friday, december 21, 2012

of homes in the dark and cold.Snow drifts reached as high

as four feet in some places andvisibility was down to nearzero, the National WeatherService reported.

At least one person waskilled in a 25-vehicle pileupafter conditions got so bad on amajor Iowa highway that peo-ple couldn't see the cars and bigtrucks that had slowed down orstopped ahead of them.

Roads across the state wereblocked by jack-knifed trucksand stalled cars as officialspleaded with people to stayhome.

Continued on page 4

CHICAGO (AFP) - A massiveand deadly winter snowstormblanketed the US Midwestyesterday, grounding hundredsof planes and making roadsand highways impassable astravelers gear up for the Christ-mas holiday.

The region's first big stormof the season dumped morethan a foot (30 centimeters) ofsnow in parts of Wisconsin,Iowa and Minnesota as thepowerful system movedslowly eastward.

Winds with gusts as high as50 miles (80 kilometers) perhour felled trees and powerlines, leaving tens of thousands

Aruba’s Department of Ex-ternal Affairs was extremelypleased with the visit of Mr.Van Woudenberg and expectsto see concrete results forth-coming shortly.

Aruba, Mrs. A. Tromp-Yarzagaray which wasfollowed by meetingswith, among others, theSecretary of the Councilof Ministers, N. Hoev-ertsz, Director of VDA, J.Nicolas, Director ofVNO in Aruba, G. Lieuwand Director of the Cen-tral Bank, Mrs. M. Gon-zalez.

Mr. Van Woudenbergalso visited an expositionof the Bo Barrio Projectand received an explana-tion from Raffy Kockabout the infrastructureplans of the government.

In conclusion of hisvisit, he had an encounterwith the Director ofMOT, D. van den Ham and anintroduction of the new direc-tor, Mr. L. Peek. Here they dis-cussed, among others, theFATF report.

Just recently mr. Dr. VanWoudenberg, counselor forDutch Kingdom Affairs was inAruba for a courtesy visit andto introduce himself. VanWoudenberg was recently no -minated and his visit was afirst to Aruba. Aruba’s Depart-ment of External Affairs, whoacted as host to the Dutch dig-nitary, had prepared an exten-sive program for the brief visit.

Meeting with the Departmentof External Relations:

One important aspect of themeeting with Van Woudenbergwas to be able to sit down withour own local Department ofExternal Affairs. Different im-portant topics were discussedwith an exchange of ideas par-ticularly with respect to trai -ning regarding internal proces -ses. Local Director Drs. A. Leeand his staff emphasized theimportance of establishinglines of communications be-tween the two departments soas to complement each otherand comply with a strategicmanagement regarding exter-nal relations in the Kingdom.

Another topic of impor-tance was Aruba’s membershipin International organizationsand on preparing reports.

Meeting with other organizations:

The program included avisit to the interim governor of

Friday, December 21, 2012

Counselor for Dutch KingdomExternal Affairs visiting Aruba

Major blizzard in US Midwestthreatens holiday travel

Ms. O. Croes with mr. Dr. VanWoudenberg

Airport Rotunda opens today!

The long-awaited improvements to the highway feeding theReina Beatrix International Airport will be nearly com-pleted today, December 21, with the opening of Aruba’s first“Spiral Rotunda.”

This new rotunda is Aruba’s first three-lane roundaboutand traffic feeding into the circle should take the lane thatleads to their exit. Crossing lanes once on the traffic circleis strictly forbidden.

Police and DOW ask motorists to be cautious and tra-verse it slowly to avoid accidents. Police also ask that driv-ers be sure to feed in the right lane when they approach itand not try changing lanes if they are not in the correct lane,but would do better to go around again.

anglo nubian goats. santarosa will also import, by highdemand, a few Boer Goat, afast growing goat with excel-lent carcass qualities, making itone of the most popular breedsof meat goat in the world.

that the toggenburg, whichmakes it doubly beneficial, be-cause it is big enough to breedfor meat and it produces milk.

santa rosa will also importother cattle breeds, like dorpersheep and toggenburg and

alpine goats are heavymilkers; the milk can be madeinto butter, cheese, ice creamor any other dairy product thatcow's milk can produce.

the alpine is smaller thanthe anglo nubian but bigger

relatively lower rate of dys -topia, leading to their popula -rity in crossbreeding withother dairy and even beefbreeds to reduce calving re-lated injuries.

• High fertility• High butterfat condi-

tions, 4.84% butterfat and3.95% protein, and the abilityto thrive on locally producedfood. Bulls are also small,ranging from 540 to 820 kg(1200 to 1800 pounds), and

are notoriously aggressive.jersey cattle are more toler -

ant of heat than the largerbreeds. It produces morepounds of milk per pound ofbody weight than any otherbreed, an average of 20 liter perday, depen ding on its nutrition.Most jerseys produce far in ex-cess of 13 times their body-weight in milk each lactation.

they come in all shades ofbrown, from light tan to almostblack. they are calm anddocile animals, but tend to bea bit more nervous than otherdairy cow breeds. jersey cattleare the second best dairy pro-ducers after Frisian cows.

santa rosa is also re-intro-ducing the French alpine goat.

alpine is a breed of domes-tic goat known for its verygood milking ability. they aremulti-colored and have no setmarkings.

