Costa Rica

risk of a cyanide spill Glencairn Gold Corp

2007-07-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

TheStar.com - Business - Glencairn stock slides on Costa Rica mine halt: "Shares of Glencairn Gold Corp. (TSX: GGG) fell by one-third Thursday morning after the company suspended operations at its Bellavista Mine in Costa Rica, citing the risk of a cyanide spill.

Glencairn stock was down 19 cents to 38 cents on the TSX following Wednesday evening's word of ground movements that may compromise containment of cyanide used to dissolve gold from crushed ore.

The earth movement – up to one centimetre a day in some parts of the leach pad and waste pile – is attributed to years of unusually heavy rain.

'Based on earth movement patterns in Costa Rica, the geological structure at the site, and the opinions of its experts, the company does not believe that there is a risk of sudden earth movement at this time,' Glencairn stated.

'However, continued small movements could compromise the sub-liner, liner and drain system.'

Glencairn said the mine closure is a 'precautionary measure until a full technical analysis has been completed and required remedial action has been implemented.'"

Animal care

2007-07-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

nwi.com: Animal care requires balancing act: "Circuses conjure up images of clowns, animals and the trapeze for some. But for others, life under the big top means bullhooks, chains and cages.

The Carson & Barnes Circus comes to town Monday in Steger. As a former humane society staff member, I have to admit that I've had the notion that circuses featuring animals are bad. So when the media kit arrived on my desk to promote this circus in my coverage area, I thought, 'what about the animals?'

But the first item I saw in the media kit was a publication explaining the care the circus takes with its animals. After reading it, I realized I had formed an opinion about circuses without examining both sides. I wanted to know more.

There are two sides to every story. If you start researching circus animals, you'll realize what this means.

Viewpoint A: The Carson & Barnes Circus publication says no documented case of abuse ever has been uncovered with regard to its circus. It says research has shown circus elephants to be less stressed, more peaceful and livelier than those in zoos. Circuses have a first amendment right to perform with animals, as an artistic expression. The public has the right to choose to patronize the performances. The animals represent a huge and emotional financial investment, and the family business o"

"PETA says that Sweden, Austria, Costa Rica, India, Finland and Singapore have all banned or restricted the use of animals in entertainment and that the United States should do the same."

New Options for Digital Currency Users Worldwide

2007-07-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

New Options for Digital Currency Users Worldwide: "Digital Currency users wondering what was going to happen with the giant void left in the marketplace now have a new option at their fingertips, V-Coin, and their VC$, a digital currency administered by the Central American International Trust Company based in San Jose, Costa Rica

V-Coin entered the marketplace several weeks ago with their soft launch and now is rapidly gaining acceptance. V-Coin operates very similar to well known company E-Gold, with several important additional benefits.

V-Coin is a new 'digital' currency platform which unlike Digital Gold Currencies has their Digital Currency pegged to the United States Dollar. Miguel Maderaverde, General Manager at V-Coin explains 'One of the many great features which sets us apart from other Digital Currency Operators is a VC$ is always equal to 1 US Dollar, this means no more losses due to currency fluctuations, also as we are based entirely offshore here in Costa Rica, users can rest assured of privacy protection and finally all monies backing our currency are held with our parent company the Central American International Trust Company providing our users peace of mind.'

The primary function of the system is to facilitate payments, in a closed marketplace, between V-Coin members. A secondary function is for V-Coin members to make payments to entities who are not yet V-Coin me"

Sheen’s proposal was a complete shock

2007-07-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Charlie Sheen’s proposal was a complete shock, says Brooke Mueller » Fametastic: "Charlie Sheen’s fiancee Brooke Mueller has said she was stunned when the actor proposed last month.

Charlie presented her with a $500,000 engagement ring during their holiday in Costa Rica and she told People magazine recently: “I was totally caught off guard when he popped the question!”

“We were having a romantic dinner in the hotel room with room service when he asked me to marry him. I was thrilled. I smiled all night and kept looking at the ring because it was so beautiful.”

