| NEWS |
|
updated by 7:00 a.m. CST each day
|
Top Internet Sites
La Nacion, at
receiving numerous complaints, revised it's list of
top internet sites in Costa Rica as ranked in the
world by Alexa.com. In their revised report, they
include the top 50 sites, rather than only 15
reported on Sunday. This time around they also
included "adult" sites.
La Nacion is also asking that anyone that may have
been omitted by their exhausted search, contact that
daily to be included. Vanessa Bravo has had
the task of compiling and publishing that list.
The top 10 sites
are:
1. nacion.com
- (7.482)
2. tarjetasvirtuales.com
- (10.163)
3. racsa.co.cr
- (18.062)
4. costarricense.cr
- (23.644)
5. mercahosting.com
- (28.161)
6. costaricasex.com
- (41.796)
7. diarioextra.com
- (46.245)
8. bncr.fi.cr
(Banco Nacional) - (46.385)
9. registronacional.go.cr
- (51.506)
10. solonosotras.com
- (53.173)
Insidecostarica.com has a ranking of 452.962, while
Costa Rica's Tourism Board - ICT - has a ranking of
2.235.579. Click
here for La Nacion's top 50 list.
Alexa.com
was founded in April of 1996, growing out of a
vision of web navigation that is intelligent and
constantly improving with the participation of it's
users. In the spring of 2002, Alexa, part of
Amazon.com, which also owns Ebay.com, partnered with
Google and began providing the world's best search.
Alexa.com
is an unparalleled source of web information.
Casa Alianza's
Work Pays Off
"There are a
lot of important people who are probably very
concerned at the news of the arrest of Sinai",
commented Bruce Harris, the Latin American Regional
Director of Casa Alianza, the child defense agency
that has placed more than 300 criminal complaints
with the Special Prosecutor of Sex Crimes in Costa
Rica over the past two years.
"And they should be. Anybody who sexually
exploits children in Costa Rica will now face the
rule of the improved laws. Things have changed here
and finally the country is getting serious about
stopping the sexual abuse against children".
Costa Rica's
principal "Madame" was arrested this past
week after a four-year investigation initiated by
Casa Alianza.
Sinai Monge Munoz,
41, was arrested last Thursday evening after a
successful sting operation in the Hatillo 3 suburb
of the capital of San Jose after two young girls
were delivered to undercover police officers for
sex.
According to reports, at least 15 young girls - from
14 years old - were being pimped by Monge to scores
of social and political "elites" who would
pay US$ 300 to have sex with the under aged children
and for the complete discretion offered. The
operations of the Costa Rican "Madame"
have been an open secret for the past 15 years.
Monge bragged after
her previous arrest in 1992 and her acquittal in
1994 that she would never be convicted because of
her political contacts, all of which are now open to
possible prosecution as Monge's list of clients was
captured together with a lot of potentially
incriminating material for her and the abusers, who
are known to be both Costa Rica and foreigners.
Neighbors of Monge's operation commented that
politicians with official vehicles and bodyguards
would arrive to spend hours in the brothel.
Casa Alianza first
made a formal complaint with the Special Prosecutor
on Sex Crimes, Liliam Gomez, in 1999 after receiving
and verifying information that Monge was selling
young girls for sex. There are also reports that
young boys were also sold for sex.
A man with the
surname Poltroneiri, 29, was also detained in the
sting when he delivered two girls to police agents
close to the bullring in El Zapote.
Poltroneiri and Monge
have been accused of aggravated pimping and face a
two to five year jail term for each victim.
Rica Foods Shares
Resume Trading
Rica Foods, Costa Rica's largest poultry producer, resumed trading shares today on the American Stock Exchange after a nine-month hiatus while the company settled charges under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Trading of the Miami-based company's shares halted Jan. 22 at 95 cents per share. Today, they had dropped to 60 cents by midday.
The stock exchange had threatened to delist Rica
Foods in July after the Securities and Exchange Commission charged the company in January with failing to obtain an independent auditor to examine its 2002 annual report.
