARACAS (AFP) - Vene -zuela's main oppositionmovement yesterday calledon the go vernment to tell "thetruth" about President HugoChavez's health amid growinguncertainty over his conditionthree weeks after undergoingcancer surgery in Cuba.

"It is essential that the go -vernment act in a manner thatgives confidence. It is essen-tial that it tell the truth," saidRamon Guillermo Aveledo,the head of MUD, an opposi-tion umbrella group.

Aveledo accused the go -


Venezuela opposition want 'the truth' about Chavez health

Sevenarrestedin Curacaomultimilliondollar goldheist

the storage tanks to explode,but the scene was engulfed infire, which suggests that wasthe case.

The family of US reporterJames Foley, which had earlierasked media not to report hisabduction in the hope that alow profile would assist in ef-forts to free him, broke their si-lence yesterday to reveal hisplight.

"We want Jim to comesafely home, or at least weneed to speak with him toknow he's okay," said his fa-ther, John Foley. Addressingthe captors he said: "To thepeople who have Jim, pleasecontact us so we can work to-gether toward his release."

Foley, 39, an experiencedreporter who has covered otherconflicts, was seized by armedmen in the town of Taftanazprovince on November 22,along with a driver and a trans-lator who were later released,according to witnesses.

No group has claimed re-sponsibility for the abduction.

killed or wounded dozens ofpeople, many of them horriblyburned.

"There are 12 bodies thathave been found at the scene,including a number of rebelsfrom different local batta -lions," Observatory directorRami Abdel Rahman told AFPby phone. "It is not yet clear ifthe gas station was the target."

The Local CoordinationCommittees, a grassroots net-work of activists, estimatedthat at least 50 people werekilled and dozens of otherswounded.

It said the toll was likely torise because bodies were stillbeing pulled from the rubble,adding that "it is extremely dif-ficult to count the dead be-cause most of the bodies havebeen immolated."

A gruesome video postedon YouTube purported to showthe aftermath of the attack,with many of the bodiesburned.

It was not immediatelyclear if the bomb blasts caused

DAMASCUS (AFP) - Morethan 60,000 people have beenkilled in the Syrian conflict, theUN said yesterday, as dozensmore died or were woundedwhen an air strike hit a servicestation near Damascus.

As the casualties continuedto mount, the family of a free-lance US journalist, who con-tributed videos to AFP, re -vealed that he was kidnappedin Syria six weeks ago and hasbeen missing ever since.

UN High Commissioner forHuman Rights Navi Pillay saidin Geneva that 59,648 peoplehad died through the end ofNovember in the 21-monthconflict, which began as apeaceful uprising in March2011.

"Given there has been nolet-up in the conflict since theend of November, we can as-sume that more than 60,000people have been killed by thebeginning of 2013," Pillay saidin a statement.

"The number of casualtiesis much higher than we ex-pected, and is truly shocking,"she added.

Pillay said in December2011 that the UN was unableto provide precise figures onthe number of deaths. Sincethen, media have been relyingon the Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights, which put thetotal on Monday at more than46,000.

"Although this is the mostdetailed and wide-ranginganalysis of casualty figures sofar, this is by no means a defi -nitive figure," Pillay said.

Analysis has shown asteady increase in the averagenumber of documented deathsper month since the beginningof the conflict, growing fromaround 1,000 in the summer of2011 to an average of morethan 5,000 since July 2012.

The Observatory said aregime air strike in the EasternGhuta region of Damascus

Syria conflict kills 60,000, says UN,

as clashes rage

the Coast Guard's desire toprotect the pristine Alaska en-vironment and response per-sonnel," said Rear AdmiralThomas Ostebo in an updateposted online yesterday.

"Everyone involved in theresponse effort has the sameobjective: to safely recover theKulluk without injuries or im-pact to the environment. So far,response personnel havedemonstrated great resource-fulness and adaptability to theweather and other challengesin a very difficult operation."

Eighteen crew members hadalready been evacuated fromthe rig before it broke free lateMonday, New Year's Eve. ByTuesday it was described as up-right and rocking with a slow,but stable motion.

Oil company Royal DutchShell said three people suf-fered minor injuries during theresponse to the Kulluk'sgrounding, according to thetelevision station.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - USCoast Guard vowed yesterdayto prevent fuel from leakingfrom a Shell oil rig thatgrounded in Alaska afterbreaking free from tugboatstowing it in heavy seas.

The Kalluk mobile drillingunit was being towed to Seattlewhen it broke free on NewYear's Eve and washed ashorenear Kodiak Island, some 300miles southwest of Anchorage.

The rig has some 150,000gallons of ultra-low sulphurdiesel and roughly 12,000 gal-lons of oil and hydraulic fluid,according to the far northwest-ern US state's KTUU televi-sion station.

There is no sign of leaks,but further checks were beingmade as authorities consideredhow to salvage the structure,the Coast Guard said after USsenator Lisa Murkowski vi -sited a Command Center set upfor the incident Tuesday.

