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New Delhi: Claiming that the people are praising the Delhi government for providing free electricity, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said the opposition BJP is troubled with the popularity of the AAP and its ‘I love Kejriwal’ campaign. Speaking during a public meeting, AAP leader Gopal Rai said the more BJP will oppose the Arvind Kejriwal government, the more people will love Kejriwal. “The statements of the BJP shows that they are troubled with the popularity of AAP and Kejriwal. The ‘I love Kejriwal’ campaign was started by the people. The BJP leaders are troubled that the campaign is becoming popular,” Rai said. He also said that people are happy with the waiver of water bills and also free electricity. “Delhi is with Kejriwal as the people are happy with his work,” Rai added. read more

SOOKE, B.C. — One teenager has died and another is in critical but stable condition after a tree fell on at least one of them at a camp near the Vancouver Island community of Sooke, B.C.Officials with the Otter Point Volunteer Fire Department say they were called to Camp Barnard after a report that a boy was trapped under a tree.One person was seen being transported by ambulance while rescuers attempted CPR on another person on a nearby river bank.Crews battling a nearby brush fire say winds hit 80 km/h around Sooke.An ambulance helicopter was sent to the area near a hatchery and the BC Coroners Service has been contacted.Camp Barnard offers wilderness camping and a variety of programs for children and young adults. (CTV) The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — Two southern resident killer whales haven’t been seen for a few months leaving experts worried, not just about the fates of both creatures, but for the future of the entire family of orcas.Just over 70 southern resident killer whales form the single group of exclusively salmon-eating orcas identified as J clan and the family is further divided into three groups, or pods, known as J, K and L.  The Centre for Whale Research said in a post that while all other killer whales from the J and K pods have been seen, one member from each pod is missing.“We will continue to look for J17 and K25 in upcoming encounters but the chances of finding them are starting to look a little grim,” the post said.J17 is a female born in 1977 and K25 is a male born in 1991.Martin Haulena, head veterinarian at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, worries that the failure to spot the two whales underscores the challenges facing all southern resident orcas.“I haven’t lost all hope but things are not looking good right now,” he said.Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States released photos in May taken by a drone that showed J17 had deteriorated in health since she was assessed last fall.She was showing the condition known as “peanut-head,” which indicates a significant loss of fat, or blubber, around the head, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.Haulena agreed the population is in “huge trouble.” “We’ve been working for a long time now with a number of different partners trying to figure out how we can turn around some of this.”Researchers understand the basic threats to the killer whale population, which include lack of chinook salmon that they depend on, boat noise and noise in general that interferes with their ability to forage, as well as pollution that interferes with their ability to reproduce and fight off disease, Haulena said.“But the actual individual causes of death are probably quite complicated and we’re down to the point where each of these individuals is so, so important. This population is in big trouble for sure.”The possible loss of J17, a 42-year-old female, is especially devastating because females are crucial in the “matriarchal kind” of killer whale society where pods depend on older females for foraging, Haulena said.“A whale from 1977 would be approaching the latter third of a normal, long life. They probably live 60-80 years if things are ideal but still, to lose one of those females that’s older like that would mean a whole lot to younger females,” he said.A new female calf, J56, was reported a few weeks ago but right now there are more animals being lost than being born, he said, adding that calf mortality for cetaceans can be as high as 50 per cent.The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has announced several rules to protect southern resident killer whales off British Columbia’s coast, including requiring ships to stay 400 metres away from whales, closing some salmon fisheries, and implementing initiatives to support habitat protection and restoration of chinook salmon.The killer whale population stands at 73 or 74 because of a couple of births, Haulena said.He believes humans share a bond with orcas because they are air breathing mammals that are social, intelligent and live in families.“I think we relate to them very, very closely,” he said.“Losing something like that, losing an iconic species like that, brings home the whole idea of our entire planet including our oceans being at a tipping point.” Hina Alam, The Canadian Press read more

Iman Kassam APTN National NewsA group of Dene women is heading out to the resistance camp in North Dakota.They left Thursday morning and hope to be at the Standing Rock camp Saturday.Why the long journey?ikassam@aptn.ca

