American Fugitive Arrested in Costa Rica
A Kentucky man on the FBI's list of most wanted fugitives, charged with killing his elderly aunt and fleeing the country, was captured yesterday in Costa Rica, police said.

U.S. Blocks Costa Rica Shrimp Exports over Threat to Sea Turtles
Costa Rica has been added to the list of countries prohibited from exporting wild-harvested shrimp to the U.S. market because shrimpers' practices pose a threat to sea turtles, a U.S. State Department official says.

Grandparents Plead Guilty to Abducting Boy
A Virginia Beach, Virginia, couple who abducted their grandson in 1993 to raise him on a Costa Rica coffee farm, then returned 11 years later so the boy could attend a Virginia college, pleaded guilty Tuesday to child abduction.

Former Costa Rican President to be Honoured
Thursday evening in Coral Gables, Florida,  the Association of Bi-National Chambers of Commerce is to present to Oscar Arías Sanchez, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a former president of Costa Rica, with its award for leadership for global trade.

Riteve to Stay
The Contraloría General de la República - Comtproller's office - yesterday ratified the contract between the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes(MOPT) and the Spanish company Riteve.

Pilar and Igancio Leave Telenoticias
WOW! Yesterday, in the early afternoon hours, came the news that co-directors of Channel 7's Telenoticias, Ignacio Santos and Pilar Cisneros Gallo, quit. A letter of resignation was received by René Picado Cozza, owner of Canal 7.


LATIN AMERICA

Chile rejects Peru's protest over alleged arms sales to Ecuador
Chile rejected Peru's protest over Santiago's alleged arms sales to Ecuador during a Peru-Ecuador war in 1995, while Peru expressed dissatisfaction at Chile's refusal to apologize.

Fox urges new OAS chief to address Bolivia's sea access demand
Mexican President Vicente Fox on Tuesday urged the new secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) to address the Bolivian demand to Chile for a sea access.

Venezuela´s New Step against International Terrorism
The Venezuelan justice has taken a new step against international terrorism by approving a request to extradite from the US the terrorist of Cuban origin, Luis Posada Carriles.

Cuba and Vermont sign Memo of Understanding
Cuba´s food importer company Alimport and the US state of Vermont have agreed to promote the sale of agricultural products, mainly cattle, milk powder and mayonnaise on the island.

Brazil to Strengthen Relations with Argentina
Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Celso Amorim regards the relationship between Brazil and Argentina as a priority, and said Tuesday that both nations defend common positions in international trade negotiations.


SPECIAL REPORTS

HEALTH-LATIN AMERICA:
Much-Maligned DDT Still Has Supporters
DDT is one of the 12 substances known as persistent organic pollutants that the international community has targeted for urgent elimination. But this insecticide, which before falling out of favour prevented millions of deaths and inspired a Nobel Prize, may yet have a long life ahead of it.