"Senator Murkowski shares


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US seeks to prevent spill

from grounded oil rig

NEW YORK- AFP photo shows a woman walking byhomes and businesses destroyed by Superstorm Sandyin the Rockaways on January 2, 2013 in the Queens bor-ough of New York City. Criticism, including by PresidentBarack Obama, has been directed at the RepublicanHouse's decision to adjourn without passing a Super-storm Sandy aid bill. According to early estimates, Su-perstorm Sandy inflicted at least $50 to $60 billion indamage across the Northeast, making it one of the mostdestructive storms ever.

CHICAGO - An angel, a cigarette, liquor and religiouscandles help to form a memorial created in an alley nearthe spot where 20-year-old Octavius Dontrell Lamb wasshot yesterday and killed, on January 2, 2013 in Chicago,Illinois. At 3:45 a.m., less than four hours into the newyear, Lamb became the first murder victim of 2013 inChicago, a city which saw more that 500 murders in2012. Fifteen people were shot in Chicago on the firstday of the year, three fatally. Aurora, Illinois' secondlargest city, had no murders in 2012. (AFP)

volved in his rescue and whichis standing by his family in thelatest incident.

The reason for his abduc-tion in Syria remains unclear.It is not known if his abductorsare financially motivated or ifthey are linked to any Islamistgroups, rebels or pro-regimeforces or sympathisers.

Large parts of northernSyria are controlled by anti-Assad rebel groups that formpart of the Free Syrian Army orare made up of jihadists, in-cluding foreign fighters.

statement added.Deploying police full time at

schools has become commonin the United States over thelast two decades, according toa study sponsored by the De-partment of Justice.

"Nearly half of all publicschools have assigned policeofficers," the 2010 study said,and "assigning officers toschools is becoming increas-ingly popular."

But the Newtown shootingson December 14 added ur-gency to an already heated de-

NEW YORK (AFP) - Amid anational debate on how to stopgun massacres in publicplaces, one town in New Jer-sey began posting armed po-lice at every school on therestart of the academic yearWednesday.

The new policy was the townof Marlboro's response to an-guished questions over securityin the wake of December's mas-sacre in which a gunman shot20 young children and six staffdead at an elementary school inNewtown, Connecticut.

"The safety and security ofour students, staff, and build-ings are of utmost impor-tance," the Marlboro educationauthority said on its website.

"To that end, and in re-sponse to the Newton, CTtragedy, starting Wednesday,January 2, every Marlboroschool will have an armed,uniformed Marlboro Townshippolice officer."

The measure will be in placefor 90 days "while discussionsabout future security improve-ments are conducted," the


bate over how to protectschools and other publicplaces.

Gun control advocates sayUS laws too easily allow crim-inals and deranged individualsaccess to powerful weapons.The main gun rights lobby, theNational Rifle Association,says that the best way forwardis to arm teachers -- a strategythat has found favor in somewestern states, including Utah.

Reactions to Marlboro's ini-tiative were mixed on theschools' Facebook page.

New Jersey town's schools getarmed cops

International News

nearly two years ago.Foley's family, which had

earlier asked media groups notto report the abduction in thehope that a low profile wouldassist in efforts to free him,broke their silence Wednesdayto reveal his plight.

Foley was previously kid-napped and held for six weeksby forces loyal to slain Libyandictator Moamer Kadhafiwhile covering that civil warlast year.

At the time, he was workingfor GlobalPost, which was in-

PARIS (AFP) - A freelanceAmerican reporter who con-tributed videos to AgenceFrance-Presse (AFP) in recentmonths was kidnapped in war-torn Syria six weeks ago andhas been missing since, hisfamily revealed Wednesday.

US journalist James Foley,39, an experienced war re-porter who has covered otherconflicts, was seized by armedmen in the northern provinceof Idlib on November 22, ac-cording to witnesses.

Foley, who last suppliedAFP with video material theday before he disappeared, waspicked up in the town ofTaftanaz by four men who laterreleased his driver and transla-tor, the witnesses said.

No group has claimed re-sponsibility for the abduction,in a country which has beenracked by bitter civil war sincethe start of an uprising byrebels opposing PresidentBashar al-Assad's regime

US journalist, AFP contributor, kidnappedin Syria

tista said people were crushedwhen they tried to grab sachetsof water believed to have su-pernatural powers.

"The chaos began with thearrival of the last batch of peo-ple from Luanda's outlyingneighbourhoods, through theentrance... where sachets ofblessed water were placed.Everyone wanted to reach forone. " she said.

The vigil was organised bythe Universal Church of theKingdom of God, which wasfounded in Brazil in 1977 andboasts of more than a millionfollowers in Angola, accordingto the culture ministry.

Its overnight New Year'sEve prayer vigil in Luanda isan annual event.

The church has denied re-sponsibility for the tragedy.

Of the over 100 woundedduring the crush, 25 sustainedserious injuries.

LUANDA (AFP) - The officialdeath toll from a stampede at aNew Year's Eve evangelicalvigil in Angola rose to 16Wednesday, as witnesses saidthe tragedy was caused by ascramble for sachets of holywater.

Authorities probing howthe disaster happened have dis-covered that the 80,000-seaterstadium in the capital Luandawas packed to nearly doubleits capacity as turnout far ex-ceeded expectations.

