Photo by Jack Donnelly By Jack Donnelly Yuca is not yucca and it’s not at all yucky. Yuca is cassava in English. It is one of a number of starchy roots important to the tropical diet. It is often sold protected with a layer of paraffin, like rutabagas in the United States. Yucca is common in drier areas of the Americas and the Caribbean and is often used as an ornamental plant. The only ...

Los Angeles, Apr 18 (EFE; additional context by The Costa Rica Star).- J.A. Bayona, director of films like "The Impossible," has been picked to direct the sequel of the dinosaur saga "Jurassic World," the movie's producers announced Monday on Twitter. "Thrilled to announce JA Bayona is on board to direct JW2. Welcome to the team," producer Frank Marshall tweeted Monday. "Proud to collaborate...

Four Seasons Costa Rica Summer is the season for kids to frolick freely and parents to disconnect and recharge poolside. This year, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo offers the perfect family get away with something for everyone at Central and South America's only Forbes Five-Star resort. "With direct flights from so many locales to nearby Liberia airport and exciting act...

An Electronic Dance Music (EDM) event in Costa Rica Buenos Aires, Apr 16 (EFE).- Five people between the ages of 20 and 30 died early Saturday and five others remain unconscious at three Buenos Aires hospitals after attending an electronic music festival in the Argentine capital's Costa Salguero events center, medical officials said. The five hospitalized individuals were on respirators aft...

Flickr Commons Netflix recently posted its Internet Service Provider (ISP) index for March 2016, a monthly update on the international status of the ISPs providing the best -and worst – prime-time video streaming experience. As has been previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, the main ISP firms in our country such as ICE's Kolbi Hogar have long scraped the bottom of the Netflix list, an...

Source: A Small Section of the World ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwired - April 14, 2016) - Illy, a global leader in direct trade with coffee growers, and an industry innovator in sustainability and technology spanning eight decades, will mark key milestones in its storied history, and set the stage for what's next in coffee culture, at the annual Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Expo, Ap...

Miami, Apr 13 (EFE).- Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Paramount Pictures have acquired the production rights for "The Corporation," a film in which Benicio Del Toro will play a Cuban mafia kingpin, Rock Moon Production, the multimedia firm that sold the rights, announced on Wednesday. The Appian Way production company, owned by DiCaprio, and Paramount Pictures bought the rights to produce the film ...

Pixabay Commons Can you really fly to Costa Rica as a medical tourist to get a facelift done over the weekend? A mini facelift, also known as a lifestyle lift, quick lift or weekend facelift, is a cosmetic surgical procedure that is less invasive and more affordable than a full facelift; the rejuvenation results are about the same but they last between five and ten years. Mini facelifts are...

Source: NatGeo Los Angeles, Apr 11 (EFE).- The Mexican Cesar Millan, known as the "dog whisperer," will not have to face animal cruelty charges following an investigation by Los Angeles County authorities into what happened in one episode of the TV show "Cesar 911." "After a comprehensive investigation by our officers, we presented a very thorough and complete report to the District Attorne...

YouTube Commons Buttock augmentation, commonly known as butt lift, is the name given to a series of surgical procedures that aim to correct the surface and contour of the anatomical rear end. In Costa Rica, butt lift surgery has become one of the most requested procedures by medical tourists in the last few years, and it is interesting to learn how this trend has been shaped. Gluteoplasty i...

Wikimedia Commons If you wake up with a terrible toothache in Costa Rica, do you go to straight to your doctor or do you check with your dentist first? According to a recent study published in the British Journal of General Practice, going to a family doctor for a toothache is very likely to result in being sent home with a prescription for aspirin and antibiotics. Although this may be an a...

Source: Nicole Carboni Facebook The current Miss Costa Rica runner-up is ambitiously seeking to compete in the post-Trump era Miss Universe beauty pageant, but she wants to represent the United States instead. Nicole Carboni Renault, a young fitness model from Costa Rica who is also a citizen of the United States, was recently crowned Miss Miami USA. Miss Carboni looked radiant and breathta...

Human Rights Watch, a prominent international non-profit known for its advocacy work with the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, and several nations, is calling on President Luis Guillermo Solís to take immediate action on the issue of marriage equality. The following letter, dated April 4, was posted on the Human Rights Watch website. This letter is also available in Spanis...

Source: Teletica A sex video that emerged on WhatsApp last week is being furiously shared by social media netizens in Costa Rica. The video appears to show Victor Carvajal, a television host who currently works on a gossip news show broadcast by national network Teletica; however, Mr. Carvajal has already disproved the allegations. In the video, a young man with a very strong resemblance to...

