New Cédulas For Legal Residents Coming Soon
All foreigners with legal residency in Costa Rica will benefit from the changes proposed by the Dirección de Migración y Extranjería (Immigration) announced yesterday.

Used Car Importers Want Dialogue With the Government on Proposed Import Restrictions
Come June 5, used car importers will begin their countdown to desperation if the government moves forward to announce the prohibition of vehicles more than 7 years old, this according to José Carballo, president of the Cámara de Importadores de Autos Usados.

Another Gasoline Hike Requested; This Time Gasoline Station Owners Want Theirs
Gasoline price increases continue to make the headlines, with four hikes in the first four months of this year and one decrease last week, bringing the cost of gasoline the highest ever recorded.

No Sign of al Qaeda Operatives in Central America
(Reuters) - Central American governments said on Wednesday there was no sign of two al Qaeda operatives whose suspected presence in the region sparked a security alert, while a U.S. official said it was probably a false alarm.

ROC Foreign Minister in Costa Rica to Preside Over Regional Meeting
Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tan Sun Chen, arrived in Costa Rica Wednesday to preside over a working meeting of ROC diplomatic mission chiefs in the region.

Solís Wants Taiwan's Clarifications on Donations
The head of the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), Ottón Solís, is demanding that the government of Taiwan clear up it's financial relations with Costa Rica.

Nicaraguans Will Need to Present Passport to Enter Costa Rica Come June 1
There is no reason, come June 1, why Nicaraguans enter Costa Rica without a passport.


LATIN AMERICA

Salvador denies information on terrorists' entry into Central America
El Salvador denied on Wednesday the information about a possible entry of al-Qaida suspects into Central America and said it only requested further security along borderlines, said the reports from Salvador's capital San Salvador.|

Armed forces reject statement from military officers in Bolivia
The armed forces of Bolivia rejected Wednesday the statement issued by two military officers who demanded the resignation of President Carlos Mesa, closing of the congress and nationalization of oil and gas.

Chilean army commander rules out resignation for tragedy
Chilean Army general Juan Emilio Cheyre Wednesday ruled out his resignation for the tragedy that left 27 soldiers dead and 19 more missing in southern Antuco Volcano, local press reported.

Army justice leads probe into Chile's Antuco tragedy
The Military Court of Chile on Wednesday appointed an army justice at the head of a probe into last week's tragedy that killed over 30 conscripts in the country's southern Antuco mountain region.

6 people die in record heavy rains in Brazil
Heavy rains in the past two days killed six people in the southwestern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, where the Pinheiros and Tiete rivers spilled over, local authorities reported late Wednesday.


SPECIAL REPORTS

ENVIRONMENT-CHILE:
Something Stinks in Privatised Sewage Treatment Plant
A sewage treatment plant that began to operate two years ago in the Chilean capital, touted as the most modern of its kind in Latin America, has become a source of foul odours and constant traffic of trucks hauling sewage through lower-income neighbourhoods.