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San
José, Costa Rica, Thursday, July 30, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 149
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 Cruz Roja
photo
Sometimes the muscles rebel
as in this 2014 photoCruz Roja
plans 35 aid stations
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Cruz Roja said 800 of its workers and volunteers will staff 35 aid stations for pilgrims starting at 8 a.m. Saturday. That is when the greatest flow of romeros, as they are called, is expected to begin. The destination for the pilgrims is the Basílica Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in Cartago. Most of the aid stations are set up between San José and Cartago because the bulk of the pilgrims travel that route. Being a pilgrim is not without pain in many cases. Leg cramps, blisters and pulled muscles are frequently complaints. Some 10 of the aid stations will have ambulances on standby, the rescue agency said. Last weekend the Cruz Roja helped 168 early bird pilgrims, the agency said. Four of these went to hospitals. Traffic police will be on duty starting tonight at 9 o'clock on the Carretera Florencio del Castillo. Diverting traffic will begin Friday, the Policía de Tránsito said.  Policía
de Tránsito
photo
Pilgrims weave through traffic
cones Savings Unlimited testimonies are sought By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Those who have filed a case against Luis Milanes are getting summonses requiring them to appear in court to testify, one of those summonsed said Wednesday. Milanes and two associates, his brother José and Michael González, are on trial for fraud. But few of those who have placed complaints against Milanes and his defunct Savings Unlimited have showed up in court. The trial is a bit less than 13 years since Milanes closed down the high-interest operation in Edificio Colón and fled the country. The presumed victims who have filed complaints are being given specific times to appear in the San José courtroom. The summonses are being generated by the prosecution. Those who appear are expected to be asked the circumstances under which they gave money to Savings Unlimited. Most of them gave the money to González,who was the office manager.  Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud
photo
Adriana Fernández says she sometimes
works 18 hours a day.
Model-turned-designer
uses coconut shells
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Former model Adriana Fernández is one of those entrepreneurs who will be featured in the Feria Hecho Aquí, Artesanía Costarricense this weekend in the Antigua Aduana. She makes jewelry from organic materials, such as coconut shells, other organic items and metals such as brass and copper. Ms. Fernández is one of an expected 100 artist who will display their wares this weekend, Friday through Sunday. She was picked by the Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud as a representative artist. Ms. Fernández was a model in Florida for years and returned here when she was 25. For the next eight years she has been making her elaborate and hand-painted jewelry. Products from her Auténtica Organic Body & Artisan Works are all over the world, she said. The show is free, and the program is HERE! Perez Zeledon Women's club to meet By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Perez Zeledon International Women's club meets Aug. 11 at Bazooka's Restaurant on the Interamerican highway at 11 a.m. The organization said the goal of the meeting is to share ideas on fun activities for the club. Reservations are sought at pzwomansclub@gmail.com. The restaurant provides a lunch menu ranging from 3,100 to 4,000 colons. The club Web page is HERE!
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, July 30, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 149 | |
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| New genetically modified rice strain reduces methane gas
emissions |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Opponents of genetically modified crops will soon face a conundrum. Rice cultivation is a major producer of methane, which is a gas 20 times more effective in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide in trapping heat. World estimates say that rice production puts 100 million tons of methane into the air each year. That's because wet rice paddies, where much of the world's crop grows, contain microbes that produce the gas. Now a plant scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy and colleagues report that with the addition of a single gene, rice can be cultivated to emit virtually no methane from its paddies during growth. The modified rice also packs much more of the plant's desired properties, such as starch for a richer food source and biomass for energy production, according to a study in Nature, as reported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. Researchers created what is called SUSIBA2 rice by introducing a single gene from barley into common rice, resulting in a plant that can better feed its grains, stems and leaves while starving off methane-producing microbes in the soil, said a press release. The results, scheduled to appear today in the print edition of Nature and online, represent a culmination of more than a decade of work by researchers in three countries, including Christer Jansson, director of plant sciences at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the department's Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, said the department. Jansson and colleagues hypothesized the concept while at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and carried out studies at the university and with colleagues at China's Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Hunan Agricultural University, the department said. "The need to increase starch content and lower methane |
 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
photo
The new strain is to the right. Left is a
typical head of rice.
