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| A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page | |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 11
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for 100,000 overseas students By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The U.S. State Department is launching a program today in Washington that is designed to promote, expand, and support study abroad programs between the United States and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The project involves challenge grants to institutions of high education, the State Department said in Washington. The educational institutions are expected to use the money to strengthen their capacity to both send and host student exchange participants, the department said. The initial U.S. investment will be $1 million, the department said. Additional money comes from corporate donors, such as ExxonMobil and Santander Universities, a division of Santander Bank, The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Freeport-McMoRan Cooper & Gold Foundation and the Ford Foundation, said the department. The program is being called the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund. It is called that because the goal is to have 100,000 Latin American and Caribbean students studying in the United States and a similar number of U.S. students studying overseas. Two firms increase presence here with new facilities By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Kimberly-Clark is scheduled to announce a new plant today in Coris de Cartago. Meanwhile, the Results Companies are beginning operations in the country with plans to hire 500 persons at facilities in the Zona Franca América in Heredia. President Laura Chinchilla will be in Cartago today to inaugurate the Kimberly-Clark new facility. Kimberly-Clark Costa Rica now has three specialized plants with a main office in San Antonio de Belén, producing personal care and home, the firm says on its Web site. The other two locations in Coris-Cartago specialize in the production of child and female protection, with about 1,300 employees, it said. The Results Companies inaugurated the Heredia operation Wednesday. The location will handle the customer service for three foreign firms, according to the Ministerio de Comercio Exterior. The companies already have two customer service centers in México. Temperature
remains moderate,
but wind warning continues By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
There has been no major change in temperature by early today due to an expected cold front. The forecast from the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional spoke of temperatures as low as 11 degrees C (about 52 F). But Central Valley temperatures continued to range from 18 to 20 ( 64 to 68 degrees F.) at 1:30 a.m. For a chill residents would have to go near the top of the Turriabla or Irazú volcanoes where the temperature was 7 C, according to the automatic stations there. That's about 45 degrees F. The biggest danger, according to the forecast, will be the high winds, expected to range up to 100 kph (62 mph) in the Central Valley and on the Pacific coast. Caribbean residents and those in the northern zone are facing the chance of rain of up to two inches over 24 hours. The weather service issued a cautionary warning mostly for those in the Sarapiquí basin. Press advocate group sending study mission to Guatemala Special
to A.M. Costa Rica
The Inter American Press Association announced Wednesday that it will send an international delegation to Guatemala next month to take an on-site look into the situation involving senior officials of the Central American country and the editor of the newspaper elPeriódico, José Rubén Zamora, against whom several lawsuits have been filed in apparent reprisal for his publication of complaints of wrongdoing in the public administration. Friday Guatemala’s president, Otto Pérez Molina, announced that he had dropped a criminal lawsuit against Zamora on charges of “coercion, extortion, violation of the constitution and contempt of the chairmen of government entities,” although he said that he will continue legal action in the civil ambit. He will do so by adhering to what is covered by the law on transmission of thought, which orders the establishment of special courts to hear conflicts with journalists. President Pérez Molina’s decision leaves without effect an arrest order that could have been enforced against Zamora, to whom a judge imposed a ruling restricting his ability to leave the country. The civil action planned by the president would be adopted by Guatemalan vice president, Ingrid Roxana Baldetti Elías, who managed to have a court issue a physical protection order against Zamora, prohibiting him from “disturbing or intimidating the claimant and any member of her family.” The legal actions against Zamora caused surprise given the country’s constitution, which indicates that “publications that contain denunciations, criticisms or imputations against public officials or employees for acts carried out in the exercise of their posts do not constitute a crime or an offense.” Since last year, following the publication in elPeriódico of investigations into alleged wrongdoing in the public administration, Zamora has been complaining of governmental persecution for his editorial stance and his coverage of corruption in the government. He says that in addition to the legal action this has been reflected in online attacks on his Web site, the withdrawal of official advertising, promotion of a boycott by private sector advertisers and discrediting campaigns to remove credibility in his denunciations. . Strength training for women said to cut Type II diabetes risks By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
New research suggests muscle-strengthening exercises and conditioning activities like yoga can help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes in women. Scientists have found that one way to reduce the risk of diabetes is with aerobic exercise, workouts like running or brisk walking that work up a sweat and increase the heart rate. In a new study, researchers at Harvard University and other institutions studied the effects of other kinds of exercise on diabetes risk. A previous study found that men who lifted weights were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, so in this study, researchers wanted to find out if the same holds true for women. Some 100,000 have joined the long-running Nurses’ Health Study. They regularly fill out questionnaires on their health and lifestyle, which scientists use in studies like this. First author Anders Grontved says they saw better results among women who did regular muscle-strengthening exercise or conditioning activities such as yoga, compared with more sedentary women.