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari arrived in China yesterday, on the first leg of his trip that also comes ahead of next month’s Leadership Summit that the Chinese are hosting for Heads of State and Governments throughout Africa.“In Beijing, he has had discussions with senior officials, including the State Councillor and the Foreign Minister, on issues including the Korean Peninsula, Myanmar, the Middle East peace process, Lebanon, and Darfur,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters today in New York. “He is consulting with the three governments on strengthening their cooperation with the United Nations in conflict prevention, peacemaking and peace-building,” he said, adding that yesterday Mr. Gambari had also discussed “China’s important role in contributing to peace and development in Africa,” ahead of November’s meeting. read more

The second phase of a massive project to upgrade Brock University’s co-generation power facility is moving forward after an Ontario government funding announcement made Tuesday, March 27 in Toronto.The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) announced $85.2 million in funding for eight Ontario universities through its Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofits Program (GGCRP) Innovation Grant Fund. The GGCRP is designed to help post-secondary institutions reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.Brock will receive $7.9 million to complete Phase 2 of its District Energy Efficiency Project (DEEP), which will upgrade and modernize the University’s co-generation facility, a reliable and energy-efficient source of electricity, cooling and heating on campus.The first, $10.8-million phase of the DEEP project started 18 months ago and is replacing half of the existing natural gas-powered co-gen engines with state-of-the-art, high efficiency, electronically controlled units. That project is expected to be completed this summer.DEEP Phase 2, which is being funded entirely through the Ontario government’s $7.9-million investment, will replace the remaining co-gen engines and install a new high-efficiency electric chiller unit. Work got started earlier this month and will be wrapped up by March 2019. No power interruptions are anticipated on campus as a result of the work.“Phase 2 is fully focused on carbon reduction and efficiency,” said Scott Johnstone, Associate Vice-President of Facilities Management. “The existing plant is about 25 years old. We’re replacing it with the latest technology that will make the entire co-gen facility more efficient.”The completed DEEP project will result in Brock’s annual NOx (nitrogen oxide) gas emissions dropping from 55 tonnes to just 8 tonnes and non-methane hydrocarbons reducing from 15 tonnes to four. The new co-generation engines will also consume 26 per cent less fuel and result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in utility cost saving each year.“This project isn’t just about saving money, it’s about making Brock University more environmentally friendly and reducing our carbon footprint,” said Johnstone.St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley said the province and Brock University share a common goal of significant carbon reduction.“This investment by the Ontario government reaffirms its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on university campuses. This will allow the province of Ontario and its post-secondary institutions to lead by example when it comes to being energy efficient,” said Bradley.Brian Hutchings, Brock’s Vice-President, Administration, said the government’s investment in the co-generation facility will have a positive effect elsewhere in the University.“What’s unprecedented for Brock with this project is that it’s 100 per cent funded by the province,” Hutchings said. “The upgrades will result in significant utility cost savings, which will allow us to keep those costs flat during a period of inflation.”With the completion of the second phase of the DEEP project, all of the equipment in the co-generation facility will be new, which Johnstone said “will set the University up for another 25 or 30 years of service.” read more

Thabo Sefolosha will wrap his Atlanta Hawks career with a lawsuit settlement.(Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images)Atlanta Hawks’ forward Thabo Sefolosha will get a $4-million settlement in a police-brutality suit he filed against the NYPD that he said broke his leg and left him unable to finish the NBA season in 2015.