Although the government requested to the regulator, ARESEP, to define he increase in bus tariffs, Hermann Hess will not yield to any pressure. This Wednesday morning at Presidential House, criticism was voiced against the regulator.

The bus companies threaten a general work stoppage this Thursday (today), according to them they can no longer operate with the increased costs in fuel caused by the crisis with Iraq.

Transport Minister Javier Chaves  has requested a general adjustment of 11% to the bus tariffs, but Hermann Hess says that the request is for 24%.

While the government tries to avoid a strike, the regulator says that it does not yield to intimidations nor ultimatums and that it will respect the law in determining an increase.

The regulator will not give a date nor a percentage of increase in the bus tariffs, but it clarified that the adjustment will not be equal for all because on some routes there was recent increase of fares and it would be be fair to the consumers to raise them again.

For the increase to take effect, first ARESEP and MOPT have to agree to a percentage increase, then prepare the proper documentation necessary for a public hearing and then ARESEP can take up to 30 days to make a decision.

4.500 buses on 800 routes in the country will affected.




Colombia Arrests Cali Cocaine Boss Again
BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombian police on Wednesday arrested one of the country's most notorious drug lords, former Cali cocaine cartel boss Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, just four months after he was freed from prison by a controversial court ruling.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has stepped up the pace of extraditions of drug smugglers to the United States.

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Pakistan denies closing to arrest Osama bin Laden
Pakistani Minister for Information Sheikh Rashid Ahmed here on Wednesday denied news reports of the foreign media stating that Pakistani agencies are close to arrest Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the terror attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

"These reports are a mere misquotation of the officials of the concerned agencies, " said the minister at a press conference here.

Osama bin Laden is not in Pakistan, said the minister, so how can one say that they are close to arrest him ?

"If somebody has got report about the presence of Osama in Pakistan, he may come and tell us about him," he added.

Asked to comment on the operation in Afghanistan, he said, "We don't know what is happening in Afghanistan. Since Afghanistan is a sovereign state, how can I comment what is happening there?"

Earlier this week, Pakistani President Musharraf denied that Osama bin Laden is on Pakistan's soil while interviewed with the CNN, an American TV network.

China, South Africa sign protocol on scientific cooperation
China and South Africa will launch technical and scientific cooperation in 10 major projects, including bridge management information system and innovative pavement materials technology, under a protocol inked here Wednesday night.

The agreement was signed by Wu Zhongze, Chinese vice-minister of science and technology and his South African counterpart Buylwa Sonjica.

The two governments agreed that researchers and scientists will carry out research and development of municipal bridge management information system, innovative pavement materials technology, new materials and management, chromium-magnesium point-spar deep process, primary health care tele-medicine and traditional Chinesetele-diagnosis.

The joint research will also cover evaluation of drought tolerant grass and forage species, technologies for restoring degraded arid and semi-arid rangelands, laser photodynamic therapy of tumors using phthalocyanines, audio/video signal processing and monitoring system as well as copper mining technology.

Wu, who heads a six-member government delegation, is in South Africa for the Second Session of the Science and Technology Joint Committee between China and South Africa, which started on March 11.

US president continues phone diplomacy to court support on Iraq
US President George W. Bush on Wednesday continued to work the phones to rally international support for a possible war with Iraq in what his aides called "end stages" of diplomacy.

In a third day of busy telephone diplomacy, Bush called United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Over the past two days, the US president already called leaders of China, Japan, Oman, South Africa, Turkey, Senegal, Nigeria, Spain, Angola, Chile and Mexico.

Talking about Bush's latest phone calls, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told a news briefing Wednesday that the United States is "in the end stages of a very serious diplomatic endeavor."

He said President Bush "has given diplomacy a certain amount of time" and "will not give it forever."

The spokesman, who had earlier said a vote on a new UN Security Council resolution on Iraq could be held later this week, declined to specify on which day Washington will call for such a vote.

"You're seeing either the final moments of action or inaction at the United Nations Security Council," he said.

Aware of UN Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's controversial comments on Britain's possible role in a US-led war with Iraq, Fleischer said President Bush is confident of Britain's role in seeking Baghdad's disarmament.

"The president is confident of the United Kingdom's role, including the military role, in disarming (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein," the spokesman said.

Rumsfeld on Tuesday suggested that the United States could go it alone in launching military strikes against Iraq without the participation of Britain. But he later issued a statement expressing confidence in Britain's role in a possible war with Iraq.