"The police, fire-fightersand health services and churchleaders, all of us, were over-whelmed by the numbers ofpeople who descended onCidadela Stadium," said Gas-par de Almeida.

The initial death toll hadstood at 10. Police did not givefurther details on the six latestdeaths.

Worshipper Marcelina Bap-

Angola New Yearstampede death tollrises to 16

HONG KONG, China (AFP) : Shark fins drying in the suncover the roof of a factory building in Hong Kong on Jan-uary 2, 2013. Environmentalists and other concernedgroups have raised concerns that the over-harvesting offins is causing an enviormental calamity. Hong Kong isone of the world's biggest markets for shark fins, whichare used to make soup that is an expensive staple at Chi-nese banquets.

excess fat "may provideneeded energy reserves" dur-ing illness, or help in otherways that need to be investi-gated, wrote biomedical re-searchers Steven Heymsfieldand William Cefalu in an edi-torial also published Tuesdayin the JAMA.

CDC director Thomas

Friedan said in a statement that

"we still have to learn about

obesity, including how best to

measure it."

However, he insisted that

"it's clear that being obese is

not healthy, it increases the

risk of diabetes, heart disease,

cancer, and many other health

problems."

percent compared to"normal" weight sub-jects, according to theauthors of the meta-analysis, publishedTuesday in the Journalof the American Med-ical Association.

BMI, which standsfor body-mass index, iscalculated by dividingweight in kilograms byheight in meters,squared.

The authors sug-gested several possiblereasons to explain whysome extra weight maybe good, but too muchis bad, including that thosewith a few extra pounds maybe more likely to receive "op-timal medical treatment."

They said it was also possi-ble that increased body fat pro-vided metabolic benefits thatprotect the heart, or that hav-ing extra reserves of fat couldbe helpful for those whosesicknesses make it hard to eat.

Lead researcher KatherineFlegel, of the US Centers forDisease Control and Preven-tion, or CDC, published a con-troversial study in 2005 thatindicated there was a link be-tween excess weight and liv-ing longer.

These studies and othersshow that small amounts of

WASHINGTON (AFP) -Turns out a few extra poundsmay not be such a bad thing,according to a new analysis ofnearly three million adults thatshowed people who are over-weight or slightly obese maylive longer.

But experts were quick tocaution that the possible bene-fits dropped off when the"few" extra pounds turned intomany.

The researchers used datafrom nearly 100 studies fromaround the world, with healthinformation from more than2.8 million adults.

Among the sampled popula-tion, there were around270,000 deaths within thestudy period.

Even after controlling forother factors, such as age, sex,smoking, those whose weightand height put them in the"overweight" category weresix percent less at risk of dyingthan those in the "normal" cat-egory.

And those who were"slightly obese," with heightsand weights that gave themBMIs of 30 to 35, were fivepercent less at risk of dying ina given period.

But for those who weremore significantly obese, withBMIs of 35 and higher, themortality rate soared by 29

Extra pounds may be healthy -- as long as its just a few


Health & Living

"We would answer that we donot make clothes for kids. Butthe emails kept coming," Ca-ballero said.

So, in just a week, he de-signed garments and subjectedthem to ballistic tests. Now hisfactory is fitted to churn out afirst lot of 1,800 bullet-proofgarments for children and iswaiting for firm orders.

Carolina Ballesteros, Ca-ballero's director of research anddevelopment, said the impact ofthe Newtown shooting was hugebecause of the age of most of thevictims: just six and seven.

The new line is tailored forkids aged 8 to 16, with pricesranging from $200 to $400, de-pending on the garment and itssize.

The company makes uni-forms for security forces andsuits for public figures in manycountries.

BOGOTA (AFP) - Miguel Ca-ballero has been making bullet-proof clothes for politicians andother bigwigs for 20 years, butnot for kids. The latest US schoolmassacre has changed that.

This year he plans a line forchildren -- T-shirts, vests, andcombination backpack-vests --and geared toward the US mar-ket.

Caballero has made goodmoney in his 22-year-old busi-ness with a factory on the out-skirts of Bogota. He sellsaround 50,000 garments a year,but the US market had beentough to crack.

Then, after a lone and de-ranged gunman killed 20 smallchildren and six staffers atSandy Hook ElementarySchool last month in Newtown,Connecticut, he started gettingorders from very worried par-ents.

After Newtown, Colombiafirm makes bullet-proof kidclothes

The backpacks and vests are meant to blend in and notlook like body armor. They come in colors for boys andcolors for girls.

SPACE, (AFP) : This Spitzer Space Telescope infrared

image obtained December 24, 2012 shows the giant star

Zeta Ophiuchi. Zeta Ophiuchi is a young, large and hot

star located around 370 light-years away. It dwarfs our

own sun in many ways -- it is about six times hotter,

eight times wider, 20 times more massive, and about

80,000 times as bright. Even at its great distance, it

would be one of the brightest stars in the sky were it not

largely obscured by foreground dust clouds.This mas-

sive star is travelling at a snappy pace of about 54,000

mph (24 kilometers per second), fast enough to break

the sound barrier in the surrounding interstellar material.