“This settlement is not a concession that Mr. Sefolosha was blameless in this matter and there was no admission of liability by the defendants,” the city law department said in a statement to the New York Daily News. “But, in light of the gravity of his injuries, the potential impact on his career as a professional athlete and the challenge for a jury in sorting out the facts in this incident, the resolution of the case was in the best interests of the city.”The $4-million payout is a fraction of the $50 million Sefolosha originally sought from the New York City Police Department and the city it serves in October 2015.As previously reported, police maintained they had been close to Manhattan, N.Y.’s 1Oak nightclub in April 2015 addressing the stabbing of now-Turkish Basketball Super League player Chris Copeland. The cops claimed Sefolosha questioned their authority, adding they were simply trying to keep him out of the area. Sefolosha said he handed a homeless man money near the club when officers pulled him to the ground, arresting Sefolosha and breaking his leg. Former Hawks teammate Pero Antic had accompanied Sefolosha to the club and also was arrested.Sefolosha, whose suit also pointed to a “racial matter” regarding the hoodie he wore at the time of his arrest, testified that he referred to NYPD Officer Jean Paul Giacona as “a midget,” according to NYDN, before he was dragged to the ground. The act of police brutality injured the 6-foot-6 baller’s leg and could have ended his NBA career, his lawsuit said.Charges against Sefolosha stemming from the incident, including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, were dismissed in October 2015.The 2016-2017 NBA season will be Sefolosha’s last as a Hawk as his three-year, $12-million deal comes to a close, Yahoo reported. He will become a free agent this summer, while Antic, who also sued the city over the scuffle, is playing for the Turkish Basketball Super League. Antic’s federal lawsuit over the incident is pending. read more

A stormy, all-day debate in parliament culminated in a flimsy majority of 153 MPs approving the harsh austerity package of 13.5 billion euros worth of mostly wage, pension and welfare cuts in the next two years, with a further 5 billion euros of cutbacks in 2015-16, as dictated by the Troika of Greece’s creditors. “The vote’s result marks a large, decisive and encouraging step towards economic recovery and better days for the country as a whole,” said Prime Minister Antonis Samaras after the results of the vote count were announced shortly past midnight. “We’ve sent a strong message [abroad] that Greece has turned a page,” he added. Parliament was besieged by tens of thousands of protesters in the afternoon while opposition lawmakers from left-wing SYRIZA and conservative Independent Greeks often interrupted the debate with motions of constitutional or parliamentary irregularity. This further undermined the 250-page, one-article bill’s legitimacy, which had already been denied by two landmark high-court rulings, one by the State Auditors’ Council on Monday and another by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Budget cliff-hanger Parliament is also scheduled to vote on Sunday for the 2013 budget that incorporates wage, pension and benefit cuts worth 9.5 billion euros, in another cliffhanger for the government. This is because the coalition’s junior partner, Democratic Left leader Fotis Kouvelis, has urged his 17 MPs to vote in favour of the budget draft while having abstained in yesterday’s vote on the omnibus austerity bill which included the bulk of the measures written into next year’s budget. If a number of DemLeft MPs decide to vote against or abstain again, the budget may be voted down or passed by a smaller majority than Samaras had hoped. But the vote result is also bound to raise doubts among the country’s reluctant creditors about the viability of the heavy burden which Samaras’ alliance has undertaken as well as the sustainability of Greek debt which is now forecast by the IMF to reach 189 per cent of GDP in 2014. Eurozone leaders may therefore decide to split the tranche disbursement into smaller instalments starting from November 27, further delaying the urgently needed recapitalisation of the Greek banking system and the payment of arrears owed by the Greek state to its private suppliers and contractors. Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram read more

Réchauffement climatique : quel impact sur l’agriculture chinoise ?Chine – Une équipe de chercheurs franco-chinoise a étudié l’évolution du climat en Chine depuis 1960, afin de mieux comprendre l’impact du changement climatique sur les ressources en eau douce et sur l’agriculture du pays. D’après les conclusions de cette recherche, le réchauffement de la planète pourrait sensiblement réduire les récoltes agricoles quand la population chinoise ne cessera de croître.Dirigée par Shilong Piao, spécialiste de l’environnement à l’université de Pékin, cette étude est publiée dans la revue Nature, un mois avant la prochaine session de négociations sur le changement climatique qui se tiendra à Tianjin.D’après les chercheurs, la température a “clairement augmenté” en Chine, avec une hausse de 1,2°C depuis 1960, et les températures devraient encore croître de 1 à 5°C d’ici 2100. Les sept années les plus chaudes ont été enregistrées au cours de la dernière décennie, tandis que le réchauffement est quatre fois plus rapide en hiver qu’en été, souligne le CNRS dans un communiqué. Les vagues de chaleur se sont multipliées, alors que le nombre de jours froids a sensiblement diminué. Toutefois, l’impact de ce changement climatique sur les ressources en eau et l’agriculture a jusqu’ici été limité. L’étude l’explique par la modération des tendances climatiques par rapport à la variabilité naturelle du climat, mais aussi par les progrès technologiques dans le domaine agricole. Mais les simulations climatiques prévoient une poursuite du réchauffement de la planète, et les spécialistes s’attendent à des impacts majeurs sur l’agriculture et les ressources en eau dans le futur. “De nombreuses régions se trouvent dans des zones intermédiaires où les ressources en eau et donc la production agricole pourraient être affectées positivement ou négativement par les changements climatiques”, souligne l’étude.