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Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Costa Rican coast, tsunami warnings issued

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:55:22 GMT

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Costa Rica

Other stories from Costa Rica

5 September 2012: Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Costa Rican coast, tsunami warnings issued
8 January 2010: Costa Rican volcano erupts, alert issued
19 November 2009: Uruguay qualify to take last spot in 2010 FIFA World Cup
6 October 2009: Former Costa Rican president sentenced to jail on charges of corruption
13 August 2009: President of Costa Rica contracts H1N1 swine flu

...More articles here

Location of Costa Rica

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Costa Rica, see the Costa Rica Portal

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) are reporting a 7.6-M_w earthquake striking the Costa Rican coast, prompting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) to issue tsunami warnings including the following countries in the region: Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru; and a tsunami watch in Chile.

The initial alert was based upon an evaluation of the earthquake, not on confirmation that a tsunami has been generated. Later reports indicate the alert was cancelled, the PTWC having predicted that any wave would have reached Puerto Sandino in Nicaragua shortly before 16:00UTC.

The epicentre of the quake was 140 kilometres west of the Costa Rican capital, San José. A 6.1-M_w quake in January 2009, just 30km from the capital, killed at least 34 amid mudslides, falling rocks and trees. The emergency response to that earthquake included over 400 volunteers and Red Cross workers.

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Sources [edit]

Mark Memmott. "UPDATE: Tsunami Warnings Canceled After Quake In Costa Rica" — NPR, September 5, 2012
"M7.6 - 10km NE of Hojancha, Costa Rica" — United States Geological Survey, September 5, 2012
"Tsunami Bulletin Number 001" — PTWC, September 5, 2012

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Costa Rican volcano erupts, alert issued

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:45:02 GMT

Friday, January 8, 2010

Costa Rica

Other stories from Costa Rica

5 September 2012: Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Costa Rican coast, tsunami warnings issued
8 January 2010: Costa Rican volcano erupts, alert issued
19 November 2009: Uruguay qualify to take last spot in 2010 FIFA World Cup
6 October 2009: Former Costa Rican president sentenced to jail on charges of corruption
13 August 2009: President of Costa Rica contracts H1N1 swine flu

...More articles here

Location of Costa Rica

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Costa Rica, see the Costa Rica Portal

The Turrialba volcano

Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano erupted for the first time in more than a century yesterday, spewing ash and prompting the evacuation of a small group of people living in nearby communities. The government has also issued an alert saying that such activity may recur.

Authorities monitoring Turrialba's activity increased a volcano alert level yesterday, saying "intense" but "low" seismic activity continued in the crater area.

Officials also say winds could blow some of the ash from the 3,328-meter volcano toward the Costa Rican capital, San Jose. The Costa Rican agricultural ministry cautioned that about 800 farm animals could be at risk due to ashes.

The volcano last erupted 145 years ago, in 1856. It is located around 80 kilometres east of San Jose.

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Sources [edit]

"Costa Rican Volcano Erupts" — VOA News, January 7, 2010
"Costa Rica ready for volcano eruption" — Xinhua, January 7, 2010

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Uruguay qualify to take last spot in 2010 FIFA World Cup

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:13:23 GMT

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Football

Recent football news

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Uruguay have qualified for the 2010 World Cup following a 1:1 draw with Costa Rica; Uruguay won on a 2:1 aggregate when they won 1:0 on Saturday. With the win all 32 teams have qualified for the 2010 games. On the same day Algeria, Greece, Slovenia, Portugal and France also qualified for the tournament.

Sebastian Abreu scored for Uruguay first when he headed in a goal. Walter Centeno scored for Costa Rica but a draw failed to seal a win for Costa Rica and lost the game and the chance to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The game continued despite it being stopped after five minutes media started scuffling with the Costa Rica substitutes.

With Uruguay’s qualification they join other South American teams Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile. Two-time former winners Uruguay missed the 2006 World Cup after losing in a qualifier to Australia, who have also qualified for next year’s tournament. Next year’s World Cup will see the return of several teams to the tournament. The host South Africa are making their first appearance since 2002 along with Denmark, Nigeria, Cameroon and Slovenia. Chile last appeared in 1998, Greece in 1994 and Algeria in 1986. New Zealand and Honduras have also qualified, their last appearance was in 1982 and North Korea have not competed in the World Cup since 1966.

Other teams that have qualified include The Netherlands, South Korea, Japan, Ghana, England, Spain, Côte d'Ivoire, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the United States and Switzerland. Serbia and Slovakia will be making their first appearance as a single team. Serbia has previously qualified as Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro, while Slovakia previously played as Czechoslovakia.

