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A.M. Costa Rica
Your daily English-language news source Monday through Friday |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page | |||||||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, May 30, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 107 | |||||||||
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 Ministerio de Gobernación,
Policía
Eggs were located under other items
in the bed of this pickupy Seguridad Pública photo truck. Trio apprehended in Matina
with suspected turtle eggs By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Coast Guard officers detained three persons Tuesday and said they were carrying 672 leatherback turtle eggs. The arrests came in the community of Larga Distancia de Catorce Millas, Matina. The men were traveling along a railroad track, apparently in an effort to avoid police, said the Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas. The suspects were identified by the last names of Goul Mejía, Platera Calúa and Lépiz Mejía. The eggs were turned over to a nearby turtle nursery. The effort was directed by the Guardacostas environmental unit. The Caribbean beaches are a nesting site for several species of turtles at different times of the year. The leatherbacks are endangered.
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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 Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
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| A.M. Costa Rica Third
News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, May 30, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 107 | |
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Jo Stuart |
| Perhaps it seemed like a really good idea
at the time |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
There are plenty of open cases of identity theft, but the quickest way to get the attention of law enforcement is to steal the identity of a sitting magistrate of the Corte Suprema de Justicia. But even then the investigation may take some time. The case climaxed Tuesday with three raids in Los Cuadros de Goicoechea, in San José and in Agua Caliente de Cartago. Detained were two women. The magistrate involved is Zarella Villanueva Monge, The Poder Judicial said that she filed a complaint in December when she found out that two women were trying to sell real estate that she owned. Months earlier the same persons managed to open a line of credit in her name at a local store. Tuesday a judge authorized the raids, and agents of the Judicial Investigating Organization executed them. One suspect was detained in Los Cuadros. Another women was detained elsewhere, said judicial agents. Agents said that persons using the name of the magistrate purchased three top-of-the-line cell telephones for 2 million colons, about $4,000. The women suspects are 45 and 47. Despite using a fake identity cédula in the name of the judicial official, crooks were able to obtain credit at just one store, said investigators. That was where the cell telephones were purchased. The women face allegations of fraud and of using fake documents. |
 Judicial
Investigating Organization photo
One
women is taken into custody in Los Cuadros
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| New finance minister promises to restore
public's optimism |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The new finance minister was before lawmakers Tuesday explaining proposed budget increases and promising more transparency in his ministry. The minister is Edgar Ayales, who said he promised to give his best effort so that Costa Ricans can regain their optimism over government. Ayales got the job after the former finance minister and the head of the ministry's tax collecting agency were revealed as having tax problems themselves. Ayales also said that covering expenses with debt was not wise even though the government must do so now. He said that debt is one of the three pillars of the administration. The others are an improvement in tax collection and reduced spending. He urged lawmakers to pass four bills, including one to |
improve tax
collection. Others promote fiscal transparency and more efficient
management of public finances. The budget amendment would provide funds for road work in the country's cantons. There also is a measure to prevent violence by encouraging social inclusion and by increasing the efficiency of the Fuerza Pública. A third measure would improve infrastructure in protected forest areas for the benefit of tourists who visit them. Ayales also disputed the claims of Jorge Rojas, director for the Judicial Investigating Organization. Rojas said Ayales Ministerio de Hacienda had cut the investigative agency's budget. Ayales said the budget had been increased but that it was the responsibility of the Poder Judicial to distribute the money among its agencies. He testified before the Comisión de Asuntos Hacendarios. |
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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 Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, May 30, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 107 | |||||
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Jo
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 Observatorio Vulcanológico y
Sismológico photos
Lake in the Poás crater
Rincón de la Vieja
Turriable spouting steam |
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| Emergency officials put blanket alert on
three volcanoes |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The national emergency commission declared a low-level alert Tuesday for three of the country's restless volcanoes. They are Rincón de la Vieja, Poás and Turrialba. All three have shown increased activity lately, but the agency characterized the alert as preventative. There have been local alerts for months, but the one announced Tuesday covers all three volcanoes. The alert status gives the Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias more flexibility in installing monitoring equipment and keeping neighbors of the volcanoes informed of the situation. The agency said it was being assisted by the Red Sismológica Nacional of the Universidad de Costa Rica and the Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico of Universidad Nacional. Scientists from both academic institutions have been keeping a |