Oranjestad - santa rosa,the department of agriculture,Livestock and Fisheries, willintroduce jersey cattle in theyear 2013. the departmentwill import a bull and threecows to investigate the possi-bility of raising cattle onaruba. jersey cattle are a smallbreed of dairy cattle originallybred in the Channel Island ofjersey.

the jersey cow is quitesmall, ranging around only400–500 kilograms (880–1,100lb). the main factor contribut-ing to the popularity of thebreed has been their greatereconomy of production, due to:

• the ability to carry alarger number of effectivemilking cows per unit area dueto lower body weight, hencelower maintenance require-ments, and superior grazingability.

• Calving ease and a

2 Friday, December 21, 2012

Santa Rosa to introduce Jersey cattle in 2013Will probe possibility of fresh milk and meat locally

Friday, December 21, 2012 3

PARIS (AFP) - Truffles, oys-

ters, an aged side of beef or a

three-star dinner by a top

French chef: a mouthwater-

ing line-up of festive delica-

cies were the star lots of an

offbeat charity auction in

Paris.

Dubbed "Fine Food", and

held for the second year run-

ning by the auctioneer Artcu-

rial for the benefit of the

French Red Cross, the sale

Tuesday night raised 57,015

euros ($75,714) for the char-

ity's Paris soup kitchens and

aid missions.

A 58-month-old Spanish

bellota ham, billed as a Rolls-

Royce for meat lovers,

fetched the highest amount at

the pre-Christmas sale, reach-

ing 2,600 euros.

A three-star meal for two

rustled up by chef Michel

Troigros was snapped up for

450 euros, one of a string of

similar lots put up by chefs

from Alain Ducasse to Rene

Redzepi of Copenhagen's

Noma, rated the world's best

table.

Many of France's top fine

food suppliers took part, like

the star French butcher Yves-

Marie Le Bourdonnec who

offered a side of Wagyu beef,

aged for 100 days, and de-

scribed by one admiring

punter as "a work of art."

Two fresh foie gras went

for 160 euros, a lot of aged

comte and gruyere cheese

fetched 300 euros, while 250

grammes of Perigord black

truffles reached 450 euros

and half a wild salmon 1,250

euros.

Fine foods net thousands at Paris charity auction

TONY ROMA’S is Openfor Lunch and Dinner 12:00PM to 11:00 PM.

Come and enjoy our out-door patio or inside dining!

Tart - a creamy blend of keylime juice and sweetenedcondensed milk nestled in agolden pie crust. Topped witha dollop of whipped creamand a fresh lime.

petizers, entrees and dessertin the menu.

Among the new fa-vorites: Crispy Calamari

rings, piled high andserved with marinaraand garlic aioli, andRed hot Buffalo wings

For entrees: BasilPesto & Vegetable Lin-

guini - Linguine tossedwith fire-roasted vegeta-

bles, mushrooms, tomatopesto and Asiago cheese in alight butter sauce. Or Mem-phis Burger - a grilled pure-beef burger loaded withCheddar cheese, bacon, redonion, pickles, our signaturepulled pork and MemphisBBQ sauce.

For dessert: Key Lime

Aruba, General ManagerFrank Kelly together withChef Calvert Cillie, GiovyLuidens and Restaurant Man-ager Garvey Raven and hiscomplete staff wants to intro-duce some delicious new ap-

Considered the pioneer ofBaby Back Ribs, TonyRoma’s can befound all over theworld. Withnearly 200restaurants in32 countries, ithas become aworldwide suc-cess. TonyRoma’s is commit-ted to ser ving thebest ribs anywhere.

But the Tony Roma’s storydoes not end with ribs. Crisp,fresh salads, mouth wateringchar-grilled steaks, and deli-cious, custom-topped seafoodmake up a menu that is sureto please.

Today, Tony Roma’s

A regional energy companysaid the storm had cut power tomore than 40,000 householdsand businesses in Iowa, wherenearly a foot of snow hadfallen in the capital, DesMoines.

The storm had also dumpedmore than two feet of snow inparts of the western US, in-cluding Washington state andWyoming on Wednesday.

Airlines canceled more than400 flights and passengers alsoencountered delays of up tofour hours at Chicago'sbustling O'Hare airport, one ofthe busiest in the world.

Rain made Chicago's run-ways and roads slick yesterdaymorning and heavy snow fellaround 3:00 pm -- just in timeto snarl the evening commute.

Another 124 flights werecancelled at the city's second-ary airport, Midway.

Delays and cancelationscould affect travel across thecountry, especially since manypassengers need to changeplanes in Chicago or are relianton aircraft that pass throughthe major aviation hub.


Major blizzard in

US Midwest . . .Continued from page 1

Tony Roma’s introduces its new menu

gas and coal is problematic be-cause ships have little time toenter the port at high tide.

According to van der Velde,the northwest side of the islandcould consist of salt marshesand beach, while on the southside a complete port with atransshipment terminal couldbe constructed.

If the island would be builtit could slow sea currents to-wards the Eems, the river thatdischarges into the WaddenSea. These measures would di-minish mud streams towardsthe river.

In addition, plans for a newport on the island would implythat sea tankers would be ableto transship cargo to smallertankers, which takes away theneed to deepen the river's fair-way. This allows sand banks torecover, while it saves the localgovernment an annual dredg-ing cost of 18 million euros.

