Archive for February 19th, 2010
Friday, February 19th, 2010
Tiger Woods apologized to his fans Friday, saying he was “deeply sorry for his irresponsible and selfish behavior.”
“For all I have done, I am so sorry,” he said. “I have a lot to atone for.”
As expected, Woods did not reveal when he would return to playing golf, saying he will return to therapy Saturday “for guidance on the issues he is facing.”
Wearing a dark blazer and a blue shirt, Woods often had tears in his eyes during his statement, telling a group of reporters he was responsible for the scandal that has engulfed his family.
“I knew my actions were wrong,” said Woods at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. “I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I only thought about myself.
“I felt I was entitled, thanks to money and fame. I was wrong, I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. I brought this shame on myself.”
He ended his nearly 14-minute statement by asking colleagues and fans to “believe in me again.”
Woods also shot down reports that his wife, Elin Nordegren, attacked him on Nov. 27 when he crashed his sport-utility vehicle outside his Florida home.
“There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever, Woods said. “Elin deserves praise. Not blame.”
Woods also appeared angry when he asked the media to respect the privacy of his family.
“Please leave my wife and kids alone,” he said.
As seen in the photo above Woods went over and gave his mom a big hug after his statement.
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
The new road to Caldera claimed a second life yesterday in three weeks of being open to the public.
The fatal accident that claimed one life and sent three others to hospital occurred on the Orotina - Santa Ana direction of the highway, when a mini van slammed into a concrete median, flipped over a couple of times and landed on its side.
The highway was closed in both directions for almost two hours following the 8pm accident.
The van was being driven by 34 year old American, Jake Travis Braesch.
The accident occurred near the Turrucares section of the new highway, where the road is divided by a concrete median.
Witnesses say the driver could not negotiate a curve, lost control and slammed into the first section of the highway divider.
Critics of the new highway were quick to blame the lack of illumination and poor design.
Cruz Roja (Red Cross) rescue workers has a difficult time to pull two children from the wreckage, which fortunately were still alive and taken to the hospital México.
The actual cause of the accident is under investigation.
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
If you live in Escazú, Santa Ana and Alajuelita, be prepared as the AyA will be shutting off the taps between 8am and 8pm.
Some 140.000 persons are expected to be affected by the cutting of water service, mainly in the areas of:
Santa Ana centre, Gavilanes, Pozos, Chispa, Concepción, Obando, Casa Blanca and calle Pilas.
Escazú centre, San Antonio, San Rafael, Bello Horizonte, Los Anonos, Alto de las Palomas, Miravalles, Mata Palo, Guachipelín, Laureles, Multiplaza and Trejos Montealegre.
Alajuelita centre, San Josecito, San Felipe, Tejarcillos, La Aurora, Concepción and barrio El Tejar.
The service cut is expected to also affect residents in Desamparados barrios of Maiquetia, Los Angeles, Tolima and Novedades.
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) are calling on its subscribers to save energy during this dry season, before we see a decline in water levels of the major reservoirs.
Greivin Mayorga, deputy electricity ICE, said: “We manage our reservoirs and plan to maintain the safety levels for the critical months of this summer.”
In the case of Arenal, it is currently at 541 meters above sea level but is in a steady declining curve. Meanwhile, Cachí is currently at a level of 988 meters above sea level.
Mayorga believes that energy should be saved, especially during March, April and May.
The electrical energy generated by ICE comes in from 93% clean sources.
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
Charles J. Simone, 24, of Liberty, pleaded guilty today in federal court for his part in an online gambling operation. How it worked: Simone gave his clients a 1-800 number and a Web site where they could place bets. (The phone line and the site were both operated in Costa Rica.) Then Simone would do things the old-fashioned way and pay out or collect money in person.
The operation started up in 2006. Simone says he didn’t get involved in late 2008, and his involvement ended in spring 2009. He’s the second guy to plead to being part of the gambling ring; the other was Michael V. Badalucco, 26.
Longtime readers will recall the feds have been fishing around this particular pond for a few months now. Mark Morris says 10 people, by one count, have been jailed over the past several months for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating online gambling.
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
Eco travel is not just about enjoying yourself and thinking only of yourself in the process, it is about advocating eco friendly places that respect their plants, animal and cultural life at the same time supporting the well-being of the locals.
These concepts are primary elements of eco tourism and any traveler can travel with care while enjoying themselves at the same time. Costa Rica and Nicaragua are two of the best countries in Central America for eco tourism and any biology or botany lover will feel right at home there.
