Hostage Crisis At Russian Embassy
Shortly after midday yesterday afternoon, a young man took siege of the Russian embassy in San José, holding eight hostages, including the Russian ambassador, for more than fours hours before surrendering, without incident, to police.

ICE Emergency Decree Illegal
The emergency declaration announced by the government to solve the energy crisis at the Institución Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), is illegal. At least that is the legal opinion given to the government and recognized by the ministro de la Presidencia, Rodrigo Arias.

Another Gas Hike Approved
Gasoline prices are taking another jump next week, as the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep), yesterday approved a request by the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (Recope), for a ¢16 colones hike in the price of a litre of super gasoline and ¢15 colones for diesel.

Real Estate Investors Drawn to Unequivocal Beauty in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's large protected area of national parks and unequivocal beauty has helped spark the interest of foreign investors in purchasing Costa Rica land.

Banco Nacional Lowers Interest Rates
The Banco Nacional de Costa Rica (BNCR) yesterday announced that it has lowered its interest rates, up to 4 percentage points in some cases, in an effort to capture more business.