THE HAGUE -- The Dutchprovince Groningen and sev-eral environmental organiza-tions brainstorm about plansfor a new island in the WaddenSea, newspaper Trouw re-ported Thursday.

An enormous sand bank ofabout 500 acres somewherebetween the Dutch island Rot-tumeroog, the German islandBorkum and the mainlandwould probably serve bothecological and economicneeds, director of environmen-tal organization Natuur en Mi-lieu Federatie (NMG) Siegbertvan der Velde told publicbroadcast company NOS.

The costs of the island'sconstruction are roughly esti-mated at 1 billion euros.

The Eemshaven is thebiggest seaport in the northernpart of the Netherlands andwants to become one of thelargest renewable energy portsof Europe. But the supply of

BASSETERRE, St Kitts andNevis - St Kitts and Nevis,followed by Dominica andthen Bulgaria, are the fastestemer ging popular immigra-tion destinations for residentsof the United Arab Emirates(UAE), according to an ex-pert in the field.

The UAE is an Arab coun-try in the southeast of theArabian Peninsula on the Per-sian Gulf and has the seventhlargest oil reserve in theworld.

“The increase is tremen-dous,” online newspaperEmirates 24/7 quoted PejMohy - edddin an immigra-tion consultant at Bayat LegalServices as saying.

According to the newspa-per the benefits of becominga re sident of these countriesare great: “There are goodchances of obtaining citizen-ship, visa-free travel optionsto many countries and a fairlyeasy application process, withrelatively little requirementfrom applicants,” it said.

But according to the news-paper, the program is not foreveryone; only for investors.“These programs are de-signed for high-net worth in-vestors whose priority is notto migrate but get citizenshipor second passports,” SohailSaleem, general manager ofPremiers Consultancy in theUAE told Emirates 24/7.


Arabs likeCaribbeancitizenship

deals

The Netherlands reveals plans

for new island in Wadden Sea Group of loyal visitors honored atthe Marriott Ocean Club

Recently, the Aruba Tourism Authority honored a big group of loyal visitors as Distin-guished Visitors and Ambassadors of Goodwill of Aruba. The symbolic honorary titleis presented in the name of the Minister of Tourism as a token of appreciation to guestswho visit Aruba for 10 to 19 (Distinguished Visitor) and 20 or more (Ambassador ofGoodwill) consecutive years. The honorees were Mr. Carl and mrs. Mariam Eastman,Dr. Antoin and Mrs. Vera Chaker, Mr. Donato and Mrs. Joan Romagnoli, Mr. Steve andMrs. Elaine Weiner, Mr. Herb and Mrs. Robyn Weiss, Mr. Larry and Mrs. Terri Eisenfeld,Mr. Paul and Mrs. Zelda Schwartz and Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Stephanie Lesiak. The cer-tificates were presented to them by Mr. Ernest Giel representing the Aruba Tourism Au-thority together with Mrs. Gali Sahit and Mr. Corey Guest, GM at the Marriott Ocean Club.

than 650 people in 2011, mak-ing it the highest per capita ex-ecutioner.

Some countries defendedmaintaining their capital pun-ishment at a UN committeemeeting last month where 110countries voted for a morato-rium. Japan said it had to keepthe possibility of hanging pris-oners because "heinous"crimes are still being commit-ted.

Thursday's vote was held aday after UN Human RightsCommissioner Navi Pillaycalled on Iraq to move towardabolishing the death penalty.

Iraq executed 70 people inthe first six months of thisyear, compared to 67 for thewhole of 2011, and 18 in 2010,according to the UN mission inthe country.

A world congress against thedeath penalty is to be held inMadrid in June.

an end to capital punishmentshow "this is no longer domi-nated by western countries.This is a global campaign."

"The importance of the voteis that it sends a very strongmessage to the internationalcommunity across the board,"Pedersen told AFP. "The Gen-eral Assembly is the one placewhere all nations are repre-sented and you have a strongmajority in favor of a morato-rium."

About 150 countries nowhave a moratorium or an out-right ban on capital punish-ment. Just 21 nations werereported to have carried outexecutions in 2011, accordingto rights groups.

But the rights groups saidthe countries that still carry outexecutions remain hardcore.

China executes thousands ofprisoners a year, rights groupssay, and Iran put to death more

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) -A record 111 countries votedThursday for a moratorium oncapital punishment at akeynote UN General Assem-bly human rights meeting.

Although not legally bind-ing, campaigners say the voteheld every two years sends astrong signal to the slowlyshrinking number of nations --including China, Iran and theUnited States -- that still exe-cute prisoners.

There were 111 votes infavor of a moratorium, fourmore than in 2010.

Among the 41 countries thatvoted against the moratiumwere the United States, China,Japan, India, Iran, North Koreaand Saudi Arabia. Thirty-fourcountries abstained.

European nations havepressed hard for votes backinga moratorium. But Norway'sambassador Geir Pedersen saidthe growing numbers backing

Record vote against deathpenalty at UN


International news

one of the most packed, stageda protest to demand better con-ditions.

Prisoners at five other facili-ties had staged similar protests,and said they would carry outmore unless Morales acted be-fore Christmas.

They are people under 25,women over age 55, men over58 -- all of them have to haveserved at least a third of theirsentences -- or people with se-rious or terminal diseases. Alsoon the list would be prisonerswith children under age 12.