emissions from rice production is widely recognized, but the ability to do both simultaneously has eluded researchers," Jansson was quoted as saying. "As the world's population grows, so will rice production. And as the Earth warms, so will rice paddies, resulting in even more methane emissions. It's an issue that must be addressed." There is a strong push for lawmakers in Costa Rica to pass a ban on genetically modified foods. A bill doing that is in the legislature and many cantons in the country already have passed such bans. Much of the opponents' wrath centers on Monsanto Co. and its genetically modified crops that are resistant to the company's herbicides. Costa Rica, of course, has sought to reduce its carbon footprint because officials say this will reduce global warming. Not much has been said about methane, despite its impact. Each Costa Rican consumes about 50 kilos of rice on average each year. If the country enacts a ban on modified crops, growers will not be able to take advantage of the new modified strain. |
| 1 percent tax to finance Cruz Roja advances in the
legislature |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A legislative committee approved and sent to the full body Wednesday a proposal for a dedicated tax to support the Cruz Roja. The action came in the Comisión Permanente de Asuntos Hacendarios on bill No. 19.234. |
The measure
also would increase the cost of the Cruz Roja legal
stamps that are required on most documents from 200 colons to 500. The
tax would be 1 percent on all the country's telephone bills. Despite the general sentiment against taxation n the legislature, the measure is likely to pass because of the popularity of the Cruz Roja, the nation's emergency service. |
| Marine Corps League is looking for a few good toy donors |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Late July is not too early to think about Christmas. The Marine Corps League and U.S. Embassy Marine Security Group Detachment have asked for donations to the annual Toys for Tots Drive. And the Museo de los Niños said it is seeking participants for |
its Dec. 2
show that includes the illumination of the museum facade. The Marine Corps League said that 300 toys were collected in 2014, and the goal this year is to give 600. The Marines have added a Quepos children’s Christmas party to the schedule and expect to give away 200 toys there. Those who wish to donate can do so at the Marine Corps League Web site HERE! |
| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, July 30, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 149 | |||||
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| Televison show puts focus on money laundering via London
real estate |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Billions of dollars of so-called dirty money from the proceeds of crime, especially from Russia, are being laundered through the London property market, according to anti-corruption activists. The British government has pledged to crack down on the practice. During the past five years, prime London property has risen in value by 42 percent, and campaigners say it is partly fueled by dirty money from the proceeds of crime. In a recent British television program titled "From Russia With Cash," anti-corruption activist Roman Borisovich posed as a Russian minister looking to buy property with stolen money while visiting several real estate agents in central London. Speaking via Skype, he described what happened. “They were all eager to proceed," he said. "Even when I was telling them that the money was meant for the procurement of drugs, and I stole the money, and obviously sick people were deprived of health care. And they could not care less.” All the agents suggested buying the properties through offshore companies to offer anonymity to the buyer. One proposed exploiting tax havens in Cyprus and the British |
dependency of
Jersey to
set up a so-called shell company. “And this particular agent was volunteering to put us in front of a Jersey financiers to put the trust together, and a Cypriot lawyer to put everything else together,” said Borisovich. Government figures show $191 billion worth of property in Britain is owned by offshore companies. Speaking on a trip Tuesday to Singapore, Prime Minister David Cameron said most were legitimate businesses, but accepted there were problems. “We need to stop corrupt officials or organized criminals using anonymous shell companies to invest their ill-gotten gains in London property without being tracked down,” he said. The government has been aware of the laundering allegations for years, says Justin Urquhart Stewart of London-based Seven Investment Management. “This is dirty money, coming from crime, maybe coming from terrorism, so this needs to be dealt with now,” he said. Under British law, real estate agents are to report any suspicions that the cash used to buy property has been obtained through criminal means. But, many agents say they should not be expected to detect sophisticated fraud. |
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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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, July 30, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 149 | |||||||
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| Aircraft fragment is checked to see if it is from MH370 By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Investigators are looking into whether a piece of airplane debris found on a French Indian Ocean island is part of MH370, the Malaysia Airlines jet that mysteriously vanished in March 2014. The approximately two meter-long fragment was discovered Wednesday on a beach on Reunion Island near Madagascar over 3,500 kilometers from where the Boeing 777 was last heard from. The debris appears to be a wing component known as a flaperon and almost certainly belongs to a Boeing 777, according to multiple aviation experts and security officials, who based their opinions on photos and videos. French aviation officials are examining the debris, but say it is too early to confirm whether it belongs to the missing jet. Malaysian authorities have also sent a team to Reunion Island. "We have dispatched a team to investigate on these issues and we hope that we