San José, Costa Rica -    Sunday 26 September 2004

1.234 Daily Average Visits in August! Up 10%

Updated every day by 8:00AM Central Standard Time

A mountain of coupons. Readers of the Spanish daily newspaper Diario Extra sent in their coupons for a chance at winning a condo at Playas de Coco in celebration of their 25th Anniversary. Sandra Poveda Méndez was the winner. [Foto: Luis Morales] Click for larger image!

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

FISCHEL-CAJA:
Fischel May be Sold
Heard the latest rumour? The sale of the Corporación Fischel? Well, the truth may not be too far from the gossip.

Faked Documents Over Project
Pacific Consultants International (PCI) submitted a falsified document to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) regarding a contract for work on an official development assistance project in Costa Rica, "The Yomiuri Shimbun" Japan's news source, has learned.

High Speed Internet Service Approved
The Contraloría General de la República (Comptroller's office) last week turned down the contract that the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) had with Ericsson Costa Rica to supply 600.000 new GSM cellular lines, but it did give the green light to high speed internet.

Vehicular Inspection Rules Eased
Need to take your car at Riteve for the annual vehicular inspection? Starting tomorrow, some 120 items will pass from "grave" to "leve" (serious to light).

insidenicaragua
First Round of FTA talks with Nicaragua finalized
Officials from Taiwan and Nicaragua yesterday wrapped up the first round of negotiations about a free trade agreement (FTA), saying they expect the talks can be completed in six to eight months.

Radius welcomes Meridian to Nicaragua
Vancouver-based Radius Gold has attracted a major joint venture partner in its exploration of Nicaragua.

Ex-Nicaraguan president launders 54 million dollars in Panama
Former Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman and his partners laundered about 54 million US dollars in Panamanian banks, Attorney General of Nicaragua Alberto Novoa said Thursday.

Panamanian natives hope to unite for Panama Independence Day bash
They brought out the pigs' feet when they finished business.

Chilean judge interrogates Pinochet over killing of opponents
A Chilean judge questioned former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet on Saturday over Operation Condor, a conspiracy of a number of South American dictators to kill left-wing political opponents in the 1970s.

International News from the New York Times
 

CORRUPTION-ARGENTINA: Local Residents Rebel Against Mayor Nearly six months after the federal government assumed direct rule of the northern Argentine province of Santiago del Estero, the residents of a small town in the region are threatening to stage a "popular uprising", demanding that the municipal government also be swept free of corrupt officials. The aim of the intervention by the government of President Néstor Kirchner is to dismantle a corruption-riddled family-based regime accused of brutal persecution of opponents and human rights violations, that ruled the province for over 50 years. "The intervention shook the people awake," Catholic nun Adriana Gómez, with the Hijas de María Auxiliadora Religious Community in the small town of Atamisqui, 130 km from the provincial capital, told IPS.

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

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