Visalia, CA- The Visalia Chamber of Commerce will host a slideshow presentation on August 5th at 12:00 pm at 222 N. Garden Street Suite 300 for the tour Natural Wonders of Costa Rica. This trip is 9 days, and includes international airfare from Fresno, 18 meals, a professional naturalist tour director, motorcoach transportation and comprehensive sightseeing. The tour will depart on February 17, 20...

UNESCO Event Announcement -- Remarking that “only a third part of the countries of the world reached the overall objectives of Education for All (EFA)” and with the coordinated effort with the Ministries of Education of Central America, the Education Sector of the Office of UNESCO for Central America and Mexico will publish the results of 15 years of investment of the Central American countries to...

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fitch Ratings has affirmed Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad y Subsidiarias' (Grupo ICE) foreign- and local-currency Issuer Default Ratings (FC/LC IDRs) at 'BB+' as well as its National Scale ratings at 'AAA(cri)'. The Rating Outlook remains Negative. A complete list of rating actions follows at the end of this release. Grupo ICE's ratings are supported by its l...

Panoramio PRFree.Org (Press Release) Jul 27, 2015 -- Costa Rica is a popular tourist destination, but it is also home to roughly 4.8 million people. That means that this tropical paradise must cater to both types of property owners. One Navarro home fulfills both of these needs by offering either a comfortable layout for homeowners or vacation-homeowners, or a useful layout for renters. This f...

Source: Wikimedia Commons HSI Media Release -- The Court of the Union of Tres Ríos made a major ruling in favor of animal welfare in Costa Rica after convicting a person for breeding dogs in an illegal breeding facility, or puppy mill. Humane Society International /Latin America applauded the court for its historic ruling, the first against a puppy mill. HSI worked with the National Animal Hea...

SBWIRE Press Release -- A new market report from ResearchMoz.us indicates that the insurance sector of Costa Rica is poised for sheer growth and expansion over the next few years. "The Insurance Industry in Costa Rica - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2019: Global Industry Size, Shares, Growth, Analysis, Trends And Forecast" is the name of the report, which includes the following highlights: T...

GoCode, a programming academy in Costa Rica Austin, Texas (PRWEB) July 27, 2015 -- techXscapes launched its Indiegogo campaign for funding its destination bungalow-workspace pilot location in Costa Rica on July 20, 2015. Its funding goal is $75,000. Focused on technology professionals, the Bungalow-workspace concept combines co-working and co-living space ideas into a unified experience, si...

Source: Flickr Commons A planned group sex party involving two expats and three citizens of Costa Rica was crudely disrupted by the shooting death of a 28-year old man. The ghastly incident took place in Tibas, a community located in the northern suburbs of San Jose, and it is currently being investigated as a contract killing. According to a news report filed by metro reporter Jorge Sancho...

Wikimedia Commons Smart toothbrushes that connect to the World Wide Web and keep electronic dental records were among the most talked-about items at the Barcelona Mobile World Congress last year, but even these advanced oral hygiene instruments are not impervious to accumulating fecal matter if they are left in the bathroom. According to a 2014 report by Sam Schechner of the Wall Street Jou...

Playas del Coco Beach in Guanacaste Orlando, Florida – July 22, 2015 – (INTUITION by Perspective Group) -DAE invites members on an ecotourism vacation of a lifetime with excellent bonus, rental and exchange availability on Costa Rica’s spectacular Guanacaste Coast. A vacation here offers the opportunity for adventure, R&R and luxury in a region where unspoiled tropical forests, sun-spla...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Mexico City, Jul 22 (EFE).- More than 97,000 Kemp's ridley sea turtles were born in recent days at the Playa Rancho Nuevo wildlife sanctuary in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, the National Protected Natural Areas Commission, or Conanp, said. The hatchlings emerged from more than 2,000 nests in the wildlife reserve under monitoring by Conanp specialist...

Crocodile Man Tour at the Tarcoles River near Jaco, Costa Rica Biologists and wildlife experts in Tamarindo Beach are urging visitors and residents of this coastal town to give crocodiles the space they deserve. Over the last few days, anglers casting their lines in the Tamarindo estuary have noticed a significant increase in the number of large reptiles in the area, a situation that conservat...

