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President Pacheco Faces New Investigation
A letter send by the Ministerio Público to the Legislative Assembly confirms a criminal investigation begun by the Fiscalía General de la Republica (prosecutor's office) against President Abel Pacheco.

Arias Dominates Presidential Elections Race
Former president and Nobel Prize winner for peace, Óscar Arias Sánchez, remains the top presidential hopeful, according to a poll by Demoscopia published in Al Día.

Bank Error Makes Bank Customer Millionare for a Week
Becoming a millionare (in US dollars) was easier than ever imagined for Don Franciso Barahona, who for a little over a week he held in his possession some us$2.8 million dollars due to a bank error.

Early Morning Bank Robbery in Escazú
Three well dressed men entered the local branch of the Scotiabank in Escazú and made away with ¢35 million colones (us$73.300 dollars) around 9:30am, shortly after the bank opened.

Environment and Energy Minister Receives First Annual Global Ocean
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, the environment and energy minister of Costa Rica, received the first annual Global Ocean Conservation Award this evening from six organizations promoting marine conservation.

Sala IV Upholds Internet Cable Service
The Constitutional Court (Sala IV) upheld the agreements the Radiografica Costarricense S.A. (RACSA) has with private cable company operators following an appeal presented by the Sindicato de Empleados del ICE (Sideice) which claimed the contracts are against public order.

Costa Rica 3, Guatemala 2 in World Cup Qualifier
Costa Rica blew a late two-goal lead, but a 90th-minute score by striker Paulo Wanchope saved the home team, 3-2 against Guatemala in World Cup qualifier Wednesday.


LATIN AMERICA

Bolivian lawmakers to vote for president
Bolivian lawmakers meet on Thursday to consider the resignation of President Carlos Mesa. They must decide who will succeed him after weeks of protests in the capital and a growing clamor for early elections.

Bolivian hospitals face food, gas shortage
Hospitals in La Paz and El Atlo have a severe shortage of gas and food supplies as weeks of violent protests have paralyzed the two Bolivian cities, an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official said Wednesday.

Peru March to Condemn Posada Carriles
The Frente Amplio del Peru called Wednesday for a condemnation march in this capital against Cuban-born terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, who has requested political asylum in United States.

End of Blockade on Cuba Would Benefit the US, a Study says
The elimination of the economic, commercial and financial US blockade on Cuba could generate 100 thousand workplaces and additional earnings of six billion dollars for the United States, says a study revealed here..


SPECIAL REPORTS

COMMUNICATIONS:
Filling the Information Void
How can the information void on issues of development and globalisation be effectively filled? That question was addressed Wednesday at activities organised by the IPS news agency to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Tierramérica publication and the inauguration of the agency's Latin American regional headquarters in the Uruguayan capital.