À lire aussiQui est Greta Thunberg, proposée pour un prix Nobel à seulement 16 ans ?Si l’on suit les scénarios les plus pessimistes, le rendement agricole de la Chine pourrait diminuer de 4 à 14% pour le riz, de 2 à 20% pour le blé, et jusqu’à 23% pour le maïs. A l’inverse, selon les scénarios les plus optimistes, le rendement pourrait rester stable ces quarante prochaines années, voire tirer bénéfice de la hausse de la concentration en CO2 et de son effet fertilisant.De grandes incertitudes demeurent toutefois quant à l’impact que pourrait réellement avoir le changement climatique sur l’agriculture chinoise, notamment en raison des progrès technologiques à venir. Aucune conclusion définitive ne peut être tirée, et les chercheurs vont se lancer dans de nouvelles études afin d’affiner les simulations régionales, et ainsi pouvoir prévoir avec plus de certitude le niveau de précipitations à attendre.Le 5 septembre 2010 à 09:43 • Emmanuel Perrin read more

AppUp : Intel ouvre son magasin d’applications en ligneÉtats-Unis – Intel annonce l’ouverture d’AppUp, son magasin d’applications en ligne. Cette plate-forme est destinée aux utilisateurs d’appareils tournant sous MeeGo et Windows ainsi qu’aux prochains produits utilisant les processeurs Atom.Intel a confirmé le lancement de sa plate-forme AppUp. A l’image de l’AppStore, elle proposera les applications liées à la technologie Intel avec les appareils utilisant les OS Windows et MeeGo. Des appareils équipés de processeurs Atom trouveront aussi leur bonheur. Ouvert en version bêta jusqu’à présent, AppUp propose des applications gratuites ou payantes sur plusieurs fronts : réseaux sociaux, divertissement, bureautique… Pour accéder à la boutique, il faut installer un logiciel, déjà pré-installé sur certains PC. Les smartphones ne devraient pas être oubliés dans l’opération.Le 16 septembre 2010 à 11:30 • Emmanuel Perrin read more

Story Links New England LeagueGarrett Schmeltz – Newport Gulls (Player Page)5 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 6 KSchmeltz took the ball in game one of the New England League’s Southern Division Championship on August 4 at Martha’s Vineyard and was excellent. The southpaw allowed just one run on two hits and struck out six in five innings of work, however he was saddled with the loss as Newport dropped a 2-1 decision. Chris Seng – Albany Dutchmen (Player Page).500 (6-for-12), 3 R, 3 BB, 2 SBPlaying alongside Metzinger, Seng also had a strong playoff showing for Albany. Seng had a pair of multi-hit games to close out the summer with a .275 average, 28 runs scored and a PGCBL single-season record 42 stolen bases. Northwoods LeagueAndrew Benefield – Madison Mallards (Player Page).364 (4-for-11), 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 BBWith the regular season winding down in the Northwoods League, Benefield has been the model of consistency for Madison. Benefield has at least one hit in 18 of his last 21 games and has reached base 115 times in 57 games for a .437 on-base percentage. Zach Britton – Orleans Firebirds (Player Page).500 (4-for-8), HR, RBI, 4 R, 3 BBBritton wrapped up his summer in the Cape by reaching base seven times over his final games, including a 4-for-5 performance with a homer and three runs scored against Chatham on July 31. Britton tallied 11 extra-base hits for Orleans, five of which left the ballpark, and drove in 19. Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB. Print Friendly Version Perfect Game LeagueBen Metzinger – Albany Dutchmen (Player Page).333 (4-for-12), RBI, R, BBMetzinger tallied a hit in all three playoff games for Albany, as they reached the PGCBL East Finals. Metzinger hit an even .300 over 34 summer games with 10 extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and 22 runs scored. Cape Cod LeagueJared Poland – Bourne Braves (Player Page)3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 5 KPoland closed out his summer with a pair of scoreless outings for Bourne, including a two-inning relief appearance that earned him a victory against Falmouth on August 3 in the best-of-three series in the Cape Cod League playoffs. Poland finished with a 4-1 record and 2.84 ERA on the mound and did not allow a run in his final nine innings over six appearances. Prospect LeagueTim Borden II – Quincy Gems (Player Page).333 (10-for-30), 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 8 RThe season wrapped up for Quincy on Tuesday night and Borden ended the summer on a high note. Borden tallied 10 hits over the last eight games, including a multi-homer night in a blowout win over Springfield on August 4. LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team has 19 student-athletes on summer ball assignments across five summer leagues and the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Below are some of the highlights from July 31-August 6 games. read more

