At the conclusion of the 2nd Summit of South Korea and Central America, the presidents of all countries signed a statement promising strengthened cooperation and investment between the nations. The declaration announced that Korea will try to incorporate itself into the Central American Bank of Economic Integration and mentioned that the investment climate in Central America has improved in light of the CAFTA agreement.

According to El Salvador’s President Antonio Saca, the agreement opens up opportunities for countries like Korea to invest more in the region in areas like technology, telecom and automotive. He said that 260 South Korean companies are currently active in Central America and they generate $ 2.9 billion in exports for the region.

The South Korean government reached an agreement in a meeting with President Pacheco at the President’s House in Zapote. President Roh Moo-hyun was impressed by Costa Rica’s natural beauty, ” I was shocked by the blue of the sky and the mountains”, he told reporters before heading to New York.

The agreement was outlined between Costa Rica’s INBIO (National Institute of Biodiversity) and South Korea’s KRIBB (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology), and is for the establishment of Korea-Costa Rica Biodiversity Research Center.

The $6 million pledge will be destined to building the center, intended to include equipment, buildings, exchange of scientists and education. S. Korea considered several organizations in Latin America for the project, and INBIO came out as the best partner.

RECOPE is warning the country to brace for even higher gas prices at the pump, as prices reach $70 per barrel because of Katrina and other factors. In June the institution projected that Costa Rica would spend $ 954 million in 2005, but the price of a barrel of oil was $60. In 2004 the country spent $ 699 million dollars on oil, but through August the country has spent $ 655 million on 11,320,459 barrels.

Roh Moo-hyun arrived at 10:43 am on Sunday amid a strong police presence. The presidents of Korea and Central America will participate in the Summit of Korea and Central America II beginning Monday.

Herediano 3 - Santacruceña 2
Ramonense 0 - Cartaginés 0
Brujas 1 - Carmelita 0
Liberia 2 - Alajuelense 5
Saprissa 2 - Puntarenas 1

Upcoming matches:

Wednesday 14 September
* Alajuelense - Pérez Zeledón (Estadio Morera Soto)
* Carmelita - Ramonense (Estadio Carlos Alvarado)

Thursday 15 September
* Puntarenas - Herediano (Estadio “Lito” Pérez)
* Cartaginés - Saprissa (Estadio “Fello” Meza)

Sunday 18 de September: Herediano-Saprissa, Ramonense-Liberia, Santacruceña-Alajuelense, Santos-Puntarenas, Carmelita-Cartaginés y Pérez Zeledón-Brujas.

Ten cows were struck down by anthtrax in Costa Rica. MAG (Ministry of Agriculture) officials do not expect more cases and the 5 farm workers exposed were quarantined immediately.

While the US military has altered the disease to a form more harmful to humans, in nature farmers have dealt with the disease for decades. Anthrax most commonly occurs in wild and domestic herbivores, but it can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals, tissue from infected animals, or high concentrations of anthrax spores. Still there are no cases of people who got sick through contact with a diseased person.

Every year there are outbreaks through out the world, anthrax in the Midwestern states of the US recently killed more than 500 cattle, for example.