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Published Thursday, June 16, 2016, in Vol. 17, No. 118
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San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, June 16, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 118
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Government officials have picked the Empresa de Servicios Públicos de Heredia to develop and run the proposed electronic factura system. The system is a centralized place where the government can keep an eye on income for various occupations. Facturas are what Costa Ricans call receipts. Now businesses and professionals issue these receipts themselves. But the Ministerio de Hacienda says that many professionals and companies are taking the bulk of their money under the table and not reporting it as income. With the new system, the ministry’s tax inspectors will have a day-to-day look at the income of many professionals and companies. The project will cost $8.5 million, said the ministry. The Empresa de Servicios Públicos de Heredia is that canton’s public utility provider. The firm will work with other firms specialized in this field to develop software, networks, servers and other technological platforms, said the ministry. The system is supposed to go into service next January, and various sectors of the economy will be hooked up over time, said the ministry. Basically a professional such as a physician or lawyer will have a device in the office where client data is inserted. The device will be hooked up to a central server that will process the client’s payment and emit a receipt electronically at the professional’s office. The Ministerio de Hacienda promised that the system will not cost users. It said that some 300 tax paying entities already are hooked up to a pilot system. The central system raises privacy issues that have not been addressed or discussed. Tax inspectors will be able to see individual medical visits and consultations with lawyers along with statements giving the reason. Pineapple firm raided over pollution By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Some 3,500 residents in Veracruz de Pital, San Carlos, have been drinking water laced with bromacil, a weed killer used extensively in pineapple cultivation. In an effort to track down the source, judicial agents and prosecutors entered the storage facilities and administrative officers of a pineapple firm to see if it was a contributor to the contamination. The Poder Judicial identified the firm as Agrícola Industrial La Lydia. Officials said that water used by the local utility company comes from springs, and that the firm has crops within 200 meters of this source. The Poder Judicial said that there has been an investigation for the last two months and that this week there was sufficient evidence to obtain a warrant from a judge. The judicial agency was quick to point out that there are no accusations, and that the search was designed to generate evidence if any exists. Pineapple growers have been a principal source of pollution of ground water due to the weed killers and pesticides they use in abundance. Zika toll for country is now 107 By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The Ministerio de Salud said Wednesday that the Jacó region continues to lead the country in confirmed zika cases with 67. The next largest accumulation of cases is nine in Parrita down the central Pacific coast, the ministry said. Residents in the canton of Garabito, which includes Jacó, said they are planning another major cleanup effort at the end of this month. Health workers were reported to be fumigating in the Playa Heradura near Jacó. The country now has 107 home-grown zika cases, and there are 14 zika sufferers who contracted the disease in another country, said the ministry. Two murdered in taxi in Desamparados By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
An 87-year-old man homebound from a medical visit took the wrong pirate taxi Wednesday. Judicial investigators said that gunmen caught up with their target, the driver, just 100 meters from where the elderly man boarded the vehicle. The gunmen on a motorcycle killed both the passenger, identified by the last name of Carballo, and the driver, who had the last name of Venegas. He was 26. The shooting happened in mid-afternoon in San Rafael Arriba de Desamparados.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, June 16, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 118
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| Page One is HERE! Page 2 is HERE! Page 4 is HERE! | NEXT PAGE |
| Chamber
federation calls for opening up country's petroleum
market |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A federation representing 23 chambers of commerce Wednesday called for the end to the motor fuel monopoly in Costa Rica. The Federación de Cámaras de Comercio y Asociaciones Empresariales said that the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo S.A. does not represent the best interests of the Costa Rican population who require fuel of quality and at a just price. The state refinery’s union abuses its contract with the company and obtains exaggerated benefits, the federation said. The call to free up the motor fuel market comes as a lawmaker, Otto Guevara Guth, filed a constitutional court case seeking to overturn the union agreement due to its disproportionality, he said. The federation also expressed concern about the impact of |
increases
in fuel prices that are about to take effect. More are
anticipated because of the rising international