Because of this motion, it creates a spectacular bow

shock ahead of its direction of travel (to the left). The

structure is analogous to the ripples that precede the

bow of a ship as it moves through the water, or the sonic

boom of an airplane hitting supersonic speeds.The fine

filaments of dust surrounding the star glow primarily at

shorter infrared wavelengths, rendered here in green.

The area of the shock pops out dramatically at longer in-

frared wavelengths, creating the red highlights.

watchdog Greenpeace hailedthe move, which will take ef-fect on January 28.

According to Tusk, underEU rules lawmakers had beenforced to pass the blanket ap-proval for GM crops whichcame into effect on January 1.

ment of Prime Minister Don-ald Tusk imposed farmingbans on German BASF's Am-flora strain of potato and USfirm Monsanto's MON 810maize or corn, according to agovernment statement .

Global environmental

WARSAW (AFP) - Poland onWednesday imposed new banson the cultivation of certaingenetically modified strains ofmaize and potatoes, a day afteran EU required green light forGM crops took effect.

The centre-right govern-

Poland bans cultivation of GMmaize, potatoes


The giant star -Zeta Ophiuchi

Sci-Tech


DEC 29 - JAN 05

O’stad : ‘ Trupiaal N.V. ’ - S.N. ‘ San Lucas N.V. ’

FREE Coverage on our website:

www.themorningnewsaruba.com

WASHINGTON (AFP) - TheInternational Monetary Fundsaid yesterday that US actionsto avoid the fiscal cliff did notgo far enough to address thecountry's long-term fiscaldeficit and debt problems.

The global emergencylender cheered the politicaldeal finalized late Tuesday inWashington that allowed thecountry to avoid severe spen -ding cuts and tax hikes pro-grammed to take place.

"In the absence of Congres-sional action the economic re-covery would have beenderailed," IMF spokesmanGerry Rice said in a statement.

But, he added, the Con-gress made little progress ondealing with the larger-pictureproblem of the US deficit, andthe need to increase the coun-try's statutory debt ceiling inorder to keep funding thatdeficit.

"More remains to be doneto put US public financesback on a sustainable pathwithout harming the still frag-ile reco very," Rice said in astatement.

"That is the measure that isgoing to hit the most people,"he told AFP -- by itself cutting0.4 percent from potentialgrowth.

An increase in tax rates forAmericans earning over$400,000, to 39.6 percent from35 percent, will not have aslarge an impact, he said: "Adollar for them is not the sameas a dollar for someone earning$50,000."

Economist Mark Zandi ofMoody's Analytics said the taxincreases and spending cutsstill to be agreed will takeabout one percentage pointfrom what could have been,had the 2012 tax rates andspending plans stayed in place.

"The result is that the USeconomy will grow just over 2percent in 2013, about thesame as in 2012," Zandi said.

In addition, he added, it willhold back job creation, "with700,000 fewer net new jobscreated and an unemploymentrate about half a percentagepoint higher than it would havebeen if last year's policy hadsimply been extended."

Gregory Michael of BMOCapital Markets said the im-pact would be larger -- cutting1.4 percent from potentialGDP growth.

"Nearly half of this restraintreflects the increase in payrolltaxes, one third represents thedelayed automatic spendingcuts and the remainder reflectsall other measures includinghigher tax rates for those mak-ing more than $400,000."

Economists said that de-spite the deal on tax hikes, thelooming political fight overshort- and long-term spendingreduction will continue toworry businesses, which couldcontinue to hold off on invest-ment and hiring as they did in2012.

"There's still a lot of uncer-tainty in the economy," saidDaco. "Businesses are not yetin the full-confidence mode."

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Thepolitical deal to pull the USaway from the "fiscal cliff"will still hit economic growthand efforts to generate jobs,economists said yesterday, butthe country will avoid a fearedrecession.

Although not as severe asthey could have been, Con-gress and the White Houseagreed tax increases on thecountry's wealthiest two per-cent and higher paycheck de-ductions for all workers thatwill suck enough money out ofthe economy to significantlyhold back growth in 2013, theysaid.

Moreover, politicians stillface a battle over cutting fe -deral spending -- put off fortwo months in the wranglingover the cliff deal finallypassed Tuesday -- that couldfurther crunch the economythis year.

That means more tepid ex-pansion of gross domesticproduct this year, with equallyslow job creation as in 2012,by most estimates.

"We are looking at growthof 1.7 percent, somewherearound there," after around 2.0percent GDP growth in 2012,said Gregory Daco of IHSGlobal Insight.

But that is better than whatcould have been if Democratsand Republicans had failed toagree on legislation to avoidthe much larger programmedtax hikes of the cliff, he said.

"If nothing had happened...we would have been in a reces-sion."

The biggest impact will bean increase in how much em-ployees see deducted fromtheir paychecks for social se-curity: after having been cut tostimulate growth in recentyears, the rate goes back to 6.2percent from 4.2 percent.

Daco estimated that willpull $113 billion out of theeconomy -- money that mostlywould have otherwise beenspent on goods and services.

Analysis -- US cliff deal to

slow growth: economists


Finance

be catastrophic, far worse thanthe impact of a fiscal cliff," hewarned.