Brooke added that she wants “a big wedding” but not just yet: “We just got engaged and both of us want to enjoy the journey right now. We really want to live this part of our lives.”"

which airlines fly from Oakland to San Jose?

2007-07-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

San Jose Mercury News - Travel Q&A: Can I buy travel insurance to cover a 6-month-long trip?: "Q: Can you tell me which airlines fly from Oakland to San Jose, Costa Rica?

Jim Silva, San Leandro

A. You won't find any non-stops from Oakland International to Costa Rica, and most one-stop flights we found include layovers of several hours.

But these airlines will get you there:
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American (through Dallas-Forth Worth), United (through Los Angeles), Delta (through Atlanta) and Continental (through Houston). Your best bet is probably flying through Los Angeles, which has non-stops departing at 2:25 a.m. and arriving at 9:05 a.m.

Not even San Francisco International offers non-stops. But in addition to the carriers mentioned above, US Airways, Mexicana and Northwest also fly to Costa Rica from San Francisco, although with long layovers."

retirement homes or second homes

2007-07-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Jacksonville.com: Metro: Story: Want to retire here? You'd better do your homework: "Florida remains a retirement haven, but for some globetrotters the restless search for sun-splashed tropical getaways is sending them farther south.

They are scouting Latin America for retirement homes or second homes, hoping to cash in on bargain-priced real estate.

If it works out well, they'll catch the market on an upswing and save money on daily living expenses. In the worst-case scenario, they'll pay for property and discover too late all they've bought is land with disputed ownership.

About 60 people gathered recently at a Jacksonville hotel for a seminar on buying property in Nicaragua. The speakers from Century 21 were informal - one wore beach sandals - and their message was direct: Come join us before everyone else discovers Nicaragua is a deal like Costa Rica was 10 or 20 years ago.

Atlantic Beach resident Joe Hencke liked what he heard, at least enough to say it would be worth visiting Nicaragua to see for himself.

He said affordable real estate is the big key for him.

'Sometimes I think I could do it in rural America, but then I wouldn't be getting the surf and the lush tropics and the fresh fruit,' he said. 'It's a paradise kind of thing.'

But paradise can have its pi"

Knee Injury Relieved Healthbase through Indian Hospital

2007-07-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

dBusinessNews :: Daily Business News Delivered to Your Desktop: "Healthbase.com, a Boston-based medical tourism facilitator, has successfully assisted William Nilsson, an uninsured American patient seek knee replacement surgery in India. Healthbase connects uninsured, underinsured and even insured patients to leading medical facilities overseas, arranging first-class treatment for them at major internationally-accredited hospitals in India, Thailand, Singapore and Mexico, and expanding to Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Turkey and Malaysia.

William Nilsson of Southern Utah had not paid much attention to the knee injuries he sustained during football games in high-school some 50 years ago. But when he tore his knee ligaments last year while playing golf, he, like 45 million uninsured Americans, didn’t know how he could pay for a knee replacement surgery. He saw the light of hope with Healthbase that helped him find low cost but high quality treatment in India, ensuring that he could play golf again.

Owing to the rising costs of healthcare in the United States, patients these days are traveling abroad for surgeries in various categories like orthopedics, cardiac, cosmetic, and dental among others. The cost of surgical care at overseas hospitals is typically a fraction of that found in the U.S., with equal or superior outcomes. William�"

giving and fundraising

2007-07-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Winona Daily News - 6.0: "The world is flat and the lines separating global and local economies have blurred and grayed, according to an international fundraiser visiting Winona this week.

“It’s really a quiet revolution, and it’s fundamentally changing the way the world works,” Jon Duchnisky, one of the leading advisors for European fundraising, said Sunday afternoon.

In a matter of 30 seconds, a person living in the U.S. can donate $100 to save baby sea turtles in Costa Rica, and million-dollar contracts are signed between local firms, Duchnisky said.

