The video shows the winner of “Ukraine’s Got Talent”, Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. Her talent, which admittedly is a strange one, is mesmeric to watch.
The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears and she won the top prize of about £75,000.
She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated.
It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears.
She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.
This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house.
In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.
The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine, resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.
Kseniya Simonova says:
“I find it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers is beyond me. The art, especially when the war is used as the subject matter, even brings some audience members to tears. And there’s surely no bigger compliment.”
With a little more a week to go, it appears that Laura Chinchilla of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) has a lock on the vote with a 45.1% support, according to the latest poll by Demoscopia.
Otto Guevara of the Movimiento Libertario (ML) continues to hold second place firmly with 30% of the decided vote, while Ottón Solís of the Partido Acción Cuidadana (PAC) continues in third place with 9.5%, followed by the Luis Fishman of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) with a 3.8% approval.
The Demoscopia poll firmly dispells the requirement of a second round vote.
However, during several interviews and round table discussions before the television cameras, all the candidates assure that they will win the vote of the majority of Costa Ricans.
Ottón Solís was quick to remind that four years ago the poll results weren’t much different when he faced off against Oscar Arias, then on voting day almost winning the election. Solís lost to Arias in 2006 with less than a 1.000 votes.
The Demoscopia poll was taken between January 20 and 26, taking into account the results of 1.209 people.
The poll results show that 71% of the voters have decided for whom they will cast their vote.
Costa Ricans will go to the polls on Sunday, February 7th.
The Inter-American Human Rights Court says Colombia’s government has acknowledged responsibility in the 1994 killing of a communist senator and asked forgiveness.
The revelation came in a statement Thursday involving the assassination of Sen. Manuel Cepeda.
The court quotes Colombia’s government as saying it profoundly regrets the crime and asks to be forgiven.
The senator’s son says that isn’t enough and is demanding Colombian President Alvaro Uribe make the apology in a national broadcast.
A Colombian judge convicted two soldiers of assassinating the senator and sentenced each to 43 years in prison in 1999.
The Costa Rica-based rights court operates under the aegis of the Organization of American States.
Singapore and Costa Rica have successfully concluded negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after four rounds of talks.
The two countries will sign the accord “once domestic processes are completed”, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement, referring to the ratification of the pact by their respective parliaments.
Under the agreement, Singapore and Costa Rican companies will enjoy greater access to each other’s markets.
“Singapore will grant immediate duty-free access for all imports from Costa Rica, while Costa Rica would eliminate tariffs for 90.6 percent of its tariff lines upon entry into force of the agreement,” the statement said.
Tariffs on the remaining products would be eliminated over a period of 10 years.
The services and investments chapters cover key areas of interest for Singapore companies, including hotel and restaurant services, private education services, and construction services.
In addition, under the agreement, investors will be assured of protection for their investments.
The statement added that the conclusion of the Singapore-Costa Rica FTA is a sign of the warming bilateral economic relations between both countries, and provides a platform to grow bilateral trade and investments even further.
Bilateral trade hit S$413.7 million in 2009, up 40 per cent from 2004. Singapore’s imports from Costa Rica comprise mainly electronic valves and machine parts, while Singapore exports to Costa Rica were mainly measuring instruments and rubber.
For the lover of outdoor adventure, Costa Rica provides a tropical paradise with shimmering blue ocean, incredible resort properties along with jungle and city adventures. Whether you prefer a restful day at the beach, excitement in the water or a brush-beating safari in deep tropical jungle, you’ll find it in Costa Rica. And, with a variety of all-inclusive vacation resorts, you can go first-class and experience Costa Rica on your terms without breaking the bank.
Paradisus Playa Conchal
Stay in luxurious and eco-friendly surroundings at the Paradisus Playa Conchal. The all-inclusive resort offer more than 400 suite-sized rooms, eight dining options, five bars, an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course, lagoon-style pool, spa and fitness center, and activities for those with energy to burn. Beach excitement includes catamaran sailing, snorkeling and laser skeet shooting. Take a fly over the jungle with a canopy tour, or take a cooking class.
Paradisus Playa Conchal
Bahia Brasilito, Playa Conchal
Santa Cruz, Costa Rica
(888) 741-5600
paradisus-playa-conchal.com
Barcelo Tambor Beach
Much like Paradisus, the Barcelo Tambor Beach has a wealth of restaurants and activities to keep even the most active of adventurers busy the entire stay. The five-star resort offers safe, clean beaches, exotic plant life on the grounds and lush, vegetation-filled hills of the surrounding Costa Rican biological corridor. Beach activity, nightly entertainment, a casino, a variety of dining and drinking establishments, along with the all-inclusive tag, help to make for a relaxing or exhilarating stay.
The Tamarindo Diria Beach & Golf Resort is a 4-star all-inclusive on the northwestern Pacific coast. Being the first resort on the white sands of Tamarindo Beach, the resort has a prime location where you can explore the lush tropical gardens, swim in the deep blue waters, sink your toes in to the warm sand or enjoy the modern conveniences. The resort has several different pools, three restaurants, two bars, a variety of accommodation types and two nearby golf courses, which resort guests can play for a reduced rate.
Beginning in March, Costa Ricans may be paying an additional ¢85 colones on their telephone bills – fixed line and cellular – that will go towards financing the costs of the 911 emergency services.
Currenlty the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) applies a ¢79.56 colones charge on all telephone bills. If the request by 911 is approved by the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (Sutel), the charge will increase to ¢166.49.
The director of the 911 emergency service, Rodolfo Jugo, says the increase will allow the service to have an additional ¢2.5 billion colones for operating cost for 2010.
Jugo says the increase is necessary to cover the costs of providing adequate emeregency response services due to an increase in calls.
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