| U.S. firm says it will make secure residency cards
The courts will be closed until Jan. 4, but the Judicial Investigating Organization will be working at half strength through the holidays.
The Municipalidad de San José is off until Jan. 7, but windows for payment of municipal fees are open after Christmas. Fourth quarter property and patente payments are due.
The U.S. Embassy's consular section will be open Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. That is good news for tourists who have had their passports stolen. But the rest of the embassy is closed. Even the consular section is closed Christmas. From Wednesday through Friday the embassy will have normal daytime hours. That also is true Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, an embassy release said. Of course, Jan. 1 the facility is closed.
Emergency service is always available in the event of loss of life or other major crisis.
LOVE TIES PRINCESS TO BRITAIN
And far from discouraging their daughter from altering her plans, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah could not be more pleased about her increasing bond with Clark, 26, who is a St Andrews University friend of Prince William.
Indeed, the Duchess of York invited David to join her, Beatrice and Eugenie skiing in Verbier, where they are staying at the luxurious chalet of Fergies old boyfriend, motor-racing multi-millionaire Paddy McNally.
Its now Beatrices view that she has already done quite enough travelling after leaving St Georges School in Ascot last summer she went to Brazil and to Argentina, where she stayed on the ranch inherited by the Duchess of York from her late mother Susan Barrantes.
She popped back to the UK to appear in Martin Scorseses film about her ancestor Queen Victoria, and then again for the Queens diamond wedding celebrations.
Author of Best-Selling Holocaust Book Admits Survival Story Not True
Defonseca's admission is just the latest controversy surrounding her 1997 book, which also spawned a multimillion dollar legal battle between the woman, her co-author and the book's U.S. publisher. Defonseca had been asked to write the book by publisher Jane Daniel in the 1990s, after Daniel heard the writer tell the story in a Massachusetts synagogue. Daniel and Defonseca fell out over profits received from the best-selling book, which led to a lawsuit. In 2005, a Boston court ordered Daniel to pay Defonseca and her ghost writer Vera Lee $22.5 million. Defonseca's lawyers said Daniel has not yet paid the court-ordered sum. Daniel said Friday she felt vindicated by Defonseca's admission and would try to get the judgment overturned. She said she could not fully research Defonseca's story before it was published because the woman claimed she did not know her parents' names, her birthday or where she was born.
America's moment of truth
Before a young, multiracial and delirious crowd, Barack Obama was being anointed as the new John F Kennedy. JFK was no saint, but a link to the legend can add lustre to any Democratic aspirant to the presidency. When Bill Clinton was first running for the White House, his campaign's favourite photograph was of a teenage Bill having his hand shaken by JFK. Obama is too shrewd a politician to make the boast that he is the heir to Kennedy. After all, the freshman Senator from Illinois was barely out of nappies when JFK was assassinated. But he has to be pleased when others make that claim on his behalf, and gladder still when the crowning is conducted by the members of the Kennedy family. They didn't simply endorse him; they presented him to the whooping crowd as a reincarnation of the lost leader.
Shrink's Crazed Killer is on the Loose
Investigators combed the slain woman's computer for clues, interviewed a traumatized patient who witnessed Wednesday's attack and analyzed security camera footage to see whether the attacker had been to the office before his deadly rampage. Police were trying to determine whether the attacker was a patient of the dead therapist, Kathryn Faughey, or had a connection to someone she was counseling. Faughey treated people for relationship and intimacy issues and job stress. Police said the attacker left behind a roller suitcase filled with adult diapers and women's clothing - including blouses and slippers - and a smaller second bag containing eight knives, rope and duct tape that were not apparently used in the attack. The killing shocked the mental health care community and raised questions about safety protections at therapists' offices.
Kiplyn Davis Case: Murder suspects will stand trial
The 13 years since Kiplyn Davis disappeared have produced five perjury convictions, countless leads and enough witness testimony to fill a phone book, but no murder convictions. Now, prosecutors will get their chance to put two suspects behind bars for the girl's death. At the end of the sixth and final day of their preliminary hearing, 4th District Judge Lynn Davis on Tuesday ruled that there was enough evidence to send Timmy Brent Olsen and Christopher Neal Jeppson to trial on murder charges. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. The defendants are charged with killing Kiplyn, who disappeared from Spanish Fork High School on May 2, 1995, at the age of 15. No body has been found, but she has not been seen since and has long been presumed dead. "We made another hurdle and Kiplyn's smiling," Richard Davis, Kiplyn's father, said as he choked back tears after the hearing.
