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Costa Rica

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Costa Rica. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

San José

Head of State

President Rodrigo Chaves Robles

Head of Government

President Rodrigo Chaves Robles

Laura Fernandez waves to supporters during her victory speech. Photo: AFP

Americas and the Caribbean

Costa Rica elects tough-talking right-winger for president

Laura Fernandez, a protege and former chief of staff of the outgoing president, has pledged to continue his tough security policies.

2 Feb 2026 - 3:06PM

US-China relations

China says US visa threats to Central America show ‘lack of basic respect’

21 Oct 2025 - 10:17PMvideocam

Climate change

Macroscope | Why force of law is world’s best hope for beating climate change

2 Aug 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

United States

‘No vital signs’: doctor recounts bid to save Malcolm-Jamal Warner

The doctor tried to save the ‘Cosby Show’ actor from ‘rough’ waters on Costa Rica’s Playa Grande, a beach known for its rip currents and lack of lifeguards.

26 Jul 2025 - 12:25AM

Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned in Costa Rica on June 20 during a rip tide. Photo: TNS

Obituaries

Cosby Show’s Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies by drowning at 54

Actor known for playing Theo Huxtable was caught in a rip current while swimming in the Caribbean.

22 Jul 2025 - 3:06PM

Americas and the Caribbean

Costa Rica’s Nobel-winning ex-president loses US visa

Two-time president Oscar Arias won the Nobel in 1987 for his efforts to end civil wars in Central America.

2 Apr 2025 - 11:11PM

Fame and celebrity

Who is Brett Gardner’s wife, Jessica Clendenin, and what happened to their son?

The 41-year-old MLB outfielder and his wife Jessica are in shock after losing their 14-year-old son Miller Gardner while on holiday together in Costa Rica this weekend.

25 Mar 2025 - 7:00PM

Jessica Clendenin and her former New York Yankees outfielder husband, Brett Gardner. Photo: Getty Images

Fame and celebrity

Meet Daniel Zovatto, who plays Rodney Alcala in Netflix’s Woman of the Hour

The 33-year-old’s chilling portrayal of real-life killer Rodney Alcala follows a starring role alongside Russell Crowe in 2023’s The Pope’s Exorcist – so why is he aiming for a Pixar film next?

21 Mar 2025 - 5:00AM

US-China relations

Eyeing China, Rubio makes Central America his first trip as top US diplomat

Countering Beijing and ‘deepening economic partnerships’ to boost regional prosperity said to be on agenda in tour that starts in Panama.

1 Feb 2025 - 5:36AMvideocam

Venezuela

Venezuela opposition leader Machado is in ‘hiding, fearing for my life’

In Wall Street Journal, Machado wrote: ‘I could be captured as I write these words.’ President Maduro has said she ‘should be behind bars’.

2 Aug 2024 - 7:29AM

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, left, and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez address supporters during a protest against the official presidential election results declaring President Nicolas Maduro the winner in Caracas, Venezuela on Tuesday. Photo: AP

US-China relations

Blinken announces US initiative to produce semiconductors in Latin America

The effort, intended to counter China, will expand chip manufacturing in Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, and possibly other countries in the future.

18 Jul 2024 - 6:21AM

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during an Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity meeting in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Wellness

How ‘blue zones’ of health and longevity are spreading around the globe

He coined the term ‘blue zones’ for communities with healthy centenarians. Dan Buettner says there are no magic solutions to long life, but we can all follow the ‘Power 9’ lifestyle principles he learned.

26 Jun 2024 - 6:15PM

Brazil

Messi’s Argentina to defend Copa America in US as Uruguay, Brazil await

Everything you need to know as the oldest continental tournament in world football kicks off for its 48th edition, 108 years on from its debut campaign.

21 Jun 2024 - 1:31AM

Hong Kong economy

One-third of Hong Kong firms expect to hire more staff but bosses remain cautious

Human resources firm releases quarterly survey on city’s employment outlook,

18 Jun 2024 - 7:30PM

Jobseekers attend a summer recruitment fair in Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Asean

Opinion | Climate change threat is more than a storm in Vietnam’s coffee cup

From Brazil and Colombia to Indonesia and Vietnam, crops over the last decade have been hit by adverse weather and disease. Supply is increasingly unstable and shrinking, even as land suitable for cultivation disappears

29 May 2024 - 5:30AMvideocam

A farmer watering coffee plants in Vietnam’s central highlands near Buon Ma Thuot in Daklak province on March 13, 2023. Photo: AFP

Asia travel

Hyatt’s ryokan brand Atona to take traditional Japanese inns mainstream

Hyatt is taking Japan’s traditional ryokan inns mainstream, introducing Western features including beds as well as futons; à la carte menu options; and private hot baths to go with communal ones.

28 May 2024 - 4:15PM

China GDP

China was predicted to join ranks of high-income nations by 2022. What happened?

