Aruba Urges Netherlands To End Holloway “Fairy Tales”
WILLEMSTAD, 29/6/05 – Justice Minister Croes of Aruba wants the Dutch government to show official support to the island. He says fairy-tales about the disappearance of American schoolgirl Natalee Holloway are systematically appearing in the US media.
Croes is afraid of the consequences that the negative reports could have for American tourism on the island. On some TV programmes, Aruba is now being depicted as a criminal island full of gambling, dealing and drinking. Statistics however show that Aruba is many times safer than Curacao and the other Netherlands Antilles – from which Aruba has been separate since 1986, though it is still affiliated with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Croes had a meeting in Curacao yesterday with Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner and Kingdom Relations Minister Alexander Pechtold. “The credibility of our legal system is being endangered,” Croes complained afterwards. “On top of this, we have the same legal system in the entire Kingdom, so the name of the Netherlands is also being dragged through the mud. We can no longer passively look on at how our name is being smeared. The Netherlands must help to counter this.”
Donner promised to bring up the matter with Foreign Minister Bot. “We must look at how we can prevent this leading to great damage for the island of Aruba. Perhaps we can put the picture in the press straight via the Netherlands’ embassy in Washington.”
The American press has been in Aruba for weeks to report on Holloway’s disappearance. She was in Aruba for a short school-trip to celebrate passing her final exam. Nothing more has been heard of the girl since 30 May. The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the police are assuming that she has lost her life.
Oliver L. Campbell: PDVSA’s internationalization policy has been largely vindicated
VHeadline.com oil industry commentarist Oliver Campbell writes: The Venezuelan government has described “internationalisation†as a great mistake which has only produced losses for the country. The word refers to PDVSA’s purchase (or lease) of assets abroad which started in the early 1980s … just a few years after nationalization. These downstream investments were made in refineries in Germany in partnership with Veba Oil, in Sweden, Belgium and the United Kingdom in partnership with Fortnum, in mainland USA (CITGO), and the Virgin Islands (HOVENSA) in partnership with Amerada Hess. The Curacao refinery was leased from the Curacao government for a number of years.
The acquisition of refinery capacity was a defensive strategy designed to protect the sales of heavy crude oil at a time when these crudes could only be sold by giving large discounts on light oil prices. It was envisaged the refineries would process Venezuela’s predominantly heavy crude oils and assure an outlet for a substantial volume.
Youbet files $50-million universal shelf registration
nternet wagering company Youbet.com Inc. filed a $50-million universal shelf registration with the Security and Exchange Commission on Monday.
Once declared effective, the move will allow Youbet.com to sell up to $50-million in common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, stock purchase contracts and units, and warrants. Youbet.com is listed on the NASDAQ exchange and was trading at $4.72 a share through mid-morning on Monday.
“We continue to evaluate a number of potential acquisitions in our core area of business and other domestic and international opportunities,” said Youbet.com Chairman Chuck Champion. “Once effective, we believe the shelf registration statement will provide Youbet with the additional flexibility it may need to fund these growth opportunities with registered securities. Any drawn down under the registration statement would require the prior approval of our board of directors.”
Earlier this month, Youbet completed its purchase of International Racing Group, an offshore wagering company based in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, and its Nevada affiliate It’s All Good Buddy Inc.
Hearing of five suspects in Aruba delayed
Five suspects in Aruba, tied to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, had a court hearing postponed Saturday because a judge’s flight was delayed.
A judge from Curacao, flown in from another island to avoid the appearance of impropriety, had his flight delayed several times Saturday and then rescheduled the hearing for Sunday morning, CNN reported.
The judge was to determine if Paul Van Der Sloot, 53, a legal official; his son Joran, 17; Satish Kalpoe, 18; his brother Deepak Kalpoe, 21; and disc jockey Steve Croes, 26, should remain in custody.
No one has been charged in the disappearance of Holloway.
Meanwhile, a team of Texas search specialists Saturday began hunting for the Alabama teen missing on the resort island of Aruba since May 30.
Tim Miller, director and founder of Texas Equusearch, said most of the 24-member search team, including eight divers and one dog, had arrived by Friday night. Three more highly trained dogs and their handlers were expected to arrive Saturday.
Miller said at least $25,000 had been raised for the search via the group’s Web site.