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by A.M. Costa Rica.com Ltda. 2014 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 11 | |
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| Election or no election, Superbowl will
be wet one in San José |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Election day in Costa Rica and the U.S. football Superbowl always end up sharing the first Sunday in February. For many years, election day was supposed to be dry in Costa Rica, something that runs counter to the concept of lounging in an easy chair watching the football championship with a can of beer in the hand. Although that may have been acceptable in the home, football fans seek out bars where they also can find food, cheer and perhaps lay down a bet or two. When Costa Rican legislators passed a new alcohol law, they put the decision on election day in the hands of the |
municipalities. They did the same
thing with the period before Easter that was supposed to be dry, too. Marcelo Solano Ortiz, director of the Policía Municipal of San José, said Wednesday that there definitely will not be a ley seca or dry law in the central canton for election day. Since each canton can make its own decision, there may be some that opt for a dry election day. Montes de Oca has done so in the past. So expats bar owners need to check with their own local politicians before ordering in large quantities of Imperial for the Superbowl. The Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones frequently orders a halt to alcohol sales in areas where political demonstrations will be held. That may still take place, but the ban is only a few hours. |
| Canadian peace advocate seeks to do good
things in Costa Rica |
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By
Michael Krumholtz
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff It is his first morning in Costa Rica, and Mahmood Jafari sits at the end of a small table in the courtyard of Hotel Casa Antigua in Alajuela mapping out any changes he can bring to the country. Whether they be as specific as making more areas wheelchair accessible or as widespread as caring for the poor, Jafari wants to come up with plans for social aid in Costa Rica and beyond. The outspoken Iranian freedom advocate visiting via Canada said he sees this nation as a beacon of peace that can project a message promoting community and tolerance across the world. A nation that has survived without an army for 65 years and is home to the University for Peace in Ciudad Colón sounded encouraging enough for Jafari to make the 3,000-mile trek from his home in Calgary. “We can pass this message to other governments,” Jafari says. “There is no need for a military. There is no need to make new weapons to kill each other.” These pacifistic words come from a former Iranian soldier who was hardened by the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Years after fighting in the war, Jafari was shot in the back while walking down the street. That left his legs paralyzed. However, he doesn't see his wheelchair as a confinement. Instead he views it as just another way to move. Five years ago Jafari began a program in Iran to help others with disabilities, hoping to change the universal phrasing from “disability” to “people with different ability.” That's only one of the world's problems he's hoping to change. Now he is touring Costa Rica for two weeks to get a feel for what the population may need, making his first stop in Atenas to talk with Ticos and become familiar with their struggles. He said he believes he can help in the same way he helped people in Chile, by sending large containers of new and used sanitary medical equipment to those in need of care. Or he can ally with the Red Cross, as he did in Calgary, to support those who cannot do so themselves. “We can use Costa Rica as a model to other countries,” Jafari says. “You don't need to destroy your army, but at least spend some money on your people. Feed the people to make your country stronger.” |
 A.M. Costa Rica/Michael Krumholtz
Mahmood Jafari discusses his
plans.In the past he has raised awareness and donations through grueling solo handcycle rides across Canada. In taking a 400-km hand-bike ride from Calgary to Edmonton, Jafari received endorsement from both cities' Canadian Football League teams as well as the Ability Society of Alberta. Though he had so much success raising funds back home, he says he doesn't want to intrude on a country that might not need his help. He is aware that Costa Rica is better off in some ways than neighbors Nicaragua and Panamá, but still thinks the nation sandwiched between them can become a central hub in providing any necessary medical supplies or food. “First the community has to accept me. I want to learn from this community,” Jafari says. “They might not need that much, but for sure this community can teach many people around the world.” |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 11 | |||||
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Two highways advance in the northern zone President Laura Chinchilla toured road work in San Carlos and the northern zone Wednesday. The new San Carlos –Sifón–La Abundancia road is 75 percent finished, and the Bajos de Chilamate – Vuelta Kopper has advanced 35 percent, the president was told. Both are major efforts, and the San Carlos roadway has been in planning for 30 years. The Bajos de Chilamate stretch will be a major transport link across the northern zone that will allow truckers in Guanacaste to reach the ports of Limón without going through the metro area. |
 Casa
Presidencial photo
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 11 | |||||