LA PAZ- President EvoMorales announced Thursdayhe will propose pardons forsome categories of inmates toease conditions in Bolivia'shorrendously overcrowdedjails.

Bolivia has nearly 14,000people behind bars, three timesthe capacity for which its pris-ons were built. Only El Sal-vador's are more overcrowded,according to a recent report bythe Organization of AmericanStates.

Morales spoke a day after in-mates at a prison in La Paz,

Bolivia announces amnestyto ease jail overcrowding

H1N1 epidemic that caused atleast 17,000 deaths.

Chan said one reason thatinfectious diseases have beenon the rise in the region andChina was due to the habit ofeating the meat of exotic ani-mals, as most new diseases arespread from animals to hu-mans.

"Constant mutation andadaptation are survival mecha-nisms of the microbial world,these organisms are wellequipped to take advantage ofevery opportunity to jump thespecies barrier," she said.

The WHO issued a globalalert in September for a SARS-like coronavirus which killedtwo people in Qatar, one inSaudi Arabia and two in Jor-dan.

The WHO says the coron-avirus detected in the MiddleEast this year was unrelated toSARS and is a novel form ofthe germ.

HONG KONG (AFP) - Thehead of the World Health Or-ganization warned Thursdaythat infectious diseases willspread more easily in the fu-ture due to globalisation,changing lifestyles and risingpopulation densities.

"The future looks verybright for microbes, not sogood for humanity," MargaretChan told a luncheon in herhometown Hong Kong, thesite of a major outbreak of theSARS virus in 2003 that killedalmost 300 people in the city.

Higher population density,industrialisation of food pro-duction and the increase in in-ternational travel haveprovided many opportunitiesfor communicable diseases tospread, she said.

But the WHO head said notall new diseases will be as"devastating" as the outbreakof SARS that killed more than800 people worldwide and the

WHO head warnsdiseases set to rise

Hammar was told byMexican customs agentshe was allowed to bringthe gun, which he inher-ited from his grandfather,into the country as longas he registered it imme-diately with authorities.

The lawmakers writethat Hammar, who hasbeen treated for post-

traumatic stress disorder afterhis deployments in Iraq andAfghanistan, has faced beat-ings and other abuses from fel-

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Agroup of 68 US lawmakers onThursday demanded Mexicotake all possible measures toensure the safe return of a for-mer US marine, jailed aftercrossing the border with an an-tique shotgun.

Jon Hammar, 27, a veteranof the wars in Iraq andAfghanistan, was arrestedafter entering Mexico on hisway to Costa Rico for a surf-ing vacation. In Mexico, shot-guns are reserved for use bythe armed forces.

The US lawmakers insistedHammar's case "is of the ut-most importance," alleging theformer soldier has been mis-treated in prison, according tothe letter released by Republi-can congresswoman IleanaRos-Lehtinen.

According to the letter,


low prisoners."His parents immediately

began receiving extortion callsfrom these inmates," the letterstates, adding "the inmateseven forced Jon to speak to hisparents on the phone and tellthem to pay the money or hewould be killed."

His family has also accusedMexican prison authorities ofrepeatedly handcuffing Ham-mar to his bed, which Mexicodenies.

Lawmakers demand return of USsoldier jailed in Mexico

International News

gued that the defendants werepart of an organized crime net-work that crisscrossed CentralAmerica disguised as journal-ists to smuggle money anddrugs.

The prosecution said tracesof cocaine were found in thevehicles.

The defendants insisted theywere innocent, but were unableto prove they worked for thebroadcaster. Televisa has de-nied any link to them and fileda lawsuit in Nicaragua accusingthem of infringing on its logo.

Prosecutors have requestedthe maximum sentence for eachoffense, which would see the18 convicted smugglers serve30 years in prison. Sentencingis scheduled for January 18.

Mexico's powerful drug car-tels have expanded their reachacross Central America since2006, when the Mexican gov-ernment launched a major mil-itary crackdown that is seen ashaving been largely ineffective.

MANAGUA (AFP) - ANicaragua court has found 18Mexicans guilty of moneylaundering and drug traffick-ing after they crossed the bor-der in trucks stuffed with $9.2million and bearing the Tele-visa broadcaster's logo.

In what's become known asthe "Televisa case," the 18crossed into the country in Au-gust in six trucks bearing theemblem of the world's largestSpanish-language network,which has denied any involve-ment.

In its ruling the court sidedwith prosecutors, who had ar-

'Televisa' smugglersfound guilty inNicaragua

For info call: 5875010 Email:

[email protected]:

www.laquintaaruba.net

Time Sharefor SALE

abdicating its responsibility.Marijuana activists and op-

position MPs meanwhilestepped up calls for both med-ical and recreational use ofmarijuana to be decriminal-ized, after two US states lastmonth voted to legalize pot.

Some 26,000 Canadians areauthorized to use marijuana formedical purposes, up from 500a decade ago, according togovernment figures.

As many as one millionCanadians are believed tosmoke it regularly for recre-ation, say polls.

Canada's health departmentcurrently sells marijuana forCan$5 per gram, which it saysis heavily subsidized by tax-payers. The street value can beas many as three times more.

Some patients have said thegovernment stash is weak andso turned to growing it them-selves.

marijuana from licensed pro-ducers, who will set prices.

