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Teletón Was a Success
Dozens of
national and international artists took the
stage with their shows, at the Palacio de
Deportes in Heredia , to lend support to the
Teletón that started Friday night and ended
last night.
The money raised goes to Children's charities,
primarily a Intensive Care Unit at the
Children's Hospital.
And even though the Teletón got off to a slow
start, by Saturday night less than half of the
goal was raised, the presenters and supports
of the event did not tire to ask for
everyone's help.
Inside the sports center the enthusiasm didn't
waver, as well as all the supporters who were
out in the streets who did everything for
donations for this noble cause.
The total raised came to 209.139.580 colones
($501.500 Dollars at the current conversion
rate).Of that 198.781.565 Colones was raised
through normal channels, and 10.358.015
Coloneswas raised over the internet.
Key Week For Trade
Agreement
Today,
Monday, begins a crucial week for the Free
Trade Agreement between the United States and
5 Central American countries.
This is the last round of talks and
negotiations to define and agree on the terms
of the agreement.
Still pending are issues regarding rice,
sugar, meat, dairy products and oils.
The still open issue to be discussed is
telecommunications. The U.S. is insisting to
end the monopolies in telecommunications. In
Costa Rica this is has been a big issue, as
ICE unions have taken to the streets to
protest against it.
This last round of talks will go until the
16th of December. Various Costa Rican
ministers and trade negotiators are already in
Washington in attempt to define some of the
key issues with politicians there.
Following the close of talks in this last
round, the Free Trade Agreement is expected to
be signed by all parties in April 2004 and is
to take effect in January of 2005.
Will There Be Bulls in
Zapote This Year?
Come
tomorrow Tuesday, the Minister of Health,
Rocio Saenz, she will give her decision on
whether there will be permission to build the
new 'bull ring' for the upcoming Festejos
Populares - annual festivities - in Zapote.
The old bull ring was torn down due to poor
structural conditions.
Last a plan submitted for the constructions of
the bull ring was rejected for it lacked
adequate exit and evacuation routes in the
case of an emergency, as well as the proper
disposal of waste.
The Minister expressed that she hopes the
owners of the property will re-submit their
application with all the corrections indicated
by the Health ministry.
The 'toros a la tica' have been a main part of
the Zapote fair each year and if the new bull
ring can't be built of time, this would be the
first year of the fair without the bulls.
Police in San José have a
new tool to help combat street crime:
surveilance cameras.
Starting
today, different parts of San José will wake
up under the watchful eyes of cameras manned
by police personnel to detect street crime and
dispatch offices to the scene.
The network is made up of 20 cameras placed at
strategic locations in the commercial sector
of San José and at high crime areas.
The cameras are connected to a video recording
system and can record the crime in progress
and can then be used against the perpetrators
in court.
The plan is part of a supported by an effort
by RACSA (Radiográfica
Costarricense S. A - a subsidiary of ICE, the
national telecommunications monopoly) and
Televisora
de Costa Rica (Channel 7), who had installed
cameras at key points for some time to report
live traffic conditions.
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Ex-Nicaraguan
president gets 20 years in prison
Former Nicaraguan
President Arnoldo Aleman was sentenced Sunday to 20
years in prison and would remain under house arrest
for the moment for health reasons.
Aleman, the first former president of the country to
be convicted of a crime, was found guilty on charges
including money laundering, fraud and embezzlement
and electoral crimes.
District Judge Juana Mendez also announced a fine to
Aleman in the verdict, with the exact amount being
unclear.
Mendez said she made the decision to put Aleman
under house arrest for the time being because Aleman
suffered from hypertension, diabetes and other
conditions that could lead to a heart attack.
Aleman, 57, who ruled Nicaragua from 1997 to 2002,
was initially placed under house arrest last
December and then jailed in August of this year on
charges he embezzled nearly 100 million US dollars
of government funds during his tenure.
His case has so far implicated 40 other people,
including his relatives and former staffers.
The case against Aleman is part of the promises by
President Enrique Bolanos to sweep corruption in
Nicaragua, one of Latin America's poorest countries.
Record-setting
snowstorm winds down in northeastern United States
The first major winter
snow storm in northeastern United States began to
wind down Sunday after downing trees and power
lines, forcing airport delays and cancellation, and
claiming 10 lives in three days.
The National Weather Service (NWS) downgraded a
blizzard warnings for the state of Maine to winter
storm as the snowstorm moved slowly out to sea.
In Massachusetts, Boston's Logan International
Airport, which closed Saturday evening, reopened in
early Sunday afternoon. Flight operations at all
three New York-area airports returned to near normal
after closings and cancellations Saturday.
Starting Friday, two weeks before the official onset
of winter, the powerful storm drove up the eastern
coast, engulfing 12 statesf rom Virginia and
Pennsylvania through the Northeast Corridor into New
England.
The snowfall set records in some areas, with nearly
3 feet (0.9meter) of snow fell in western Maine, and
up to 2 feet (0.6 meter) fell in eastern parts of
the State of New York. Across the region, hundreds
of traffic accidents on ice-slicked highways and 10
traffic deaths in five states were attributed to the
storm.
Areas of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts were
expected to receive an additional three to six
inches (7.5 cm - 15 cm) of snow before the storm
ends in the evening, the NWS said.
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