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| More revelations about spying involve malicious software By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
As President Barack Obama prepares to unveil reforms to the U.S. National Security Agency's intelligence gathering programs, there is renewed attention on how the NSA actually hacks into computers. Some of the NSA's techniques were described in a New York Times article Wednesday, detailing how the agency implanted malicious software in nearly 100,000 computers worldwide. According to the article, the agency made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not connected to the Internet. These techniques are far different than the way the NSA used to gather information, says James Andrew Lewis a cyber security expert in Washington “The NSA had a problem about 15 years ago: the way they collected intelligence changed almost overnight. It went from being a microwave, long distance phone calls and very old, telecom-based approach to the Internet," said Lewis. The Internet, he says, has never been secure. “There are some programs that take advantage of the fact that the Internet is not secured and may not be secured in our lifetimes. So a lot of places, including the U.S., have decided the way to make yourself secure is not to connect your most vital networks, your most vital processes," he said. Lewis says the NSA has developed such complex techniques to hack into targets that are off the grid. They sound like they were ripped from the pages of a science-fiction novel. “When you type on a keyboard, it emits a little electronic signal; very faint. It’s possible to collect that signal. We do it, the Russians do it. Lots of countries can do this. One of the things that is surprising is that you don’t have to be that close. I know, for example, in the Russian case, they at one point were collecting the radiation of the keyboard off of the windows of the American embassy," he said. “A lot of people are familiar with the fake rock they keep their house-key in. For decades, intelligence agencies have been using fake rocks. Suppose you could build a really sensitive receptor, it would be about this big, suppose you put it in a fake rock, and you threw it in front of, say, an Iranian nuclear weapons facility that was not connected to the Internet. Guess what! You’re in.” This spy game, Lewis says, has been going on for more than a hundred years, and it’s not just the United States doing it. “One of the solutions people came up with when they found out they were being listened to was to encrypt their messages," he said. "Then you get into a race: can I break the encryption? Can I make the encryption stronger? This has been going on for a century. This is just too important for nations - not just the U.S. - it’s too important for any major power to say, 'I will give up on signals intelligence.'" As the technology gets more and more advanced, Lewis says he does not expect the spy game to stop. The report in The New York Times says the United States used radio transmitters embedded in cords and drives that are attached to a computer to successfully implant software into Russian military networks, systems used by Mexican police and drug cartels and European Union trade groups. The newspaper says the technology also was used to target computers in Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan. The White House is defending the spy agency, saying it "operates under heavy oversight and is focused on discovering and developing intelligence about valid and foreign intelligence targets such as terrorists, human traffickers and drug smugglers." Already, the report has sparked criticism from China, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying Washington is "endangering the sovereignty, security and public privacy of other countries.'' Despite the criticism, former U.S. National Security Council member Raymond Tanter says he expects the U.S. to remain active and vigilant. "The U.S. government is in position to correct for any national security implications with respect to countries like China. China is doing as much as it can do. Russia is doing as much as it can do. Iran is doing as much as it can do," said Tanter. Former congresswoman Jane Harman, who is now president of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, made this plea to lawmakers at a hearing Wednesday: "We need to have an effective system that can spot bad guys and prevent and disrupt plots against us." Obama is on the spot to decide future of controversial pipeline By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
President Barack Obama must soon decide the fate of a controversial pipeline that has been stalled by environmental concerns. The TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline is an extention to a pipeline that would carry over 800,000 barrels of heavy tar sands oil 3,000 kilometers from Canada through the American midwest to refineries on the Gulf Coast. The pipeline is finished except for the leg that crosses the U.S.-Canada border, which requires the president's signature. The pipeline was originally planned to run across a major aquifer, putting the water supply for millions at risk. Now TransCanada is back with a new route. “Allowing the Keystone pipeline to be built requires a finding that doing so would be in our nation’s interest," Obama said in a speech last June. "And our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution." The president made those remarks at the launch of his Climate Action Plan, a move to reduce America's contribution to increased carbon emissions in the atmosphere. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward," Obama said. "It’s relevant.” The pipeline would carry over 800,000 barrels of heavy tar sands oil a day. Opponents say mining tar sands uses vast amounts of energy and water and produces much more pollution than conventional oil. Anthony Swift is an energy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which opposes the pipeline. He says oil from tar sands would generate 240 million metric tons of carbon -- the equivalent of putting five million more cars on the road. “The whole point of Keystone XL is to get tar sands through the U.S. to the Gulf coast where it can be refined and exported internationally," Swift said. "So, you’re left with increased carbon emissions, risk to our farms and our water sources along the route for very little benefit because it really is an export pipeline.” But others, like Sabrina Fang at the American Petroleum Institute, disagree. She points to recent polls that show the majority of Americans support the project. She says the pipeline makes good economic sense and won’t put the environment at risk. “We don’t know why it has been complicated and politicized," she said. "But we are hoping that with this New Year, the president will look at all the facts of this project and see that it will be safe to build. It will be safe to operate and it will create jobs. And, his own State Department has already said that it is safe to build in four previous environmental reviews. And we don’t expect anything different from this fifth one.” A draft environmental impact statement released by the State Department last March concluded the pipeline would not significantly harm the environment. However, Swift says 1.2 million people registered their opposition to those findings. “We know that the impacts of tar sands spills are far more significant than conventional crude spills," he said. "We found that in Mayflower, Arkansas, and Kalamazoo, Michigan, where a tar sands spill of 800,000 gallons [3 million liters] cost over a billion dollar to clean. In fact the Kalamazoo River, over three years after that spill, is still contaminated with tar sands.” Oil industry executives are confident that safeguards will minimize such spills. Ms. Fang predicts Obama will approve it. “I think the president, when he looks at this final review, which we expect will mirror the last four reviews saying this is safe to build, I don’t see how he can say that this is not in the nation’s interest to get this pipeline built,” she said. That worries Anthony Swift. “What's at stake here is our climate future," he said. "In a large degree, the Keystone XL is a decision on whether we continue pushing increasingly dirty energy sources or move toward clean alternatives.” Obama will make his decision after a final State Department review. Missing U.S. solider turns up in a new video in Afghanistan By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The family of a U.S. soldier who went missing in Afghanistan nearly five years ago says U.S. officials have obtained a new video showing their son is still alive. U.S. officials confirmed the video Wednesday, saying it was obtained in recent days and shows a frail army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in what appears to be declining health. However, they said he did not appear to be seriously ill. NBC television quotes unnamed U.S. officials as saying the 27-year-old captive is seen making a reference to the December death of South African leader Nelson Mandela. Bergdahl disappeared in eastern Paktika province under unclear circumstances in June 2009. Authorities believe he is being held by Taliban militants in nearby Pakistan. It was not clear late Wednesday how the video — the first of Bergdahl in nearly three years — was obtained or where it was viewed. Taliban militants have previously offered to free Bergdahl in exchange for several senior militants currently in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But no deal has yet been announced. Whales of California coast are in increasing numbers now By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Tourists are flocking to the southern California coast for whale-watching tours. In the last month, a record number of the huge marine mammals have been seen off the coast of Long Beach, just south of Los Angeles. Marine biologists are trying to figure out why. Near two of the busiest ports in the United States, ships are not the only giants moving through the ocean. Captain Dan Salas of Harbor Breeze Cruises has been seeing sprays of water coming out of the ocean, followed by splashes from giant tails. “In the last month or so we have seen so many whales that it’s been just absolutely incredible,” he said. Salas runs whale watching cruises off the coast of Long Beach seven days a week throughout the year. He said typically visitors had a 75 to 80 percent chance of seeing a whale. “We have been 100 percent of the time seeing whales in the last month. Not typical,” said Salas. Marine biologist Kera Mathes is trying to solve this mystery. “I’ve been out there for a few years and I’ve never had anything like that before, nor have I ever heard of anything like that before. I think a traffic jam is a good way to talk about it,” she said. Ms. Mathes said it’s been recording-breaking. She’s seen more than double the number of grey whales last month than in previous Decembers. In that same period, she’s also seen many different species in these waters. “We’ve also had orca sightings here, killer whales. We’ve seen sperm whales. We’ve had a humpback whale in the area; the second largest animal - the fin whale, as well - all within a very short period of time,” Ms. Mathes said. Ms. Mathes said the reason for the increased sightings could be that more people are out here looking for whales. The animals could also be swimming closer to shore. Or an increased food supply in these waters could be attracting more whales. Where is that food coming from? Captain Salas said