House Speaker John Boeh -ner warned that the focuswould now turn to Republicanturf of tightening the budget.

"Now the focus turns tospending. The American peo-ple re-elected a Republicanmajority in the House, and wewill use it in 2013 to hold thepresident accountable for the'balanced' approach he pro -mised," Boehner said.

The Republican leaderpromised "significant spendingcuts and reforms to the entitle-ment social welfare programsthat are driving our countrydeeper and deeper into debt."

The legislation raises taxeson individuals earning morethan $400,000 per year, and oncouples earning more than$450,000, while retaining taxcuts for Americans with lowerincomes put in place under theadministration of former pre -sident George W. Bush.

The deal also included anend to a temporary two-per-cent cut to payroll taxes for So-cial Security retirementsavings -- meaning all Ameri-cans will pay a little more --and changes to inheritance andinvestment taxes.

The truce in Washington islikely to be brief, given thefight that will ensue over thespending cuts that now loom atthe end of February as well asover regular budget bill exten-sions.

Those fights will be paral-leled by one over a request byObama for Congress to lift thecountry's $16 trillion borrow-ing limit. Republicans are al-ready demanding concessionson expenditures in return forallowing it to rise.

Obama issued a blunt warn-ing on Tuesday that he wouldnot play ball with Republicansby enjoining in another batterover the debt ceiling.

"If Congress refuses to givethe United States governmentthe ability to pay these bills ontime, the consequences for theentire global economy would

US Congress agrees...Continued from page 1

NiNgbo -- This photo taken on December 31, 2012shows the soon-to-be-completed highest building inNingbo, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, the globalShipping Square (L), nearly completed and measuringroughly 256 metres high, as more skyscrapers dot theskylines of Chinese cities. China's manufacturing activ-ity surged to a 19-month high in December, british bankHSbC said on December 31, adding to signs of recoveryin the world's second-largest economy

(AFP PHoTo)

IMF: US'cliff' actionsnot enough

NEW YORK (AFP) - US carrental giant Avis announcedplans yesterday to buy thepo pular auto-sharing serviceZipcar in a deal valued at$500 million.

The move gives Avis anentry into the growing mar-ket for car-sharing with thecompany which offers rentalson an hourly basis by givingcustomers a smart card to un-lock vehicles on a self-servebasis.

Avis Budget Group agreedto pay $12.25 per share incash, a 49 percent premiumover the Zipcar closing priceon Monday. The transactionis subject to approval by Zip-car shareholders and otherconditions, and is expected tobe completed in the next fewmonths.

The companies said car-sharing has grown to be a$400 million business in theUnited States and is expand-ing rapidly around the world.

Zipcar has more than760,000 members, known asZipsters, and is the sectorleader in 20 metropolitanareas in the United States,Canada and Europe. It alsohas cars at over 300 collegeand university campuses.

Avis locks up

Zipcar for

$500 million

My Happy New Year

wish for you

Is for your best year

yet,

A year where life is

peaceful,

And what you want,

you get.

A year in which you

cherish

The past year’s

memories,

And live your life

each new day,

Full of bright

expectancies.

I wish for you a

holiday

With happiness

galore;

And when it’s done,

I wish you

Happy New Year,

and many more.

By Joanna Fuchs

temporary shelter. Her costsfor feeding, treating and neu-tering all the dogs she rescuesand maintains are astronomi-cal. She is close to breakingground on a spacious shelter inKibaima. If anyone wishes tohelp, they can support her withdonations in the form of pay-ment to the Cas Animal Foun-dation account at the ContrerasVeterinary Clinics or to Ani-mal Care Clinic in Paradera,phone number 582-8382. Do-nations can be made directly tothe foundation’s account: CasAnimal Foundation, CMBBank account # 25762110. Ifyou are not an island residentand wish to adopt a dog, or seeone in distress, call Kiki at742-8732 and she will helpyou as she helped Toni andHeike and many others in ar-ranging care and transport of adog in need of a good home.

by Rosalie Klein

Eventually, the owners of Bu-cuti took on the expenses ofseeing “Baby Toni,” treated,vaccinated and paid for thetransport cage on their returnflight to Holland with KLM.

Unfortunately, Baby Toniwas placed into 3-week quar-antine on their return to Hol-land, even though rabies doesnot exist on Aruba, due to anerror in paperwork. Thoughupset the young puppy wouldbe isolated for the time, thisdid not in anyway defuse thedetermination of Toni andHeike to give it a good home.

On Christmas Eve theywere finally able to introducethe now renamed “Mali” to hisnew companion, anothermixed breed they rescued.From first sniff, the two aregetting along famously. Theyreport that their older dog hasbecome a playful puppy againwith his lively new friend inthe house, and Mali’s futurelooks bright.

This is one of a number ofsuccess stories that have pro-vided an upbeat end of the yearfor this endless task, which cansometimes be so heartbreak-ing. Cas Animal hopes to seethis trend continue through2013. Cas Animal founderKirsten Arndt now cares fornearly 70 dogs in her home,which she has converted into a

The highest priorities of theCas Animal Foundation, whichrescues sick, injured, aban-doned and abused dogs andcats off Aruba’s streets, isbuilding a proper no-kill shel-ter and seeing those dogs theyhave saved placed in lovinghomes.