Also individuals will nolonger be permitted to growmarijuana in their homes fortheir own personal use, saidAglukkaq.

Police and fire officialsclaimed that home grow oper-ations are at "risk of abuse andexploitation by criminal ele-ments" and one in 22 catchfire, and so they applauded themove.

Doctors however com-plained that they are beingasked to write prescriptions fora substance that has not beenclinically tested. Some riskssuch as lung disease fromsmoking it or pyschosis areknown, while the benefits areonly anecdotal, including relieffrom nausea and pain.

And they said they are nowbeing asked to be the sole gate-keepers of the program, accus-ing the government of

Leona Aglukkaq made the an-nouncement this week, claim-ing current regulations "haveleft the system open to abuse."

Aglukkaq said Ottawawould no longer produce anddistribute marijuana for med-ical purposes. Instead, compa-nies will be licenced to growand sell the product at marketrates.

Patients with a prescriptionfrom a doctor starting inMarch 2013 will be allowed topurchase a variety of strains of

leaving it up to the private sec-tor in a policy change that an-gered critics.

Canada's Health Minister

OTTAWA (AFP) - Canada'sConservative government willsoon stop producing and dis-tributing medical marijuana,

Canada getting out of medical marijuana business



PARIS (AFP) The IEA, theenergy advisory arm of the Or-ganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of34 industrialised nations, seesnon-OECD developing coun-tries as driving the increase incoal consumption due to pop-ulation growth and rising elec-tricity consumption as theireconomies grow and mod-ernise.

In its baseline scenario, theIEA sees rapid increases inpower generation makingIndia the second-largest coalconsumer in 2017, displacingthe United States where theshale gas boom makes coaluncompetitive.

Chinese coal consumptionis forecast to account for morethan half of global demand by2014, with the country alsodisplacing the United States asthe biggest coal polluter on aper-capita basis.

The IEA sees China's coaldemand increasing by an aver-age of 3.7 percent per year to3,190 million tonnes of coalequivalent in 2017.

Even in the case of a slow-down in the breakneck growthin the Chinese economy theIEA sees the country's use ofcoal growing by 2 percent peryear, as well as the overall coalmarket growing.

The agency said that given

its position developments inthe Chinese market wouldlargely determine the course ofthe global coal market, saying:"China is coal. Coal is China."

The IEA believes that cur-rent mining and port expan-sion projects are sufficient tomeet China's rising needs, butexpressed concern if the cur-rent low prices and uncertain-ties about the economicoutlook make investors overlycautious.

Cancellations or a slow-down in "...development proj-ects might lead to tightenedinternational coal markets" inthe next five years, the IEAwarned.

The report sees only theUnited States making reduc-tions on coal-based carbonemissions on per capita andper economic output measuresthanks to cheap gas displacingcoal.

Increased coal use pushesup China's emissions on a percapita basis, displacing theUnited States as the top pol-luter.

However. China is also seenas making the most gains inemissions efficiency, followedby the United States.

Neither the Europe norIndia are forecast to make con-siderable gains in emissionsefficiency.

-- 'China is coal.

Coal is China.' --

Sci-Tech When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions -give off the greatest glow of happiness."

~Bob Hope


VATICAN CITY (AFP) - PopeBenedict XVI on Thursdayurged Christian financial andpolitical leaders to base theirdecisions on the Bible, takingthe unusual step of writing aneditorial for the FinancialTimes.

"It is in the Gospel thatChristians find inspiration fortheir daily lives and their in-volvement in worldly affairs -- be it in the Houses ofParliament or the Stock Ex-change," the pope said in the

world of finance and for lawsthat respect Christian ethics.

"When Christians refuse tobow down before the falsegods proposed today, it is notbecause of an antiquatedworld-view," he wrote.

"Rather, it is because theyare free from the constraints ofideology and inspired by sucha noble vision of human des-tiny that they cannot colludewith anything that underminesit," he said.

article, which was requestedby the London-based newspa-per and was distributed by theVatican press office.

"Christians shouldn't shunthe world, they should engagewith it," he said.

He had a word of warningfor the City, however, sayingthat Jesus Christ himself hadcautioned against "the relent-less pursuit of wealth".

The pope also hinted at twoissues close to his heart: theneed for more morality in the

Pope urges City traders to seekBible inspiration

THE HAGUE (AFP) - ADutch Christian has painstak-ingly prepared a lifeboat in hisgarden capable of saving 50people ahead of biblical floodshe expects to accompany Fri-day's Mayan-foretold 'dooms-day.'

"The Mayans weren't crazy,and if you also look at biblicalprophecies, the mountains willmelt like wax," Pieter Frankvan der Meer told the left-wingVolkskrant daily on Thursday.

A fervent Christian, Van derMeer bought the orange totallyenclosed lifeboat for 13,000euros (around 17,000 dollars)and has installed a toilet, asink, a child's car seat and foodsupplies.

Around 35 people have re-served seats in the Norwegian-built boat, which currently sitsin Van der Meer's garden in thecentral Netherlands village ofKootwijkerbroek, around 20kilometres (14 miles) from thesea.

Passengers include his chil-dren and grandchildren, Vander Meer told the DutchProtestant television pro-

gramme "De Vijfde Dag"("The Fifth Day").