(UPI)
Lawyer: One Aruba suspect to be freed
Steve Croes, a disc jockey who was arrested in connection with the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, will be released Monday because of a lack of evidence against him, his attorney, Eleni Lotterhoman, said Sunday following a court hearing. There was no word yet on how the judge may have ruled in the detention of the other four suspects. Croes, 26, worked on a party boat on the island. Sunday’s hearing was postponed from Saturday because the judge being flown in from the nearby island of Curacao was delayed, said David Kock, defense attorney for 18-year-old Satish Kalpoe, one of the suspects. Holloway, also 18, has been missing since early May 30. The other suspects include Kalpoe’s 21-year-old brother, Deepak Kalpoe; their 17-year-old friend, Joran Van Der Sloot; and his father, Paul Van Der Sloot, 53. Kock said Sunday he feels the investigation is moving in the right direction, as police have scrutinized cell phone records and Internet traffic as part of the probe. Those records, Kock said, show Joran Van Der Sloot called Deepak Kalpoe about 2:40 a.m. on the morning Holloway disappeared. In that call, according to Deepak Kalpoe’s statements, Joran Van Der Sloot told him he had left Holloway on the beach and was walking home. About 40 minutes later, Kock said — about the time it would take him to walk home — Joran Van Der Sloot text-messaged Deepak Kalpoe to tell him he had arrived. “I just think this goes to show that the story that Deepak and Satish are telling … is substantiated by facts,” Kock said. Antonio Carlo, defense attorney for Joran Van Der Sloot, said Sunday prosecutors have asked the judge to extend his client’s detention for eight more days. The judge has not yet ruled on that request, he said. His client, he said, was in good spirits, but was “shocked and disturbed” by his father’s arrest. None of the suspects has been formally charged, and it was unclear when charges might be filed. Defense attorneys for the four younger defendants have said they are innocent; Paul Van Der Sloot’s attorneys have not yet commented. Also Sunday, a Texas-based search team was combing land and surrounding ocean for Holloway. Plans included using side-scan sonar on a dive boat, said Texas EquuSearch spokesman Joe Huston. The entire 27-member team, including eight divers and four dogs, arrived Saturday night. The dogs, said Huston, will work most of the day — skipping the middle of the day when their sense of smell is less acute. He said the group would like more volunteers and hoped residents would donate drinking water and some meals. The team searched a wetlands area Saturday, and also the northern tip of the island near a lighthouse, combing the beaches with the dog. After borrowing a boat, the team installed side-scanning sonar equipment and conducted a water search. Paul Van Der Sloot, who is relatively new to the bench, was arrested Thursday, while the other four have been in custody longer. He has been denied access to his son since the teen was arrested. A judge is to be flown in from Curacao to avoid the appearance of impropriety and would consider continued detentions for the five in separate hearings. Police Commissioner Jan Van Der Straten on Friday refused to say if Paul Van Der Sloot was being cooperative. His wife, Anita, dropped some towels and other items off at the jail Saturday, but was not allowed to see her husband. Prosecution spokeswoman Mariaine Croes said charges — if any — will not be filed until the investigation is complete and evidence is reviewed by prosecutors. Under Aruban law, authorities can arrest a suspect based on reasonable suspicion, unlike in the United States, where police must have probable cause. Prosecutors can ask judges to approve three eight-day extensions of detention, followed by two longer extensions. Croes has said suspects may be held up to 116 days — and in rare cases, even longer — before charges are filed, to allow evidence-gathering to continue. Defense attorneys for the original four have said their clients maintain their innocence. Holloway, from the Birmingham, Alabama, suburb of Mountain Brook, was last seen about 1:30 a.m. May 30 as she left a nightclub with Joran Van Der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers. She was on a trip to Aruba with about 100 classmates and a few parent-chaperones to celebrate her high school graduation.
Cingular sells out to Digicel
CINGULAR, a joint venture between SBC Communications and BellSouth Corp., announced yesterday that it is selling its operations and licences in the Caribbean and Bermuda to Digicel, a company incorporated in Bermuda but which had no operating unit here.
“Cingular’s strategic business focus has been on the US domestic market since its acquisition of AT&T Wireless,” said Bill Hague, EVP OF Cingular Wireless. “We will be working closely with Digicel to ensure an orderly transition, (and) working with the Governments of Bermuda and the Caribbean nations to secure approvals for the transaction.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Cingular will sell to Digicel former AT&T Wireless properties, including licences, network assets, and subscribers, in Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
In addition, Cingular will sell its cellular licences in Curacao, Jamaica and the French West Indies.
