New Shepard. Source: Blue Origin San Francisco, Nov 24 (EFE).- Blue Origin, the space transport company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced Tuesday that its suborbital rocket that lifted off on Monday successfully landed back on the launch pad in Texas, a key step in its drive to build reusable rockets. "Blue Origin's reusable New Shepard space vehicle flew a flawless mission - so...

Source; Google Maps Lima, Nov 24 (EFE).- An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale on Tuesday struck the mutual border area between Peru, Brazil and Bolivia but there have been no reports as yet of any injuries or material damage. The powerful quake occurred at 5:44 p.m. and had its epicenter in the Madre de Dios Amazon region, 83 km (51 mi.) south of the town of Esperanza some 90 km...

Wikimedia Commons Mexico City, Nov 23 (EFE).- Dozens of residences at a luxury development in Mexico City's Santa Fe neighborhood, including former Miss Universe Alicia Machado's home, are on the edge of an abyss after landslides that have led to criticism of unregulated development in the capital. Santa Fe, a neighborhood in the borough of Cuajimalpa, is a newly developed area in the south...

Havana, Nov 23 (EFE).- Cuban authorities are providing "effective cooperation" to provide a "quick, adequate solution" to the plight of more than 2,000 Cuban emigrants who have been stranded for over a week in Costa Rica on the Nicaraguan border, Cuba's official media said Monday. The migrants ended up in Costa Rica after setting out from Cuba "with the intention of emigrating to the U.S., enco...

Source: Pixabay Commons Mexico City, Nov 23 (EFE).- The Federal District Attorney's Office, working with federal law enforcement personnel, arrested three men and a woman, and 17 victims of sexual exploitation were rescued in Mexico City, officials said. The victims, all adult women, were forced to provide sexual services at the Desexxx3 bar in the Mexico City borough of Centro, the DA's of...

Get lost in nature in the intense cloud forest of Monteverde. One of Costa Rica’s most beautiful attractions. Feel the fresh breeze, and listen to the sounds of natural world. A paradise for anyone looking for a unique experience in the forest. Zip lining, bungee jumping, swinging bridges, horseback riding, ATV-ing, and an unforgettable Tarzan swing are just some of the attractions the cloud fores...

Wikimedia Commons Rio de Janeiro, Nov 22 (EFE).- Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes on Sunday formally handed over a newly-constructed golf course, one of the most controversial projects in the preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, to the Olympic Organizing Committee. The 18-hole course covering about a square kilometer (a little over 1/3 square mile) was taken over by the organizing ...

Wikimedia Commons Toronto, Nov 23 (EFE).- The Canadian government's plan to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees in the coming weeks is to be open only to women, children and families, The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported Monday. Single males are excluded based on security concerns, according to the CBC network. Details of the plan will be revealed Sunday by Prime Minister Justin Trud...

By Carol Blair Vaughn The United States Congress is about to enact a new law, H.R. 22 along with Senate Bill 1813, which will allow officials to deny new or revoke existing passports held by U.S. citizens who are more than $50,000 in arrears in their Federal Income Tax (IRS). The new law is expected to pass Congress in early December, and take effect on Jan. 1, 2016. This new law should rais...

Twitter photo by Brussels resident Tobias Troll Brussels, Nov 21 (EFE).- Belgium's capital was effectively placed on lockdown on Saturday - with metro lines, shopping malls and museums shuttered and concerts and other events canceled - after authorities raised their terror alert to the highest level due to the risk of "imminent" attacks. The country's crisis center announced early Saturday ...

Source: FEDEFUTBOL Madrid, Nov 21 (EFE; additional context by The Costa Rica Star).- FC Barcelona turned the latest edition of Spain's Clasico into a laugher, crushing Real Madrid 4-0 here Saturday evening to move six points clear of the Blancos in the La Liga standings. The match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where a moving tribute was paid to the victims of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks i...

"Supporting acid attack survivors in Bangladesh (6395599437)" by DFID - UK Department for International Development - Supporting acid attack survivors in BangladeshUploaded by russavia. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons By Alberto Peña Agra, India, Nov 18 (EFE).- A cafe in the northern Indian city of Agra provides a space where female victims of acid attacks can shed the burden of phys...

Oxford Dictionary By Carol Blair Vaughn Oxford Dictionary has announced its Word of The Year for 2015 – and SURPRISE!! – It’s not a word at all! This year’s word is the emoji “Face with Tears of Joy”, which was found to be used by more folks than any other emoji worldwide.  It turns out that Costa Rica has sent the most emoji art in the world in 2015, in our digital communication, accord...