can identify it as soon as possible," said Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai. In a statement, Malaysia Airlines cautioned it is "too premature to speculate on the origin of the flaperon," adding it is coordinating with authorities on the matter. U.S. air safety investigators have told multiple media outlets they are confident the flaperon is part of a Boeing 777, and note that MH370 is the only known missing plane of that type in the area. If the component is identified as being from MH370, it would be "consistent with other analysis and modeling that the resting place of the aircraft is in the southern Indian Ocean," according to a statement by Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss. Australia has been leading the multi-nation search for the MH370 off the coast of southwest Australia. A frustrating search of 50,000 square kilometers of seabed has so far turned up no physical evidence. The discovery of the alleged flaperon is raising hopes the fragment could help solve what has become one of modern aviation's greatest mysteries. A code inscribed on the debris should allow investigators to tell exactly where it came from within a few days, says aviation expert Xavier Tytelman in a posting on a French aviation blog. But even if the fragment is eventually confirmed to be a part of the missing jet, there would be no quick resolution, cautioned the aviation Web site Leeham News in a post late Wednesday. "Computers may be able to calculate ocean currents, time and distances to trace back a reasonable point of origin. If possible, this will take time. And then deep sea searching must start all over again," it said. The Malaysia Airlines flight, which was carrying 239 people, took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, on its way to Beijing. It vanished from radar more than a hour later, somewhere over the South China Sea. Chinese president tightens the reins on rights lawyers By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
China’s widespread crackdown on rights lawyers and activists over the past three weeks has fueled growing concerns that President Xi Jinping is using the law as a tool to mute dissidents and those who defend them in court. Since stepping into office, Xi has stressed the importance of rule of law and law based governance. The government said one of the key aims of the ongoing anti-corruption campaign is to make society fairer and prevent abuses by those in power. Last year, the president made rule of law a key focus at a high-level party meeting. But at the same time Xi has exerted an increasingly tighter grip over society since coming to office and the widespread arrest of lawyers tell a different story. “Actually, it’s rule by law. It’s Xi Jinping as the ruler utilizing legislation or legal system to realize his ruling will over the bureaucracies and over society,” said political scientist Hsu Sze-chien of Academia Sinica in Taipei. This tactic has been most apparent in the ongoing campaign against many of China’s most outspoken lawyers and activists who have defended some of the country’s highest-profile dissidents, writers and artists. According to the Hong-Kong based China Human Rights Lawyers Concerned Group, more than 250 rights lawyers and activists have been held for questioning by police since early July, with 15 still criminally detained. The actions have capped what Maya Wang, China researcher of New York-headquartered Human Rights Watch, said is the worst year for China’s human rights record in two decades. “He came with a feeling of crisis for the party and he wants to bolster the party’s position as having the monopoly of power. So, to take out these activists is part of the strategy because the party didn’t want anybody to challenge its vision for China,” Ms. Wang said of President Xi. Last October, top Communist Party officials gathered at a major meeting that was described as setting a new blueprint for rule of law. Officials pledged reforms to give courts more independence and accelerate the country’s anti-corruption drive. Nearly a year later, critics said it is clear that the reforms have done little to change the fact that the Communist Party remains above the law, and will ignore it when it needs to. The China Human Rights Lawyers Concerned Group, which is tracking the cases of detained lawyers, said in several cases there are still no criminal charges filed or information about the detainees whereabouts. The detainees have also been denied legal assistance, a clear violation of China’s own criminal procedures. U.S. senators want details on Iranian nuclear inspections By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. lawmakers pressed top administration officials Wednesday for details on the international inspection regime that will enforce a landmark nuclear pact with Iran. The officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, testified before the Senate Armed Forces Committee to try to allay lawmakers’ concerns and convince them to approve the deal reached earlier this month in Vienna. In a testy exchange consistent with Capitol Hill’s generally frosty reception of the deal, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican John McCain, vented frustration over Congress’ inability to review agreements between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. “Those protocols are very important,” McCain said. “We know that with any agreement with a country such as Iran, the devil is in the details.” In regards to verification documents being separately negotiated by international nuclear inspectors, Energy Secretary Moniz responded, “I personally have not seen those documents.” “To be honest with you, that is absolutely astounding that you have not seen the documents about the requirement for verification,” McCain said. Moniz responded, “All I can say is that the agreement requires their (Iran’s) cooperation with the IAEA, and this is the standard practice of the IAEA, whose independence is very critical to all of us.” McCain was not finished. “What’s critical to all of us, Mr. Secretary, is that we have verification of and inspections of Iranian activities, because they have a clear record of cheating . . . we should see those instruments of verification,” he said. Under the July 14 