Since its launch in 2001, Digicel has become the fastest growing mobile telecom operator in the Caribbean. It operates in nine Caribbean countries: Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent.
Club World Casinos Global Launch
Filed under: Entertainment and Sport, Internet and Technology
Curacao, Netherlands-Antilles (June 2005) Club World Casinos, an exciting and innovative new online casino has recently announced it’s official launch.
Club World Casinos is dedicated to worldwide gaming pleasure and is currently offering a fabulous $£€500 Welcome Bonus. Player’s will also be able to take advantage of regular promotions and fantastic bonuses presented by the casino.
Club World Casinos offers players the choice of a Flash version and Download version.
• The Flash version is fast, with no download and offers instantaneous casino games for immediate enjoyment.
• The download version offers even smoother game play, brilliant sound quality and superb graphics enabling the player to experience all the excitement of enhanced game play on their own computer.
Both versions boast a superb suite of games for all player preferences. These include 3 Reel and 5 Reel Slots, Progressive Jackpots, Video Poker, Roulette, Craps, Blackjack and a variety of other card games, Instant Games (including scratchcards) and a great selection of Soft Games (Fixed-odds games).
Club World Casinos accepts USD, GBP and EUR currencies and provides a wide variety of Payment Methods for players around the world. These include Credit Card, NETeller, Moneybookers, Click2Pay, EcoCard, Central Coin, FirePay, Wire Trasnfer and Bank draft.
An excellent online support team is on standby to answer any questions and queries. Club World Casinos makes it easy for players to contact them, with the choice of Telephone, E-mail, Live Chat link, Skype and Fax.
Enjoy all your favorite games online where you can play for real money or even just for fun. Club World Casinos make it their priority to provide an outstanding gaming experience in an online casino environment.
About Club World Casinos:
Club World Casinos operates through the gaming license holder World Online Gaming N.V, incorporated under the laws of Curacao and is fully licensed and regulated by the laws of that country. For full details, faq, license terms and general terms go to their site at http://www.clubworldcasinos.com
About Chartwell Technology Inc:
Chartwell Technology Inc, an innovative developer of complete online gaming software offering an industry-leading choice of gaming options. Chartwell is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and is registered with Standard & Poor’s and with the United States Securities Exchange Commission.
PinnacleSports.com Posts Odds on Michael Jackson’s Future
Filed under: Business and Economy, Entertainment and Sport, Internet and Technology
He ‘Beat It’, but What’s Next for ‘The King of Pop’
WILLEMSTAD, Curacao, June 21 /PRNewswire/ — Now that Michael Jackson has been acquitted of all charges brought against him, the biggest obstacle facing “The King of Pop” appears to be the financial hole he’s dug. His lavish lifestyle has Jackson rumored to be spending between $20 and $30 million more than he earns per year, putting him hundreds of millions in debt. With “The King of Pop” desperately needing a large cash infusion, PinnacleSports.com today announced odds on what the future holds for Michael Jackson.
The largest sports betting site on the Internet, PinnacleSports.com has created a number of unique betting options on what Michael Jackson will do to moonwalk his way out of his cash crisis. Although selling his Neverland Ranch or his stake in the Beatles back catalog would certainly ease his debts, PinnacleSports.com thinks it’s a long shot Jackson will part with his two biggest assets this year. The online bookmaker lists the odds of the pop star selling his Neverland home near Santa Barbara, California at 7/2, while the likelihood Jackson parts with the Beatles catalog, that is valued in excess of $400 million, before the end of the year is at 7/5 odds.
“After surviving a Thriller in the courtroom, Michael Jackson now needs to make his debts HIStory,” said Simon Noble of PinnacleSports.com. “Since he’s in such dire need of cash it would only make sense for ‘The King of Pop’ to sell his Neverland Ranch or his ownership of The Beatles song catalog. But since this is Michael, we’ve made the likelihood of him parting with either a long shot although they alone would pull the pop star out of the red.”
If he decides against parting with his precious possessions, Jackson could turn to other options to alleviate his financial woes. With his record sales steadily declining for years, the odds that Michael Jackson will release a new solo studio album by July 2006 have been made a 9/5 underdog. Touring may be a viable option for Michael Jackson in Europe or Asia, but PinnacleSports.com believes neither headlining in Las Vegas nor a Jackson 5 reunion are on the cards and lists both as 5/1 long shots. Although the talk show circuit may seem inevitable following his trial, PinnacleSports.com has posted the odds of Jackson appearing live on “Oprah” this year as a small underdog at 8/5.