The tournament is due to start in South Africa on the June 11, 2010 and last for one month.

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Sources [edit]

Learn more about 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification on Wikipedia.

"Uruguay take last World Cup spot" — BBC Sport, November 19, 2009
"Who has qualified for South Africa 2010?" — BBC Sport, November 19, 2009
"Final place goes to Uruguay" — The World Game, November 19, 2009

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Former Costa Rican president sentenced to jail on charges of corruption

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:26:22 GMT

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Costa Rica

Other stories from Costa Rica

5 September 2012: Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Costa Rican coast, tsunami warnings issued
8 January 2010: Costa Rican volcano erupts, alert issued
19 November 2009: Uruguay qualify to take last spot in 2010 FIFA World Cup
6 October 2009: Former Costa Rican president sentenced to jail on charges of corruption
13 August 2009: President of Costa Rica contracts H1N1 swine flu

...More articles here

Location of Costa Rica

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Costa Rica, see the Costa Rica Portal

Rafael Calderon, the former president of Costa Rica, was sentenced to five years in prison after he was convicted of corruption while in office.

Calderon, who served as head of state from 1990 to 1994, is the first ex-president to be tried for corruption. He had been arrested in October 2004, charged with taking an illegal commission after the government bought medical equipment from Finland. Calderon denied the charges.

The former president was convicted on Monday. The head of the social security programme under Calderon, Eliseo Vargas, was sentenced to five years in jail as well. Prosecutors had originally wanted a 24-year jail term for Calderon.

The judge hearing Calderon's case, Alejandro Lopez McAdam, refused requests by the prosecution to send Calderon to jail immediately, pending the outcome of an expected appeal.

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Sources [edit]

"Jail term for ex-Costa Rican head" — BBC News Online, October 6, 2009
"Former Costa Rican president sentenced for corruption" — CNN, October 5, 2009

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President of Costa Rica contracts H1N1 swine flu

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:04:48 GMT

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Óscar Arias, President of Costa Rica.

Swine Flu

Sources [edit]

AFP. "Costa Rica leader contracts AH1N1" — Al Jazeera, August 12, 2009
CNN. "Costa Rican president sick with swine flu" — CNN, August 11, 2009
Xinhua. "Costa Rican president infected with AH1N1 flu" — Red Net China, August 12, 2009

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Wikinews Shorts: May 11, 2009

Mon, 11 May 2009 03:27:36 GMT

A compilation of brief news reports for Monday, May 11, 2009 .

1 United States reports third death from H1N1 swine flu
2 Boston trolleys crash

Contribute to Wikinews by expanding these briefs or add a new one.

United States reports third death from H1N1 swine flu [edit]

Image: Grochim.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Sunday that 2,532 confirmed cases of the H1H1 swine flu virus and three casualties have been reported in 44 states throughout the country. The figure was updated from Saturday's figures, which had the number of confirmed cases at 2,254, with 104 persons hospitalised.

Currently, the US is the country with the second number of fatalities from the virus. Mexico is first, with 48 confirmed deaths, while Canada and Costa Rica both have one death each from the flu.

Sources

"U.S. has more than 2,500 H1N1 flu cases" — Reuters, May 10, 2009
"More than 2500 swine flu cases in US" — Herald Sun, May 10, 2009

Boston trolleys crash [edit]

Image: Adam E. Moreira.

Two trolleys collided in Boston, Massachusetts on the Green Line on Friday, causing the line to be shut down. About 50 people were hurt with minor cuts and bruises. One of the trolley's conductors was allegedly text messaging to his girlfriend at the time of the crash. The head of the city's transit authority has said he will ban bus drivers or conductors from carrying cell phones on board their vehicle.

"I want to remove any temptation by one or two people stupid enough to think a moment of convenience is worth the lives of the people they're transporting," said general manager Daniel Grabauskas. "I'm not going to wait for someone to die to institute a policy whose time I think has come."