petroleum price. The refinery and its union are sacred cows to most politicians because about half the fuel price is taxes and union members are politically active. No one in an official position has expressed the views contained in the statement the federation issued. The refinery does not really refine petroleum. It has closed its plant that did that. The company obtains gasoline, diesel and liquid petroleum gas internationally and imports it. Most of the distribution is either by the firm’s petroleum pipeline or private carriers. Costa Rica may have large petroleum reserves in the northern part of the country as well as offshore, but tapping these also is a sensitive political issue. The government has declined to allow a Denver, Colorado, firm, to continue with its plans to drill exploratory holes for petroleum in the northern zone. |
| There
are some weapons on the street that need to see the chop
saw |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Some firearms need to be destroyed. The Dirección General de Armamento of the security ministry announced the destruction of more firearms Wednesday. Since 2010 the ministry’s agency has destroyed 46,131 firearms. When the latest destruction is announced, some expats object. That’s because some of the weapons are of a respected brand, although police agencies almost never put confiscated firearms into service, regardless of their quality. Now most of the weapons confiscated came from individuals who were carrying them illegally. That’s probably a commentary on the difficulty and time needed to obtain a carry permit. A Saturday night special of uncertain material and manufacturer can be picked up on the streets for about $100. The better the weapon, the higher the price. That is why some drug abusers and small-time vendors turn to making their own weapons. They rig together a couple of pipes that can accommodate a shotgun shell. Police picked up a couple of these earlier in the week when |
 Ministerio
de Seguridad Pública photo
These need to be chopped up quickly!they conducted raids of drug houses in Guanacaste, Alajuela and San Josė. The weapons are downright scary, and police said that they most likely would do more damage to their users than any person who is a target. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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Colorado S.A. 2016 and may not be reproduced
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page |
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San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, June 16, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 118
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| Really
hot drinks believed to be cause of throat cancer, U.N.
says |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Letting hot tea or coffee cool off a bit could help drinkers avoid cancer, according to a new study by the U.N. cancer research agency. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, said on Wednesday that there is evidence that drinks consumed at temperatures above 65 C can cause esophageal cancer. The conclusion comes from analyzing studies from Iran, China and South America where tea and coffee are often served at 70 C or above. That's about 158 degrees F. In developed countries, causes of esophageal cancer include smoking and alcohol, but cancer is more common in parts of the world where drinks are often consumed at very high temperatures. Hot drinks are now classified with lead, gasoline and exhaust fumes as possibly carcinogenic. The findings are good news for coffee drinkers because they suggest the temperature is a greater risk factor than what is being consumed. Coffee had previously been called possibly carcinogenic by World Health in 1991. The results "suggest that drinking very hot beverages is one |
 University
of Southern California/ Vélocia
Steaming hot drinks may not be the way to go.The National Coffee Association called the change great news for coffee drinkers. Worldwide, esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer, causing about 400,000 deaths in 2012. |
Here's reasonable
medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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contents
of
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, June 16, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 118
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 White House photo
This is the photo released by the White House.Obama and Dalai
Lama hold
closed-door session on Tibet By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
No video cameras or reporters were allowed into the White House Map Room Wednesday to document the fourth meeting between Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and President Barack Obama. But afterward a photo emerged, first on the Dalai Lama's Instagram account and then released by the White House, of the two men facing each other, locked in an embrace that spoke volumes about the warmth of their relationship. In an interview, Myles Caggins, National Security Council spokesman for Asia, said the meeting was personal in nature. "In this case, personal because the president, as he hosted the Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the residence, greets him as an individual who is a leader, who is internationally recognized as a leader for religion and a cultural leader of Tibet. But in contrast, an official visit or a state visit would include the normal trappings of the parade on the South Lawn, potentially a meeting in the Oval Office and a state dinner, potentially." Earlier, China warned Obama against meeting with the Dalai Lama, saying it could damage mutual trust. China sees the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist. Obama refers to the Dalai Lama as a good friend. But China fears these meetings between the two send the wrong message to Tibetans. "If such meeting goes through, it will send a wrong signal to the separatist forces seeking Tibet independence, and it will damage mutual trust and cooperation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters Wednesday in Beijing. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the president has warm personal feelings for the Dalai Lama, and thanked him for his letter of condolences to the families of those hurt and killed in Sunday's mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub. Earnest said the president also appreciated the spiritual leader's commitment to nonviolence and his efforts to reduce the impact of climate change. After the meeting, the White House released a statement saying: "The president and the Dalai Lama discussed the situation for Tibetans in the People's Republic of China, and the president emphasized his strong support for the preservation of Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions and the equal protection of human rights of Tibetans in China. The president lauded the Dalai Lama's commitment to peace and nonviolence, and expressed support for the Dalai Lama's Middle Way approach." The Dalai Lama has advocated for a middle way, not asking for independence from China for Tibet, but for more autonomy. Dialogue between the Dalai Lama and China's central government stopped in 2010. Tibetans re-elected their prime minister in May, and they maintain hope that talks with China to give Tibet more autonomy can continue. U.S. senator promises to talk until action taken on guns By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
After more than three years of floor speeches imploring congressional action to combat rampant gun violence in America, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, took more drastic action Wednesday. “I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve had enough,” Murphy said at the start of a bid to hold the Senate floor indefinitely that stretched throughout the day and into the evening and was expected to extend well into Thursday. Three days after the Orlando, Florida, attack at a gay nightclub, Murphy pledged to continue speaking until Democrats and Republicans agree to take action on gun violence. The killer in Orlando made two recent firearms purchases legally on the strength of his security guard permit. He had been interviewed previously by FBI agents due to his outspoken comments on the Islamic State. “The failure of this body to do anything, anything at all, in the face of continued slaughter isn’t just painful. It’s unconscionable,” Murphy said. “I’ve had enough of the ongoing slaughter of innocents, and I’ve had enough of inaction in this body. “I’m prepared to stand on this floor for, frankly, as long as I can,” he added. The mild-mannered, soft-spoken Democrat joined the Senate one month after a lone shooter killed 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in his home state of Connecticut in December 2012. Murphy has been the Senate’s most persistent advocate of gun control ever since. Murphy wants the Senate to take up legislation barring those on the FBI’s terror watch list from buying firearms. He also seeks an expansion of background checks for gun purchases. Under Senate rules allowing unlimited deliberation, a senator can hold the floor and speak indefinitely. The tactic is called a talking filibuster when used to block or delay consideration of a bill. In this case, Murphy is holding the floor to demand legislative action, not to block it, and thus his protracted remarks technically do not constitute a filibuster. Dozens of Democrats joined Murphy in a carefully orchestrated maneuver to help him retain control of the chamber. Senators made remarks under the guise of asking a question of Murphy, giving him a break from speaking without having to yield the floor. “We’re in a new world, a world where lone wolves can get hold of guns and do huge damage,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat. “We have to change and adapt to that world.” Most Republicans remain adamantly opposed to any new federal restrictions on Americans’ right to purchase and bear arms. Since the Orlando incident, however, a few have said they are willing to examine limited reforms. “What we need to do here is do everything we can to make sure that terrorists are not able to buy guns, at least not legally,” said Republican Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, adding that those on the terror watch list need to be able to challenge the FBI’s assessment if a law is passed that prevents them from buying firearms. “So there’s an obvious opportunity here to work together and find a solution,” Toomey added. “Let’s sit down together and figure out how we achieve this.” “I take the gentleman’s offer very sincerely,” Murphy responded. “Our hope is that, by holding the floor today … will provide the impetus for our sides to come together and find that common ground.” Terrorist database contained 800,000 names in 2014 By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
