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Smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires has added an unexpected health and weather concern to Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, although improving forecasts suggest the match should go ahead without major disruption.The haze spread across the northeastern United States during the week, pushing air quality into unhealthy ranges in parts of New York and New Jersey. More than 80,000 spectators are expected at MetLife Stadium, known during the tournament as New York New Jersey Stadium, for the 3 p.m. kickoff on July 19.The open-air venue has no roof or enclosed climate-controlled environment to protect players and fans from smoke, heat or direct sunlight. Conditions around the stadium remained unsettled Saturday. Heavy thunderstorms, damaging winds and flash flooding moved through the area, forcing Spain to cancel its final outdoor training session. Argentina’s practice was delayed by about 45 minutes before the defending champions were able to take the field...

A senior San José municipal official who helped develop controversial new rules for bars, restaurants and live entertainment has resigned, days after the city government withdrew the proposal for further review. Jéssica Martínez stepped down Friday as manager of Municipal Management and Urban Development. The Municipality of San José said she resigned voluntarily for personal reasons after working for the institution for approximately a year and a half. Mayor Diego Miranda denied that her departure was connected to the public backlash over the proposed Public Entertainment Regulations. He also said he had not requested her resignation. Martínez had been one of the leading municipal officials defending the proposal, which sought to regulate live music, DJs, karaoke, dancing and other entertainment offered by businesses across the capital. The draft regulations drew strong objections from restaurant and bar owners, musicians, DJs, event producers and cultural organizations. Cri...

Former President and Nobel Peace laureate Óscar Arias has accused Costa Rica of surrendering its foreign-policy independence to the United States, telling a San José television program that it “sold itself” for the leverage Washington holds over which members of the political class keep an American visa. The remarks aired on the program La Reacción in an interview conducted by journalist Danilo Chaves. Pressed by the interviewer on whether Costa Rica had sold itself for very little, Arias framed the wave of visa revocations in recent years as a bargaining chip that has eroded national autonomy. He described the arrangement as trading the country’s standing for the “toy” of a president being able to tell Washington to strip the visa of one figure after another — a deputy, a magistrate, a former president, the president of the Legislative Assembly — adding sardonically that the only name still missing from the list was the bishop of San José. The...

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of southern Mexico this morning, setting off a tsunami alert for parts of Mexico and Guatemala. If you are on or headed to Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, the short version is that forecasters do not expect meaningful wave activity here. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center placed Costa Rica in its lowest forecast tier, with any sea-level change expected to stay under 0.3 meters (about one foot), small enough that most people at the beach would not notice it. The quake hit at 8:48 a.m. local Mexico time, roughly 48 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Aquiles Serdán, a coastal town in Chiapas state near the Guatemala border, according to the United States Geological Survey. Mexico’s Servicio Sismológico Nacional put the magnitude slightly higher at 7.4 after initially reporting 6.8. Both agencies placed it at a shallow depth of roughly 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles), which is part of why the shaking was felt so widely...

Carlos Alcaraz will return to competition at the Cincinnati Open , where the defending champion will lead a powerful field that includes 10 former tournament winners and one of the deepest Latin American men’s contingents of the 2026 season. The Cincinnati Open released its initial singles entry lists Wednesday for the combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event, scheduled for August 8–23 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. The tournament provides the final major test before the US Open main draw begins August 30 in New York. For Alcaraz, Cincinnati represents much more than another title defense. The 23-year-old Spaniard has not competed since suffering a right wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April. The problem forced him to miss the French Open and Wimbledon, dropping him to No. 3 in the ATP rankings after he began the season at No. 1. His inclusion in Cincinnati marks the clearest indication yet that he is ready to return after nearly four months away from compe...

A sperm whale measuring between eight and nine meters (26 to 30 feet) was found dead in a natural pool near Cahuita, on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast, drawing a multi-agency response to remove the remains from a site that heavy machinery could not reach. The animal — a sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus , the largest of the toothed whales — was already in an advanced state of decomposition when it was discovered. Officials from the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), acting through the La Amistad Caribe Conservation Area (ACLAC), attended the scene and coordinated the response. Because the pool lies in a difficult-to-access location, crews were unable to bring in heavy machinery to complete the removal. Technical staff instead carried out the work by hand, using protective equipment and following technical guidance issued by the National Animal Health Service ( SENASA ). Workers removed and properly disposed of a significant portion of the skeletal...

Costa Rica’s Comptroller General has ordered immediate inspections of three properties in southern Costa Rica after satellite images revealed possible forest clearing, earthworks, new roads and construction without the required permits. The binding order, issued yesterday, directs the Municipality of Osa and the National System of Conservation Areas ( SINAC ) to investigate activity within the Paso de la Danta Biological Corridor and the Fila Costeña, one of the most environmentally sensitive areas. The investigation examined seven properties after authorities received a complaint alleging possible land-use changes in areas with extensive forest cover, rivers, streams and high ecological fragility. The latest order focuses on three properties where official records and satellite images raised the greatest concern. On the first property, municipal records show only a permit issued in 2020 for a 70-square-meter (753-square-foot) entrance structure. Environmental approvals were a...