pact, world powers agreed to lift sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on a nuclear program the West suspects was aimed at creating an atomic bomb, but which Tehran says is peaceful. Congress has 60-day period to review the Iran nuclear agreement, and committees in both the House and Senate have been questioning senior members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet, particularly Kerry and Moniz, who were part of the team that secured the deal earlier this month. Online anger continues for lion-hunting dentist By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Big game hunter Walter J. Palmer, who rose to infamy for killing Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, is now feeling hunted himself, albeit mostly online. The beloved lion was known to be friendly to humans and helped bring tourists to Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park. Researchers at Oxford University in Britain were using him in a study. Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota is believed to have killed Cecil July 1. Officials say the animal was lured off the national park to a nearby farm. Palmer first shot the lion with a bow and arrow and after tracking the injured animal, killed him with a firearm. Twitter, as usual, was the epicenter for the anger directed at Palmer, with some questioning his manhood, calling for him to be released into the wild and posting photos of Palmer posing with other large animals he has killed for sport. Critics also took to his dentistry's Yelp page to savage his actions. Yelp is a popular Web site used for reviewing businesses. “I would not recommend going to someone with such clearly poor morals, to provide you with your dental care, especially if there's a chance you'll need sedation,” wrote one user in one of the milder statements. “You might wake up skinned and the only thing you'd get is an apology saying he had no idea that you were a local favorite.” In the real world, protestors made a makeshift memorial to Cecil by placing stuffed animals outside Palmer’s dentistry practice. On Wednesday, a giant mural of Cecil was being painted in the parking lot of the practice. One of the most viral reactions came from late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. According to a 2011 report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Americans accounted for 64 percent of the lions hunted for sport in Africa between 1999 and 2008. And it’s becoming a more popular pastime for people like Palmer. "Of these trophies, the number imported into the U.S. in 2008 was larger than any other year in the decade studied and more than twice the number in 1999," the report found. In a statement, Palmer said he believed “everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted.” Authorities in Zimbabwe charged professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst, with helping Palmer to kill the popular lion. Bronkhorst was freed on bail Wednesday after appearing in a courtroom in Hwange, about 700 kilometers west of the capital, Harare. Boehner is object of move to oust him as GOP leader By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Two-term U.S. Republican congressman Mark Meadows celebrated his 56th birthday Tuesday by filing a resolution to unseat Republican House Speaker John Boehner. The resolution, called a motion to vacate the chair, is a little-used procedure last put into play more than 100 years ago. If it were to pass, viewed as unlikely, Boehner would immediately forfeit his job as speaker of the House for serious misuse of power. Meadows, who has had previous run-ins with the speaker, says the ploy is merely aimed at starting a family discussion with Boehner. "It's really more about trying to have a conversation on making this place work," Meadows said. "Hopefully, we'll have some discussion about that in the days and weeks to come." Wednesday Boehner shrugged off the motion to vacate as no big deal. “You got a member here and a member there who are off the reservation,” he said. As an invitation to talk, the resolution uses some tough language and underscores what some say is considerable divisiveness among Republican lawmakers. Whereas the speaker… “…has endeavored to consolidate power and centralize decision-making bypassing the majority…” “…has, through inaction, caused the power of Congress to atrophy…” “…uses the power of the office to punish Members who vote according to their conscience…” “…uses the legislative calendar to create crises for the American people…” Meadows, who represents the southern state of North Carolina and ranks among the most conservative representatives, has had a previous confrontation with the House Republican leadership. He was recently stripped of an Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee chairmanship for bucking the leadership on a vote. The position was restored after fellow conservatives rallied on his behalf. While some conservative lawmakers support the resolution, it is not generating much enthusiasm, and is even angering more mainstream Republican representatives. Democrats indicated they would not support the measure. Republican lawmakers say the only thing the resolution to vacate will do is distract them from other issues, such as the Iran nuclear deal. Another white police officer indicted in death of motorist By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