But has the “Save the Sea Turtles” fund over-flourished beyond its need? Have contracts that can be done cheaper by an Indian company been lost to local bidders?

Duchnisky will be discussing these questions for a presentation on the globalization of giving and fundraising tonight at Saint Mary’s Figliulo Hall. After founding the UK fundraising group Cascaid and working for the French Institute of Fundraising, the 31-year-old globetrotter teamed with U.S. advertising firm TBWA to start Resources Non-Profit, which trains fundraisers across the world, including universities, nonprofits and research organizations.

Changes in fundraising means local organizations can and should already be thinking globally, and individual donors are choosing causes based on personal preferences rath"

Costa Rica Z

2007-07-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica Z is a 12-year-old German-bred mare owned by Victoria Smith.

Showjumping Millars steal the show at international tournament - International horse news; equestrian event news, equine news - Horsetalk: "On the same grounds where her father jumped in the 1976 Olympics, Amy Millar, of Perth, Ontario, continued the family's summer of '07 winning streak.

For the second consecutive day, Millar won the feature competition at the Bromont International show jumping tournament. Amy Millar, 30, and her brother Jonathon, 32, have been on an unprecedented winning streak for the last six weeks.

Saturday's victory in the $20,000 Cheval Blanc Speed Derby left no room for error. In a rare showjumping outcome, Millar and G Force tied to 1/100th of a second for the victory. In an even more unusual twist, the dual winners both had refusals. Jump-offs are rare in speed competition and, after some deliberation, it was decided to call it a tie.

Millar's co-winner was Hyde Moffatt, of Brantford, Ontario, on Ting Tin, who made a valiant attempt to stop the Millar winning streak, stopping the clock at 151.9. Last to compete, Millar had the identical outcome as Moffatt, also having a refusal and equalling his time. The winners were more than three seconds faster than their closest rival, Quebecer Billy Derouet on Jezabel, who logged a time of 155.02.

G Force is a nine-year-old Dutch-bred gelding with whom Millar has had considerable success ag"

Government performance in private investment, concessions

2007-07-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Business News Americas - Latin America's Business Information Leader: "Costa Rica's government has a long way to go before it can really say that it is getting the most out of private investment - in the form of concessions - to boost the country's economic development.

The hotly disputed impasse between Costa Rica's government and Juan Santamaría international airport concessionaire Alterra Partners has gotten lots of press both locally and internationally, including by BNamericas. The involvement of the IFC as one of Alterra's financial backers has also added some weight and brought more of the international spotlight to the situation.

Without taking sides with Alterra - which claims to have lost US$18.7mn in revenue due to what it deems changes in the original contract - or with the comptroller general - which has doggedly stuck to the stance that addendums to 'balance' this contract would be illegal - it is suffice to say that this dispute, which has dragged on for years, has only hurt development at the airport, with the knock-on effect of hurting tourism. It has also led many Costa Ricans to look suspiciously on concessions schemes.

However, the questioned concessions process at Juan Santamaría airport is not a unique case in Costa Rica.

Another project that springs to the forefront when it comes to concessions not performing as expected is"

Julieta Venegas comes to Costa Rica

2007-07-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Today's News - Online Daily Update to The Tico Times Weekly Edition Newspaper - Costa Rica's Best Journalistic New Source: "Mexican singer and Grammy award winner Julieta Venegas will perform at the Palacio de los Deportes in Heredia, north of San José, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m., offering fans a taste of musical “lemon and salt.”

Venegas, considered one of the most important women in Latin American rock, will perform songs from her albums “ Sí, ” “ Bueninvento ” and “ Limón y Sal ” (“Lemon and Salt”), her latest. Released in 2006, the album has sold more than 700,000 copies worldwide.

“Lemon and salt are ingredients used for everything in Mexico. I believe that's the flavor of my music and of love,” Venegas said in a statement.

Venegas began studying music at the age of 8 in her hometown of Tijuana, Mexico. Her influences include David Bowie, Suzanne Vega, Prince and Charly García.

