Homeworktimes Costa Rica scores key victory over Trinidad & Tobago in World Cup Qualifying Costa Rica’s 2-0 win at Trinidad & Tobago this Friday night. In the 65th minute, Cristian Gamboa streaked past defenders on the right side of the field and flicked a pass over a diving goalkeeper to find teammate Christian Bolaños wide open in front of the net for the game’s first goal. Bolaños later set up Ronald Matarrita on an extra time jail break for the second and final score of the night. Costa Rica now moves to the head of the Hexagonal.
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Low-cost airlines increase presence in Costa Rica
Low-cost airlines are targeting Costa Rican travelers and, just in the past few days, three of them announced new routes to enter the battle for the Tico travel market. Wingo, part of the same parent company of Copa Airlines, confirmed last week that it will begin flying between Costa Rica and destinations in Panama and Guatemala starting on Dec. 1. The company announced in a news release that it will offer five weekly flights from Costa Rica to Panama and three from Costa Rica to Guatemala. Air Panama also confirmed the launch of two weekly flights between Costa Rica and Roatรกn Island in Honduras. The carrier currently operates routes from Costa Rica to Panama City and to Bocas del Toro three times a week.
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Salary increase for private sector set at 1.14 percent
Private sector workers earning minimum wage will get a 1.14 percent increase in their monthly salary starting in January. The wage increase followed the approval of a new calculation methodology that National Wage Council members say will benefit workers. The council includes representatives from the government, business chambers and labor unions. The approved increase, however, was lower than figures requested by labor unions, which ranged from 1.74 to 3.5 percent.
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Shrimping boat sinks in Guanacaste, spilling diesel on Costa Rica's Pacific coast
A Costa Rican shrimping boat sank earlier this week off the coast of Playa Brasilito on the country’s northern Pacific coast, spilling large amounts of diesel fuel into the ocean. Community members have come out in force to help mitigate the damage.
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Ticos living abroad can now register online to vote in 2018
The Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE) this week enabled an online registration system that allows Tico expats to register to vote from their current country of residence for the February 2018 election. TSE first allowed voting from abroad in 2014, but Costa Rican expats were required to register in person at a Costa Rican consulate. Those interested in registering using the new online system should go to the TSE website and read the explanations (in Spanish only) about the registry requirements before proceeding to fill out the online form..
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Costa Rica reacts to Donald Trump victory
The initial reaction from Costa Rica’s President Luis Guillermo Solís was a message on his Twitter profile. He said, “The people of the U.S. have elected Mr. Donald Trump as their President. Congratulations, Mr. Trump, my best wishes for your team.”
The Costa Rican Union of Private-Sector Chambers and Associations expressed business leaders’ concerns about the election of Trump in a public statement. Chamber president Franco Arturo Pacheco said that because of Trump’s campaign promises to renegotiate trade deals, impose tariffs and also set stricter controls on immigration, the news is “not good for Costa Rica, as our country in the last 30 years has grown thanks, in large part, to its exports, especially to the United States, currently our main trading partner.”
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New Zealand Struck by Powerful Earthquake
SYDNEY, Australia — A powerful earthquake measuring 7.8 magnitude hit the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island early Monday, causing tsunami waves and killing at least two people, officials said. Hours later, another strong quake measuring 6.4 magnitude struck the same region, northeast of Christchurch, around the small town of Hanmer Springs, according to Geoscience Australia.
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Donald Trump Appears to Soften Stance on Immigration, but Not on Abortion
President-elect Donald J. Trump appeared to soften some of his hardest-line campaign positions on immigration on Sunday, but he also restated his pledge to roll back abortion rights and used Twitter to lash out at his critics, leaving open the possibility that he would continue using social media in the Oval Office and radically change the way presidents speak to Americans. Asked where that would leave women seeking abortions, Mr. Trump, on the CBS program “60 Minutes,” said, “Well, they’ll perhaps have to go — they’ll have to go to another state.”
Iraqi Troops Enter Town of Famed Ancient Ruins Near Mosul 8
MOSUL, Iraq — Iraqi troops entered a town south of Mosul on Sunday where Islamic State militants destroyed artefacts at a nearby ancient Assyrian archaeological site, while special forces fended off suicide bombers during a cautious advance into the northern city. The push into Nimrud was the most significant gain in several days for government forces, potentially opening up the area for teams to assess the damage done to the famed ruins just outside the town.
Anti-donald trump protesters vow to keep up fight
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Thousands have been out in force again in the US, to protest against President-elect Donald Trump. The man who they say is a threat to civil and human rights. The biggest rallies on the fourth night were in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
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