In a year marked by deadly confrontations between African-Americans and police, a white University of Cincinnati officer has been indicted on a murder charge in the shooting of an unarmed black motorist near the campus in the midwestern state of Ohio. The Hamilton County prosecuting attorney, Joseph Deters, announced the grand jury indictment at a news conference, calling the death of Samuel DuBose “a senseless, asinine shooting.” He said Ray Tensing, the white officer who shot DuBose in the head, never should have been a police officer. He did not elaborate. The incident was the latest in a series of fatal police confrontations across the United States that have raised questions about police use of force against minorities. Authorities have said Tensing spotted a car driven by DuBose that was missing a front license plate, which is required by Ohio law. They say Tensing stopped the car and a struggle ensued after DuBose refused to provide a driver's license and get out of the car. Tensing has said he was dragged by the car and forced to shoot at DuBose. He fired one shot, striking DuBose in the head. But a video from the body camera worn by the officer showed Tensing was never in danger during the July 19 incident. Police said Tensing surrendered Wednesday and was processed on charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter. He will be arraigned Thursday and could face life in prison if convicted. Wrong music selection upsets top Vietnamese By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A Chinese anthem played during a nationally televised gathering of senior Vietnamese officials this week has become fodder for online activists. Senior officials, including President Truong Tan Sang and Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh, gathered Monday at the Ministry of Defense to see a patriotic musical show. But when Sang walked onto the stage to give the opening speech, the Chinese patriotic song "Ode to Motherland" played while a national audience watched from home. The choice of a Chinese patriotic song is seen as an embarrassment for Vietnam, which has seen relations with Beijing sour in recent years over maritime disputes in the South China Sea. "That mistake is not allowed to happen,” said Ha Kim Chi, head of inspection of the Vietnam Journalists Association. "The association of journalists will cooperate in joint meetings to manage our members. . . . The state management bodies will decide the disciplines.” The music in question has since been scrubbed from official Vietnamese Web sites and TV programs, but raw footage of the event has gone viral in Vietnam's online community. Some speculated that the song was played by Chinese spies, while others said the issue was a matter of incompetence. This show attracted public attention in the first place because of the reappearance of Thanh, who had been out of the public eye, leading to rumors about his health. |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's sixth news page |
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 Photo by Flickr user Karl Baron via
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There's fruit, so this must
be healthy, right?Tweets show
eating habits, study says
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
If Americans eat what they tweet, a new study explains why certain U.S. states have a higher percentage of obese people than others. For eight months, University of Arizona researchers analyzed tweets about food and exercise on the social networking site Twitter and found they could predict certain population characteristics from that data. “Our diets reflect our identities. The food we eat is influenced by our lifestyles, habits, upbringing, cultural and family heritage,” the researchers wrote. “In addition to reflecting our current selves, our diets also shape who we will be, by impacting our health and well-being.” The team developed what it calls a Lexicocalorimeter, an interactive, online tool for measuring the caloric content of social media. Researchers extracted food and activity-related tweets and plugged them into the Lexicocalorimeter. They reportedly found that their conclusions correlate with known public health statistics for each state. Their study found that states that tweeted most about high-calorie unhealthy foods, such as bacon, grits and cake, are the worst ranked when it comes to fitness. Those states are also more likely to tweet about eating and watching TV. For example, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas and Kentucky, have all ranked in the top ten when it comes to the most obese states. Their Twitter feeds might provide a window into why this is the case. In Mississippi, the fattest state in the nation with an obesity rate of 35.2 percent, the most talked about food on Twitter is cake and the top activity mentioned is eating. West Virginians, who have a state obesity rate of 34.3 percent, tweet more about cookies than any other food and their top activity activity appears to be watching TV. The Twitter feed of Louisiana residents, where 33.2 percent of residents are obese, suggests they are partial to chocolate candy and eating. In Colorado, one of the healthiest states in the union where about 1 in 5 people (20.3 percent) is obese, noodles and running top the Twitter feed. Meanwhile Montana, with a 23.5 obesity rate, is into peanut butter and skiing. Ultimately, the researchers expect their conclusions to help in a variety of ways, including with marketing and when it comes to improving public health. |
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| From
Page 7: U.S. Fed stays mum on interest rate hike By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. central bank officials concluded a two-day policy meeting Wednesday saying the U.S. economy continues to expand at a moderate pace despite a slowdown in the energy sector and economic difficulties in other countries. The Fed noted recent job gains have been solid and projected continued improvement in labor market conditions in coming months. But absent from the Fed statement was the likelihood of a possible interest rate hike. Most economists believe the Fed will start raising rates by September, but some say central bank officials may have painted themselves into a corner by not signaling their intentions more clearly. Bankrate.com senior analyst Greg McBride said if economic indicators improve over the next seven weeks as some expect, the Fed could "have a difficult time raising rates in September, given today's statement." That's because financial markets don't react well to surprises, said McBride. He believes a rate hike is still possible in September, but he said the odds are not as good following Wednesday's statement. Global stocks and the dollar climbed higher after the Fed left rates unchanged. Lower interest rates help stimulate economic growth by reducing the cost of borrowing and boosting business and consumer spending. One drawback is that cheap money can raise the inflation rate, which currently remains well below the Fed's target rate of 2 percent. Interest rates have remained near zero since December 2008 |