Tickets can be bought online at www.mundoticket.com or by calling 207-2025. Prices range from ¢13,000 to ¢20,000 ($25-38)."

Ocotalito Villas Resort & Spa

2007-07-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

Helium Report | Fractional Ownership in Costa Rica: "I want to let you know about an exciting opportunity – Ocotalito Resort & Spa.

This five-star gated resort on the most beautiful coastline in all of Costa Rica is what I’ve been focused on for the last two years. Some of you know about my development and have even made a point of traveling to Costa Rica to see it first hand for yourself. It only seems fair that I share this limited opportunity with the rest of you—36 luxury villas available for full or fractional ownership.

Already under construction, we’re sparing nothing developing Ocotalito Resort & Spa—from our top-of-the-line finishes to our luxury services and amenities.

The 1st Phase of our development features villas that will occupy 4.9 of the resort’s total 6.5 acres. Completely furnished kitchens (indoor and out), a private Jacuzzi, flat screen TVs, digital surround sound, and iPod docking stations in each bedroom pair all the conveniences of home with room service.

Our Lifestyle Concierge is available to prepare for your arrival, stocking your favorite groceries and arranging for sightseeing tours. Or take your Land Rover Defender (yes, it’s yours with purchase of a unit) and discover the beauty of Costa Rica at your leisure.

Each villa enjoys an ocean vi"

Costa Rica Doing Better than Countries that implemented CAFTA

2007-07-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

Eyes on Trade: Costa Rica Doing Better than Countries that implemented CAFTA: "Umberto Mazzei has a pretty damning analysis of how Costa Rica is thriving without CAFTA, while Guatemala is suffering with CAFTA.

The message is overwhelming: [Guatemala] 'sacrificed' itself to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States for nothing. The CAFTA model, pushing the Central American economy toward the export of non-traditional goods to the United States, has been a pretext for imposing expensive foreign pharmaceuticals as opposed to cheap, national generic drugs, overwhelming the peasant farmer with subsidized imports, and granting extra-territorial jurisdiction to foreign companies.

Non-traditional exports in Guatemala have decreased instead of increasing—contrary to the objectives of CAFTA. In Costa Rica, which remains outside CAFTA, exports of new products and markets have grown. All indicates that the privileged share in an FTA with the United States is more a hindrance than a help.

This comes a few months before Costa Ricans vote in the world's first ever referendum on a trade deal. If you're in DC next Wednesday morning, you might want to check out this debate between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Otton Solis, the fair trader who nearly became Costa Rica's president."

Vietnam - one of world’s safest destinations for travellers

2007-07-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

VietNamNet - Vietnam - one of world’s safest destinations for travellers: "VietNamNet Bridge – Belgium's prestigious DeMorgen newspaper has run an article saying Vietnam is one of the three safest destinations for tourists, together with Costa Rica and Ireland.

The paper recommended that foreign visitors, particularly women, should come to the Southeast Asian nation. This is of particular interest to Belgium where lone women travellers account for close to 10 percent of travellers every year.

Susan Cortell from the Gusty Women Travel Tour recalled 'In Vietnam, I not only felt safe but also received a cordial welcome, especially in Hanoi and old town Hoi An. I want to return to the country, at least for shopping as things aren't too expensive there.'

In 2005, Vietnam was also ranked by the US-based renowned Aon Corporation as one of the safest tourism destinations."

Brooke Mueller - Charlie Sheen

2007-07-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

Brooke Mueller Gushes Over Charlie Sheen - Charlie Sheen : People.com: "Now that her engagement to Charlie Sheen has been announced, first-time bride-to-be Brooke Mueller is hoping to pull out all the stops.

'I definitely want a big wedding,' Mueller, 29, tells PEOPLE, 'but Charlie and I haven't planned anything yet.'

The couple are in no hurry to tie the knot. 'We just got engaged and both of us want to enjoy the journey right now,' says Mueller. 'We really want to live this part of our lives.'

