February inflation 0.81 percent
Propelled by the prices of bread, fuels, and dental care, the average price index increased by 0.81 percent in February, according to the National Statistics and Census Institute. 

In January the increase was 0.66 percent, therefore taking the cumulate inflation for the first two months this year to 1.47 percent, less than the 1.57 percent recorded in the same period last year. 

However, the cost of living is expected to continue rising, particularly as a result of the increase in fuels, which is not expected to let up in the coming week and that results in a cascading effect when the increased costs of transportation reflect on the prices of most other consumer goods.

Lower investment on tourism
From the boom in the construction of hotels rooms in the 1990-1994 period - when 8,598 were built -, investment in the tourist sector has been decreasing.

In the 1998-2002 period 1,781 rooms were built, but that figure has further fallen to 163 only from May last year to the present. According to the chairman of the Costa Rican Hotel Chamber, Agustin Monge, this means that the tourist industry is "mortally wounded." 

More moderate in his appreciation, the Minister of Tourism, Ruben Pacheco, claims that the country is experiencing a halt in investment, and that the remedy would be a bill of incentives to tourist developers, who are currently focusing on nations who already offer them such special deals.

The new measurement benefits particularly the owners of older cars, that don't have a catalyst installed. The change obeys an executive decree published last Friday in La Gaceta, the official government newspaper. 

The same decree establishes the procedures for the control of emissions for vehicles registered from the 1st of January of 1995 to the 31st of December of 2002.

As of this Monday (today), carbureted vehicles that do not have installed a system of control of polluting agents such as an oxygen catalyst or censor, passes the test with a maximum value of 4,5%. Previously the maximum value was 0.5%.

In the case of the automobiles with some device to control the emissions of carbon monoxide and did not pass the test, the existing established limits set by the transit authority MOPT, will continue to apply.

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40 bus passenger taken hostage in southern Philippines
A passenger bus in the southern Philippines was seized by unidentified gunmen on Monday morning and about 40 passengers were taken hostages, according to local reports.

The bus was traveling between Cotabatao City and Davao on the southern island of Mindanao when the unidentified gunmen fired on the vehicle, the report quoted Mayor Farida Malingco of the town of Dalengawen, where the incident happened, as saying.

So far the section of the highway was closed by security forces, and the case is under investigation.

British Cabinet member may resign over Iraq
British Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short Sunday threatened to resign from the British government if the country goes to a US-led war on Iraq without UN mandate.

"If there is not UN authority for military action or the reconstruction of the country, I will not uphold a breach of international law or this undermining of the UN," Short told the BBC radio 4's Westminster Hour. "I will resign from the government," she said, adding that she could not "stay and defend the indefensible".

"The whole atmosphere of the current situation is deeply reckless, reckless for the world, reckless for the undermining of the UN in this disorderly world, reckless with our government," Short said. "Allowing the world to be so bitterly divided, the division in Europe, the sense of anger and injustice in the Middle East, is very very dangerous," she added.

Short, who resigned as a Labor Party official to protest the party's backing for the 1991 Gulf War, has been the highest-ranking British official so far to announce her readiness to resign.

Earlier on Sunday, Andy Reed, MP for Loughborough and parliamentary private secretary to British Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett, announced he was quitting the post and four other minister aides have threatened to follow suit if Britain joins a US-led war against Iraq without UN backing.

Local media reported Sunday that Blair would face a rebellion by up to 200 Labor lawmakers and the resignation of as many as 10 members of his government if he leads Britain to go war with Iraq without UN mandate.

Blair, the firmest US ally on disarming Iraq by force if necessary, has vowed that he would take Britain into a war even without UN backing. He suffered his biggest Labor revolt last month when more than 120 Labor MPs backed a motion declaring the case for military action on Iraq was "unproven".

Amid strong public opposition to war with Iraq, the British government, together with Spain and the United States, is sponsoring an amended draft UN resolution that sets a March 17 deadline for Iraq to disarm completely or to face a war.

Iraq fully cooperating with UN arms inspectors
Iraq is fully cooperating with UN arms inspectors, a senior Iraqi official said here on Sunday.

"Iraq is fully cooperating with the inspectors in terms of procedure and substance," Mohammad Amin, head of the Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate, told reporters. He expressed hope that the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could draw a conclusion that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction. 

 Amin's remarks came two days after chief UN weapons inspectors delivered updated reports to the UN Security Council on Iraq's disarmament. "The reports confirmed Iraq's pro-active cooperation with the inspectors," Amin said, while calling for lifting "unfair sanctions" on Iraq.

"U-2 surveillance flights over Iraq were continuing, and interviews with Iraqi scientists by UN experts were continuing," he said, adding 46 banned al-Samoud 2 missiles have thus far been destroyed.

As for the pace of the destruction of the banned missiles, he said such an issue has been decided upon by the Iraqi side and the UNMOVIC, and the leader of the superpower should not interfere in the matter.

US close to get enough votes on Iraq
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday that the United States are close to gaining enough votes for a UN Security Council resolution to authorize the use of force against Iraq, but feared that France may veto the measure.

"I would not be surprised if they (France) vetoed, because they have been pretty clear that they want to stop that resolution," Powell told "Fox News Sunday."

"Right now I would expect the French to do everything they can to stop it, including possible use of the veto, although they haven't used the veto word."

Even if France does not veto the resolution, the US and its supporters still need nine votes of the 15-member Security Council to make the resolution approved. Powell stressed that the United States was within "striking distance" of the necessary nine votes.

The five permanent members of the council are Britain, China, France, Russia and the US. The ten non-permanent members are Angola, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea, Germany, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain and Syria.

Analysts say France and the United States are lobbying for the decisive support of undecided countries like Angola, Guinea, Cameroon and Mexico.

The United States, Britain and Spain on Friday amended their draft resolution to include a March 17 ultimatum for Iraq to obey disarmament demands or face war in an effort to get wavering council members to support possible military action.