The end of 2012 saw a num-ber of encouraging successes,with several animals place inhomes on Aruba, the U.S. andEurope. Their stories havebeen recounted in THEMORNING NEWS, and wehave received wonderful feed-back and follow up from theindividuals who departedAruba with a new familymember in tow.

One of these heartwarmingstories was that of honey-mooners from Cologne, Ger-many, Toni Jatkowski andHeike Schalli. They stayed twoweeks at the Bucuti Beach Re-sort and Tara Suites, who be-came the “silent partners” intheir decision to adopt a youngpuppy they found at the AltoVista Chapel. The eventualrescue of this puppy involvedquite a few members of thelocal community, thanks to thedetermined efforts of Toni,who could not rest until he sawsomething done to help theweak, dehydrated puppy theyfound at the popular sight.


Cas Animal Cont’dA great end of the year for FoundationCas Animal

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

Little Toni (L) has a loving friend

be shared by two. He wasvery amused to watch a fa-mous French chef demon-strating the best way to makefried potatoes on a gourmetcooking show and could onlycomment “He stole myrecipe!”

Try them the English way-with vinegar, and you’ll won-der how you ever ate frieswithout it. This same 5-starchef also swears by Gouda asthe best topping for the idealgourmet cheeseburger.

5 Burgers is now openearly until 10-ish at night; de-livery is available to both thehigh-rise and low-rise hoteland beach district at nowextra cost for orders over$50. Enjoy a great lunchwithout ever leaving thebeach by calling 586-3904.However, we suggest youstop by and enjoy their au-thentic, heartfelt hospitality;it is not unusual for eitherowner to sit and chat, sharingtheir knowledge of the islandwhile making sure patronsare happy with their meal.

pure beef, the kind that madethe hamburger a traditionalAmerican treat.

However, beginning at 7a.m., patrons can now order 2eggs any style, (omelets with3 fillings are $7.99) toast andcoffee with unlimited refillsfor the special introductoryprice of only $4.49,($5.48with bacon) or All-you-can-eat pancakes, for $6.99,again, with free refills onfresh coffee. Breakfast isserved until 11 a.m. Famousfor their fries made fromfresh potatoes, Aaron hasbeen working for months ondevising the most irresistiblehome fries recipe, chunkyand tender with skins still on;after much testing and tast-ing, he got the thumbs upfrom his harshest critic,Rosie; so this is another treatyou have to try.

A glance at their burgermenu will certainly temptyou to return for lunch or din-ner, to sample their famousspecialty items such as theGouda, Farmer’s or Man

Burger (almost 12 ounces ofchoice beef), and a WesternBurger with Aarons’ secret-recipe crispy onion rings. Allof these can be personalizedwith an incredible array oftoppings, (mushrooms, jala-peño peppers, bacon, cheese,

lettuce, tomato…whatever,the list goes on) at absolutelyno extra cost.

5 Burger portions areENORMOUS! Aaron sug-gests that even their smallserving of fries is enough to


Whether you’re a first time visitor to the island, or you vaca-tion with us every year we invite you to enjoy one of the mostmemorable vacation destinations of your life. We know,we’re Divi Resorts and Aruba has been our home for over 40years.

Divi Resorts has 5 resorts in Aruba, in addition to The Linksat Divi Aruba golf course, and the Alhambra Casino. For yearswe’ve offered high quality all inclusive and timeshare vaca-tions; and over 40,000 members actively participate in the DiviVacation Ownership Program.

Many of our guests have found that one vacation to Arubaper year is simply not enough! Our solution: The Residencesat Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort.

The Residences are luxury full ownership condominiumsnestled within the lush greens of The Links at Divi Aruba golfcourse.

Make Aruba your second home! Condominiums fromthe $300s.

You can now purchase your own condominium and stillenjoy the resort amenities of the Divi collection.

For more information about The Residences, visit our salesoffice located in the golf clubhouse at the Divi Village Golf &Beach Resort.

For questions or to schedule your appointment to view acondominium, contact sales director John Kelly at (297) 583-9971 or email:[email protected]

We hope you will soon call Aruba home!

Bon Dia and Welcome to Aruba!

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A favorite stop for a greatburger for lunch or dinner hasjust expanded their hours andmenu to offer some of thebest breakfast bargains to befound in Palm Beach. Own-ers Aaron and Rosie Wali-sever are living their dream:a home on paradise whilewelcoming all and sundry totheir proud undertaking, 5Burgers Aruba. The couple’sfanatical dedication to givingtheir customers what they re-ally want has resulted in aunique menu from an interna-

tionally known franchisewith a “5”, which now in-cludes breakfast.

“You never get a secondchance to make a first im-pression,” believes Aaron.Upon entering 5 BurgersAruba in The Village Mall inPalm Beach, one is struck byutterly spotless surroundingsand a smiling, friendly, atten-tive service crew. Of course,the main item on the menu isburgers-the way they weremeant to be, thick and juicy,made fresh daily and 100%

5 Burgers Aruba: Now your best breakfast bargain!


PARIS (AFP) - Swiss skipperBernard Stamm has been dis-qualified from the solo, non-stop, round-the-world yachtrace the Vendee Globe for re-ceiving assistance, the interna-tional jury overseeing thecompetition said on Wednes-day.