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s pet project Sabuj Sathi, which has benefitted more than 70 lakh students of classes between IX and XII of state-run, aided schools and madrasas, has been selected among the top five most voted projects by the United Nations.The project is one-of-its-kind in the country in which bicycles are given free of cost to the students across the state. This is for the first time when any project from Bengal has been selected for the prestigious WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) Prize, 2019. The WSIS Prizes will be announced to the public during the ceremony at the WSIS Forum on April 9 in Geneva. WSIS Prizes are organised by the International Telecom Union, an arm of the United Nations and supported by the UNDESA (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs). All the nominated projects are scrutinised by the high-level expert committee. Also Read – Bose & Gandhi: More similar than apart, says Sugata BoseThe message that has been sent to the state Backward Class Welfare department read: “Congratulations! It is with great pleasure to inform you that Sabuj Sathi Online 2.0- wheels of change of the Backward Classes Welfare Department has been selected as the WSIS Prize 2019 Champion for the category 7- AL C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life-E-government.” It was learnt that more than two million votes had been cast by the WSIS stakeholders’ community. A total of 1,064 nominated ICT success stories from around the world were nominated. Sabuj Sathi is among the top five most voted in Category 7. Also Read – Rs 13,000 crore investment to provide 2 lakh jobs: MamataAmit Mitra, the state Finance minister, announced the distribution of bicycles among state-run, aided schools and madrasas during his Budget speech for 2015-16. Initially, it was estimated that cycles will be distributed among 40 lakh students. Till date, cycles have been distributed among more than 70 lakh students at an estimated cost of Rs 2,300 crore. The first batch of cycles was distributed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a public distribution meeting in October 2015 in Gopiballavpur Block I, then in West Midnapore and now in Jharkhand. Mamata Banerjee had named the project ‘Sabuj Sathi’ and sketched the logo which is affixed on every cycle. The cycles have been supplied by top three manufacturers in India, namely Avon, Tube Investment of India Limited (Hercules) and Hero. The Backward Classes Welfare department has lists of all the students who have received the cycles along with the names of their schools, guardians, class in which they were in when they had received the cycle along with the date. About 4,500 trucks along with 3,000 fitters containing spares of the cycles reached the district headquarters from where they were sent to the schools. The Backward Classes Welfare department has given training to 3,500 SC and ST unemployed youths to assemble the cycles. The cycles are maintained by the state government for about a year. read more

From the print editionThe executive president of the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute (Incopesca), Luis Dobles, is under scrutiny from the Prosecutor’s Office in Puntarenas for possible dereliction of duty.The allegations stem from events in 2010 and 2011, when Taiwanese fishing boats flying Belizean flags unloaded cargos that included shark skeletons with fins attached, and shark bodies with the fins removed and then artificially reattached, in apparent attempts to circumvent Costa Rican regulations.In May 2010, the boat Wang Jia Men arrived at the public dock in the Pacific port of Puntarenas, but refused to unload its cargo before heading off in the direction of El Salvador. The Wang Jia Men returned to Puntarenas five days later carrying 36 shark carcasses with the flesh removed and only the highly lucrative fins attached. Four months later, a different ship, the Wang Jia Men 89, docked at Puntarenas but was prevented from unloading some 145 shark skeletons. In a separate incident in October of last year, another ship, the Wan Jia Men 88, attempted to unload some 1,000 kilograms of shark spines and fins (TT, Oct. 14, 2011).The global trade in shark fins, driven by demand in China and Taiwan, where the fins are featured in an expensive soup, is decimating world shark populations. Fins can fetch more than $900 per pound in some markets, and bowls of shark-fin soup can sell for more than $100 each. In order to save room in cargo holds for more fins, living sharks are tossed overboard once fishermen have removed their fins. Shark fins seized recently by the Coast Guard on a boat near Golfito, on the southern Pacific coast. Courtesy of the Public Security Minister “There is a mix of information and some errors that I believe a digital newspaper reported last week, dealing with certain observations and complaints made by Mr. Javier Catón to a Puntarenas prosecutor, of which I have official knowledge and which has been communicated by the prosecutor to me as an allegation of dereliction of my duties,” Dobles said, referring to a report last week on the website crhoy.com. The Incopesca executive president added that he met with prosecutors, and “considers [the accusations] to be absolutely false, propagandistic and absolutely bad-intentioned and biased.”That particular case, Dobles said, is based on the Wang Jia Men’s arrival at Puntarenas in 2010, when it did not unload its cargo for Incopesca inspectors to examine, but instead sailed off for El Salvador. A second complaint focusing on the Wang Jia Men 89’s arrival at Puntarenas last October is actually leveled at the captain of that boat, Dobles said, not himself.The Incopesca executive president denied wrongdoing in any of the incidents, saying instead that allegations were leveled against him and Incopesca by local fishermen trying to use complaints to harm the business interests of foreign industrial fishing fleets that they do not want to have to compete against.