Some of those virus spams carry the name of RACSA, Radiográfica Costarricense S.A. And that irks the Internet provider.

The company said Tuesday that massive amounts of messages were circulating as e-mail bearing the RACSA name.

The messages — in English— say, among other things, that the recipient’s e-mail account has been suspended and ask that the user open an attachment to find out why. The attachment, of course, contains a virus.

The various types of viruses can steal data or simply corrupt a hard drive.

What the RACSA statement did not say is that thousands, perhaps millions, of messages are floating around with every other Internet address.

A.M. Costa Rica staffers routinely get virus messages purporting to come from fake addresses like  "Webmaster@amcostarica.com," "security@amcostarica.com" or "support@amcostarica.com"

Advanced Internet inaugural
will be this coming Monday

The official launch of the advanced Internet network will be Monday as part of the celebration of the Internet 2005 congress, according to the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad.

The company known as ICE is the parent firm of Radiográfica Costarricense S.A., previously the nation’s Internet monopoly. However, ICE is in competition with RACSA.

The advanced network uses an IP protocol to integrate voice, data and video with a high capacity based on fiber optic lines, said ICE.

The hookups are available in Alajuela, Cartago, Ciudad Quesada, San Ramón, Coronado, Curridabat, Desamparados, Turrialba and the principal section of the Metropolitan area, including San Pedro, said ICE.

The advanced internet or ADSL has been in a trial stage with downtown San José customers for years.

Accord on airport reached
by Alterra, government

Alterra Partners, the firm that has the concession to run and remodel Juan Santamaría airport, has come to an agreement with the government on payment.

The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes had threatened to take over the airport if an accord was not reached this week.

The agreement calls for a payment of $15 million by the government for delays and for suspending the contract two years ago.

Alterra will resume its $120 million renovation of the airport, the primary entry point for tourists and others.

Gold firm gets capital
for arbitration, projects

Vannessa Ventures Ltd., the parent company of the firm that is developing the Crucitas open pit gold project, has issued 4 million shares of stock and gained $1.6 million.

John Morgan, president of the Canadian firm, said part of the money will be used to continue the process of international arbitration seeking return of or compensation for the Las Cristinas property in Venezuela.

The company’s project here, near the San Juan River in northern Costa Rica, is controversial.

He’s no fan of weekly column

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

I strongly agree with the letter and opinion of C. K. Hobbs regarding the column written by Jo Stuart. Please, please stop with the boring drivel. Obviously you have nothing to do and all day to do it in. Take up gardening or another past time. What you are writing is an insult to any intelligent reader. If you wish to write a column, do some research and write something with meaning. 

Prophecy backs Jo Stuart

First of all, Mr. Hobbs, my response to you will play right into the hands of Ms. Stuart BECAUSE I am a RED-Republican ALL THE WAY-who has to laugh at your pathetic attempt to make Ms. Stuart look ignorant. 

Have you read the Book in the Bible called Revelation? I doubt it. But if by some chance you are intelligent enough to read the Greatest Book Ever Written, can you tell me where the U.S. is in that prophecy? Oh, what? It's not mentioned? Well, something must happen to the "great" U.S. before the end comes, huh? Or maybe we come to our senses long enough to align with Israel in the end? 

Either way it goes, in God's eyes, in the end, we are not important enough to mention. So, guess what? Maybe you'll be looking up an address for Jo Stuart when you realize that the "run-down-corrupt-third-world-sinkhole" will be in the same horrible place the rest of the world will be in — ushered in by the great "Blue-State-Liberal-Democrats" no doubt! 

Could you forgive him when the end is near, Ms. Stuart? He may need one of your yummy Costa Rica bugs for a snack while he watches the enemy armies coming in to declare the end of this world as we know it! 

More than 600 poor citizens marched through the streets and protested outside Casa Presidencial Tuesday. They demanded the government build them modern homes.

The government responded by saying officials would do just that after having moved around some budget items.

One sign directed to ailing President Abel Pacheco says, in part: "With the aid of God and you we shall have a house."

Tonight is another soccer fútbol night as Costa Ricans hover around the television sets as the national team takes on Guatemala. 

At stake is a chance to go to the World Cup finals in Germany next year, although there still is a long road to go.

