Their Heads in the Clouds: U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientist Dave Wright Friday demonstrated the workings of the ER-2 airplane being used in NASA's mission to collect data from clouds for studying weather phenomena; the project is based at Juan Santamaría International Airport, just northwest of San José.

Panama and Costa Rica Friday agreed to strengthen their political and commercial ties and strive for more cooperation upon concluding a bilateral meeting with mixed commissions from both countries.

Tico Times Closed
In honor of the Annexation of Guanacaste national holiday today, the offices of The Tico Times will be closed and will reopen for business at 8 a.m. tomorrow.  

U.S. Embassy and Consulate Closed
In honor of the Costa Rican holiday to commemorate the annexation of the northwestern Guanacaste province, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate will be closed today and will reopen with their normal office hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., tomorrow, according to a statement from the embassy. 

Jazz Concert
By Boston and National University's Berklee College of Music, 3 p.m., Post Office, San José.

Cattle Fair
Featuring a canine exhibit, 8 a.m.; bull fights, 4 p.m., and a concert by the Guanacaste Band, 6:30 p.m., Liberia fair ground.

A group of 200 scientists from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Friday presented their mission to study clouds with the goal of better understanding how they play into global warming and other weather phenomena. The project is based out of Juan Santamaría International Airport, northwest of San José.

President Oscar Arias and U.S. Ambassador Mark Langdale were among those present at the event.

The project -- called Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling – aims to examine how chemical components are transported vertically into the atmosphere, affecting clouds and the earth's climate, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

Two airplanes, satellites and dozens of meteorological balloons are among equipment the scientists are using to collect data. U.S. universities and international agencies are also part of the mission, and the National Center for High Technology is acting as NASA's Costa Rican counterpart.

The two planes made the mission's first data-collection flight July 17, and since then they have made three more, according to the daily La Nación. They're scheduled to continue making flights through Aug. 17.

On one flight, a plane flew over Costa Rica's Caribbean coast to the Yucatan Peninsula and returned to Costa Rica's Pacific coast, said flight director Paul Newman.

The planes collected data from clouds, which they hope to use to evaluate changes and help predict natural disasters, as well as gain information about global warming and other human effects on the atmosphere.

-Tico Times

Drivers in Costa Rica will soon be paying about 5.4% more at the pump thanks to price increases approved Friday by the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP).

At the request of the National Oil Refinery (RECOPE), the regulatory authority analyzed requests for price increases and approved hikes of 5.4% for super gas, 5.8% for regular gas, 8.2% for diesel and 2.3% for kerosene.

The price of one liter of super gas will increase from ¢588 ($1.13) to ¢620 ($1.19), while one liter of regular gas will jump from ¢522 ($1) to ¢584 ($1.12). Diesel gas will increase from ¢392 ($0.75) per liter to ¢424 ($0.82), and kerosene will cost ¢436 ($0.84), up from ¢426 ($0.82). Finally, airplane fuel will increase from ¢645 ($1.24) to ¢698 ($1.34), according to a statement from ARESEP.

RECOPE cited the increasing cost of fuels on the international market and increasing operating costs as reasons it requested the price hikes.

These new prices will go into effect as soon as they are published in the official government daily La Gaceta.

-Tico Times

Panama and Costa Rica Friday agreed to strengthen their political and commercial ties and strive for more cooperation upon concluding a bilateral meeting with mixed commissions from both countries.

The two-day meeting took place in David, Panama, with the attendance of Panamanian Vice-President and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis and Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno.

Lewis told the press that during the meeting, the leaders identified border issues on which the two countries plan to work together, including immigration, customs and security.

They're developing ways to exchange information and guarantee that “those that use the border for elicit activities will be punished,” he said.

Both delegations also vowed to continue take advantage of the friendly relationship the countries enjoy to increase commerce and tourism.

Stagno said he was satisfied with the meeting and that there is now a mechanism for political consultations “that, strangely, didn't exist between the two countries.”

The meeting coincided with the conclusion of negotiations on a free-trade agreement between Costa Rica and Panama, which is scheduled to be signed into effect in San José Aug. 7. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for next year in Costa Rica.