Bixler paces Pirates, 5-0, in opening exhibition
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Brian Bixler doubled, singled and walked in three plate appearances this afternoon in the Pirates' first game action of the spring, a 5-0 blanking of Manatee Community College before 2,102 at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fla. Bixler, the shortstop at Class AAA Indianapolis last season and likely again this season, had an RBI double to left as part of a four-run first inning. Ryan Doumit, Steve Pearce and Doug Mientkiewicz followed with one-out RBI singles. Pearce and Mientkiewicz each had two hits. Yoslan Herrera pitched the first two scoreless innings and allowed one hit while striking out two. The seven pitchers that came after him each threw one scoreless inning, with Jesse Chavez and Marino Salas striking out two each in theirs.
The Chronicle Sports Columnist Blog
Updating some Raiders news... Again, there are rumors that wide receiver Randy Moss and the Green Bay Packers are in talks regarding a trade for former Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Once again, it's not true. We're being told by both sides that they have not talked, which means they haven't discussed a trade about Moss. Tight end Daniel Graham, probably the top player at his position in free agency, met with Raiders owner Al Davis, coach Lane Kiffin and team officials today and then flew to Seattle to meet with the Seahawks on Monday. The Vikings also reportedly have interest in Graham. Graham, 28, won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots and established himself as an outstanding blocker. But he also wants to catch the ball, and the Raiders would give him that opportunity.
eLong, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2007 Unaudited Financial Results
BEIJING, Feb. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- eLong, Inc. (Nasdaq: LONG), a leading online travel service provider in China, today reported unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. Highlights - Fourth Quarter 2007 -- Total net revenues (net of business tax and surcharges) increased 27% year-on-year to RMB82.9 million. -- Travel revenues before business tax and surcharges comprised of hotel, air and other travel product and service revenues, increased 26% year- on-year to RMB84.6 million. -- Travel revenues before business tax and surcharges by product were as follows (figures in RMB 000's): Q4 % Q4 % Y/Y 2007 Total 2006(1) Total Growth Hotel commissions 67,345 80% 56,026 84% 20% Air ticketing commissions 15,971 19% 9,593 14% 66% Other travel revenues 1,242 1% 1,452 2% -14% Total travel revenues 84,558 100% 67,071 100% 26% -- Operating income improved year-on-year by RMB3.9 million to RMB2.7 million, driven primarily by increased revenue offset by greater sales and marketing, service development expenses, and decrease in shared- based compensation.
'Hannity & Colmes' Exclusive: Bill Cunningham on Obama Comments
They're getting complaint calls. COLMES: I noticed you make up names for John McCain. You don't call him John Sidney McCain III, which is his full name, but you call him Barack Hussein Mohammed Obama. So you have a double standard there, don't you, Mr. Cunningham? CUNNINGHAM: My standard, Alan Colmes, is for the American people and the American way of life. HANNITY: I've got a question. CUNNINGHAM: And I want you to say that "George Bush has kept me safe for the last seven years." Say it, Alan. Say it. HANNITY: What do you call Alan Colmes? CUNNINGHAM: I call Alan Colmes a well-intended liberal who's a left-wing radical extremist to the left of a Bolshevik. COLMES: To the left of a Bolshevik.
Offbeat Beat: Squirrels, lewdness and the mangina monologues
Anytime a story contains the quote "He peed on my leg," an offbeat beat can't be far away. Along with the power outage officials think was caused by a squirrel (based on the charred remains) and a pants-free subway prank, UWIRE has come to realize strange things happen at colleges. Odd tidbits: Masculine monologues: Syracuse ‘Vagina' show performed by male cast Passengers play pants-free prank on afternoon D.C. Metro ride IU employee suspected of stealing $45,000 in instruments Interactive art project made from algae Science to get 'sexy' makeover at Harvard Cameron Crazies neutered by rogue thermostat Squirrel cause of two-hour power outage A squirrel shorted a power substation at N.C. State — or at least that's what the remains of the animal looked like, a school official said.
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