Bus Drivers Will Have to Turn Off Their Radios
Cumbias, rancheras and various types of radio music are common on Costa Rican buses. However, 55 drivers of the Tapachula bus company that provides services between San José and Santa Ana will have to turn off their radios.

Yesterday Was the Hottest Day of the Year
The mercury in San José yesterday reached 31.3 Celsius, making it the hottest day of the year.

Gasoline Prices Drop Tomorrow
The price of gasoline is set to go down tomorrow by ¢5 colones a litre following it's publication in the official newspaper La Gaceta this morning.

GDP Went Up 1.9%
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Costa Rica increased 1.9% the first quarter this year, as compared to the same period in 2004.

Law Students Will Clerk in Costa Rica
Four University of Texas (UT) law students were recently accepted to a prestigious clerkship program located at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica.

No to Regional Visa
At the closing of the Central American integration summit, Costa Rica did not join El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua in establishing the free traveling of their citizens in between these nations.

News Briefs
Public institutions and private business can no longer ask women to subject themselves for a pregnancy test as a condition of applying for work.

Tibás Garbage Men on Strike. Again.
Tibás will again stink of garbage, as Municipal garbage men and other workers in charge of clean up of the Municipality go on an indefinite strike today. At issue are salaries.


LATIN AMERICA

Cuba Assesses Hurricane Damage
Some 1,828 houses were damaged in Havana, 30 of them fully collapsed, by the strong winds of Hurricane Dennis, reported the city Civil Defense as recovery work is full underway: water and cooking gas services have been restored, but power is still at 25 percent.

World Population Day for Equality
In a special statement on World Population Day, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has appealed to the world to empower women and girls through a commitment to gender equality.

Washington Pressures to Destroy SAM-7 in Nicaragua
The US government threatened again Sunday to keep all military aid to Nicaragua blocked until the Central American country destroys all its SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles.

Venezuela Accuses Washington of Interference
Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel accused the United States government of interfering in his country´s domestic affairs and criticizing judicial-power decisions.

Bad News for Cancun: Crimes on the Rise
U.S. authorities are warning Americans away from Mexican border areas such as Nuevo Laredo because of drug violence, but the average tourist may face more danger on a Cancun beach.

Colombian Markets Focusing on Re-election Ruling
The Colombian Constitutional Court ruling on the presidential re-election, expected in coming months, has attracted the attention of financial market given possible substantial exchange rate shifts.


SPECIAL REPORTS

FINANCE:
Expat Remittances Bail Out Struggling Banks
Migrant workers and their families are not the only ones gaining from lower costs and better data collection in the growing industry of transferring money across borders.