San Juan, Mar 31 (EFE).- Popular ufologist Reinaldo Rios has announced his independent run for the governorship of Puerto Rico on a platform of making the island a world center for paranormal tourism. "What I want is to create a Disney World of the infinite space we live in. Many tourists would come here and make investments," Rios said in an interview with Efe. The candidate, who teaches fi...

Tidal.com screenshot New York, Mar 30 (EFE).- The artists have taken the initiative in resolving the business model crisis in the music industry and on Monday Jay Z gathered together in New York Madonna, Rihanna, Beyoncé and Alicia Keys, among others, to present Tidal, a "streaming" music platform intended to compete with Spotify. While the industry is still lamenting the death of the CD an...

Source: Flickr Commons Sao Paulo, Mar 30 (EFE).- A Brazilian man strangled his pregnant 16-year-old girlfriend, decapitated her and turned himself into police two days later after riding across Sao Paulo in a bus with her head in a plastic bag, local media reported Monday. The situation unfolded in the Pedreira neighborhood in the extreme southern part of Brazil's largest city, when handyma...

NestDrop screenshot By Fernando Mexia. Los Angeles, Mar 30 (EFE).- Nestdrop is waging a legal battle to continue making home deliveries of medical marijuana in Los Angeles, where the courts have issued an injunction stopping the service, citing regulations covering the cannabis trade. In October 2014, Nestdrop became the first U.S. firm developing an app that allows users to order and ...

A district of Tunisia - Wikimedia Commons Tunis, Mar 29 (EFE).- At least nine members of the Okba Ibn Nafaa terrorist group, including its leader and the mastermind behind the deadly attack on the Bardo museum in this capital, Lokmane Abu Sakhr, died in an operation carried out on the weekend by the Tunisian National Guard, an Interior Ministry spokesman told Efe on Sunday. The operation in...

Credit: Flickr Commons; Thomas Pompenigg Seattle, Mar 30 (EFE).- The United States grants citizenship to any person born in its territory, a constitutional provision that in recent years has promoted the creation and expansion of a new business: maternity tourism. With a neatly organized network of agencies and hotels, maternity tourism targets pregnant women, most of them Chinese, who want...

Serena Williams. Source: Wikimedia Commons Miami, Mar 29 (EFE).- Serbia's Novak Djokovic and American Serena Williams, the defending men's and women's champions, respectively, advanced at the Miami Open. Djokovic defeated Slovakia's Martin Klizan 6-0, 5-7, 6-1, while Williams rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Romania's Monica Nicolescu on Saturday. The Serbian world No. 1, who will face Belg...

Wall surrounding a temple in the magnificent Tihuanaco, Bolivia. Wikimidia Commons La Paz, Mar 27 (EFE).- The government of Bolivia announced it will start exploratory excavations this year at the ancient fortress of Tiahuanaco after a buried pyramid was detected. Ludwing Cayo, director of the Tiahuanaco Archeological Research Center, told Efe that the formation is located in the area of Ka...

Washington, Mar 27 (EFE).- A group of 30 defenders of marijuana use distributed 15,000 seeds of the plant in Washington D.C. to celebrate the fact that, since a month ago, it has been legal to smoke, plant and possess cannabis, though not to sell it, in the capital of the United States. The promoter of legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Washington, Adam Eidinger, told Efe on Friday th...

British actor Daniel Craig performs during the shooting of the 24th James Bond movie 'Spectre' in Rome, Italy. EFE Mexico City, Mar 28 (EFE).- Day of the Dead symbols, including skulls, skeletons and altars to be used in the opening scene of "Spectre," the latest installment in the James Bond spy saga, have taken over the Mexican capital's downtown area in recent days. Daniel Craig, who pla...

Source: US Navy By Jesus Sanchis Moscardo Quito, Mar 27 (EFE).- The secretary general of the Union of South American Nations, or Unasur, considers it opportune to "make use of the (April 10-11) Summit of the Americas to reassess relations between the United States and South America." In an interview with Efe, former Colombian President Ernesto Samper said it would be a worthwhile item on...