Predictions China would have already joined the group of high-income nations have yet to bear fruit. Is it still possible to break through the middle-income ceiling – and is it still an important benchmark?

1 May 2024 - 11:02AMvideocam

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Artificial intelligence

Killer robot arms race: AI faces its ‘Oppenheimer moment’

Regulators who want to get a grip on an emerging generation of artificially intelligent killing machines may not have much time left to do so, governments have been warned.

30 Apr 2024 - 11:13AM

A cardboard cut-out of a cyborg on display in Vienna, which is hosting an international conference on autonomous weapons. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia

She left Malaysia to sail the world for freedom, adventure – and the ‘soft life’

Syasya Syahirah Nor Azmi gave up her life in Penang for the gentle sway of a sailing boat thousands of miles from home. Life is good, even if it can get lonely at times. And she misses the food.

28 Apr 2024 - 4:00PM

Old Hong Kong

Then & Now | Good luck finding expert guides to tell tourists truths about Hong Kong

Tourists to Hong Kong have long been fed rote-learned clichés about its history by uninspiring and uninspired guides. In today’s new normal, who would dare risk offering them anything different?

28 Apr 2024 - 8:17AM

Science

China’s hi-tech progress reshaping global politics, study says

China’s status as a ‘near-peer competitor’ is driving efforts to limit access to key technologies such as semiconductors and counter its global influence.

25 Apr 2024 - 12:00PMvideocam

The US has been leading efforts to limit China’s access to key technologies in areas such as semiconducting. Photo: Shutterstock

Trending in China

Profile | Who is China’s Yang Siqi? From farm girl to Olympic surfer

A young woman who was raised in a landlocked part of rural China and first set eyes on the sea at nine-years-old has made history by becoming the country’s first surfing Olympian. But who is Yang Siqi?

7 Apr 2024 - 2:00PM

From landlocked China farm girl to surfing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, who is the phenomenon that is Yang Siqi? Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu/Weibo

ONE Championship

Submission grappling champ Ruotolo expects Michell to be ‘most difficult opponent’

The American makes the first defence of his belt at ONE Fight Night 21 on Saturday, against an opponent who has won his past six matches.

3 Apr 2024 - 4:03PMvideocam

South Korea

Was the democracy summit in Seoul useful? Are open values ‘on the offensive’?

China and Russia were not invited to the summit, which was called a ‘clown show’ by a Chinese state-run newspaper.

29 Mar 2024 - 10:58PMvideocam

Trending in China

Girl from rural China is first surfer to compete in Olympics for her country

A teenage girl from a poor, landlocked rural area of China, who has worked hard to achieve success in the sport of surfing, will represent her country in the 2024 Olympics in a remarkable achievement on many levels.

26 Mar 2024 - 8:56AM

A 15-year-old girl from a landlocked part of rural China, who first saw the sea when she was nine years old, has become the nation’s first surfer to qualify for the Olympics. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/The Paper

United Nations

New report reveals the world’s happiest countries ranked

Nordic nations retain their grip on the top spots, with Afghanistan and Lebanon at bottom of 143 countries surveyed. Mainland China was ranked 60, with Hong Kong at 86 and self-ruled island Taiwan at 31.

20 Mar 2024 - 11:05AMvideocam

Finland remained in the top spot, followed closely by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. Photo: Shutterstock

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

China has its first Olympic surfer as Yang, 14, becomes youngest Paris qualifier

Teenager ‘super-excited’ and admits she was initially unaware that her World Surfing Games results had clinched her a ticket to Tahiti, where the Paris Games’ surfing events will be held.

2 Mar 2024 - 8:15PM

Americas and the Caribbean

US must update Latin America toolkit to keep pace with China sway: officials

Washington better served by focusing on economics and other areas to ‘counter malign forms of Chinese and Russian influence’, according to new report.

29 Feb 2024 - 12:25AMvideocam

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Costa Rica

Costa Rica elects tough-talking right-winger for president

Laura Fernandez, a protege and former chief of staff of the outgoing president, has pledged to continue his tough security policies.

China says US visa threats to Central America show ‘lack of basic respect’

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Macroscope | Why force of law is world’s best hope for beating climate change

‘No vital signs’: doctor recounts bid to save Malcolm-Jamal Warner

The doctor tried to save the ‘Cosby Show’ actor from ‘rough’ waters on Costa Rica’s Playa Grande, a beach known for its rip currents and lack of lifeguards.

Cosby Show’s Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies by drowning at 54

Actor known for playing Theo Huxtable was caught in a rip current while swimming in the Caribbean.

Costa Rica’s Nobel-winning ex-president loses US visa

Two-time president Oscar Arias won the Nobel in 1987 for his efforts to end civil wars in Central America.

Who is Brett Gardner’s wife, Jessica Clendenin, and what happened to their son?