The company said it's executives had signed off and filed the report with the SEC as the audit report was in the process of arriving. The company reissued the annual report with the auditor's statement in July and successfully appealed the stock exchange's intention to delist it.
In August, Chief Executive Calixto Chaves paid a $25,000 fine to settle the charges but did not admit or deny the allegations.
The 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley corporate governance law was passed as a measure to shore up investor confidence, which had been badly shaken by high-level corporate financial scandals at Enron, WorldCom and other companies.
Latin America's Population Ageing Quickly
Demographic
changes are occurring in countries that have not yet
eliminated poverty.
The average age of the population in Latin America
and the Caribbean will almost double between 1950
and 2050. In barely a century, rapid population
changes will age the face of the continent and the
region will face serious challenges to adapt to this
new reality.
According to estimates from the Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the
main increases in the average age will occur between
2000 and 2050, as it will go from 28 to 40 years
during this period. Similarly, the population aged
60 years and over will more than triple during the
same period, while the population under 15 years
will drop from over 30% of the total to less than
20%.
These demographic changes are occurring more quickly
than in Europe, a continent known for its rapid rate
of ageing. Of even more concern is the fact that
this is occurring at a time when Latin American
countries have still not managed to eliminate
poverty and do not have the institutions necessary
to deal with these changes, in particular in terms
of social protection.
A sharp drop in fertility and an increase in life
expectancy are the main causes behind this process.
This transformation is undoubtedly an unprecedented
change in the region's history. This has given rise
to considerable concern, because in those countries
where ageing will occur most quickly, there is
limited time to act and it is not possible to work
from other regions' models because their economic
and institutional conditions are so different.
Because of this, ECLAC considers a profound review
of public policies vital to adjust them to a society
composed of a falling proportion of young and ever
more elderly people. This transformation will
require reorganizing social service infrastructure
(health care, education, housing and others) and
reworking public functions, as well as a necessary
change in attitudes to move toward societies without
exclusion, that is, "societies for every age
group."
To follow up on agreements from the Second World
Assembly on Ageing (Madrid, 2002), the Government of
Chile, through its national service for the elderly
(Servicio Nacional del Adulto Mayor, SENAMA), is
organizing the Regional Intergovernmental Conference
on Ageing, Santiago 2003, with support from ECLAC
and the Interagency Group on Ageing. This will take
place at ECLAC's Santiago headquarters, from 19 to
21 November. Preparations include the publication of
a monthly newsletter, entitled Santiago 2003, that
will summarize the preparatory activities, both
technical and logistical.
|
|
Click
here a FREE quote on the lowest Air Tickets Prices
to and from Costa Rica!
|
|
Embattled Bolivian president suspends gas plan, rules out resignation
Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez deLozada said Monday that he has decided to suspend the natural gas export plans, which have fueled massive, violent anti-government protests nationwide.
But amid mounting demands for him to go, he made it clear that he will not resign.
Meanwhile, 15 more deaths were reported in La Paz, the administrative capital, and El Alto during clashes between protesters and security forces.
Speaking at a press conference, Sanchez de Lozada said he had issued a supreme decree determining that "no natural gas will be exported" until popular consultation is made on the issue.
Sanchez de Lozada proposed what he called a "national
dialogue "with all sectors in the country, that would conclude on Dec. 31, to decide on the natural gas export plans.
The Bolivian government had originally planned to sell natural gas to the United States and Mexico, a deal that could bring about1.5 billion US dollars a year to the impoverished Andean nation.
But protesters complain that under the deal's terms, Bolivia would get only 18 percent of the profits from the project and the economic benefits would not reach the poor majority in the
country. Opponents are particularly angry with the government's possible use of a port in Chile to ship the gas. Bolivia fought a war with Chile in 1879, during which Bolivia lost its coastline.
On the same day, Sanchez de Lozada vowed to remain in office during television and radio addresses, amid calls for him to quit by workers and indigenous leaders upset about his privatization and anti-poverty measures.