“That gentleman,” Dobles said, referring to Catón, who made the complaints, “represents a fishing organization that is determined to stop the commercial activities of businesses in Puntarenas that are associated with the Chinese and Taiwanese.”“They want an end to competition,” he added.Catón, who represents the Pacific Coast Fisherman’s Union in Puntarenas, said foreign shark fishermen were trying to “invent a new way of shark finning.”“The fishermen of Costa Rica will not permit this,” Catón said. “We decided to take measures to pressure, as we have other times, the government by using our rights as citizens and our country’s legal framework. We filed complaints to that end, not against anyone in particular, but by saying that this is a new type of shark finning. So, the judicial system is who will have to investigate and determine a course.”By Costa Rican law, only three cuts are allowed to be made on sharks caught in Costa Rican waters – one on the stomach to eviscerate the animal, another on the head and a third small cut on the shark’s fin to allow the animal to bleed out and for the fin to be bent to the side.Catón didn’t deny Dobles’ statement that Tico fishermen want to thin out competition by foreign fleets, and he called Taiwanese and Chinese boats “the biggest problem we have.”“I lodged the complaint because our lawmakers believe in the law, and therefore they’ve given me the opportunity to bring complaints against public institutions,” Catón said. “But I want this to stop. The Costa Rican fishermen want the Taiwanese businesses flying Belizean flags to stop doing this and get out of the country, because they are hurting our image.”Incopesca and Dobles have long fielded criticism that they abet foreign fleets illegally finning sharks in Costa Rican waters.“We always have this situation,” said Randall Arauz, president of the Marine Turtle Restoration Program and an outspoken critic of the fisheries institute. “Incopesca is always breaking or bending the law to favor the interests of foreign fishing fleets.”Arauz pointed out that though it is illegal to unload shark fins without the rest of the animal’s body at Costa Rican docks, it is not illegal to import shark fins overland from neighboring Nicaragua. Arauz said that in 2011, some 20 tons of shark fins were imported into Costa Rica overland.Enrique Ramírez, president of the Costa Rican Sportfishing Federation, an organization that is pushing Incopesca for stronger regulation of industrial fishing fleets, said “interpretation of the law has been very loose and in favor of the Chinese [and Taiwanese] fleets.”Those industrial fleets using nonselective forms of fishing including longlines – heavy fishing lines with several hooks that stretch for kilometers – and purse seines – large nets set around schools of fish – have reduced by up to 85 percent marlin and sailfish populations in Costa Rican waters. A study of the sportfishing industry in Costa Rica by the University of Costa Rica found that a live sailfish can generate as much as $3,000 for the country, while in markets sailfish flesh sells for about $3 per kilogram.Humans kill over 73 million sharks annually, despite the fact that more than 30 percent of all shark species are endangered. In places where sharks are left alive, they can generate huge revenues for a country. Belize, for example, rakes in about $4 million annually from whale shark diving, while in Spain’s Canary Islands, shark diving generates about $27 million each year (TT, Dec. 09, 2011).Dobles seems unfazed by such matters. Last January, he said, a Costa Rica-backed initiative made it necessary for fisheries authorities to provide verification that any shark products imported or exported across borders in Central America were caught in a legal manner.“The use of shark species is legally permitted, like it or not,” Dobles said. “Someone could say, ‘At the national and global level, you should stop eating sharks,’ but the consumption and sale of shark resources isn’t prohibited if it is verified not to have originated from a shark-finning situation. In that case, it is perfectly valid.”However, some governments are taking steps to ban or limit consumption of shark-fin products. In the United States, for example, Illinois is one of its largest markets for shark fins. On July 2, Illinois signed a bill making it the first inland state to prohibit the shark fin trade. California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii have also adopted restrictive measures for shark fins.And on Tuesday, China announced it would ban shark fin soup at official banquets, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Facebook Comments No related posts. read more