No place is better suited for eco friendly tourism than Costa Rica, which ranks number one in the Happy Planet Index as the “greenest” place in the world, while the Environmental Performance Index in 2008 ranked it number five. Its biodiversity is plentiful and all types of forests can be found – rain, dry, cloud and oak forests. The same goes for aquatic habitats which is even professed in the country’s name; Costa Rica is Spanish for “rich coast”.
There are some 13,000 species of plants, 850 species of birds and let’s not even get into the 365,000 insects. Here are some eco friendly parks that are worth a visit in Costa Rica:
1. Corcovado National Park is recognized internationally by ecologists for its amazing biodiversity but what really is of interest here are the big cats like the jaguar and puma. There is also the endangered tapir, and four monkey species including the endangered Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey and the Central American Squirrel Monkey which is only found in Costa Rica and Panama.
2. Tortuguero National Park in English means “full of turtles” and this park is known for the yearly nesting of the endangered green turtle. But other turtles nest here too such as the massive leatherback, hawksbill and loggerheads. Other animals are three species of monkeys, sloths, 320 species of birds and various reptiles.
3. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is excellent for plant lovers as there are 2,000 plant species and hundreds of species of orchids. There are also more than 400 types of birds.
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
Alcatel-Lucent SA agreed to pay $137.4 million and change internal procedures to avoid U.S. prosecution for alleged bribes paid in Costa Rica, Taiwan and Kenya, according to a company regulatory filing.
Under an agreement in principle, the Justice Department would defer prosecution of Alcatel on charges it violated the internal controls and books and records provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to the Feb. 11 filing. Alcatel would enter into a three-year probationary period and agree to a French anti-corruption monitor.
Three subsidiaries - Alcatel-Lucent France, Alcatel-Lucent Trade and Alcatel Centroamerica - would plead guilty to violating the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions, according to the filing. Paris-based Alcatel, the world’s biggest supplier of fixed-line phone networks, also agreed in principle on a civil accord with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“There can be no assurances, however, that final agreements will be reached with the agencies or accepted in court,” according to the filing. “If finalized, the agreements would relate to alleged violations of the FCPA involving several countries, including Costa Rica, Taiwan, and Kenya.”
Under the Justice Department agreement, Alcatel would pay a $92 million criminal fine over three years. Alcatel also would enter into a consent decree with the SEC and pay $45.4 million, according to the filing.
Alcatel fell as much as 2.6 percent in Paris, slipping 0.6 percent to 2.07 euros at 10:23 a.m.
‘Vigorous Compliance’
“Alcatel-Lucent’s new management has implemented vigorous compliance and training programs designed to prevent similar situations from happening in the future,” the company said in an e-mailed statement today. “In particular, within months of joining the company as CEO, Ben Verwaayen announced that we will no longer conduct our business through the use of sales and marketing agents and consultants.”
Messages left at the Justice Department and SEC after business hours weren’t immediately returned.
The Alcatel filing comes amid increased enforcement of the FCPA, a U.S. law used to fight bribery and illicit foreign payments.
On Feb. 5, BAE Systems Plc, Europe’s biggest defense contractor, said it would pay almost $450 million to settle U.S. and U.K. bribery investigations.
Several Years
Daimler AG, the German carmaker, also has agreed to pay about $200 million to settle claims with U.S. regulators over violations of the act, people familiar with the case said last week. The agreement is awaiting the approval of a U.S. judge, the people said.
The Alcatel case has spanned several years and led to criminal charges in federal court in Miami against two former company executives. One of those, Christian Sapsizian, is a former deputy vice president who pleaded guilty in June 2007.
Sapsizian, who negotiated Latin American contracts for Alcatel, admitted that he helped bribe a member of the board of Costa Rica’s state-owned telecommunications authority to secure lucrative cell phone contracts for the company.
Funnel Bribes
Prosecutors said Sapsizian and Alcatel used a consulting company to funnel bribes to a Costa Rican government official, who helped reward Alcatel with cellular contracts. Sapsizian cooperated with prosecutors and is serving a 30-month prison term.
“The investigation has not yet concluded,” prosecutors said in a September 2008 court filing. “This is primarily because of the breadth and depth of illegal conduct around the world by the defendant’s former employer, its subsidiaries, its executives, and its ‘consultants,’ which was uncovered in large part with the defendant’s assistance.”
The Feb. 11 filing by Alcatel also discussed allegations about bid-rigging and illicit payments involving a Taiwan Railway contract.
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