"I am not going to resign. I have taken very seriously the mandate the people have given me and the oath I took," said Sanchez de Lozada. He was sworn in on Aug. 6, 2002, and his term ends in 2007.
Also on Monday, Vice President Carlos Mesa expressed disagreement with Sanchez de Lozada over his handling of the country's crisis. "I do not support the government in this action."
"As a citizen and a man of principles, I cannot accept deaths as the response to popular pressure," said Mesa. He was referring to the death of five people in the last 48 hours in clashes between security forces and civilians in El Alto.
However, despite his criticism of Sanchez de Lozada, Mesa did not submit his resignation.
The Trade Union of Bolivian Agricultural Workers (CSUTCB) has ruled out any sort of contact with the government of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada and renewed its demand for the president to quit.
Felipe Quispe, CSUTCB leader and legislator from the oppositionPachakuti Indian Movement, described the government as a "butcher"for the deaths of about 50 people in the month-long protests.
"In the past, we insisted on talking, but not any longer. We are sick about this damned neoliberal government that kills us Indians, when they opened fire at us," Quispe said.
Quipse condemned the possible sale of natural gas to North America as a deal that mainly benefits foreign companies and leaves only a fraction of the profits for Bolivia.
"Should this not be revised, we will continue acting, as we have sworn to oust this 'gringo' (Sanchez de Lozada), because he is servile to the United States," Quipse said, pledging continued marches, demonstrations, hunger-strikes and roadblocks.
Transportation strike paralyzes two Bolivian Cities
Two Bolivian cities of La Paz and El Alto have been paralyzed since Monday morning due to the strike ofthe public transportation sector and the lack of fuel.
With the transportation sector labor suspension, the day-to-day activities are seriously restricted and many businesses have opted for closing their doors, while the students have ceased to go to school, for fear of eventual acts of violence and riots.
The law-enforcement forces try to discourage the demonstrators by tear gas and gun fire.
On Sunday night, a military convoy departing from a plant in ElAlto to escort 15 tanks to supply La Paz with gasoline.
The demonstrations became intensified three weeks ago in the Los Yungas region. The death toll since Sept. 15 has increased to at least 36, according to a reports published Monday at the
Andeancountry.
On the other hand, the relationship between Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez and Vice-President Carlos Mesa , who also is the President of Congress, has deteriorated.
Mesa, who demands clearing up the killing of civilians by law-enforcement agents, Monday launched hard criticism on the president "for a lack of criterion to stop the growing wave of turmoil, as well as for a lack of political will to talk with the opposition sectors."
The wave of protests against Sanchez de Lozada's free market policies and failure to tackle poverty in the South America's poorest nation has lasted for a month.
The protesters demanding the resignation of Sanchez de Lozada oppose the planned export of natural gas to the United States via Chile under terms they say do not benefit Bolivians.
President Sanchez de Lozada told a press conference Monday thatthe project for the exporting of natural gas was left without effect and will be subjected to a consultation, and he would not resign in face of the protests.
New Yorkers warned of mystery disease
The New York City Health Department has issued an alert after five residents in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of the city, were hospitalized with what the department called a mystery illness.
Four of the five patients, ranging in age from 22 to 54, are incritical condition at Staten Island University Hospital. Doctors said they are suffering from symptoms of encephalitis, a rare swelling of the brain, but they said they do not know at this stage what is causing the disease.
Encephalitis is a symptom of the West Nile virus, but preliminary tests for the West Nile virus have been negative. Doctors are considering a strain of another virus that causes encephalitis and is also carried by mosquitoes and ticks.
The department has sent a medical alert to physicians, laboratory directors and health-care providers, asking them to report any patients exhibiting symptoms consistent with encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain tissue.
Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and malaise. Some of the hospitalized patients have also had seizures and exhibited confusion.
There were nearly 200 cases of encephalitis in New York City in
2001.
|
|
|
