Costa Rica’s Felipe Pacheco Heads to 98th Academy Awards

The 32-year-old Costa Rican music editor is making history tonight as the first person from his country ever nominated for an Academy Award. There is a particular kind of quiet that exists in a film before the music swells, a silence shaped by someone who understands exactly when sound should speak and when it should …

Iraq Confirms World Cup Playoff Trip to Mexico Despite Regional War

Iraq’s national soccer team will travel to Mexico to play its 2026 World Cup playoff match despite travel difficulties caused by the war in the Middle East, Iraqi Football Federation president Adnan Dirjal confirmed on Saturday. “The national team will depart at the end of the week for Mexico on a private plane, and we …

Panama Canal Row With China and Iran Conflict Drive Up Fuel Prices Across Costa Rica

Two major international developments have Costa Ricans watching their fuel bills and trade routes with concern. The dispute over ports at the Panama Canal has escalated into a direct confrontation between the United States and China. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global oil supplies. A Hong Kong conglomerate, CK …

Picnic Festival 2026 Opens in Heredia with Sunshine and Live Music

The Picnic Festival opened its 2026 edition yesterday, at the Centro de Eventos Pedregal in Belén de Heredia. Sunny skies and temperatures near 29 degrees Celsius marked the opening day as doors opened at 1 p.m. and live music started across multiple stages. This ranks as one of the largest outdoor music festivals in Costa …

Alcaraz Suffers First 2026 Loss As Medvedev Powers Into Indian Wells Final

The win snapped the world number one’s 16-match winning streak and set up a final against Jannik Sinner, who earlier beat Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4. Medvedev, the recent Dubai champion, pushed his own form to new heights and will contest his third Indian Wells final. Alcaraz arrived in California as the two-time defending champion and …

Miami Open 2026 Qualifying Starts Today at Hard Rock Stadium

The 2026 Miami Open presented by Itaú begins today at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, with qualifying rounds scheduled for March 15 and 16. The full tournament runs through March 29 and brings together top men’s and women’s players in a combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event. Qualifying matches start the …

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Off El Salvador Coast Shakes Honduras and Nicaragua

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook parts of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua on Saturday night. The tremors came from an epicenter located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of El Salvador. The movement took place at 11:00 p.m. local time and records from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) show the epicenter positioned 67 kilometers …

Costa Rica Marks Century Since Virilla River Train Crash Took 385 Lives

A century after Costa Rica’s deadliest train accident, the country pauses to remember the 385 people who lost their lives and the 93 others who suffered injuries when an overloaded train derailed on a bridge over the Virilla River. The disaster struck on March 14, 1926. A special train left Heredia and stopped in Alajuela, …

US Flag Flies Again at Caracas Embassy After Seven Years

The United States raised its flag over the embassy in Caracas on Saturday for the first time in seven years.U.S. Charge d’Affaires Laura Dogu led her team in the ceremony outside the embassy compound. “A new era for U.S.-Venezuela relations has begun. Onward with Venezuela,” Dogu wrote. Dogu noted the flag rose exactly seven years …

Costa Rica Faces US Investigation Over Forced Labor

The United States government announced this week that it started an investigation into Costa Rica and nearly 60 other economies. The review centers on concerns that these countries have not taken strong enough action against forced labor in global supply chains. The U.S. Trade Representative launched the process to examine whether the actions, policies and …