Arias Wants Chang For Vice President
Even though his family has been clear that he has no political ambition or party affiliation, Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) presidential candidate, Óscar Arias, says he wants Franklin Chang for his vice-president.

Street Vendors Vow To Take Back "Their" Streets Today
Street Vendors vow to take back their streets in San José, following being removed by the Municipality last January, making them promises which have never been kept.

Costa Rica Has Become an Important Bridge For Drug Traffickers
Costa Rica has become a bridge for the movement of drugs between South and North America. Most of the illegal drugs moving and in and out of Costa Rica end in the United States, or at least that is the intention of the drug runners.

Costa Rican Doctors in Poor Health
A major number of medical doctors who voluntarily submitted themselves to a study were found to suffer from obesity, diabetes and sedentarism, have high levels of cholesterol and drank too much. The study found that one of the major weaknesses of doctors, was food.

La Uruca Road Closing Advisory
To avoid the traffic congestion of 10 days ago, the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (CONAVI), announced yesterday that it will be closing the other side of the bridge at the Monumento del Agua (Water Monument) in La Uruca.

ICE Ordered to Reimburse Customers
Two weeks ago the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) asked the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (ARESEP) - the government body that regulates public prices and services - for an increase of 14% for telephone service.


LATIN AMERICA

Hurricane Dennis gains strength, slashing through Caribbean
Hurricane Dennis gained strength and speed overnight as it made its way through the Caribbean, becoming the first full-fledged hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic season.

Pinochet's immunity in Operation Colombo case removed
The Santiago Court of Appeals Wednesday removed the immunity from criminal prosecution of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, 89, in regards to the Operation Colombo case involving the disappearance of 119 persons.

26th CARICOM summit ends without final agreement
The 26th summit of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) concluded on Wednesday after failing to reach agreement on a final document, according to reports from Castries, capital of Saint Lucia, where the summit was held.

16 guerrillas captured in Colombia
The Colombian police captured 16 guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) during an operation in the northern La Guajira department, police said Wednesday.

Whirlwind kills 1, damages 90 houses in Mexico
 A whirlwind hit the city of Monterrey in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, leaving one dead, another injured and 90 houses damaged on Wednesday.

Farmers Murdered in Attempt to Destabilize Venezuela
Violence against farm leaders, some one hundred killed in the last six years, is part of a plan to destabilize Venezuela, rural leaders denounced Thursday.



SPECIAL REPORTS

AIDS-CHILE:
More Condoms, Less TV
This September the Chilean government will launch an AIDS prevention campaign that places greater emphasis on the use of condoms, but will take only limited advantage of television as a means of spreading its message, a decision that health care specialists fear will make it less effective.