Alleged Greenwashing by Infinito Gold The controversial Canadian mining firm that fought against Costa Rica for nearly a decade over the Crucitas open-pit project has formally suspended its arbitration case presided by the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes, which serves the World Bank. According to a news report filed by Manuel Sancho of online news daily CRHoy.com,...

The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has issued a one-paragraph response to the Football Federations of Costa Rica and Panama in light of a joint request for a review of two contentious matches in the 2015 Gold Cup. The request for review issued by Costa Rica is related to the quarterfinals match against the National Football Team of Mexico....

Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman. Source: Wikimedia Commons Prison officials in Costa Rica are on high alert as intelligence reports suggest that associates of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, could be plotting a daring escape. Such was the report published this morning by daily tabloid Diario Extra, which includes statements by Reinaldo Villalobos, Director of Social Integr...

SEATTLE & PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) and PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) today announced they have entered into an agreement for the marketing, sale and distribution of Starbucks® ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and energy beverages including Starbucks® Frappuccino® chilled coffee drinks, Starbucks Double Shot® Espresso and Cream, and Starbucks Refreshers® beverages in Lat...

The Insolvency Service The Insolvency Service Press Release – First Choice Properties MGT Ltd, a London property investment company has been ordered into liquidation in the public interest following an investigation by the Insolvency Service. The investigation found that the company had cold called unsuspecting members of the public promoting the purchase of plots of land in Brazil, Cyprus,...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Portland, Maine (PRWEB) July 22, 2015 – CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange is expanding short-term study abroad offerings to increase access to international education opportunities for U.S. undergraduates of all academic disciplines and majors. Beginning in 2016, the leading nonprofit international education and exchange organization will offer 36 ne...

Source: Wikimedia Commons WireService.ca Press Release (07/23/2015) Toronto, ON - From Mexico's Copper Canyon to Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest and the Panama Canal, Central America and Mexico offer guests unforgettable experiences with exotic wildlife, fascinating landscapes and interactions with exuberant local people. Trafalgar's Insider Experiences will help travellers uncover the cu...

Wikimedia Commons At electronic music clubs and bars that cater to LGBT crowds in Costa Rica, revelers and couples are increasingly using a drug that enhances their sensorial experience while facilitating anal intercourse. Amyl nitrite, a vasodilator that in the early 20th century was often prescribed in the treatment of angina pectoris, is currently undergoing a resurgence in Costa Rica, a...

ALBANY, New York, July 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ – High cost of medical treatment in developed countries has fueled the development of medical tourism, causing patients to visit other destinations for cheaper yet sophisticated treatment. Transparency Market Research, in a recent report, studies the emergence and growth of the global medical tourism industry. The report is titled "Medical Tourism Marke...

Beach house in Costa Rica Ocean City, New Jersey (PRWEB) July 22, 2015 -- RealTimeRental’s new vacation rental distribution channel, Rental Retreat, expertly combines the modern online travel experience with the protection and reliability of booking a rental through a traditional real estate or property management company. “Rental Retreat fills a void in today’s vacation rental market. Trav...

Source: Twitter At the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the National Football Teams of Mexico and Panama played the most appalling and chaotic match in CONCACAF history, which in the end gave the Mexican team a berth to play in the final match of the 2015 Gold Cup against the Jamaican National Team. The ugliness of the match was on display early on, when main referee Mark Geiger of the United State...

Source: SOUTHCOM One of the most commonly known facts about Costa Rica on the international stage is that our country's lack of a standing military force dates back more than 60 years. Popular opinion in Costa Rica tends to condemn and reject the idea of militarizing the civil security forces, which are largely made up of Fuerza Publica, the national police force, and a handful of smaller, spe...

Nextbook 10 WEST COVINA, Calif., July 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- E FUN announces the new Nextbook 10 2-in-1 tablet with Windows 8.1.  This lightweight tablet features both a touchscreen and detachable POGO keyboard, giving users the fun and mobility of a tablet and the ease-of-use of a laptop.  An incredible value, the device comes with a one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Personal wi...

Source: MSP Ministry of Public Security / Official Communique CP-1319-2015 – Police officers assigned to the port city of Limon, located in the Caribbean region of Costa Rica, rescued five sea turtles in the nick of time, thereby preventing their slaughter by nefarious poachers. The incident occurred in Moin, near the area located between the beach and the maritime shipping docks. Officers ...