Sources

"Trolleys collide in Boston; 49 people hurt" — Yahoo! News, May 9, 2009
"MBTA Trolley Texter Identified may face criminal charges" — The Boston Channel, May 9, 2009

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"The Dark Knight" film director's brother arrested for murder, kidnapping

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 07:45:54 GMT

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Crime and law

Sources [edit]

Main, Frank. "Brother of 'Dark Knight' director arrested" — Chicago Sun-Times, March 20, 2009
"Christopher Nolan's brother linked to murder" — MSNBC, March 20, 2009
Grossberg, Josh. "Dark Knight Director's Brother Arrested for Murder" — E! Online, March 20, 2009

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Strongest earthquake in 150 years hits Costa Rica

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:58:19 GMT

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Costa Rica

Other stories from Costa Rica

5 September 2012: Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Costa Rican coast, tsunami warnings issued
8 January 2010: Costa Rican volcano erupts, alert issued
19 November 2009: Uruguay qualify to take last spot in 2010 FIFA World Cup
6 October 2009: Former Costa Rican president sentenced to jail on charges of corruption
13 August 2009: President of Costa Rica contracts H1N1 swine flu

...More articles here

Location of Costa Rica

To write, edit, start or view other articles on Costa Rica, see the Costa Rica Portal

Saturday, January 10, 2009

United States Geological Survey ShakeMap of the January 8, 2009 Costa Rica earthquake.

The United States Geological Survey said a 6.1 M_w earthquake struck on Thursday, at 01:21:34 p.m. local time (6:21:34 p.m. UTC) in northern Costa Rica, a Central American country, 30 kilometres (19 mi) NNW of San José and near the volcano Poás.

The epicenter was at 20 miles (32 kilometers) north-northwest of San Jose at a depth of 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers), with Coordinate 10° 11′ 49.2″ N, 84° 9′ 32.4″ W, and Decimal 10.197,-84.159. Causing widespread panic and damage, it was felt all over Costa Rica as well as in southern central Nicaragua, and was the strongest to shake Costa Rica in about 150 years.

Scenic La Paz waterfall in Costa Rica.

“Today is a day of mourning for Costa Ricans,” President Oscar Arias Sanchez said. “These losses of life fill us with pain; our prayers will be for their families, hundreds of families had seen serious damage to their homes,” Arias added. Originally seventeen people, including three children, were reported killed but was later decreased to 5 fatalities. About 42 were reported missing, at least 32 were injured and 2,450 people affected.

The quake toll jumped to 34 dead, 64 missing, on Saturday, while emergency workers rescued at least 200 stranded tourists in Varablanca hotel, according to Ministry of Infrastructure spokeswoman Silvia Chaves.

Amid problems of mudslides, cracked roads, tumbling rocks and fallen trees, National Social Security and Health agency, Red Cross rescue workers, firemen and police rushed Friday to evacuate about 600 people. Half of them were foreign tourists stranded in La Paz Waterfall Gardens eco-resort in Vara Blanca, and others were trapped by boulders and earth, when mountain roads in Costa Rica blocked two villages of Vara Blanca and Cinchona. The main CNE warehouse containing relief items (food, mattresses), for distribution to the victims, was burned, while the second airport in San Jose, is now closed.

Most of the victims died when part of the hillside collapsed and a landslide occurred near the La Paz waterfall at Vara Blanca, on the flanks of the volcano Poás. The Poas Volcano National Park was utterly destroyed and the La Paz waterfall road was torn, causing about 300 tourists trapped. At least 400 people were evacuated from the area in rescue helicopters.

Constant 2,000 aftershocks (1,200 through early Friday in the towns of San Pedro de Poas and Vara Blanca), complicated the rescue and emergency missions for stranded people in mountainous central zones. National Emergency Commission official Victor Falla said that there were small tremors every couple of minutes. "It's shaking right now," he added. 1,244 people were displaced, and 1,078 people are living in shelters. In addition, a hotel, houses, roads, and vehicles were damaged, and a couple of bridges were destroyed. The town of Cinchona was heavily hit, and all of the buildings there were heavily damaged. Power was temporarily disrupted in San José. "There are many buses and many vehicles that are trapped," deputy public safety minister Jose Torres said.

The crater of the volcano Poás in Costa Rica

In the central valley, populated by 2.5 million of the country's four million inhabitants, the National Emergency Board declared an emergency in the metropolitan area including San Jose, Cartago, Alajuela and Heredia. The earthquake hit strongest the remote area near Alajuela. Several homes collapsed and major highways were still blocked.

A team of 34 U.S. military personnel and four Black Hawk helicopters from Honduras-based Joint Task Force-Bravo was sent on Friday by the U.S. Government to assist Costa Rican rescue workers, which include 400 volunteers and Red Cross personnel, who were dispensing aid in 15 communities. Colombia and China had also offered assistance to quake victims. The U.S. Army and Air Force aviation crews, rescue, medical and support personnel, is coordinating with the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) in the rescue efforts. At least 150 stranded tourists from the United States, France, Canada and Spain, were finally rescued on Friday.