The 41-year-old MLB outfielder and his wife Jessica are in shock after losing their 14-year-old son Miller Gardner while on holiday together in Costa Rica this weekend.

Meet Daniel Zovatto, who plays Rodney Alcala in Netflix’s Woman of the Hour

The 33-year-old’s chilling portrayal of real-life killer Rodney Alcala follows a starring role alongside Russell Crowe in 2023’s The Pope’s Exorcist – so why is he aiming for a Pixar film next?

Eyeing China, Rubio makes Central America his first trip as top US diplomat

Countering Beijing and ‘deepening economic partnerships’ to boost regional prosperity said to be on agenda in tour that starts in Panama.

Venezuela opposition leader Machado is in ‘hiding, fearing for my life’

In Wall Street Journal, Machado wrote: ‘I could be captured as I write these words.’ President Maduro has said she ‘should be behind bars’.

Blinken announces US initiative to produce semiconductors in Latin America

The effort, intended to counter China, will expand chip manufacturing in Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, and possibly other countries in the future.

How ‘blue zones’ of health and longevity are spreading around the globe

He coined the term ‘blue zones’ for communities with healthy centenarians. Dan Buettner says there are no magic solutions to long life, but we can all follow the ‘Power 9’ lifestyle principles he learned.

Messi’s Argentina to defend Copa America in US as Uruguay, Brazil await

Everything you need to know as the oldest continental tournament in world football kicks off for its 48th edition, 108 years on from its debut campaign.

One-third of Hong Kong firms expect to hire more staff but bosses remain cautious

Human resources firm releases quarterly survey on city’s employment outlook,

Opinion | Climate change threat is more than a storm in Vietnam’s coffee cup

From Brazil and Colombia to Indonesia and Vietnam, crops over the last decade have been hit by adverse weather and disease. Supply is increasingly unstable and shrinking, even as land suitable for cultivation disappears

Hyatt’s ryokan brand Atona to take traditional Japanese inns mainstream

Hyatt is taking Japan’s traditional ryokan inns mainstream, introducing Western features including beds as well as futons; à la carte menu options; and private hot baths to go with communal ones.

China was predicted to join ranks of high-income nations by 2022. What happened?

Predictions China would have already joined the group of high-income nations have yet to bear fruit. Is it still possible to break through the middle-income ceiling – and is it still an important benchmark?

Killer robot arms race: AI faces its ‘Oppenheimer moment’

Regulators who want to get a grip on an emerging generation of artificially intelligent killing machines may not have much time left to do so, governments have been warned.

She left Malaysia to sail the world for freedom, adventure – and the ‘soft life’

Syasya Syahirah Nor Azmi gave up her life in Penang for the gentle sway of a sailing boat thousands of miles from home. Life is good, even if it can get lonely at times. And she misses the food.

Then & Now | Good luck finding expert guides to tell tourists truths about Hong Kong

Tourists to Hong Kong have long been fed rote-learned clichés about its history by uninspiring and uninspired guides. In today’s new normal, who would dare risk offering them anything different?

China’s hi-tech progress reshaping global politics, study says

China’s status as a ‘near-peer competitor’ is driving efforts to limit access to key technologies such as semiconductors and counter its global influence.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Profile | Who is China’s Yang Siqi? From farm girl to Olympic surfer

A young woman who was raised in a landlocked part of rural China and first set eyes on the sea at nine-years-old has made history by becoming the country’s first surfing Olympian. But who is Yang Siqi?

Submission grappling champ Ruotolo expects Michell to be ‘most difficult opponent’

The American makes the first defence of his belt at ONE Fight Night 21 on Saturday, against an opponent who has won his past six matches.

Was the democracy summit in Seoul useful? Are open values ‘on the offensive’?

China and Russia were not invited to the summit, which was called a ‘clown show’ by a Chinese state-run newspaper.

Girl from rural China is first surfer to compete in Olympics for her country

A teenage girl from a poor, landlocked rural area of China, who has worked hard to achieve success in the sport of surfing, will represent her country in the 2024 Olympics in a remarkable achievement on many levels.

New report reveals the world’s happiest countries ranked

Nordic nations retain their grip on the top spots, with Afghanistan and Lebanon at bottom of 143 countries surveyed. Mainland China was ranked 60, with Hong Kong at 86 and self-ruled island Taiwan at 31.

China has its first Olympic surfer as Yang, 14, becomes youngest Paris qualifier

Teenager ‘super-excited’ and admits she was initially unaware that her World Surfing Games results had clinched her a ticket to Tahiti, where the Paris Games’ surfing events will be held.

US must update Latin America toolkit to keep pace with China sway: officials

Washington better served by focusing on economics and other areas to ‘counter malign forms of Chinese and Russian influence’, according to new report.

Macroscope | Why force of law is world’s best hope for beating climate change

Profile | Who is China’s Yang Siqi? From farm girl to Olympic surfer