The jury, which is inde-pendent of the race organisers,said in a statement that Stammhad been helped when he madea pitstop in the Auckland Is-lands of New Zealand on De-cember 23 to repair a brokengenerator.

Specifically, he breachedrace rules by mooring hisCheminees Poujoulat boat to aRussian scientific vessel withhelp from a crew member, al-though Stamm maintained thatmooring was unavoidable be-cause his craft was drifting andit was an emergency.

On the point of receivingassistance from a crew mem-ber of the Russian ship, he saidthey had come on board with-out him asking -- and withoutknowing that he was partici-pating in a solo race -- to helphim moor safely.

Stamm has until today to re-quest a review of the decision.If none is forthcoming, the dis-qualification will come into ef-fect, it added.

The sailor and his Chemi-nees Poujoulat boat were in10th position in the race at0800 GMT on Wednesday.French skipper FrancoisGabart was in the lead, some15.5 nautical miles (18 miles,29 kilometres) ahead of com-patriot Armel Le Cleac'h.

PHILADELPHIA (AFP) -Andy Reid, Philadelphia'scoach of 14 years, was amongthe casualties as a welter ofunder-achieving NFL teamsaxed coaches on "Black Mon-day" following the end of theregular season.

Reid is the winningestcoach in Eagles club history.Since he arrived in 1999 theteam has posted a regular-sea-son record of 130-93-1,reached the playoffs ninetimes, played in five NFCchampionship games and lostin the Super Bowl after the2004 season.

But reports were surfacingSunday night that Reid was onthe way out -- just hours afterthe Eagles closed their seasonwith a 42-7 loss to the NewYork Giants that put theirrecord at 4-12.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Luriesaid the Eagles will immedi-ately begin their search forReid's successor and that hehas "a very, very defined list of

candidates".There will be no shortage of

coaches looking for work.Chicago parted ways Mon-

day with coach Lovie Smith -- the day after the Bears beatDetroit to complete a 10-6 sea-son that wasn't good enough toget them in the playoffs.

The perenially under-achieving San Diego Chargerssacked head coach NorvTurner and general managerA.J. Smith.

The Kansas City Chiefs,who endured tragedy off thefield as well as disappointmenton it with their second 2-14season in five years, sackedhead coach Romeo Crennel.

Buffalo sacked head coachChan Gailey after a thirdstraight losing season. Cleve-land axed both head coach PatShurmer and general managerTom Heckert after the Brownslost their last three games ofthe season to finish last in theAFC North division for thefourth time in five years.

NFL: Eagles' Reid casualtyin coach firing frenzy

SPORTS

MADRID (AFP) - RealMadrid's star striker CristianoRonaldo vowed Wednesdaythat the faltering Spanish titleholders would fight back in2013 and played down re-ported tensions in the club.

Following captain IkerCasillas's message of calmafter the team dropped 16points behind rivals Barcelonain the league, on Wednesday itwas the Portuguesegoalscorer's turn to keep up ap-pearances.

"It is difficult when a topteam like Real Madrid that isused to winning finds itself notat its best level. It is normalthat people get a bit moretense," Ronaldo told a newsconference.

"We have to admit that weare having a bad moment but Iam sure this will be a goodyear. We are training well andso good things are sure tocome."

Weeks of rumours aboutsplits in the club peaked on De-cember 23 when coach JoseMourinho dropped Casillasfrom the starting line-up away toMalaga -- a game Real lost 3-2.

Mourinho insists that deci-sion was taken on technicalgrounds alone and Ronaldobacked the Portuguese coachon Wednesday.

"The coach is the one whodecides. We all have to respecthis decisions," he said.

Casillas was hoping to re-gain his place for Sunday'smatch against Real Sociedad.

Ronaldo declined to com-ment on his own long-termplans with Real Madrid, whichhas not yet indicated whetherit will renew his current con-tract beyond 2015.

"That is not the most impor-tant thing right now," saidRonaldo, who is the third-highest scorer in the leaguethis season with 14 goals.

Football: Ronaldo promisesbetter year for Real

Yachting:Swissskipperdisquali-fied fromVendeeGlobe

a group of African runnerssoon grabbed control of therace before MaurineKipchumba went away on herown and came in first in 51:42.

Jackline Juma Sakilu of Tan-zania was second, whileRumokol Chepkanan of Kenyawas third.

Kipchumba, also 24, was re-turning to Brazil after victoryin the 18.6km Volta de Pam-pulha in Belo Horizonte inearly December.

It was her first victory at SaoSilvestre but the fourth consec-utive for Kenyan athletes.

More than 25000 runnerstook place in the event, heldthis year at an earlier time, withfriendly conditions of 23°Cand 76% humidity.

SAO PAOLO - The Kenyanborn Kipsang Rotich won the88th edition of the Corrida In-ternacional de São Silvestre,one of the oldest road races inthe world on New years eve.

