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Police Sweep of La Carpio
La Carpio, west of San José, the scene where a man last week murdered three
of his five children and wounded his pregnant estranged wife before taking
his own life, was the scene of or tears and surprise as police swept into
the area in an attempt to restore security in the area.
Hundreds of residents were surprised as police took to the area in the early
hours in what they called a sweep of the area. Their intent is to combat
insecurity and illegals in the mainly poor neighbourhood.
Many, didn't have a clue that by late in the afternoon they would find
themselves far away from what they called home, some for a long period of
time, at the northern border to be deported to their point of origin
Nicaragua. Some were being held in detention at immigration to clear up
their legal status in Costa Rica.
Guatemalan
Tribunal Absolves Casa Alianza Director
After two days of deliberation, the 12th Tribunal of Criminal Sentencing
absolved Bruce Harris, Latin American Regional Director for Casa Alianza, of
all crime and responsibility, of which he was accused of by Susana Luarca de
Umaña, for calumny, slander and defamation.
The members of the Tribunal, headed by Judge Ana María Guadrón, read out the
sentence a few moments after 4:45 p.m. this afternoon, in front of dozens of
people who were present in the court room.
In 1997 the name of the ex wife of the then president of the supreme Court
of Justice in Guatemala appeared in a list of 19 lawyers who were accused of
being connected to irregularities in the international adoptions of
Guatemalan children.
Three days ago, the lawyer had requested, through her attorney, a sentence
of an 8 years jail term for Harris, as well as his immediate arrest, his
expulsion from Guatemala once having completed his sentence and a fine of
Q1,000,000 (USD$125,000), but without indicating how she had reached such a
sum.
Aura Validation Experiment
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A NASA WB-57 jet and 50 scientists arrived in
Costa Rica to partake in the Aura Validation Experiment (AVE), whose
preliminary mission is exploring the atmosphere at 20 kilometers (12.5
miles) above the surface of the Earth.
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For next year, the mission will include 300 scientists and five planes
specializing in the monitoring of gases.
This research is aimed studying the shaping of tropical storms and their
movement towards the north.
Powered by Veggie Oil
Twenty-six young people - ages 20 to 30 - left
California last November 10, en route to Costa Rica and with a clear
message: Save the planet.
The 10,000-kilometer (6,250-mile) trip was completed aboard two school buses
- one dating back to 1969 and the other to 1972 - that originally used
diesel fuel but, after a few modifications, now burn vegetable oil.
The mastermind of the trip is Stephen Brooks, who asserted that the fact
that such vehicles can run on vegetable oil is hidden from the general
public by the petroleum industry. From California to Costa Rica, the buses
used 500 gallons of vegetable oil, part of which they carried and part of it
was collected on the road.
The destination of the buses in Costa Rica is Punta Mona, on the Caribbean,
where Brooks has developed an environmental and cultural center.
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Quiz is Students' 'Brain' Child
The Baltimore Colts won the 1971
Super Bowl. The Who has sold the most albums in Costa Rica. And wind causes
waves in the ocean.
These are some of the answers to questions Williamstown Middle School in New
Jersey students created for their first Distance Learning Quiz Bowl
Thursday.
"They're learning with more than just paper, textbook and pencil," said
English Teacher Pat Bramble.
Students from Upton Middle School in Michigan, University Middle School in
Florida and Webster Middle School in Texas went head-to-head with
Williamstown students via video conferencing made possible by a federal
Pairing and Sharing Distance Learning grant.
Bramble said the schools anticipated students in Costa Rica to participate
in the program, but they were still on winter break from school.
When the school holds its next quiz bowl in February they hope to make it
the first Middle School International Quiz Bowl.
"One advantage is that it allows you to meet other people you wouldn't
normally be with in school," said David Traill. "Another advantage to this
program is you learn things about other cultures and what is happening in
other countries."
"Not only do we get to hear them speak, but we actually get to see what they
look like," said Rocco Taraborrelli. "Video conferencing is a great idea and
will open up our learning gates a bit more."
Peruvian first vice
president resigns
Peruvian First Vice President Raul Diez
Canseco presented a resignation letter to President Alejandro Toledo on
Friday, two months after a scandal erupted on allegations that he gave a tax
break to a girlfriend's father.
Diez Canseco, 55, explained that he made the decision to clear the
constitutional accusations which the Congress is investigating, adding "I
have decided to irrevocably resign the first vice presidency."
Diez Canseco is under the inquiry of the parliament's fiscal commission for
alleged nepotism, abusing influence and approving an accord with Chile on
"open skies" without the knowledge of the Peruvian Congress.
He has been the center of a political scandal since November when a local
daily accused him of favoring his girlfriend's father with a supreme decree
which allowed him to evade tax payment in transferring a restaurant.
His surprising resignation came when President Toledo's closest allies were
accused of forging agreements with the corruption network of former
presidential adviser Vladimiro Montesinos during Alberto Fujimori's rule
from 1990 to 2000.
Political analysts consider Diez Canseco's resignation a big blow to
Toledo's government, which is under fire due to growing public disapproval.
There was no immediate comment from the presidential palace.
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