Last month, Sheen, 41, proposed to Mueller, a real-estate investor, with an 11-carat, nearly $500,000 engagement ring during their 10-day vacation at the Four Seasons Hotel in Costa Rica.

'I was totally caught off guard when he popped the question!' Mueller says. 'We were having a romantic dinner in the hotel room with room service when he asked me to marry him. I was thrilled. I smiled all night and kept looking at the ring because it was so beautiful.'

As for what attracted her to the 41-year-old star of Two and a Half Men, Mueller – who was introduced to Sheen by her best friend, Rebecca Gayheart, at a party in April 2006 – says, 'Charlie is brilliant and has the most captivating mind of anyone I know. He makes me laugh all of the time, and his witty one-liners are relentless. He is simply charmin"

Calvin Ayre Bodog gambling, fighting and music

2007-07-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Brooks Alberta Sports News, Scores And Standings - The Brooks Bulletin: "Calvin Ayre responds quickly when asked what's best about being a billionaire.

'The girls,' he says. 'Without any doubt. 'Anybody that says anything other than that has got to be lying.' It's an answer Ayre's target audience at Bodog.com would appreciate.

'We're in gambling, fighting and music,' Ayre told The Canadian Press in an interview at a downtown hotel Tuesday. 'Those are very primeval areas of interest that I think you will find are attractive in any culture on the planet.'

The combination has made the native of Lloydminster, Sask., a wealthy man with online gambling leading the way. His goal is to spread Bodog around the globe by using the Internet and television to sell his brand.

Forbes magazine put him on the cover of its billionaires issue in March 2006. It's a nice place to be, standing next to the words: 'The richest people in the world.'

Ayre was suddenly the poster boy for big bucks.

He didn't make this year's list, but says that was only because given the current anti-online gambling stance of U.S. authorities, he was not willing to share the kind of information the magazine wanted.

'They thought I was worthy of the list when my revenues were $200 million (US),' he said of Forbes. 'The next year my revenues were $300 millio"

Taiwan will give $340 million

2007-07-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

News | Africa - Reuters.com: "Taiwan, recognised by only 24 governments around the world, will give $340 million this year to third-world countries, playing up new types of assistance that it hopes China cannot match, an aid agency head said on Wednesday.

China, which has viewed self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, seeks to isolate Taiwan internationally and has amassed 170 diplomatic partners compared to Taiwan's two-dozen mainly small, poor countries in Central America, the South Pacific and Africa.

Both sides often accuse each other of dollar diplomacy, or offers of aid or cheap loans to curry influence with would-be diplomatic allies.

The new development aid will include $2 million for Caribbean ally St. Lucia, which defected from China in May, and extended aid for Costa Rica which switched its allegiance from Taiwan to China in June, the Foreign Ministry's International Cooperation and Development Fund said.

The fund decided that from the second half of this year through 2008 it would offer aid it believes China lacks experience to provide, Chen Cheng-chung, the fund's secretary-general, said, naming agricultural and Internet expertise and hospital resources as three potential areas.

'These are unique items that can be supplied by the Taiwan government and civil society,' said Chen.

Central America has"

Colegio de Periodistas photojournalists prize

2007-07-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

International Journalists’ Network: "Journalists whose photographs were published in Costa Rica in 2006 have until August 31 to enter a contest organized by the country’s Colegio de Periodistas, a journalists’ association.

Candidates may submit up to 10 pictures. The winner will receive up to US$500. Participants must authorize the association to publish the photos in the national and international media.

For submissions or more information, visit (in Spanish) http://www.colper.or.cr/paginas/premios/premios_becas.htm#tres."

Charlie Sheen's wedding

2007-07-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

Charlie Sheen's big wedding - Showbiz News - Life Style Extra: "Charlie Sheen's fiancée Brooke Mueller wants a huge wedding.

Mueller, a 29-year-old real estate investor, plans to pull out all the stops for the couple's big day but is in no rush to tie the knot yet.