one theory was that the water in this area was much cleaner these days, bringing in more marine life. “The water was very polluted back 20 years ago. We’d rarely see a dolphin or sea lion. Now today, the waters here off of Los Angeles are so clean that we almost every day we’ll see dolphins and sea lions before we even leave the harbor,” he said. Ms. Mathes said global climate change could be bringing more food to the area. Climate change could also be causing the whales to shift their migration routes. Regardless of why the whales are congregating here, tourist Kathy Burton said she was just enjoying nature’s show. “That was a surprise. I thought that was going to be it, just the one whale, and then the dolphins at the beginning and thought we were going to be heading back,” she said. But 11 kilometers off shore, the ship came near a pod of whales traveling together, ending another extraordinary trip for the tourists, the boat captain and the scientists on board. Moon landing by China raises question of lunar ownership By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Last month, China successfully landed an unmanned probe on the Moon. The mission renewed a debate about the potential exploitation of the Moon’s resources and who exactly owns the Earth’s only natural satellite. China’s Chang’e 3 mission was the first so-called soft lunar landing in 37 years. The spacecraft carried a solar-powered buggy called Jade Rabbit, which is digging the Moon’s surface and conducting geological surveys. Deputy Chief Designer of the probe, Jia Yang, is excited about what lies ahead. He explained that Jade Rabbit is now heading to the west, towards a pyramid-like rock which has a different shape from others. It could be part of a meteorite, he adds. Prior to the mission, Chinese scientists described the Moon as being a potential source of minerals. Currently, no one can claim ownership of the Moon, says Planetary Science Professor Ian Crawford, of Birkbeck College University of London. “The legal status of the Moon is governed by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, Article 2 of which specifically prohibits nation states from appropriating the Moon," said Crawford. Back in 1967, the treaty envisaged that only nation states would have the capacity to launch such missions. Professor Crawford says it is time the treaty was updated. “Within the next few decades the economic exploitation of the Moon will be technically feasible," said Crawford. "Even if there are not minerals to be extracted, the space tourism industry is gathering a lot of momentum so one might imagine interest in sending people to the Moon as just fare-paying passengers. None of this is currently covered by the 1967 Treaty.” Almost 22 kilometers (71,000 feet) above the Mojave desert in California, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo made its third powered supersonic test flight last week. The company plans to take its first fare-paying passengers into space this summer. As interest in space exploration heats up, a provocative London exhibition titled ‘Republic of the Moon’ explores the concept of lunar ownership. One of the pieces, by artist Katie Paterson, involves the classical composition "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven being translated into Morse code. The signal is bounced off the surface of the Moon back to Earth -- where it is performed on a self-playing grand piano. The Moon’s craters absorb and disrupt the signal. “We had this idea that the Republic of the Moon would be in a sense an imaginary country," said curator of the exhibition Rob La Frenais. "But all the artists in Republic of the Moon have got their own individual reflections on what the Moon means to them.” The Chinese lunar landing may have sparked a debate over the future exploitation of the Moon, but scientists agree the mission marks an exciting new chapter in the exploration of space. Growth is too slow and uneven, Monetary Fund director says By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The International Monetary Fund says that the global economy should strengthen in 2014, but that growth is "too low, too fragile and too uneven." The Fund managing director, Christine Lagarde, said Wednesday in Washington that the effects of the 2008 world economic downturn are still lingering, but that optimism is in the air. She said the global economy advanced in the latter half of 2013 and is likely to improve even further this year. But she said that global growth is still stuck in low gear. Ms. Lagarde noted that even as the world's largest economies lead the advance, several emerging markets are slowing down. She said the overall economic gains will not be enough to create new jobs for the 200 million unemployed workers around the world. Ms. Lagarde said that world leaders need to avoid making the wrong decisions on key economic issues. She said the Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, needs to avoid ending its direct economic support of the world's largest economy too quickly and that Congress needs to again increase the country's borrowing limit. Ms. Lagarde said European leaders could advance the fortunes of the 18-nation euro currency bloc with targeted lending to support job growth. She said policy makers in emerging markets have to be wary of financial excess. The Fund chief said economic fortunes in low-income countries are generally good, but that these nations need to raise more money to avoid shocks from larger economies. Study of senses concludes that ESP does not exist By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
