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WORLD NEWSThursday 3 March 2016
US targets Puerto Rico companies in toxic pesticide case
Associated Press mide to fumigate homes They face up to $7,500 in is dangerous and against products, both companies
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) and other unauthorized civil penalties for each vio- federal law,” said Judith voluntarily discontinued its
— The U.S. government places in several cities lation as part of a continu- Enck, an EPA regional ad- use,” he said, adding that
this week filed complaints across Puerto Rico from ing federal investigation in ministrator. Peter Diaz, a he will contest the com-
against a pest control com- 2013 to early 2015. The men Puerto Rico into the illegal lawyer who represents both plaints.Diaz did not re-
pany in Puerto Rico and were identified as Edwin use of methyl bromide, an Andujar and Torres, told The spond to questions, includ-
two businessmen for the ille- Andujar Bermudez with odorless chemical that can Associated Press that hun- ing when the companies
gal use of a toxic pesticide Truly Nolen Pest Control of severely damage the brain dreds of pesticide appli- stopped using the pesti-
that nearly killed an Ameri- Caguas and Wilson Torres and lungs. EPA spokesman cators in Puerto Rico have cide. He said the chemi-
can family in the neighbor- Rivera of Tower & Son Ex- John Martin said the agen- for decades used products cal was used only on wood
ing U.S. Virgin Islands. terminating Corp. in Bay- cy expects to announce that have recently come furniture at the companies’
The Environmental Protec- amon. Tower & Son was more actions in upcoming under EPA scrutiny. workshop and never at
tion Agency said the busi- named in a separate com- months.“Applying methyl “After some controver- homes or other locations.
nessmen used methyl bro- plaint, but not Truly Nolen. bromide products in homes sies with the use of these q
Cuba announces first case of Zika, imported from Venezuela
M. WEISSENSTEIN People make their way through fumigation fog, sprayed to kill negative but a second test nounced Feb. 22 that the
Associated Press Aedes Aegypti mosquitos, in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. Authorities are on Feb. 28 was positive, country was militarizing its
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba an- fumigating in an attempt to prevent the spread of Zika, Chikun- health officials said. The fight to kill disease-carry-
nounced Wednesday that gunya and Dengue. woman remains hospital- ing mosquitos, assigning
it had detected the first ized in good condition at 9,000 soldiers to spray for
case of the Zika virus on (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Cuba’s main tropical dis- the insects nationwide.
the island, which had been ease hospital in Havana, Since then, soldiers, police
one of the last nations in with other newly arrived toms were detected. officials said. and health workers have
the Western Hemisphere doctors when her symp- An initial test for Zika was The woman’s husband and launched an intense door-
free of the disease. brother-in-law had both to-door effort to fumigate
The Ministry of Health come down with Zika in for mosquitos.
said in state media that a Venezuela in recent weeks. Gaps had been increas-
28-year-old Venezuelan The medical professionals ingly obvious in the effort to
post-doctoral student in who had entered Cuba spray homes and business-
gastroenterology arrived alongside the sick woman es for the Aedes aegypti
in the country Feb. 21 and remain in quarantine with mosquito, which has infect-
a day later came down no sign of Zika, officials said. ed thousands of Cubans
a high fever and rash. The Health Ministry made with the dengue virus and
The government says the no mention of any case dozens with chikungunya,
woman was under medi- of Zika transmitted inside a disease that causes fever
cal quarantine in Artemisa Cuba. and severe joint pain. q
province outside Havana President Raul Castro an-
Argentina spymaster links Fernandez gov’t to Nisman’s death
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina prosecutor Alberto Nisman media that the former spy evidence. More than a year after his
(AP) — Argentina’s most was killed. chief had directly blamed Stiuso assisted Nisman’s in- death, authorities have
famous spymaster says he “He has an interpretation Fernandez for Nisman’s vestigation of the unsolved not determined whether
thinks a prosecutor investi- of the precedents and mo- death. The lawyer, Fed- 1994 bombing of a Jew- Nisman took his own life or
gating the country’s worst tives that might have led erico Casal, also said that ish center before he was was killed by someone else.
terrorist attack was killed by to Nisman’s killing,” Blanco Stiuso had accused officials found dead of a gunshot Conspiracy theories have
people linked to the gov- told the Vorterix radio sta- in Fernandez’s administra- in his apartment on Jan. 18, flourished around the case.
ernment of former Presi- tion. He added that he tion, including former legal 2015. While some people believe
dent Cristina Fernandez. didn’t have more details secretary Carlos Zannini Just days before his death, that Nisman killed himself
The attorney for Antonio Sti- because he didn’t attend and former Cabinet Chief Nisman accused Fernan- because he felt that his
uso said Wednesday his cli- the closed-door testimony. Anibal for the prosecutor’s dez of helping shield Iranian claims against the former
ent made the statement to An attorney who repre- death. officials allegedly behind president lacked proof,
a local judge this week. But sents Nisman’s family in the Fernandez has implied that the bombing that killed 85 others say he was mur-
the lawyer, Santiago Blan- case and who was in the Stiuso himself might have people. The case against dered because he was a
co, said that Stiuso doesn’t courtroom during Stiuso’s had something to do with Fernandez was later thrown threat to the Argentine and
have “direct proof” that testimony told local news the death — also without out. Iranian governments. q