She told People magazine: 'I definitely want a big wedding, but Charlie and I haven't planned anything yet. We just got engaged and both of us want to enjoy the journey right now. We really want to live this part of our lives.'

Sheen, 41, proposed with an 11-carat $500,000 engagement ring while they were holidaying in Costa Rica earlier this month, and Mueller admits it was a total shock.

She said: 'I was totally caught off guard when he popped the question! We were having a romantic dinner in the hotel room with room service when he asked me to marry him. I was thrilled. I smiled all night and kept looking at the ring because it was so beautiful.

'Although everything is the same between us, I feel more part of the family now.'

Mueller says she fell in love with Sheen's 'brilliant' sense of humour and charm.

She gushed: 'Charlie is brilliant and has the most captivating mind of anyone I know. He makes me laugh all of the time, and his witty one-liners are relentless. He is simply charming.'

Mueller says she "

Environmental audits in Americas

2007-07-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

New Company for New Needs - News - Reston Connection - Connection Newspapers: "Ever since they met at graduate school for Environmental and Resource Policy at George Washington University seven years ago, Jorge Morera and Felipe Albertani have dreamed of starting their own eco-friendly business. The first idea, building windmills in Costa Rica fell through, but the two are making their dream come true with the Reston-based EcoCapital.
'This is an idea that we’ve had for a long time,' said Morera, 30. EcoCapital, based out of Morera’s condo in Reston Town Center, is on the verge of signing its first clients. The company performs two services. Its environmental risk management service mostly targets banks and most of that operation is conducted in South and Latin America. The other service, Green Company Programs, offers companies an audit so they could become as environmentally friendly as possible.
'It is good for the environment and the businesses want everyone to know they are environmentally friendly,' said Morera. He said the eco-friendly label would improve the public image of a business, attracting more clients while reducing its costs. 'Good environmental performance and growing your business go hand in hand,' said Morera.

ASIDE FROM THE TWO founders, EcoCapital has a network of 30 professionals with backgrounds in environmental management and information"

Geotourism

2007-07-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

World Hum | Travel | New Addition to the Travel Lexicon: ‘Geotourism’: "In our ongoing quest to chronicle the comings and goings in the travel lexicon we bring you “geotourism,” a term describing travel that, in the AP’s words, “focuses on a destination’s unique culture and history and aims to have visitors help enrich those qualities.” Coined several years ago by the National Geographic Society’s Jonathan B. Tourtellot, the term hasn’t yet caught on among most travelers. But according to the AP, “it’s on the lips of travel professionals who describe it as a step beyond the better-known environmentally friendly ecotourism. While geotourism encourages treading lightly on nature, it’s also about authenticity and making a place better by visiting and spending money.”

Despite the best intentions of many travelers, few places significantly benefit from their visits, according to Leo Hickman, whose book, “The Final Call,” explores the impact of travel on the globe.

“Tourism is a very lop-sided deal in its current form whereby the buyers—us tourists—get by far a better deal than the sellers—the people living in the destinations,” he said in a recent World Hum interview. “I saw very few examples whereby the people in the destinations said t"

DVD Scam founder extradited from Costa Rica

2007-07-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Feds Arrest Two in Possible DVD Scam in Florida - Associated Content: "The U.S. Attorney's Office accused two men of a fraud scheme in South Florida Thursday. A press release from the United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Florida said that Anthony Rocco Andreoni and Russell G. MacArthur, Jr. have been indicted for their involvement in a DVD fraud scheme.

Andreoni and MacArthur are the founders of a company called American Entertainment Distributers, Inc. (AED). AED was located in Hollywood, Florida, and for a number of years sold a business opportunity featuring a DVD vending machine. AED advertised these DVD machines widely on the internet and through mail. Authorities said they promised potential customers that AED would help them secure profitable locations for their new machines. Additionally, AED claimed that profits would be large for those participating in the DVD vending machine program. The government said that AED even went so far as to refer potential buyers to so-called 'references' who sold the machines. These 'references' were actually on the AED payroll.