Studies by the International Organization on Migration (IOM) typically document high migration rates from “Third World” countries, such as Costa Rica, to developed nations such as member nations of the European Union. A recent presentation of a research study by the IOM, however, indicates that the trend has reversed in recent years. Part of the migration can be attributed to recent economic tu...

Source: Flickr Commons Two of the most significant brands in digital entertainment have teamed up to create an exciting network that will soon be available in Costa Rica. In late March, streaming music service Spotify and video gaming giant Sony announced an exclusive music partnership on the PlayStation Music network, which was described as follows: Spotify and Sony Network Entertainment ...

Digital Journal Press Release -- The Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy, a massage school in Samara, Nicoya, Costa Rica has launched their new 200 hour yoga teacher training on their beautiful campus. Classes will start in the summer of 2016 and people are encouraged to request information now and put their name in to ensure they lock in their spot for the classes. Debbie Krenz, from the Cost...

Source: Fuerza Publica Earlier this month, the Ministry of the Environment (Spanish acronym: MINAE) in Costa Rica held the first in a series of workshops destined towards defining the next strategy for sea turtle conservation in our coastal regions. The Vice Ministry of Coastlines and Wetlands will be in charge of these workshops, which call upon various stakeholders to determine the current s...

Source: BBCEarth.com The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is planning to increase its footprint in Latin America with BBC Earth, a specialty channel that is hoping to capture the burgeoning market of television viewers looking for quality programming related to nature, science, technology, and adventure. According to a news report filed by Emiliano de Pablos for entertainment industry...

Source: Southwest Airlines DALLAS, July 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) is launching a three-day sale offering extra low fares for fall travel to its international destinations from ten domestic cities including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Dallas, Denver, Houston (Hobby), Chicago-Midway, Orlando, Orange County, and San Antonio. Customers can take advantage of...

(ICT Press Release, with additional reporting from The Costa Rica Star) – United States travel operator Apple Vacations recently announced the incorporation of a Saint Louis, Missouri-Liberia, Guanacaste route, that will be operated by XTRAirways, using a Boeing 737-400, with capacity for up to 150 passengers. Hermes Navarro, Chief of Investment Attraction for the National Tourism Board (Spanis...

TomTom device. Wikimedia Commons SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Esri User Conference – TomTom (TOM2) today announces the addition of navigable maps for thirteen new countries. TomTom’s global map database now covers over 45.6 million kilometers and 4.3 billion people worldwide, and features full navigable coverage for 134 countries. “The addition of nearly 3 million kilometers of roads in one ...

WestJet CALGARY, July 20, 2015 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced it is launching new non-stop service to Florida, Mexico and Costa Rica, as well as adding more than 85 flights across its growing domestic and international network, as part of its winter 2015-2016 flight schedule. WestJet's regional airline, WestJet Encore, will also begin service three times a day to Boston, its first U.S. destin...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Violence against sea turtle nests and the human volunteers who protect them continued last week, this time in an Atlantic beach of South Florida. According to a news report filed by Anne Geggis of the Sun Sentinel newspaper, a 72-year old man was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound on his hip after an altercation involving a man who did not approve of the work...

More than 70,000 football fans flocked to the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match between the National Men's Football Teams of Costa Rica and Mexico. This was the third time these two national squads met in a Gold Cup match, and the pressure to win was quite high as the quarterfinals of this tournament are played in knockoff fashion....

Source: MSP Two suspected poachers were arrested this weekend by officers from the National Coast Guard Service of Costa Rica in Playa Amor, located in the Santa Cruz canton, province of Guanacaste. According to official communication CP-1301-2015 from the Ministry of Public Security (Spanish initials: MSP), the suspects were caught with 165 sea turtle eggs, specifically from the Lepidochelys ...

PRBuzz - For a golf getaway with beautiful beaches and an international flavor, Unlimited Vacation Club (UVC) members can now book the Dreams Las Mareas Golf Package during their stay at Dreams® Las Mareas Costa Rica. Dreams Las Mareas, part of the elite Unlimited Vacation Club (UVC) by AMResorts portfolio, welcomes members with this package that includes a round of golf at Guacalito Golf Cours...

Corpse Garden FuturePR - Corpse Garden has teamed up with both Godz ov War and Third Eye Temple for a tape release of their second album Entheogen. The release, due out this autumn continues what has already been a busy year for the band, from their recent CD and digital release of the same album through both Russia’s Satanath Records & Germany’s RTM Productions. Corpse Garden has been ...