close eye on the smoking mountains. Poás has shown a decrease in the level of its crater lake, which is an indication that gases might be released. Rincón de la Vieja has generated seismic waves that suggests that magma is moving underneath its cone. Turriabla has created a new outlet for gas and continues to emit gas and steam. The emergency commission has restricted access to the volcanoes. All are in national parks. Neighbors of the mountains have been given instructions to keep a radio nearby in case of eruption and to have plastic and tape available to seal windows and other openings to keep ash from entering homes. There also is an evacuation plan at Turriabla, which has the nearest group of neighbors on its flank. Turrialba already has caused extensive damage to the nearby vegetation and farmlands. |
| California man admits role commercial
bribery scheme |
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Special
to A.M. Costa Rica
The former head of worldwide sales at a Rancho Santa Margarita-based valve company pleaded guilty Tuesday to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This is the law that prohibits U.S. citizens from giving bribes to foreign officials anywhere. The man who pleaded guilty is Paul Cosgrove, 65, of Laguna Niguel. He was an executive vice president at Control Components. Inc. He entered his plea before U.S. District Judge James V. Selna to a one-count superseding information charging him with making a corrupt payment to a foreign government official in China in violation of the federal law. Judge Selna is scheduled to sentence Cosgrove Aug. 27. He faces 15 months in federal prison. According to court documents, the firm designed and manufactured service control valves for use in the nuclear, oil |
and gas, and power
generation industries worldwide. On Apr. 8, 2009, Cosgrove and five other former executives of the firm were charged in a 16-count indictment for their roles in the foreign bribery scheme. In related cases, two defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe officers and employees of foreign state-owned companies on behalf of Control Components, Inc. On July 31, 2009, the firm itself pleaded guilty to a three-count criminal information charging the company with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Control Components was ordered to pay an $18.2 million criminal fine, placed on organizational probation for three years, and ordered to create and implement a compliance program and retain an independent compliance monitor for three years. The firm admitted that from 2003 through 2007, it made corrupt payments in more than 30 countries, which resulted in net profits to the company of approximately $46.5 million from sales related to those corrupt payments. |
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Jo
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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 Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
| A.M.
Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, May 30, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 107 | |||||||||
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Jo
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| Facebook
shares continue their downward direction By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Shares in the social networking site Facebook fell to less than $30 Tuesday. The price of Facebook dropped $3.07, almost 10 percent, to close at $28.84. Facebook shares are 24 percent lower since their highly publicized IPO on May 18 of $38. Financial experts say Facebook stock has been hurt by an oversupply of shares, NASDAQ problems that postponed trading on the first day, and investor lawsuits. Facebook's main underwriter, Morgan Stanley, has been accused of cutting its forecast of Facebook's future earnings just before the shares went on sale. The bank allegedly told large investors while withholding that information from average investors. The bank has said it did nothing wrong. Despite Facebook's slide, some analysts say they still have confidence in the company and predict the share price will rise by the end of the year. Facebook is the world's most popular Internet social network, with nearly one-billion users worldwide. People use Facebook to post photographs and write details about their lives, often reconnecting with long-lost friends and family members. But technology experts say Facebook has yet to devise a strategy to attract advertising on mobile devices like smartphones or tablet computers, causing some analysts to question its ability to make money. 13 persons are honored with U.S. Medal of Freedom By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. President Barack Obama has awarded the country's highest civilian honor to a music legend, a pioneer astronaut, and the first female U.S. secretary of state. They were among 13 recipients Tuesday of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At a White House ceremony, Obama said the winners had an incredible impact on so many people. He said their actions inspired people, enriched their lives, and changed their lives for the better. The recipients included musician Bob Dylan, who Obama called a giant in American music history; John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth and who Obama says is a hero in every sense of the word; and former secretary of State Madeleine Albright. President Obama said her consummate diplomacy and democratic ideals advanced peace around the world. Three of the medal winners were honored posthumously. Jan Karski, was part of the Polish underground resistance movement during World War II. He reported to Allied nations some of the first eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust. He died in 