Current Odds: *All Odds Subject To Change*
Will Michael Jackson sell all or part of Neverland in 2005?
Yes 7/2
No 1/4
Will Michael Jackson sell all or part of The Beatles Catalog in 2005?
Yes 7/5
No 2/3
Will Michael Jackson release a new solo studio LP before July 1, 2006?
Yes 9/5
No 1/2
Will Michael Jackson headline in Vegas by November 1, 2005?
Yes 5/1
No 1/6
Will the Jackson 5 perform in a public concert in 2005?
Yes 5/1
No 1/6
Will Michael Jackson appear in person on “Oprah” in 2005?
Yes 8/5
No 4/7
For more information and a complete list of odds, please visit http://www.pinnaclesports.com
Bruzon fights back to take classical section
20.06.2005 In the two-part match between Dutch GM Jan Timman and Cuban talent Lazaro Bruzon, the former took a 3½:½ lead in the rapid section. Then came the classical section, with very exciting games, intensely enjoyed by the spectators on the Internet and on the Caribbean island of Curaçao.
After winning the first section of the match (rapid chess) with a convincing 3.5:0.5 score, Dutch chess legend Jan Timman had to face Cuba’s most promising GM, 23-year-old Lazaro Bautista Bruzon in four classical chess games. Here the going was not quite so smoothe for Timman.
The first classic game was a quick draw in 19 moves, with Timman on the white side not showing any great ambitions to go for a win. Then in game two Lazaro Bruzon lashed out in an unusual French game, after his opponent had played some weakening moves (especially 18…Nf8 instead of 18…Nxf3+). The Cuban did not give Timman a chance to recover, playing accurately all the way to victory in 40 moves.
Bruzon,L (2669) – Timman,J (2607) [C00]
Match Curacao AHO (6), 14.06.2005
1.e4 e6 2.Qe2 c5 3.g3 Nc6 4.c3 d5 5.d3 Nge7 6.Nf3 b6 7.Bg2 Ba6 8.e5 Qc7 9.0-0 Ng6 10.Re1 Be7 11.h4 h6 12.Nbd2 0-0-0 13.a3 Kb8 14.Rb1 f6 15.exf6 gxf6 16.b4 Nce5 17.b5 Bc8 18.h5 Nf8 19.Nxe5 fxe5 20.Nf3 Nd7 21.Nxe5 Nxe5 22.Bf4 Bd6 23.Bxe5 Rhg8 24.Bh3 Rdf8 25.d4 Rg5 26.Bxd6 Qxd6 27.a4 Rf4 28.Bg2 Rff5 29.a5 bxa5 30.Qe3 c4 31.Ra1 e5 32.dxe5 Rxe5 33.Qd2 Rxh5 34.Rxe5 Rxe5 35.Rxa5 Qf6 36.Ra1 Rf5 37.Bxd5 h5 38.Qe3 Qb6 39.Qxb6+ axb6.
40.Ra8+ and 1-0 because of 40…Kc7 41.Rxc8+ Kxc8 42.Be6+.
Visit Curacao Chess website.
Set sail with the Bombers
WINNIPEG, MB – Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans will soon have an opportunity to combine their love of football with their love for the high seas.
The 16th Annual Winnipeg Blue Bombers cruise will take place Jan. 21 to Feb. 3, 2005. It will begin in Miami, Fla. and will feature stops in Hispaniola, Aruba, Curacao, Panama and Costa Rica. Bomber fans will have an opportunity to mix and mingle with current Bomber players Joe Fleming and Troy Westwood.
Travel packages include: a bon voyage get-together in Winnipeg; a welcome aboard cocktail party and dinner; gourmet on-board dining; complimentary 24-hour room service; on-board activities with Blue Bomber players and Continental Travel hosts; football talk sessions with Bomber players and a Bomber souvenir.
Prices for the cruise are $2,490.50 (interior cabin), $2,719.50 (ocean-view) and $3,079.50 (balcony). Prices are based on double occupancy and are in Canadian dollars. All prices include airfare from Winnipeg, a two-night hotel stay in Miami, an 11-night cruise, transfers and port charges. A $750 deposit is required to confirm a booking.