Wikimedia Commons Washington, Nov 19 (EFE).- More Mexicans are returning to their homeland than are emigrating to the United States, with a net outflow from this country of 140,000 between 2009 and 2014, according to a report released on Thursday. The report, prepared by the Pew Research Center, says that more Mexican immigrants have returned to Mexico from the U.S. than have migrated here ...

"Pedro-Pablo-Kuczynski" by Robertovillani - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons Lima, Nov 16 (EFE).- Peruvian presidential candidate Pedro Pablo Kuczynski announced that he has given up his U.S. citizenship as the right thing to do before the 2016 elections. Kuczynski, a former economy minister, said Sunday night on the television news program "Cuarto Poder" that he has taken ...

Source: Flickr Commentary by Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson Fourteen years ago in 2001, I took my ship Ocean Warrior to Cocos Island, Costa Rica. When we arrived we found an Ecuadorian long-liner, the San Jose, busily slaughtering sharks not far off the beach of Cocos Island National Park. Note by The Costa Rica Star: We have not edited this article, which was fully written by M...

Supporters of President Maduro rally in Caracas EFE/AGENCIA VENEZOLANA DE NOTICIAS/ Caracas, Nov 19 (EFE).- The Venezuelan government on Thursday delivered a protest note to the United States after the publication of documents showing that the National Security Agency spied on employees of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. The note was delivered to the charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embass...

El Dorado airport in Bogota. Wikimedia Commons Bogota, Nov 19 (EFE).- One of the people being investigated for having participated in last week's terrorist attacks in Paris left Bogota in July and traveled to the French capital after bribing officials to let him leave the country, a source in the immigration agency told EFE. The suspect, identified as Syrian national Al Sakhadi Seham, made ...

Source: MSP San Jose, Nov 19 (EFE; additional reporting by The Costa Rica Star).- Costa Rican police on Thursday arrested a Syrian woman who entered the country earlier this week on a stolen Greek passport, a case similar to the one that occurred this week in Honduras, where five Syrian men using Greek passports were taken into custody. The arrest was carried out by the Public Force (Fuerza...

San Jose, Nov 19 (EFE; additional reporting by The Costa Rica Star).- The Costa Rican government reported Thursday that foreign ministers from a dozen countries in the region will meet next week in El Salvador to find a solution to the emigration of thousands of Cubans trying to reach the United States, about 2,400 of whom are stranded in Costa Rica. "It was agreed that the convening on Monday,...

Prime Minister Trudeau and President Peña Nieto By Helen Cook Manila, Nov 18 (EFE).- Philippine social-networking sites have been awash with praise for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who have caused a stir here among a segment of the female population since arriving for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Only minutes after they...

"Paris Shootings - The day after (22593744177)" by Maya-Anaïs Yataghène. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons Washington, Nov 18 (EFE).- The alleged mastermind behind the jihadist terrorist attacks in Paris last week died in the massive police operation undertaken Wednesday in the French capital, The Washington Post reported. The daily, citing two top European intelligence officials, said t...

Panama Canal Panama Canal, Nov 17 (EFE).- Experts attending a three-day International Trademark Association meeting that kicked off here Tuesday will discuss ways to combat the transit of counterfeit goods through the Panama Canal. The Leadership Meeting is "an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges of combating counterfeiting and to advocate for measures to halt the transshipm...

Wikimedia Commons Washington, Nov 17 (EFE).- The United States last week received the first Central American children whose asylum requests were approved as part of a program launched almost a year ago, a State Department spokesman told EFE on Tuesday. "Six minors from El Salvador arrived last Thursday. They are the only ones to have arrived so far," Rubani Trimiew, spokesman for the Bureau...

The model has complete heterochromia iridum, a condition where the irises of both eyes are differently coloured. Sarah's right eye is yellow-brown, while the left one is a lovely bonnie blue. Not only is it 'groovy', it is also downright stunning, and slightly hypnotic. And for an aspiring model in a highly competitive field, it's potential gold. Source:catchnews.com...

Source: WhoSay.com New York, Nov 17 (EFE).- Actor Charlie Sheen confirmed Tuesday that he has been a carrier of the HIV virus that causes AIDS and that he has been blackmailed by unidentified persons who threatened to sell his secret to the media. In an interview on NBC's "Today" show, Sheen said his disease began with a series of "crushing" headaches, adding that "I thought I had a brain t...