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Sources [edit]

Learn more about Costa Rica and Nicaragua on Wikipedia.

"34 dead, dozens missing from Costa Rica quake" — CNN, January 11, 2009
"Death toll rises to 15 after Costa Rica quake, dozens still missing" — Agence France-Presse, January 10, 2009
"14 killed in strong Costa Rica quake; hundreds trapped" — The China Post, January 10, 2009
"Costa Rica earthquake death toll rises to 15" — CNN, January 10, 2009
Blake Schmidt. "Costa Rica: Quake Kills at Least 15" — New York Times, January 9, 2009
Joint Task Force - Bravo. "U.S. Southern Command Deploys Disaster Response Team to Costa Rica" — DVIDS News, January 9, 2009
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Daily Note on Emergencies: Costa Rica 6.1 Earthquake Issue 1" — Relief Web, January 9, 2009
Roger Benavides. "Tourists evacuated after fatal Costa Rica quake" — Reuters, January 9, 2009
"Death Toll From Costa Rica Earthquake Climbs to 14" — Latin American Herald Tribune, January 9, 2009
AFP. "Red Cross revises death toll in Costa Rica quake" — ABC News (Australia), January 9, 2009
"2009_Costa_Rica_earthquake" — Map sources/GeoHack, January 9, 2009

"Magnitude 6.1 - COSTA RICA" — USGC, January 8, 2009

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CAFTA faces tough vote in U.S. House

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 17:41:18 GMT

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

File photo of President George W. Bush delivering his State of the Union address to the nation and a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003.
Image: Susan Sterner.

President Bush is lobbying the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which is scheduled for a vote Wednesday night. The U.S. Senate passed the treaty in June.

Similar to the existing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, CAFTA would create a free trade zone putting an end to most trade barriers between the United States and six additional countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

The free trade agreement faces stiff opposition among Democrats. Many Republicans who represent agricultural Corn Belt or industrial Rust Belt and southern textile states in Congress also have stated opposition to the bill. But with a Republican majority in the House large enough to ensure passage of CAFTA, party leaders are trying to shore up enough votes to ensure CAFTA's passage.

This has prompted last minute action by the President to lobby individual members of the House, reminding them that Central American countries have committed troops and other resources to fight the U.S. War on Terror. Other Republican leaders have been using the party's traditional pro-business message and linking it to homeland security issues.

"Trade creates jobs and lifts people out of poverty and there's nothing like a stable society to fight terrorism and strengthen democracy, freedom and rule of law," Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, reportedly said at a news conference Tuesday.

But the opposition disagrees. CAFTA is "a bad deal for Central Americans and also for Latinos in this community... (with CAFTA) the exploitation of workers will continue in Central America," Democrat Representative Hilda Solis of Los Angeles said. Her views are common among Democrats, who are overwhelmingly against the treaty.

According to opponents of CAFTA, the current trend of American jobs being sent to foreign countries, particularly in the information technology sector, would greatly expand under the treaty.

"This will be a vote in the middle of the night. They'll keep the vote open for several hours, in violation of the rules. If it passes, it will be by fewer than five votes," predicted Rep. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, according to a Washington Post report.

Sources [edit]

Jim Abrams. "Bush lobbies Republicans on CAFTA bill" — Associated Press, July 26, 2005
"Bush presses for CAFTA as DeLay predicts win" — Reuters, July 26, 2005
Katherine M. Skiba. "Tight vote expected in trade pact" — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 26, 2005
Paul Blustein and Mike Allen. "CAFTA's Upshot More Political Than Economic" — Washington Post, July 26, 2005

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Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Costa Rican coast, tsunami warnings issued

Related news [edit]

Sources [edit]

Costa Rican volcano erupts, alert issued

Sources [edit]

Uruguay qualify to take last spot in 2010 FIFA World Cup

Sources [edit]

Former Costa Rican president sentenced to jail on charges of corruption

Sources [edit]

President of Costa Rica contracts H1N1 swine flu

Sources [edit]

Wikinews Shorts: May 11, 2009

Contents

United States reports third death from H1N1 swine flu [edit]

Boston trolleys crash [edit]

"The Dark Knight" film director's brother arrested for murder, kidnapping

Sources [edit]

Strongest earthquake in 150 years hits Costa Rica

Related news [edit]

Sources [edit]

CAFTA faces tough vote in U.S. House

Sources [edit]