Van der Meer's son, Pieter,has obtained a roughly one-metre cubed plastic containerreinforced with metal bars forthe family's two dogs, com-plete with hay and food inside.

"Here, they have a reason-able chance of survival," Vander Meer senior said.

The family's goats will un-fortunately be left to their fate.

He said that the alignmentof the Solar System's planetson December 21 will generateand release huge amounts ofcosmic energy.

"This will activate the sun,"he said. "It's difficult to saywhat exactly will happen withthe sun, but you can expect anenormous solar flare," whichcould cause a tsunami or a sec-ond Flood.

Alternatively, there may bea huge earthquake, and so hehas bought a second-handarmy Jeep with which to driveat speed to a location in a fieldwhere he and his family canpitch tents.

'Apocalypse Noah':Dutch Christian

readies escape Ark


Finance

largely concentrated in AsiaPacific and South America,"2012 is dominated by large,weather-related losses in theUS," it added.

The "top-five insured lossevents" had all happened inthe United States, it pointedout. They included HurricaneSandy which wreaked havocacross the east coast of thecountry, as well as in theCaribbean and the Bahamasat the end of October.

"Estimates for the insuredcost of the devastation are be-tween $20 and $25 billion," itsaid, though "it is still too soonto gauge the final overall dam-age."

In addition, extremely dryweather conditions in theUnited States had led to "oneof the worst droughts in re-cent decades, affecting morethan half of the country," thestudy showed. Drought-re-lated agricultural losses therewere expected to well to $11billion, it added.

ZURICH (AFP) - Naturaland man-made disastersaround the world this year,including Superstorm Sandy,will cost at least $140 billion(106 billion euros), accordingto a study published by Swissinsurance group Swiss Re.

The insurance industrywill cover about $65 billionof all losses from such catas-trophes, the study showed,ticking in above the averagefor the past 10 years.

It nevertheless marked asignificant drop from 2011,when massive earthquakesand flooding forced insurersto dish out more than $120billion to cover disaster-re-lated losses.

Natural catastrophes alonethis year will lead to morethan 11,000 deaths and $60billion in insured claims,Swiss Re said in a statement.

But after two years whennatural disasters such as thedevastating Haiti earthquakeand Pakistan floods were

Natural, man-madedisasters in 2012cost $140bn: Swiss Re


The holidays are upon us,which mean festive times forAruba, but also busy beacheswith crowded eateries andoften very long waits just tosit down and get a bite to eat.Aruba’s newest lounge,Brickell Bay Sand Beach, inPalm Beach, created quite astir with its recent opening,revealing a chic, unique en-vironment that has strongly

attracted islandfashionistas asa relaxed, ele-gant place towhile away theevening hours.

Sand Beachalso provides avery interest-ing lunchmenu in anambiance thatmakes you feelas if you arestill stretched

out on the beach, but with adistinctly more tranquil andappealing surroundings, par-ticularly these end of theyear days.

A very interesting andreasonable menu featureslunch alternatives such as a6 oz Rock Lobster Tail“Sandwich” on garlic toastwith gourmet fries for only$17, aside from favorite

lunch bar fare.If the freneticcrowds at thebeach bars andthe demandson the waithelp are notquite provid-ing that tran-quil settingyou are seek-ing from yourAruban so-journ, you justmight want tocheck it out.Lunch also includes use oftheir very appealing pool deckand they offer the latest craze,beach tennis. It is a very inter-esting alternative, away fromthe crowds, but still with thefeeling of being on the beachor around the pool. It also hasan arcade of interesting shops,a mini-market, and the beststocked hookah store on theisland.

The new eatery/nightclubis still basically a night spot,and features several attractivespecials, including a nightly2-for-1 happy hours from 5:00to 7:00 PM which includesfrozen drinks and premiumbrands. There is great enter-tainment without a covercharge. This Sunday they willfeature one of the island’smost popular and dynamic en-tertainers of the last decade,

Marisela and the AquariusBand, back on Aruba for alimited engagement.Marisela will be heating upPalm Beach for a very coolnight at the Sandbar on Sun-day, December 23 from 6:00to 9:00 PM. This is a per-former known for “bringingdown the house,” so don’t

miss this rare opportunity toenjoy some great entertain-ment and discover Aruba’smost stylish new nightspot.Brickell Bay Sand Beachlounge is located directlyacross the street from theSouth Beach Center. If youare wondering what is newand hip on Aruba, this is it!

New Brickell Bay Sand Beach lounge offersa refreshing change both day and night!

The best of all gifts around anyChristmas tree: the presence of ahappy family all wrapped up in

each other. ~Burton Hillis

least is the future value of theinvestment. To further en-hance this, Gold Coast man-agement have inaugurated anumber of in-house servicesand have recently become af-filiated Interval International,the world’s largest network ofvacation ownership propertieswhich provides an unlimitedinternational pool of investorsto tap for ownership and rentalprospects. Property exchangefor a vacation in another desti-nation is also availablethrough the Interval Interna-tional affiliation. Gold Coast’sown rental services have alsoproven highly successful in as-sisting owners in renting theirvillas; 24-hour security andmaintenance services also tipthe scales when it is time tomake a decision. Aside fromall this, housekeeping, childcare, catering services , carrental through its partnershipwith AVIS car rental are alsoavailable as well as pre-shop-ping services so cupboardsand refrigerators are stockedupon arrival, which can alsobe arranged through theirproperty management depart-ment. Personnel are also avail-able to assist in arrangingrestaurant reservations and is-land activities.

