Concert by Luisga
Popular music, 9 p.m., Rancho Fofo, Heredia, two blocks west of Universidad Nacional. Info: 2237-7715.

Women's Club of Costa Rica General Meeting
With British Ambassador Tom Kennedy speaking on “Who Put the Great in Britain ?” 9:30 a.m., British Embassy Residence, Escazú, 2267-7042, www.wccr.org.

Guitar recital
By the Escuela Superior de Guitarra, 7 p.m., National Auditorium, Children's Museum.

Final Concert Latin American Idol
By Margarita Enriquez, Panama and Costa Rican María José Castillo, Sony Entertainment Television, 7 p.m.

U.S. soccer team D.C. United may be coming to Costa Rica only 16-players-strong for round 2 against Deportivo Saprissa tomorrow at 8 p.m., according to Washingtonpost.com.

A likely gap in D.C.'s roster is Marcelo Gallardo, who faces sitting out the rest of the season after injuring his knee Saturday during United's 3-0 loss to Chivas USA.

Saprissa can count on some holes of its own. Five of its finest, including Celso Borges and Alonso Solís, are occupied with the national team, la Sele, according to Saprissa's press secretary, Pablo García.

Despite the San José team's 2-0 victory over United in Washington, D.C. last month in their opening CONCACAF Champions League game, Saprissa players are still wary of what's coming.

“It's going to be a tough game,” said Saprissa's Randall Porras, even though “we already beat them once (and) we know how they play,” according to the team's Web site.

MADRID – Journalists this week decried increasing attacks on reporters that threaten the free press in the Americas.

Eight journalists have been killed during the past six months in Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela. The press also is suffering from increased verbal attacks intended to discredit them, and governments' withdrawing advertising from media that are critical, according to reports at the 63rd meeting of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) attended by 500 delegates.

Singled out for abusing press freedoms was Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, whose government uses direct and indirect forms of pressure against the news media by encouraging attacks against journalist, bringing court cases against journalists and using government advertising as a way to reward or punish news organizations.

IAPA passed a resolution urging the group's president to send a special mission to Nicaragua to investigate the freedom of expression there.

On a positive note, however, several countries have approved greater freedom of information laws.

A delegation from Quepos, on Costa Rica's central Pacific coast, is headed this weekend to the U.S. city Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to raise money for law enforcement in the Central American beach town.

The group, from the Quepos Sister Cities International chapter, aims to raise awareness of Quepos' policing and water rescue needs and to solicit assistance, ranging from education to cash.

“These events are part of numerous programs this year that we are organizing to make Quepos and Manual Antonio a better place for all people,” said Harry Bodaan, the Sister Cities International coordinator.

By visiting Fort Lauderdale agencies such as the city, the Police Department, the Fire Department and the Ocean Rescue Department, Quepos officials have become more familiar with budgets, organizational charts, environmental impact and many other programs, Bodaan said.

“We feel proud the (effort) has helped lay the groundwork and was able to open many eyes of our city leadership and in some cases, changed the mind of city council members and those who were against these projects in the very beginning,” said Bodaan.

He said the visits to Fort Lauderdale helped to “drastically” change the course of the new chamber of commerce by setting specific mission statements that were more business friendly and create an environment in which the private sector works more closely with the local government and central government in San José.

Accompanying Bodaan on the first visit this month will be Quepos Mayor Oscar Monge, City Council President Luis Ch á vez, and volunteers Cornelio Mesen, Charlie Berghammer and Rosalie Maas.

The second delegation will go to Florida Oct. 29 to Nov. 3 to attend the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2008.

Bodaan said the boat show will give Quepos city and business leaders a chance to see the magnitude and scope of economic benefits that the planned Quepos marina could bring to the area. The benefits could be similar to those the Los Suenos Marina further north has brought to the communities of Jacó and Herradura, but, “hopefully, without the negative effects impact on area security.”