2000. Japanese-American Gordon Hirabayashi, who died earlier this year, was a college activist against the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. And Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts. She died in 1927. Another honoree, Israeli President Shimon Peres will receive his medal when he joins Obama for dinner at the White House next month. Other winners who attended Tuesday's ceremony were novelist Toni Morrison, civil rights advocate John Doar, former Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens, women's college basketball coach Pat Summitt, smallpox physician William Foege, and labor rights advocate Dolores Huerta. Romney officially gets enough GOP delegates By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has clinched the Republican presidential nomination. U.S. news agencies project Romney will score a big win in the Texas primary, with more than 150 delegates at stake. This will give him more than the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the nomination. Republicans will hold their convention in Tampa, Florida, in August to officially pledge their delegates to Romney and his eventual choice of a vice-presidential running mate. After losing the Republican race four years ago to John McCain, Romney overcame tough challenges from a raft of challengers, including Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain. All of them had at one time led Republican voter opinion polls during the campaign. They also questioned Romney's credentials as a conservative, saying he is too moderate to be a true alternative to President Barack Obama, the Democrat incumbent. Recent polls show him in a virtual tie with Obama, who faced no challengers for his party's nomination Romney was not in Texas Tuesday night to savor his victory. He was at a Las Vegas fundraiser hosted by celebrity real estate tycoon Donald Trump. Some Democrats are criticizing Romney for not condemning Trump's assertion that President Obama was not born in the United States. Romney, who has said he believes Obama was born a U.S. citizen, told reporters Monday he does not agree with all those who support him. But said he needs to win in November and appreciates the help of a lot of good people. Iran says its technicians have beaten Flame virus By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The Iranian government said Tuesday it has produced an antivirus program capable of fighting what computer experts are calling "the most sophisticated cyber weapon yet unleashed." The data-stealing virus has been infecting computers in Iran and other parts of the Middle East. Iran's Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center said Tuesday the antivirus tool can identify and remove the sophisticated spyware, identified a day earlier by a Russian Internet security company. The Iranian ministry did not say if the virus had done any damage. |
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Food |
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Jo
Stuart |
| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
| A.M.
Costa
Rica's sixth news page |
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| San
José,
Costa Rica, Wednesday, May 30, 2012, Vol. 12, No. 107 |
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Latin America news |
U.N. continues to
prepare
for Rio climate conference Special
to A.M. Costa Rica
Countries have begun the last round of negotiations on an outcome document before they meet at the United Nations Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20) in Brazil next month, which seeks to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection, the U.N. said. "Time is running out," Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told participants at the Rio+20 informal consultations on the outcome document. "You still have much work to do -- perhaps too much work -- but you must persevere. The stakes are very, very high -- for people and for the planet… for peace and prosperity." The latest round of negotiations consists of five days and was added earlier this month to provide countries with an opportunity to move talks forward and finalize the draft outcome document ahead of the conference in Rio de Janeiro from June 20 to 22, which will bring together more than 130 heads of state, along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, U.N. officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders. According to a news release, the negotiations will be based on a text that has been shortened and streamlined by the co-chairmen of the deliberating process, Ambassador John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda and Ambassador Kim Sook of the Republic of Korea. "When we meet in Rio, heads of state and government must have before them a concise outcome document that meets their expectations," Ban said. He encouraged delegates to be bold and work constructively with the streamlined document over the next few days. A key issue in the negotiations has been the development of so-called sustainable development goals -- a set of benchmarks to guide countries in achieving targeted outcomes within a specific time period, such as on universal access to sustainable energy and clean water for all, and building on the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals after their 2015 deadline. "A process to define sustainable development goals may be one of the most important deliverables of Rio+20," Ban said. "They can provide concrete milestones on the path to realizing our vision, and they can help ensure that we integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development: the social, the economic and the environmental." After the last round of negotiations on the outcome document ends on Saturday, talks will resume during the Third Preparatory Committee meeting of the conference, from 13 to 15 June in Rio de Janeiro. |
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| The contents of this page and this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río Colorado 2012 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details | ||||||
