San José, Costa Rica - Saturday 11 September 2004

1.234 Daily Average. Visits in August! Up 10%

Updated every day by 8:00AM Central Standard Time

President Abel Pacheco, inaugurated yesterday the V Feria Regional de Ciencia y Tecnología, where 118 projects by primary and high school students from all over the country, were showcased. The first prize winner will get a trip to visit NASA. [Foto: Wilfredo Vega] Click for larger image!

insidenicaragua A new weekly feature published on Sundays, featuring a summary  of current news and events in Nicaragua.

Editor's Note: Due to a breakdown in internet service by our provider, Amnet, we could not post today's update at the usual time. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Panama Delivers Documents
The Ministerio Público has now in it's hands the Panamanian banking documents that ties the movement of monies of the company controlled by former president Rafael Angel Calderón to the Fischel scandal.

Tax Men Charged With Abuse of Minors
Two tax collectors who worked at the Contraloría General de la República (Comptroller's office) were detained yesterday afternoon by police for abusing minors, including threatening the youths and photographing them in the nude.

Porn in the Legislature
While legislators have been working on developing a Law that prohibits pornography over the internet, some in the Legislative Assembly building are taking the time to enjoy this form of entertainment.

Higher Inflation
The inflation for the 12 months that ended in August reached 13.05 percent, the highest since May 2001, when it was 13.26 percent.

Domestic Tourism
During the current "green season" - the low one regarding visitors from abroad, which continues through the end of November - an increasing number of Costa Ricans are enjoying the local attractions, tourist sector sources report.

Sports Betting Industry Anticipates Record Numbers
The start of the 39th NFL football season kicks off today, and BetUS.com, based in San José, is well prepared to tackle what it expects to be the biggest season in offshore sports wagering history.

Ivan storms into Caribbean countries
The death toll in Grenada resulting from Hurricane Ivan has risen to 24 as the storm now threatens Jamaica and Cuba.

Venezuelan opposition challenges results of referendum
The Venezuelan opposition presented on Friday the National Electoral Council (CNE) a report, challenging the triumph of President Hugo Chavez in the Aug. 15 recall referendum and terming it as a corrupt process.

Chile examines Pinochet's accounts in the US
The Chilean authorities have received background information on the accounts of former dictator Augusto Pinochet in the United States, local reports said Friday.

International News from the New York Times
 

BRAZIL: Black Market Cigarettes Account for 30 Percent of the Total More than 360 brands of cigarettes are available on the illegal market in Brazil, six times the number of legally sold brands, complains the company Souza Cruz, British American Tobacco's subsidiary in Brazil. The company, which controls three-fourths of the formal market for cigarettes in this country of nearly 180 million people, also reports that 30 percent of the 131 billion cigarettes smoked in Brazil in 2003 were the product of illegal practices -- piracy, contraband, or tax evasion. That means nearly 40 billion cigarettes smoked last year were sold on the black market, compared to 91 billion sold legally.

With GSM and the Lowest Cost to Rent a Cellular Telephone in Costa Rica!

Retirement/Relocation Tours for the Non-rich! I am the ONLY Retirement, Relocation Guide in Costa Rica without a hidden agenda. I will show you many of the best areas for value of climate, land, amenities, and building costs. I will introduce you to honest, value, people who will share with you the actual costs of real estate & homes built for people like you. You can then compare these to any of the other "DEALS" promoted by the many other "Tours" Please visit: www.costaricaretireonss.com and contact my References. George Lundquist, Retirement, Relocation Columnist for: www.insidecostarica.com and www.welovecostarica.com