There are people who claim to have a sixth sense or extrasensory perception, the ability to acquire or see information about the future through means other than normal human senses. Researchers at the University of Melbourne have looked into the matter and say their findings help debunk the belief that a sixth sense actually exists. The Aussie researchers outlined their research and findings in a study published recently in PLOS ONE. Their findings show that while people could sense when a change took place, without the benefit of the other senses, they could not specifically identify that change. They found that a person might be able to pick up a change in a person’s appearance, but not, for example, be able to precisely pinpoint that the exact change in appearance was something such as getting a new hairstyle or wearing jewelry. “There is a common belief that observers can experience changes directly with their mind, without needing to rely on the traditional physical senses such as vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch to identify it,” said Piers Howe from the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences. Howe said the research conducted by his team showed that while people could consistently sense changes that they could not see, their ability to do so had nothing to do with a sixth sense or extrasensory perception.” To reach their findings, the researchers gathered volunteer observers who were shown pairs of color photos of the same female. In some of the photos, the woman’s appearance could be different, such as a new hairstyle, from the other in the pair. Each of the photos was shown to the observer for about 1.5 seconds and then a 1 second pause before showing the next photo. After looking at the second photo, the researchers asked the observer whether or not a change had taken place between the first and second picture. Then they were asked to specifically identify that change in appearance from a list of nine different changes. The researchers found that their volunteer observers were able to pick-up on a change in appearance even when they couldn’t pinpoint what that specific change was. While they might notice one of the two photos had more of one color than the other, they weren’t able to translate that information into specifics such as the change in color was due to the woman wearing different clothing. This resulted in the observer feeling or sensing that a change had occurred without being able to visually identify the change. Thus, the result that observers can reliably feel or sense when a change has occurred without being able to visually identify the change could be explained without invoking an extrasensory mechanism. New pharaoh found in Egypt in heavily damaged tomb By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Archaeologists in Egypt believe they have discovered the remains of a previously unknown pharaoh who reigned more than 3,600 years ago. The skeleton of King Senebkay were uncovered at South Abydos in Sohag province, about 500 kilometers south of Cairo, by a University of Pennsylvania expedition working with the government, the Egyptian antiquities ministry said. Never before heard of in ancient Egyptian history, King Senebkay's name was found inscribed in hieroglyphics written inside a royal cartouche, an oval with a horizontal line at one end signaling a royal name, the ministry said in a statement. Photographs released with the statement showed what appeared to be a heavily damaged sarcophagus in a burial chamber with no roof. Its stone walls were decorated with painted images. The photos also showed the pharaoh's skeleton laid out on a white sheet. “He was originally mummified but his body was pulled apart by ancient tomb robbers,” said the caption. “No funerary furniture was found in the tomb, confirming it had been robbed in the ancient pharaonic ages,” the statement said, quoting Ali al-Asfar, an antiquities ministry official. In the statement written in Arabic, Joseph Wegner, head of the expedition, added: “The modesty of the size of the tomb points to the decline of economic conditions in this period”. The statement dates King Senebkay's rule to 1650 BC during a time known as the second intermediate period when central authority collapsed and small kingdoms sprung up between the end of the Middle Kingdom and the start of the New Kingdom. Man detained at Bieber home after deputies see cocaine By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A police search of teen pop star Justin Bieber's California home Tuesday in a vandalism case linked to the singer resulted in the arrest of a man after drugs were found in the house, the Los Angeles County sheriff said. Detectives raided Bieber's home at about 8 a.m. after the "Boyfriend" singer was accused of pelting his neighbor's home with eggs in an incident Jan. 9. Bieber, 19, was detained at his Calabasas home, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, while a dozen deputies searched for evidence. "He has not been arrested nor has been exonerated," Sheriff's Lt. David Thompson said at a news conference in nearby Malibu following the search. "We were looking at things that would put him or anything else at the scene," Thompson said, adding that Bieber's attorneys were not present during the search and the singer was not questioned. It was the latest in a string of incidents that have overshadowed Bieber's music career in the last year as the Canadian star who shot to fame at age 15 transitions to adulthood. Bieber's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The sheriff's department said the investigation sought to collect any evidence in the alleged egg attack on the singer's home video surveillance and other possible leads. An unnamed person in Bieber's home at the time of the search was arrested for narcotics possession when deputies found cocaine in plain view, Thompson said. Celebrity news website TMZ.com identified the man as