The Terrorist Screening Database is a consolidated list of information about people known or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activity. Maintained by the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center, the list is a counterterrorism tool that helps government agencies identify known or suspected terrorists who are trying to get visas, enter the United States, board aircraft or engage in other suspicious activity. It connects law enforcement agencies, homeland security, intelligence communities and select international partners. The list was created in 2003 after the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaida executed four coordinated attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. The attacks claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people and have become commonly known as 9/11. A report by a congressionally mandated independent panel, known as the 9/11 Commission Report, recommended the establishment of the list after finding government agencies neither shared terrorism information in a timely manner nor appropriately tracked terrorists. Known or suspected terrorists are added to the list after being nominated and screened by U.S. government agencies. The nominations are based on credible information developed by homeland security, intelligence agencies, law enforcement operations, consulates and U.S. embassies. After several layers of review by multiple government agencies, a nominating agency is required to provide an objective factual basis to believe someone is a known or suspected terrorist, according to the FBI. In 2014, there were about 800,000 names on the list, according to congressional testimony provided in September by Terrorist Screening Center Director Christopher Piehota. People are not added to the list based solely on ethnicity, national origin, race, religious affiliation or civilities related to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government to resolve grievances. People nominated for inclusion to the watchlist undergo several rounds of government quality assurance reviews and audits. Regular reviews are conducted to ensure compliance with standards across government agencies. The Terrorist Screening Center employs an attorney who is dedicated to the privacy and civil liberties of nominees. Being on the terrorist watchlist does not alone disqualify an individual from buying guns or explosives, according to a 2013 report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. People purchasing guns from federally licensed firearm dealers must undergo background checks. They can be denied the purchase of guns if they fall into any one of 10 categories of people. The categories include convicted felons, drug abusers, people with mental illness and undocumented immigrants. Being a known or suspected terrorist is not on the list of prohibited categories of people, so it is possible for those on the watchlist to legally buy firearms or explosives. Also, people who buy guns from unlicensed dealers online or at gun shows are not required to undergo background checks. How many guns have been sold to people on the terrorist watchlist? Sen. Dianne Feinstein of the western state of California received statistics in March from the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm. From February 2004 through 2015, 2,477 names of those who wished to buy guns or explosives were on the list. Of those, 2,265 or 91 percent successfully purchased guns. The FBI conducted 23 million background checks for guns last year, the most ever. The Terrorist Screening Database is a consolidation of multiple smaller subsets of the watchlist, including the Department of Homeland Security's No Fly and Selectee list, which allows the selection of passengers for additional inspection at airports. Other lists are the Department of Justice's Violent Gang and Terrorist Organization File and the Interpol Terrorism Watchlist. New threat advisory issued after shooting in Orlando By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it has issued an updated terrorism threat advisory taking into account this week's mass shooting in Orlando, Florida. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Wednesday that security officials are particularly concerned about homegrown violent extremists who could strike with little or no notice, especially since the Orlando attacks. "Increased public vigilance and awareness continue to be of utmost importance," the updated advisory said. Recent attacks in San Bernardino, California, Paris, Brussels and now Orlando indicate that terrorists "will consider a diverse and wide selection of targets for attacks," the Homeland Security notice said. It was labeled a bulletin, the lowest of three levels of alert messages. Terrorists' use of the internet as a recruiting tool "to inspire individuals to violence or join their ranks" remains a major concern, the advisory said. The Department of Homeland Security also is concerned about threats and violence targeting particular communities and individuals, "based on perceived religion, ethnicity, nationality or sexual orientation." The advisory was released just a day before a previous version issued in December was set to expire. It remains in effect until mid-November, when Homeland Security is expected to issue a new assessment ahead of the U.S. holiday season. Iran sues U.S. to get back $2 billion in frozen assets By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Iran has filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice to recover $2 billion worth of assets frozen in the United States. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani made the announcement in remarks Wednesday on state television. The tribunal also confirmed that the suit was filed, on Tuesday. The U.S. Supreme Court announced in April that the frozen funds would be used to compensate the victims and families of victims of the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon, and other attacks that have been linked to Iran. Iran has denied any role in the attacks and rejected the court ruling, calling it theft. Iran's claim says the U.S. legal proceedings violate a 1955 "treaty of amity" between the two countries that covers economic relations and consular rights. It has called on the United States to make full reparations to Tehran for violating its legal obligations. More than 1,000 Americans have joined a suit blaming Iran for providing material support to Hezbollah, the Shi'ite Islamic military group behind the Beirut bombing and the bombing of Saudi Arabia's Khobar Towers in 1996. The plaintiffs include people whose family members were killed in the attacks, as well as people who were injured. Discovery of crashed craft gives some hope to families By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Nasser Hammad, heading home for a family vacation in Egypt, disappeared without a trace last month when EgyptAir Flight 804 plunged into the Mediterranean Sea on a flight from Paris to Cairo. Discovery of the plane's wreckage on the sea floor, announced Wednesday, as raised hope that an explanation for the doomed jet's mysterious disappearance, and the loss of all 66 people aboard, eventually may be found. Hammad's brother Tarek said in a telephone interview, "We can't even prove he is dead until now to sort out post-death legal matters for his family and five children." The friend of another crash victim, Mahmoud Elsayyad, who was traveling to Egypt to see his three children, complained that authorities have told the families little more than wait and see what will happen. "They are in heaven, I agree," said the friend, named Arafat. "But why are we being kept in hell?" Relatives and friends of the other victims also have spoken of their frustration about a lack of information, but Egypt's announcement late Wednesday that the wreckage has now been located deep in the Mediterranean may lead to closure for the families. A research vessel with deep-water search capabilities spotted several main locations of wreckage and photographed the discoveries, the committee investigating the Airbus A320's disappearance announced in Egypt. The M.V. John Lethridge, a British-built vessel capable of searching waters up to 6,000 meters deep, has investigators aboard who are mapping the wreckage sites, officials said. The 1,850-ton ship is owned by Global Marine Systems, based in Britain, and sails under a Panamanian flag. Egyptian officials are preparing to move fast to recover the wreckage, in particular, the jet's flight recorders, in the hope of pinpointing what brought the plane down on May 19. No possible cause for the crash, including terrorism, has yet been ruled out. The jet's data and voice recorders are equipped with battery-powered sounders to guide searchers, but there are fears the battery-powered signals will fade out by about June 24. To recover the equipment up to 3,000 meters below the surface of the sea, investigators hope they can track the faint "pings" to within a few meters of the recorders' location. New cyber task force seeks to disrupt the Islamic State By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
The Pentagon has launched a new cyber task force to counter the Islamic State group, and officials say it is creating advantages both in cyberspace and on the battlefield. The task force, JTF-Ares, was developed in May and is in its initial operation phase, U.S. Cyber Command spokesman Joe Holstead said. The military has carried out several cyber offensive operations against Islamic State militants, which experts say have produced many coalition successes in the last few months. “There’s no bang, and there’s no explosion, but it does give you a military advantage,” said James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. During Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s latest news briefing at the Pentagon, he said the U.S. military was looking to accelerate the cyber war against the Islamic State in order to physically and virtually isolate the terror group. Holstead said the new task force is a part of that acceleration effort, using both operations and intelligence professionals from all military branches to improve efficiencies and unify cyber efforts for a “focused and sustained cyberspace campaign in support of the broader counter-Islamic State efforts in Syria and Iraq. A defense official confirmed Wednesday that specific cyber tools were being developed and integrated into the coalition battle, but declined to give details because of operational sensitivities. Carter has said the U.S. is using cyber attacks to interrupt Islamic State command and control, to cause the militants to lose confidence in their networks and to overload their networks so that they can't function. Some penetrations have interrupted supply chains or sent enemy combatants to the wrong places, according to Lewis, who directs a strategic technologies program. Col. Chris Garver, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, said Tuesday that the coalition had reaped the benefits from this disruption of networks through both cyber attacks coming out of U.S. Cyber Command and kinetic attacks on the ground. “Just as when we attack a radio station, the disruption by cyber attacks fits into that,” Garver said in a phone interview from Baghdad. “It’s harder to count than the bombs we drop, but it certainly has an effect.” Garver told reporters last week via teleconference that the coalition had seen changes in the terror group’s communication structure as multiple attacks on its networks forced the use of other means of transferring information. Islamic State leaders communicate with their fighters by cellphones, push-to-talk radios, internet applications and emails. On the battlefield, the coalition has focused on bombing their headquarters to destroy large amounts of communications devices at once, but strikes do not always happen immediately. “We may be listening, we may be watching,” Garver told reporters, “and we may not hit that right away because we want to keep using that to gather intelligence.” Garver