Playas del Coco has become one of the growing hotspots in Costa Rica for tourists and locals to come and enjoy a weekend away from the ever busy city life. With beaches all around, fantastic weather, and a laid back atmosphere, this little beach town is never asleep and never dull. If you stay for a weekend, you’ll want to keep coming back to enjoy all that Coco has to offer. Source: news.co.cr...

Pixabay Commons New York, Nov 16 (EFE).- A Salvadoran citizen is on the list of the 10 cybercriminals most wanted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. The fugitive, identified as Carlos Enrique Perez Melara, 35, is charged with hacking the private communications of hundreds and even thousands of victims, according to the FBI. Perez Melara ran a Web site that offered customers a w...

Wikimedia Commons Antalya, Turkey, Nov 15 (EFE).- U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Sunday in Turkey held a "constructive meeting" to discuss the war in Syria, White House officials said. The meeting, held on the margins of the G20 summit in the Turkish seaside resort of Antalya, lasted about 35 minutes and both leaders agreed on the need for a poli...

French Mirage fighter jet. Wikimedia Commons Paris, Nov 15 (EFE).- France on Sunday launched massive airstrikes on an Islamic State terrorist camp near the Syrian town of Raqqa, a zone controlled by the jihadist group, officials with the French Defense Ministry told EFE. According to the officials, the French air strikes, which came two days after terrorists killed at least 132 people in Pa...

Source: Flickr Commons Berlin, Nov 14 (EFE).- The 45-year-old German woman arrested as the possible mother of eight babies whose mortal remains were found in the home where she had lived in Bavaria, admitted Saturday to police that she had killed "several" of them immediately after they were born. The suspect, who was sentenced to imprisonment without bail on suspicion of multiple murders, ...

Wikimedia Commons U.S. Sports Desk, Nov 14 (EFE; odds by IDS).- The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors are currently tied as favorites to win the 2015-2016 NBA Championship title. Earlier this week, the Cavs won their eighth straight contest after an opening-game loss, getting 31 points and an outstanding defensive effort from superstar forward LeBron James in a 90-84 victory...

Guadalajara, Mexico, Nov 14 (EFE).- The total protection of data is almost unattainable in the digital age, and at times we are unaware of how defenseless we really are, experts from a number of countries agreed here at the Outsource2LAC forum, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank, or IDB. "Expectations of privacy are truly minimal," partly because "people are disconnected from the ...

Lasink technology COLOMBES, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oberthur Technologies (OT), a leading global provider of embedded security software products, services and solutions today announced that its cutting-edge Lasink™ solution has been selected by Costa Rica, through a multi-year contract to provide highly secure national ID cards. With the aim of providing its citizens with enhanced security...

Wikimedia Commons Beijing, Nov 13 (EFE).- Tibetan monks and nuns are receiving counterespionage instruction from the Chinese government, a program aimed at combating the Tibetan independence movement and counteracting the influence of the exiled Dalai Lama, the official daily Global Times reported Friday. Twenty-two monks and nuns from three area temples attended a three-hour-long class in ...

Wikimedia Commons Lima, Nov 12 (EFE).- University researchers in Peru have invented a device aimed at leveraging plants' potential as a clean and renewable energy source to provide electricity to an impoverished Amazon community. The "plant lamp," as the invention is known, is a project by researchers at Lima's University of Engineering and Technology that generates two hours of light per d...

Buenos Aires, Nov 12 (EFE).- The pregnancy of a 13-year-old girl who has already given birth once before is rocking Argentine society, given that - in addition - authorities are investigating whether her situation was brought about by being raped by her mother's partner, local media reported. The girl, whose name has not been made public, had been living with her 32-year-old mother, her stepfat...

Wikiemdia Commons Washington, Nov 11 (EFE).- U.S. astronomers have spotted what seems to be the most distant object ever detected in the Solar System, a dwarf planet located three times farther from the Sun than Pluto and designated V774104 by the scientists. The distant object is between 500 and 1,000 km (310 to 620 mi.) in diameter and its orbit will not be able to be determined for anoth...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Washington, Nov 11 (EFE).- U.S. law enforcement officials arrested the godson and a nephew of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, charging them with conspiring to transport 800 kilos of cocaine to U.S. territory, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday citing sources close to the case. Efrain Antonio Campo Flores, the godson of the Venezuelan leader, and Franci...

Japanese zen garden. Wikimedia Commons By Maria Roldan Tokyo, Nov 10 (EFE).- In Japanese society, where consumerism has become almost a national obsession, an increasing number of people are opting away from materialism and embracing a minimalist lifestyle, which they claim provides them with enormous freedom. Fumio Sasaki has just 20 items of clothing in his closet, with an electric too...