Related posts:Dancer who lost a leg in Boston Marathon bombing finds solace in Costa Rican scuba diving Public workers can take recess to watch Costa Rica’s World Cup games, Solís says Why is the Ruta de los Conquistadores so hard? VIDEO: A morning on the Ruta de los Conquistadores When the city of Cartago constructed a system of bike paths through the downtown area, the municipality became a beacon of hope for urban cyclists. A gift from the Automóvil Club of Costa Rica, the “ciclovías” that cut through the busy Cartago streets seemed to mark a new era in eco-friendly transport.There was only one problem: Not everybody in Cartago has a bicycle.Thanks to “BicipúbliCartago,” a joint project between the Municipality of Cartago and the Dutch Embassy, the city has now received 100 new bicycles available for public use. While the “ride share” concept is extremely popular in Europe and increasingly common in the United States, BicipúbliCartago is the first such pilot program in Costa Rica.The project was inaugurated on Wednesday morning, with speeches by various officials and performances by jugglers, mimes, and unicyclists. The event culminated in a group ride through the city.In order to borrow a bicycle, a patron must be at least 15 years old, possess valid identification, and demonstrably know how to ride a bike. For more information about BicipúbliCartago, visit the project’s Facebook page. Ready to ride. Alberto Font/The Tico Times Facebook Comments read more

Related posts:5 questions for Costa Rican street artist MUSH 5 questions for Costa Rican painter Man Yu Fung 5 questions for a Costa Rican designer 5 questions for a Costa Rican photographer The representation of feminism through gentle, defined brush strokes and pastel colors: that’s been Costa Rican painter Mari Carmen Prada’s focus for the past two years. For Prada, 22, art has always been a vital part of who she is and how she perceives the world around her.When the artist was five years old, her mother decided to enroll Prada in painting classes. This decision would completely change her life: Prada stayed in the classes for ten years, and they would eventually determine the course of her career. After pursuing studies architecture at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and graphic design at Veritas University, Prada made the decision to study Painting at the University of Costa Rica’s (UCR) Fine Arts school.“I told my mom I definitely had to study painting. She hugged me and told me that she was glad I had accepted it. I think it was something that was meant to happen,” Prada recalls.On rainy afternoon at Mantras Veggie Café in Barrio Escalante, The Tico Times sat down and spoke with Prada about her life and work. Excerpts follow.What do you enjoy the most about painting? Prada’s self portrait, done with acrylics on canvas. (Courtesy of Mari Carmen Prada)I always have a very clear image of what I’ll do. When I start the process I get in a sort of trance; it’s my favorite feeling in the world. No one can interrupt me. No one can speak to me. Nothing that’s happening in the exterior changes what I’m doing at that moment.Seeing the end result compared to what I was thinking is always impressive, because I’m astonished by the fact that I’m able to paint what I wanted in the first place. I enjoy the whole process and how it turns out in the end.How do you choose your color palette?It depends on what I do; different colors represent different things. I’ve been painting a lot of feminist stuff because I’m in a phase of my life in which feminism is the most important thing for me, and I believe that owning my femininity was essential for what I’m producing now.I’m using a lot of coral and pink tones to reinforce the fact that it’s fine if I like it. Society does not need to tell me anything. It’s mine and I decided that it’s mine. I think that’s what’s been resonating in me lately.I also use a lot of pink or aquamarine because when I was a child I didn’t like pink, so I got obsessed with blue due to the idea that it’s pink’s opposite. These two colors are a constant in my life. One of Prada’s dogs next to the artist, illustrated with pen and ink. (Courtesy of Mari Carmen Prada)Why is feminism so important to you?Before, feminism was a big taboo. People wouldn’t call themselves feminists because it was someone super masculine, strong, who hated men. At least that was the idea I saw around the word.I needed to… feel that what I was doing was somehow going to resonate in a person or help someone. That’s what it did for me. I needed my voice or art to be that for other people. Reading a lot and seeing feminists who have done incredible things for the world was very important for me in making the decision to be a feminist.Jane Fonda is my favorite feminist, but I also like Barbara Steinman, Ana Mendieta, and Judy Chicago… also people such as Miley Cyrus who have been transmitting the message in the best way possible. I don’t know if Christiana Figueres calls herself a feminist, but for me she’s one of the maximum exponents of what it’s really like to be an empowered, strong woman who can hold the reins of the world. One of Prada’s most expressive paintings. (Courtesy of Mari Carmen Prada)What have you discovered about women feeling empowered with regards to their bodies?It’s strange, because there are many women who still don’t understand the concept that the female body is not a luxury item. I’ve heard women saying that other women are wearing too few clothes and that they’re sluts. For me it’s inconceivable… the sexualization of the feminine body is sickening, and harmful for society.When I’ve seen empowered women with their bodies, generally, they’re much more secure women and much calmer about everything else; with