Kipsang Rotich clocked ablazing 44 minutes and fiveseconds for the 15K race.

The 24-year-old Kenyan isno stranger to the South Amer-ican road-racing circuit as hespent most of 2012 competingthere.

Last September, he won a10K race in Curitiba and thenprevailed again at that distancein November in Rio de Janeiro.

Meanwhile, in the women’srace, the early pace was set bythe Brazilian pair of Marily dosSantos and Larissa Quintão but

the deficit to 48-43.The Nuggets closed the

third quarter with a 10-1 scor-ing run. They took a 75-59lead into the fourth, and theClippers didn't get closer than13 points in the final quarter.

"Give Denver credit -- Ithought they outworked us,"Del Negro said. 'They were astep faster than us tonight.

"In games past, when westruggled to score we relied onour defence and tonight wedidn't execute very well at ei-ther end.

"They played better than wedid at both ends."

The Clippers won't havemuch time to regroup, as theyface the Golden State Warriorsin Oakland on Wednesday.

They have a day off before amarquee match-up with theircross-town rivals the Los An-geles Lakers on Friday.


Sunday making them just thethird team in league history togo 16-0 in a single calendarmonth.

The streak was the longestin the NBA since the BostonCeltics won 19 straight fromNovember 15-December 23 in2008.

On Tuesday, however, theClippers never led after thefirst quarter and coach VinnyDel Negro said his team wassimply outplayed by theNuggets.

Blake Griffin and Eric Bled-soe led the Clippers with 12points apiece.

A close first quarter endedwith the Nuggets leading 21-19. The hosts reeled off sevenstraight points to open the sec-ond and held a comfortablelead for much of the period, al-though Clippers reserve guardJamal Crawford scored the lastfour points of the half to trim

DENVER (AFP) - The high-flying Los Angeles Clippersfailed to stretch their 17-gameNBA winning streak into theNew Year, slipping to defeatagainst the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets stopped theClippers' impressive run witha 92-78 victory, handing LosAngeles their first defeat sincethey fell at home to New Or-leans on November 26.

Danilo Gallinari scored 17points and added six rebounds.Kenneth Faried scored 14points with 11 rebounds for theNuggets, who have won threeof their past four games.

The Clippers came into thecontest riding a club-recordwinning streak, their 107-96victory over the Utah Jazz on

NBA: Nuggets end Clippers' 17-game win streak

NEW YORK(AFP) : J.R. Smith #8 of the New York Knicksis fouled by Luke Babbitt #8 of the Portland Trail Blazerson January 1, 2013 at Madison Square Garden in NewYork City. The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the NewYork Knicks 105-100.

Knicks fall short in

Stoudemire season debut

88th Sao Silvestre

international race

mer French Open championFrancesca Schiavone showedher fighting qualities as Italybeat Germany 2-1.

Needing to win her singlesmatch to keep Italy alive in thetie and the mixed teams tour-nament, the world number 35was a set and a break downwhile battling stomach painagainst little-known GermanTajana Malek, but rallied de-terminedly to win in three sets.

Haas had given the Ger-mans the lead in the tie with ahard-fought straight sets winover Seppi, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (9/7).

win of his career and a resultthat he needed to build on.

"I am still improving and Ihave got a lot more to im-prove," he said.

"This is a good sign and Ihave to continue to play likethis."

Ana Ivanovic then levelledthe Group A tie with a 6-2, 6-3win over teenager AshleighBarty.

Serbia clinched the tie andremained unbeaten with a 6-4,6-7 (8/10), 10-6 win in a matchtiebreak in the mixed doubles.

Earlier on Wednesday, for-

"I knew I was coming hereto Australia very late and ittakes me time to get used to it,"he said.

Djokovic said he was fullyaware of Tomic's talent, theAustralian reaching a career-high ranking of 27 at June.Tomic was a quarter-finalist atWimbledon in 2011 and madethe fourth round at last year'sAustralian Open.

"He is right up there withthe up-and-coming players, heis very talented," Djokovic saidof Tomic.

Tomic said it was the best

ken in the ninth game of eachset, losing 6-4, 6-4.

Tomic applied great pres-sure to the Djokovic servethroughout, holding 13 breakpoints during the match.

He also hit 25 winners, tojust 12 from Djokovic.

It was the first time the Ser-bian had been beaten byTomic, ranked 52nd in theworld, in four official meet-ings.

Djokovic, 25, dismissed thesetback, having arrived inPerth only a few days ago afterwinning in Abu Dhabi.

PERTH (AFP) - Serbia beatAustralia at the Hopman Cupdespite world number oneNovak Djokovic suffering ashock defeat at the hands ofBernard Tomic on Wednesday.

It was Djokovic's first de-feat on Australian soil since2010, with the Serbian aimingfor his third straight AustralianOpen title in Melbourne laterthis month.

With the 20-year-old Tomicshowing the undoubted talenthe has only displayed inflashes so far in his short ca-reer, a rusty Djokovic was bro-


Tennis: Djokovic suffers shock loss

thursday, january 3, 2013

Documents

house of representa

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washington afp ussecretary

new yearholidays

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house voted257 votes

ablood clot