Wikimedia Commons By Carol Blair Vaughn Older adults who exercise regularly could buy an extra decade of good brain functioning, suggests a March 23, 2016 study by Dr. Clinton Wright, a neurologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Cool.  Jog your memory AND your body. The study found that seniors who got moderate to intense exercise retained more of their mental s...

Source: Konami El Segundo, Calif. (March 21, 2016) – Hundreds of Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) players gathered in Costa Rica at the Hotel Barceló San José Palacio this past weekend to participate in the first Central American Yu-Gi-Oh! CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES of 2016. While every player tried their best, only one Duelist earned the sought-after title of YCS San José Champion: Alejandro Garcia...

Rebelution DOMINICAL DE OSA, Costa Rica - March 25, 2016 - PRLog -- Rebelution will be performing for their first time in Costa Rica. "Reggae to the Rescue" will be hosted by the surf mecca of Dominical, on July 16th, 2016, and will take place at Patrons. The organizers are donating 100% of the funds raised to benefit Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary, a non profit organization, and help them expand ...

Source: Fundacion Mauricio Amuy Facebook Model and actor Mauricio Amuy will receive a Humanitarian Award for his work with Central American Poor Children. The award will be presented during Cannes Red Carpet & Global Short Film Awards Festival at Gala in Cannes, France in front of the press and an audience of VIPs, fashion and film lovers. The event will take place in the Grand ballroom of...

Source: Rolling Stones Twitter By Sara Gomez Armas Havana, Mar 26 (EFE).- A sea of cellphones lit up the night in this capital's Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva sports complex from the first chords of "Jumpin' Jack Flash," with many in attendance eager to capture an image of The Rolling Stones taking the stage for their much-anticipated free concert in Cuba. "We know that years back it wa...

Source: Gisele Bunchen Instagram When it comes to eating during vacation, most tourists who arrive in Costa Rica have indulgence on their minds. Such is not that case for future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen. A recent article by Angelique Fiske of Patriots.com explains that the diets of Mr. Brady and his wife while...

"Rolling Stones 26" by Gorupdebesanez - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons By Yeny Garcia Havana, Mar 25 (EFE).- The legendary Rolling Stones spent their first night in Cuba getting to know the island's celebs from the realms of art and culture, who did not disguise their enthusiasm at meeting their "Satanic Majesties" after the rock band landed in Havana to give a historic f...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Los Angeles, Mar 24 (EFE).- Legendary singer and former member of The Beatles Paul McCartney will be cast in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," the fifth film in the adventure saga about pirates starring Johnny Depp, the specialized media outlet Deadline reported Thursday. At present, further details about McCartney's performance in the feature fil...

Source: McDonald's MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Arcos Dorados, the world’s largest McDonald’s franchisee operating in Costa Rica and 19 other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, has unveiled a new premium burger experience, the ClubHouse, which is sure to be a customer favorite. The new creation is part of McDonald’s Signature Collection. It features thick-cut smoked ba...

Source: Partridge Publishing KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (PRWEB) March 21, 2016 - “The Travel Bug Goes Viral” (published by Partridge Singapore) follows the excursions of author Michael SN Godfrey and his wife, Lian. “Many people have no opportunity to travel to destinations considered to be off the well-beaten track, so (my) goal is to let a reader share the experience, but all from the safety ...

Source: Gisele Bunchen Instagram Star NFL quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is currently enjoying a sunny vacation in Costa Rica along with his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen. On Palm Sunday, Mr. Brady and Ms. Bundchen spent time with their children in the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, where they own a beach mansion in Playa Herradura, not far from Jaco Beach. This i...

Tony Accardo. Wikimedia Commons LOS ANGELES, March 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In his multi-media project under the Michael Mann Books imprint, Mann has teamed up with internationally bestselling author, Don Winslow, author of The Cartel, to co-create an original novel about the complex relationship between two Organized Crime giants, Tony Accardo and Sam Giancana. Mann will produce and possibly ...

Wikimedia Commons Washington, Mar 19 (EFE).- Mexican-born American actress Kate del Castillo said in a televised interview that drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" (Shorty) Guzman probably was in love with the powerful, tequila-drinking drug trafficker she portrayed in the 2011 telenovela "La Reina del Sur" (The Queen of the South), which would explain his interest in her. "I don't think it was...