The advertising must have been somewhat convincing. Purchasers paid AED anywhere from $28,000 to $40,000 per DVD machine. Over 400 consumers throughout the United States bought into this scheme and lost over 19 million dollars combined.

Nine individuals had already been charged in relation to this scheme. One of those individuals was the above mentioned MacArthur's brother, who was serving as president of the company. He is now serving a ten year prison sentence. MacArthur himself was actually caught and originally indicted in 2005, but somehow quickly fled toCosta Rica to avoid pending prosecution. He has just been recently extradited from Costa Rica and could face 20 years in prison on the fraud charges and other criminal charges.

Another individual indicted,"

Victory's Hernandez

2007-07-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Victory's Hernandez aims to dominate - Breaking News - Sport - Breaking News: "Melbourne Victory's high-profile recruit Carlos Hernandez has no doubts he will succeed in the A-League.

Hernandez trained with his new teammates for the first time on Wednesday and looked in good touch.

The 25-year-old Costa Rican international said the reception from his new teammates had been totally overwhelming and he already felt at home in Melbourne.

'Like any foreigner that comes into a foreign country there's expectations there,' he said through an interpreter.

'I realise that and I've been used to that for most of my career.

'I believe in my capabilities and credentials.

'I have no problems whatsoever with the expectations, and I'm here to deliver the goods.'

Wednesday's training session in wet and cold conditions was the first time Victory had seen Hernandez in the flesh, with the signing made on the basis of a DVD of his highlights, including two terrific goals playing for Costa Rica.

Victory football manager Gary Cole said the Victory squad, which lost exciting Brazilian midfielder Fred in the off-season, has been strengthened by the Costa Rican's signing.

'Everyone thinks that Melbourne Victory now has a stronger and much more balanced squad than we did last year. (Coach Ernie Merrick's) challenge is to turn that"

play now, pay later online poker

2007-07-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

Prudent Press Agency-World's First "Play Now, Pay Later" Poker Site Opens - Clubs, Gaming & Casino - News: "San Jose, Costa Rica (Prudent Press Agency) -- Taking a concept from traditional brick and mortar casinos, ChipUp.com has become the first online poker room (http://www.chipup.com) to offer its guests 'play now, pay later' options.
-------------. -------------.
A concept new to Internet casinos but well known throughout the sports betting industry, 'play now, pay later' allows poker enthusiasts to exercise a variety of depositing and withdrawal payment options in an effort to encourage individuals from around the globe to try their hands at major poker games and tournaments.

Jerry Rollings, spokesperson for ChipUp.com, believes that 'play now, pay later' will revolutionize the field of web-based poker.

'ChipUp.com allows players the freedom to explore a diversity of games with player-friendly payment alternatives,' Rollings says. 'Whether they're into an action packed game of Texas Hold'em Poker or an intense competition of Omaha Hi Lo, we aspire to have exactly what they're looking for at our virtual tables.'

To celebrate the opening of ChipUp.com, the site's creators are introducing two special offers:

* An open invitation to the cast of 'The Sopranos' to play at ChipUp.com's $10/20 No Limit Texas Holdem poker table"

Latin American penal system reform conference

2007-07-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Today's News - Online Daily Update to The Tico Times Weekly Edition Newspaper - Costa Rica's Best Journalistic New Source: "Judges, prosecutors, and lawyers from 10 Latin American countries yesterday inaugurated a conference in San José that will focus on penal system reforms, using Japan as an example.

“Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world,” said Elías Carranza, director of the U.N.'s Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD).

He told The Tico Times the biggest problem in Costa Rica, which he said has one of the best penal systems in the Americas, is the lack of public defenders.

Conference attendees will spend the next 10 days analyzing the role of public defenders and prosecutors in criminal processes and the main problems for justice systems in Latin America. They will also get to know the success story of Japan.

Costa Rica's Supreme Court president Luis Paulina Mora and Chief Prosecutor Francisco Dall'Anese are among speakers scheduled to appear."