added that the same concept was true in cyber warfare. “Say you’ve identified a jihadist Web site," he said. "You can zap it, or before you lay waste to it and let them know it’s been hacked, you may choose to infiltrate their networks without ever letting them know you’re doing it.” Before launching an attack against the Islamic State or the Taliban, either a physical attack or a cyber raid, U.S. defense officials must follow a process that leads them to decide whether such action outweighs the intelligence benefit that could be gained by continuing to listen and watch the enemy, according to experts and an official inside the department. “It's a question every time,” Lewis said. Lewis said cyber attacks against the Islamic State are relatively new because U.S. Cyber Command previously lacked the capacity to launch these types of assaults. He said the military had increased its expertise by putting a lot of resources into developing both the doctrine and the workforce that could carry out these attacks. “It’s a matter of prioritizing, and if it’s a priority, you find a way to get the experts and tools you need,” a defense official said. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The
contents
of
this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río
Colorado S.A. 2016 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 sixth news page |
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San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, June 16, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 118
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Brazilian president now
corruption figure By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Brazil's interim president Michel Temer has been linked to one of the country's biggest corruption scandals in testimony by a key witness made public Wednesday. Sergio Machado, former chief executive of state oil company Petrobras, said that Temer had asked for money from the company to fund political campaigns for himself and other members of his party. The oil executive said that Temer had met with him to ask for $431,000 to finance the campaign of congressman Gabriel Chalita. Machado also said he had arranged bribes for Temer and 10 other politicians, some of whom are members of Temer's center-right PMDB party. Other witnesses have accused Temer of financially backing two corrupt Petrobras executives so they could oversee the scheme. Temer has denied all involvement in the Petrobras scheme, a sweeping scandal in which contractors overbilled the company by some $2 billion. His office said Machado's testimony, a plea deal made public by the supreme court on Wednesday, absolutely lacks truth. Michel Temer's center-right coalition has ruled for barely a month following the impeachment of Brazil's former president Dilma Rousseff. The Brazilian Senate voted to impeach Rousseff on charges that she used accounting tricks to hide the Brazilian budget deficit when she ran for re-election in 2014. Body of young alligator victim found By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
The sheriff of Orange County, Florida, said the body of the 2-year-old boy killed by an alligator Tuesday has been found. Sheriff Jerry Demings told reporters Wednesday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, that the body of Lane Graves was found intact near the area where the alligator dragged him into the water. Demings said the alligator drowned the little boy. Demings said the Nebraska toddler was on vacation with his parents and siblings at a Disney World hotel. Tuesday night, Lane was wading in water near the shore of a man-made lake used mostly for boating when the attack occurred. In a statement given to the sheriff, the Graves family thanked members of the public for their prayers in the hours following the attack. Disney officials closed beaches at the resort after finding and killing four other alligators in the lake during their search for the boy. There was no sign that any of the four was involved in the attack. More than 50 law enforcement personnel searched the Seven Seas Lagoon, which reaches a depth of about 4 meters, outside Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando. Demings said there have been no other recent reports of similar alligator attacks in the area. Last October, a 61-year-old swimmer was the first victim killed by an alligator in Florida since 2007. |
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| From Page 7: Minimum wages to go up a mere 0.5 percent By the A.M. Costa Rica
staff
The Consejo Nacional de Salarios approved a general half a percent raise in the national minimum salaries for private workers at a meeting Wednesday. The announcement came from the Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social. The increase was less than the 2.3 to 3.5 percent sought by worker representatives. Employers had suggested no raise. The new salaries will take effect July 1. The Consejo also approved a 2 percent raise for domestic employees, who are among those getting the lowest monthly salary. The minister of Trabajo, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, presented the proposal that finally was accepted unanimously by the Consejo. The Consejo heard that annual inflation actually was minus .43 percent and that inflation in May was negligible at just 0.03 percent. The Consejo also heard that in Costa Rica there are about 141,000 domestic employees who earn the legal minimum of 251,239.04 colons a month. That is about $470. They are at the bottom of the minimum salary list that fixes pay for many wage categories. That is why they received a bigger increase. The ministry will be publishing on its site a list of the new salaries. |