Visit their website: www.goldcoastaruba.com formore details and availabilityor call 586-2200 to arrange apersonal tour.

ties such as those at GoldCoast, make it easy for someowners to see a valuable returnon their investment.

The design of the resi-dences and public areas isopen, airy and spacious, takingfull advantage of the island en-vironment, with quality con-struction and finishingavailable. Partnering with twoof Aruba’s top providers ofkitchens and bathrooms en-ables developers to offer cus-tom options allowing buyersto individualize their homes.An elegant and chic furniturepackage is available or islanddesigners will assist owners infinishing the décor to theirspecific tastes.

There are many aspects topurchasing property; not the


of 260 town homes, villas andcondominiums with a stunningclubhouse complemented bytwo additional communitypool areas , The Clubhouse isabout to start construction andwill offer to the communityhomeowners and visitors 2tennis courts, full service spaand fitness center as well as astunning pool area and is ex-pected to be complete by early2013. It will also house arestaurant and mini-market.

Owners who purchasedupon the groundbreaking onlya few short years ago, are al-ready enjoying a nearly 50%appreciation on their invest-ment, particularly those takingadvantage of the on site man-agement’s rental services pro-gram. There is always a greatdemand for Aruba and facili-

the response to our concept.” Fito, with his sister Mayrin

and brother Rudy operate CasBon, which has been con-structing homes and buildingdevelopments for all budgetsfor nearly twenty years. “GoldCoast Aruba is the jewel in ourcrown,” observes Fito. “Wewere very excited about thisproject and the scope of actualand planned facilities andamenities. We have spoken tocountless island visitors to findout what they would reallywant in a permanent residenceon Aruba, and took fromthere.”

Input from frequent vaca-tioners who have dreamed oftheir own home in Aruba con-tributed to the realization ofGold Coast Aruba which whencomplete will be a community

-- Management of Gold CoastAruba, the island’s newest andmost innovative gated com-munity, reports that sales havebeen very good and encourag-ing as the global economy re-covers and people looking topurchase vacation homes havefound that Gold Coast is anoutstanding investment value.Director of Sales, Fito Croeshas noticed a surprising per-centage of owners in reality donot spend a great amount oftime personally to use the vil-las or town homes they pur-chase, but are takingadvantage of Gold Coast’srental services to turn their in-vestment into ready income.

“The greater portion ofhome owners are using their“home away from home” inAruba to escape the wintermonths, or spend holidayswith the family on the island,”he remarked, “but I am grati-fied by how many are buyingbecause they felt secure withreal estate investment onAruba. They really study thehistory and economy of the is-land and are impressed withthe political stability and con-tinually increasing value ofprime locations. Gold Coast isin the heart of Malmok, con-sidered Aruba’s most exclu-sive community where thevalue of properties has only in-creased over time. It is onlyminutes to the best beachesand all the action, and yet of-fers a quiet and secluded get-away; we are very pleased by

Gold Coast Aruba: This is the time to invest

fries is enough to be shared bytwo. He was very amused towatch a famous French chefdemonstrating the best way tomake fried potatoes on a gour-met cooking show and couldonly comment “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 now extracost for orders over $50. Enjoya great lunch without everleaving the beach by calling586-3904. However, we sug-gest you stop by and enjoytheir authentic, heartfelt hospi-tality; it is not unusual for ei-ther owner to sit and chat,sharing their knowledge of theisland while making sure pa-trons are happy with theirmeal.

Farmer’s or Man Burger (al-most 12 ounces of choicebeef), and a Western Burgerwith Aarons’ secret-recipecrispy onion rings. All of thesecan be personalized with an in-credible array of toppings,(mushrooms, jala-peño pep-pers, bacon, cheese, lettuce,tomato…whatever, the listgoes on) at absolutely no extracost.

5 Burger portions areENORMOUS! Aaron suggeststhat even their small serving of

made fresh daily and 100%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, ($5.48,with bacon) or All-you-can-eatpancakes, for $6.99, again,with free refills on fresh cof-fee. Breakfast is served until11 a.m. Famous for their friesmade from fresh potatoes,Aaron has been working formonths on devising the mostirresistible home fries recipe,chunky and tender with skinsstill on; after much testing andtasting, he got the thumbs upfrom his harshest critic, Rosie;so this is another treat youhave to try.

A glance at their burgermenu will certainly tempt youto return for lunch or dinner, tosample their famous specialtyitems such as the Gouda,

--A favorite stop for a greatburger for lunch or dinner hasjust expanded their hours andmenu to offer some of the bestbreakfast bargains to be foundin Palm Beach. Owners Aaronand Rosie Walisever are livingtheir dream: a home on para-dise while welcoming all andsundry to their proud under-taking, 5 Burgers Aruba. Thecouple’s fanatical dedicationto giving their customers whatthey really want has resulted ina unique menu from an inter-

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

“You never get a secondchance to make a first impres-sion,” believes Aaron. Uponentering 5 Burgers Aruba inThe Village Mall in PalmBeach, one is struck by utterlyspotless surroundings and asmiling, friendly, attentiveservice crew. Of course, themain item on the menu isburgers-the way they weremeant to be, thick and juicy,

5 Burgers Aruba: Now your best breakfast bargain!

season NFL rushing record of2,105 yards, set in 1984 whenhe was with the then-Los An-geles Rams, with games re-maining against the Texansand Green Bay.