Wikimedia Commons Miami, Mar 17 (EFE).- SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. said Thursday it was ending its killer whale shows and would offer visitors new "natural orca encounters" at its theme parks. The marine mammals will not be released in the wild because "these orcas could not survive in oceans that include environmental concerns such as pollution and other man-made threats," SeaWorld said ...

"Rolling Stones 26" by Gorupdebesanez - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons Mexico City, Mar 16 (EFE).- Mick Jagger joked during The Rolling Stones' first of two concerts in Mexico City about American actor Sean Penn's interview with notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" (Shorty) Guzman. After the band had played its first songs on Monday night, the 72-year-old lead singer an...

Four Seasons Costa Rica Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announce the appointment of 15-year company veteran Rajiv Malhotra as General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo. Malhotra, who joined Four Seasons in 2001, brings his focus on service and innovation to the award-winning property, which recently won a Five Star Rating from Forbes Travel Guide. Originally fr...

Source: AmoLatina.com AmoLatina.com Press Release - International dating service AmoLatina has boosted the ambition of helping members meet their ideal match by answering the most important question in online dating – whether singles are seeking flirty chat or serious romance. AmoLatina, which brings singles across the world together with matches in Latin America, always aims to make it easier...

Source: Kate del Castillo Twitter Mexico City, Mar 14 (EFE).- Actress Kate del Castillo said in a letter published by Proceso magazine over the weekend that she used her only one-on-one meeting with drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" (Shorty) Guzman to tell him that the film she planned to make would serve to make amends to the victims of organized crime. "Our project is also going to serve to in...

The stunning Huawei Mate 8 Three of the most desired smartphones in the world will be available for purchase in Costa Rica by the end of this month. According to technology journalist Johnny Castro of business daily La Republica, the three devices are the Huawei Mate 8, the Samsung S7 and the long-awaited, ultra-coveted Apple iPhone 5SE. Samsung S7 With a 5.1 or 5.5-inch screen (the largest ...

Wikimedia Commons Beijing, Mar 10 (EFE).- "The 33," the story of the Chilean miners who were trapped underground for more than two months, has arrived in Chinese theaters along with one of the capsules used to save them. The capsule, painted in the blue, red and white colors of the Chilean flag, was made by the Chilean navy to rescue the miners and will be on display in Beijing. "The 33,...

"Rolling Stones 26" by Gorupdebesanez - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons Havana, Mar 8 (EFE).- Preparing the stage for the Rolling Stones' March 25 free concert in the Cuban capital is now underway at Havana's Ciudad Deportiva, where some 200,000 fans of the British band are expected to gather for the historic show. Members of the multinational team building the backstage t...

Source: Iron Maiden One of the most elaborate musical stages in the history of the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibas has been prepared for legendary heavy metal band Iron Maiden, whose members will rock Costa Rica with the help of thrash metal pioneers Anthrax tonight.   Heavy metal fans have been camping outside the stadium for two weeks to catch Iron Maiden perform a Central Ameri...

BALTIMORE, MD (PRWEB) MARCH 07, 2016 - Many factors come into play when considering a retirement abroad. Cost of living, prices of rents and real estate, and healthcare options are main concerns. But as more and more expats consider moving abroad for a healthier lifestyle, InternationalLiving.com added an important Healthy Lifestyle category to its 2016 Global Retirement Index. In these countries...

Beach house in Costa Rica United States cable network Home & Garden Television, better known for HGTV, chose Costa Rica for an episode of its acclaimed Beachfront Bargain Hunt reality show. Episode 3 of Season 10 takes place in Playa Nosara, a coastal community in the province of Guanacaste that is part of the Gold Coast beaches of Costa Rica.   The title of the episode is No Sh...

Josh Brolin Instagram Oscar-nominated actor Josh Brolin recently enjoyed the beaches of Costa Rica along with his fiancée Kathryn Boyd. According to British newspaper The Daily Mail, the couple spent a vacation somewhere in the Pacific coast, and they both took surfing lessons as well as ATV tours.   Various photos of Mr. Brolin and Miss Boyd enjoying their vacation in Costa Rica we...

J-Lo. Wikimedia Commons Miami, Mar 1 (EFE).- U.S. singer and actress Jennifer Lopez confessed she would love to wed again and have a marriage that lasts a lifetime, despite her three divorces. "It's always been a dream of mine, to grow old with somebody... to have a marriage that lasts, until we both die, like in 'The Notebook' (2004)," the actress laughed this Monday during an interview on...