The United States men's national soccer team also has a World Cup qualifier at Panamá tonight.  A win would bring the Americans another step closer to securing a trip to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

The hemispheric North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation that includes both the United States and Costa Rica gets to send three teams to the World Cup finals. A fourth team battles for a berth with an Asian rival.

Right now Mexico leads with 10 points, and the United States is second with nine points.

Costa Rica is tied with Guatemala and Trinidad and Tobago for third place with four points each. A win tonight would advance the Tico team. A loss would 

Panamá trails the division with just two points. When the United States and Panamá met at RFK Stadium in Washington Oct.13, the Americans romped to a 6-0 victory.  But in Panamá City one month earlier, the home side held the U.S. to a 1-1 draw.  The United States barely managed to salvage the tie, getting the 91st-minute equalizer from midfielder Cobi Jones.

This is the first time that Panamá has ever reached the final round of qualifying.  The United States is attempting to qualify for its fifth consecutive World Cup.

After beating Costa Rica 3-0 in Salt Lake City Saturday, coach Bruce Arena's team will try to do something which it was unable to do in the previous round of qualifying, take all three points with a victory in Panamá City's Rommel Fernandez Stadium. 

In tonight’s game, Carlos Ruiz, Guatemala’s best player is a question mark, having injured his ankle. Tico star Paulo Wanchope says he is in great condition. The Tico squad practiced Tuesday morning but were rained out in the afternoon.

The Asamblea Legislative approved a new immigration bill on first reading late Tuesday night.

Among other changes, the measure would penalize those who hire illegal workers.

Those who smuggle people, so-called coyotes, could face as much as six years prison time. The country does not now have a clear law penalizing this form of trafficking.

The measure also sets up new rules for foreigners who marry Costa Ricans. The couple would have to show a year of married life outside the country before the foreign spouse would be admitted as a resident.

Under the new law, $60,000 would still be the amount for a single person. But a married couple would have to post $60,000 more and $30,000 for each dependent.

There was no way to determine Tuesday night if that clause survived a committee review and was part of the measure given preliminary approval.

The latest draft did not change rules for pensionados.

LA PAZ, Bolivia — Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Bolivian capital Tuesday demanding more power for workers. 

Demonstrators clogged the streets of La Paz for the second day since President Carlos Mesa resigned, saying he could no longer lead the poor South American nation. 

This is his second attempt to resign this year, but his previous offer was rejected by Congress. The legislature is expected to consider his second offer to resign today.

For weeks, Bolivia has been paralyzed by demonstrations that blocked highways and access to cities, causing food and fuel shortages. Protesters are calling for the nationalization of all gas companies and demand a constitutional assembly to rewrite Bolivia's laws to give indigenous people more representation.

Yielding to public pressure, Mesa approved a controversial bill last month that drastically increased taxes on foreign-owned oil and gas companies, even though he had repeatedly spoken out against such a move. But protest leaders said the measure was insufficient, and demanded total nationalization of the industry.

Last week, Mesa went further and announced that the constitution would be rewritten by a specially elected assembly. He said a referendum would be held on the autonomy request for the eastern provinces.

For many ordinary Bolivians, like Antonio Aguilar, Bolivia's whole system is rotten. Auguilar says Bolivians are serving a few rich people because of the system. He says changes must be made in a society where few are rich and the majority is poor. 

American actress Anne Bancroft, best known for her role as the seductive "Mrs. Robinson" in the 1967 movie "The Graduate" has died of cancer.

A spokesman for Bancroft's husband, film director Mel Brooks, said the 73-year-old actress died Monday of cancer at a New York hospital. 

Bancroft was born Anna Maria Italiano in 1931 in New 

Bancroft also won a Tony award for her performance in the same role in the stage version of work.

But she remains best known by the general public for her role in "The Graduate," in which she played a wealthy housewife who seduces her daughter's friend — played by Dustin Hoffman. 

DETROIT, Mich. — The world's largest automaker says it will slash at least 25,000 jobs and close some factories over the next three years.

General Motors officials say they hope to save $2.5 billion a year when the cost-cutting effort is complete. 

GM profits have been hurt by high costs for employee medical care, rising materials cost, and a shrinking market share.  GM's stock price rose after the announcement.