what they’re doing with their lives, if they want to have children or not, or if they want to get married and never work. A woman with a body that generates her power is a woman who does everything calmly and without fear. Owning your body makes you to get out of the idea that your body belongs to someone else. “The Fox and the Hound,” acrylics on canvas. (Courtesy of Mari Carmen Prada)How do you think that art is reacting toward what’s going on in the world?Art, at least, from the nineteenth and twentieth century avant-garde, has been 100 percent a sociopolitical response to everything going on in the world. If you try to make art that is simply beautiful, it’ll never be only beautiful. Art is always a response to something, whatever it is. It will project a message, whether the artist wants it to or not, because it’s in an environment in which people want to feel something. Art is as response and direct reaction to whatever is happening.Our “Weekend Arts Spotlight” presents Sunday interviews with artists who are from, working in, or inspired by Costa Rica, ranging from writers and actors to dancers and musicians. Do you know of an artist we should consider, whether a long-time favorite or an up-and-comer? Email us at kstanley@ticotimes.net. Facebook Comments read more

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Some lawmakers want to force the state’s IT agency to bid out new computer programs — but IT officials say they already do that when they canNone of this would be happening were it not for the universally acknowledged failures of the $93 million computer system known as MNLARS (Minnesota Licensing and Registration System)Since it was rolled out in July the system has been beset by shortcomings some of which might take years to fully resolve — and tens of millions of additional dollars Gov Mark Dayton and lawmakers agreed to a roughly $10 million transfer of funds last month and Dayton and IT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne are requesting an additional $33 million to get the program working as it should by Fall 2019The situation has frustrated many from lawmakers to license center workersLicense centers hurtingFor the legions of deputy registrars who operate license centers where people go to get their tabs and titles MNLARS has been crushing they sayThere’s so much more work and everything takes so much longer that the South St Paul center is only processing transactions at half the rate of pre-MNLARS according to Gaye Smith the center’s managerSuch operations by law only make money — to pay rent utilities and employees — via a cut of the various fees associated with tasks like renewing a tab or getting a duplicate vehicle title In past years her center averaged $500000 in total fees collected Now it’s on pace for about $250000Several lawmakers have proposed creating a $10 million fund for license centers as well as auctioneers auto dealers and other businesses that have similarly been forced to pay workers overtime to get once-routine tasks accomplishedWill $10 million be enoughNot even close Smith told a panel of state senators Wednesday"The $10 million won’t even make us whole" she said "It will not make us stay in business moving forward"According to Smith and a group that represents deputy registrars the immediate need is for more like $25 million to $30 million Several lawmakers soberly said they’ll take that into account as they consider how to proceedCubicle controversyMNIT the state IT agency came under fire this week for spending $25 million to reconfigure its office space while at the same time pleading for more money to hire computer programmers to fix MNLARSFor some lawmakers the story which was first reported by KSTP-TV made MNIT look like an agency with its priorities out of whackTurns out the reconfiguration wasn’t a posh upgrade but rather a consolidation of IT workers who had been spread across state agencies a vestige of the nascent days of state IT before MNIT was established Clyborne and Jon Eichten MNIT’s legislative director said the project was really a cubicle-cramming exercise in the state-owned Centennial Office Building shrinking the space for each worker by about a third as part of an effort to save about $483000 a year moving forwardThe $25 million comes from a complicated state leasing program and is actually borne by other agencies for which MNIT provides IT support It would have been illegal to divert that money for MNLARS programmers they saidNonetheless several Republican lawmakers including House State Government Finance Committee Chair Sarah Anderson R-Plymouth said she wasn’t satisfiedIT: In-house or outsourceMNIT has been under intense scrutiny not just for MNLARS but also MNsure the software that supports the individual health insurance market MNsure also had a botched launch — and like MNLARS it was developed in-house by MNIT employees and independent contractorsRep Jim Nash R-Waconia has been leading a push to require MNIT to seek private sector bids on any future software development projectHis logic: MNIT has a bad track record and reinventing the wheel might not be necessary For example after it became apparent the state wouldn’t be able to meet an October deadline to develop a new driver’s license system in-house it decided to contract with a company that’s doing the same 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