aspiring 20-year-old rapper Lil Za, who is often photographed with Bieber. The Web site published photos and video of Lil Za, whose real name is Xavier Smith, handcuffed and being led to a deputy's car. The rapper is being held on $20,000 bond, according to country records. The vandalism case is being treated as a felony because it caused $20,000 in damages according to the homeowner, the sheriff's department said. "We didn't do this search warrant to send a message, that's not what we do," Thompson said. "This has nothing to do with him being a celebrity. This is a felony crime." Thompson said the cost of damages was high because the exterior of Bieber's neighbor's home was made of imported wood and brick. It is not known what triggered the alleged incident between Bieber and his neighbor, but the Canadian-born pop star has had several publicized run-ins with neighbors. Last year, Bieber was accused of speeding through the neighborhood in a Ferrari sports car and also spitting on his neighbor during a confrontation over parties at the singer's home. Prosecutors did not bring charges against Bieber in either case. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 11 | |||||||||
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Colombian rebels
say truce for holiday has been ended By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A unilateral ceasefire declared by Colombia's Marxist rebels over the holidays ended Wednesday, the organization said at peace talks in Havana, and it accused the Colombian government of mercilessly pursuing the war during its truce. The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, declared a one-month ceasefire Dec. 15 and said in a statement issued Wednesday, “we lived up to our word... despite permanent aggressions and provocations by the government's armed forces and police units.” Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos rejected the ceasefire from the beginning, saying the government would maintain the military pressure to keep rebels at the negotiating table, a position it has held since talks began more than a year ago. The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias statement said the fighting it was involved in over the last month was in self defense. Government forces continued to attack and kill rebels in their remote strongholds in the jungles and mountains of Colombia over the holidays. “It is a shame there is no extension of the ceasefire. It ended today,” Andres Paris, one of the rebel negotiators, said on the sidelines of the talks. The rebels are considered a terrorist organization by the Colombian government and its main ally, the United States. The rebels have been fighting the government in a jungle and urban conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people in the five decades since it began as a peasant movement seeking land reform. The war is the last major guerrilla conflict in the region. The talks in 2013 resulted in a general agreement on agrarian reform and rebel participation in politics once they lay down their arms, boosting Santos's standing in the polls as he seeks re-election in May. Negotiations are currently centered on drug trafficking, with the issues of reparations for war victims and the process of disarmament still to be worked out, along with the thorny issue of what happens to rebel commanders and military personnel accused of various crimes, human rights violations and killing civilians. The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, the larger of two guerrilla groups, with some 8,000 troops, has repeatedly stated that an agreement cannot include prison time for any of its leaders. The government has been working toward negotiations with the second group, the Colombian National Liberation Army, with about 3,000 members. The talks are being facilitated by Cuba and Norway and hosted in Havana. OAS chief lends support to anti-violence measure By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Jose Miguel Insulza, the secretary general of the Organization of American States visited Costa Rica's Ministerio de Justicia y Paz Wednesday to sign a cooperative agreement stating future goals for violence prevention and social inclusion. Joined by Ana Isabel Garita, the minister, they stressed the importance of improving local public schools and providing additional police force in areas deemed critical. Much of the treaty focuses on supporting women and youth who are most at risk of violence. According to the document, the Organization of American States agrees to send pertinent information and research to the ministry of justice, as well as overseeing any additional technical training to its employees. |
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| Froim Page 7: List of new wages finally available online By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The labor ministry finally has published a list of minimal salaries that contain the wage increases specified for the first half of 2014. The list of wages obtained from the site of the Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social is HERE! The document is on the A.M. Costa Rica server in .pdf format Representatives of labor and those of management met with the Consejo Nacional de Salarios in October and decided on a 3.788 percent increase in the minimum wages starting Jan.1 Nearly 1.3 million employees are in the private sector, and many work for the minimum wage. The wages are specified as daily for some categories. Others are monthly wages. The long list contains a minimum wage for a variety of job categories. However, professionals, such as physicians, teachers and lawyers, are not included. Strangely, journalists are with a minimum wage in the first half of 2014 of 718,802 colons or about $1,437. |