Detroit receiver CalvinJohnson, leading the NFL with1,667 reception yards, isthreatening Jerry Rice's one-season reception yardagerecord of 1,848 set in 1995with the 49ers. The Lions faceAtlanta and Chicago in thenext two wee

will clinch the AFC Northcrown and give the AFC re-peat champions in all four di-visions, an unprecedented featsince the four-division formatwas adopted a decade ago.

Other games Sunday findNew England at Jacksonville,Oakland at Carolina, Buffaloat Miami, San Diego at theNew York Jets, St. Louis atTampa Bay and Cleveland atDenver.

Minnesota running backAdrian Peterson is 293 yardsshy of Eric Dickerson's one-

best chance at 2013's toppick, with Jacksonville.

Seattle (9-5) wouldclinch a National Confer-ence playoff spot with avictory at home over NFCWest division rival SanFrancisco (10-3 with onedrawn) and push the fightfor the divisional title intothe final week of the sea-son.

"We're both greatteams that want to win,"said Seattle rookie quar-terback Russell Wilson."It's going to be a one ofa kind (atmosphere). Thisis the best place to play inthe NFL in terms of theenergy."

The 49ers would clinchthe division crown andsecure a first-round play-off bye with a victory anda loss by Green Bay (10-4) to visiting Tennessee (5-9).

Atlanta (12-2) would claima first-round bye with a victorySaturday at Detroit (4-10) andwould seize the home-fieldedge in the National Confer-ence playoffs if Green Bay andSan Francisco both lose.

The other two vacant play-off spots are for the NFC Eastchampion -- a fight betweenthe Dallas Cowboys, Washing-ton Redskins and reigningSuper Bowl champion NewYork Giants -- and an NFCwild-card team, which featurethose three teams plusChicago and Minnesota. All ofthem have 8-6 records.

The Redskins would clincha playoff spot, but not the di-vision crown, with a victory atPhiladelphia (4-10) and lossesby the Giants at Baltimore (9-5), Minnesota at Houston (12-2) and Chicago at Arizona(5-9).

The Giants would take aplayoff spot with losses byWashington, Minnesota,Chicago and Dallas, whichplays host to New Orleans (6-8).

If Baltimore wins orCincinnati loses, the Ravens

hawks will clinch NationalFootball League playoffberths with triumphs Sundaywhile two last spots might notbe settled until the last games.

The penultimate week ofthe gridiron campaign loomswith New England, Denverand Houston having clincheddivision titles, and thus play-off berths, in the AmericanConference while Baltimorehas sealed a post-season spotas well.

In the National Conference,Green Bay and Atlanta havesecured divisional crowns andSan Francisco has claimed aplayoff berth, but three playoffspots remain up for grabs be-tween a half-dozen con-tenders.

Indianapolis (9-5) wouldclinch an American Confer-ence berth with a victory atKansas City (2-12) andCincinnati (8-6) would do thesame by winning at Pitts-burgh, where the Steelers (7-7) must win to sustain anyplayoff hopes.

A Cincinnati victory wouldalso secure a playoff spot for2012 top NFL Draft pick An-drew Luck's Colts even if theylose to the Chiefs, who sharethe NFL's worst record, and

WASHINGTON (AFP) - TheCincinnati Bengals, Indi-anapolis Colts and Seattle Sea-

NFL: Bengals, Colts, Seahawks will reach playoffswith wins


Wallace Gilberry's fumble return for a touchdown sealedthe deal for the Bengals in the third quarter; the score putthem up 24-13 winning the Eagles.

Carolina Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert goes airborne to scorea touchdown against the San Diego Chargers.

The 29 year old de Zeeuwhas been described as a great'tackle' and is very congenialwhen passing balls. He beganhis career at GO Ahead Ea-gles in 2001. In 2005 hechanged clubs and played forAZ. From 2009 to 2011 heplayed for AFC AJAX andsince 2011 he is with SpartakMoscow. Since 2007 deZeeuw has been playing forthe Dutch selection and has27 interland games to hisname.

Those interested in partici-pating in this interestingclinic should contact DavidAbdul at telephone 592-5235.You can also contact David [email protected]. This is a great opportunityfor our young footballers toreceive free classes from oneof Holland's great players.Register right away to secureyour spot to participate.


expected on Aruba during thelast week of the year. DeZeeuw is currently playingfor Spartak Moscow and is inthe Dutch selection since2007. De Zeeuw has gra-ciously offered to do a foot-ball clinic here for children10 to 12 years at the Jara Sta-dium in Savaneta. The clinicis scheduled for Sunday, De-cember 30th from 9:00 in themorning to 1:00 in the after-noon.

-- Youngsters between 10 to12 years of age will be treateda one day football clinic fromDutch professional footballstar, Demy de Zeeuw. He is

Dutch professional footballer to offer clinic in Aruba

friday, december 21, 2012

Documents

local director

visit of mr

director of vda

lieuwand director

director ofvno

director ofmot

dutch kingdomexternal

ment of external affairs