ISS. Source: Wikimedia Commons Washington, Mar 28 (EFE).- The Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft arrived successfully at the International Space Station, or ISS, with three astronauts aboard, two Russians and an American, on a mission that makes history because two of its crew will join the very few who have stayed the longest time in space. The spacecraft blasted off at 1942 GMT from the cosmodrome ...

A Germanwings A-319. Wikimedia Commons Berlin, Mar 28 (EFE).- The German co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing a passenger plane into the French Alps and killing himself and the other 149 people on board told his girlfriend last year that he was in psychiatric treatment and that he planned to do something that would make his name known worldwide. "When I heard about the crash, I kept ...

Beach house in Costa Rica By Carolina Ruiz Vega Everyone has a favorite color… but do you know what influence does it paint on your mood? Colors evoke feelings and emotions directly related to human perception. For this reason, you should think about the mood that certain tones may impose on your psyche before changing the color of your room. Studies such conducted by Creighton University ha...

Van Gogh - Starry Night. Google Cultural Institute By Carolina Ruiz Vega Have you noticed how, when looking at the night sky, it is difficult to spot the stars when you're in town? The phenomenon is due to what is known as light pollution, which is caused by excess artificial lights pointing in unnecessary directions for carrying out the activities planned for the area in which they are insta...

Wikimedia Commons Charlotte, North Carolina, Mar 26 (EFE).- The Aztec empire was not as powerful as previously thought and did not enjoy total domination of its central Mexican heartland, according to a study published by the Journal of Archaeological Science. "The Geopolitics of Obsidian Supply in Postclassic Tlaxcallan" is the product of a collaboration among researchers from North Caroli...

Wikimedia Commons Los Angeles, Mar 26 (EFE).- British director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed "Fifty Shades of Grey", has said that she will not return to direct the sequel. "Directing Fifty Shades of Grey has been an intense and incredible journey for which I am hugely grateful. I have Universal to thank for that," Taylor-Johnson said in a statement posted by Deadline on Wednesday. "I...

ISIS fighters in Iraq. Source: Wikimedia Commons Washington, Mar 26 (EFE).- The FBI arrested a U.S. soldier, who was planning to travel to the Middle East to provide the Islamic State with his military knowledge, and his cousin, who was going to remain in this country allegedly to carry out a terrorist attack, the Department of Justice announced Thursday in a communique. Both men - who are ...

A Germanwings A-319. Wikimedia Commons Washington, Mar 25 (EFE).- The U.S. government confirmed Wednesday that three Americans died in the Germanwings passenger jet crash in the French Alps and said that efforts are continuing to determine if there were any more on board the ill-fated plane. State Department spokeswomen Jen Psaki earlier on Wednesday had confirmed the deaths of two U.S. cit...

A pristine beach in Barbados. Wikimedia Commons San Juan, Mar 24 (EFE).- Prime Minister Freundel Stuart wants Barbados to renounce Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and declare itself a republic. A spokesperson in the prime minister's office confirmed to Efe on Tuesday that Stuart made "personal" comments in favor of republicanism over the weekend at an activity hosted by the ru...

Jairo Zelaya - Pixabay Commons By Beatriz Pascual Macias   Washington, Mar 24 (EFE).- Six out of every 10 Hispanics in the United States speak English or are bilingual, though adults born to an immigrant family are most likely to communicate easily in both English and Spanish, according to a new study published Tuesday by the Pew Research Center.   The center found that 3...

A Germanwings A-319. Wikimedia Commons Washington, Mar 24 (EFE).- The U.S. government offered assistance and support to the countries affected by the air tragedy Monday in the French Alps and said that, so far, "there are no indications" that terrorism played a role in the crash of the Germanwings jet carrying 150 people and en route from Barcelona to Düsseldorf. "There is no indication of ...

Wikimedia Commons Montevideo, Mar 23 (EFE).- Uruguayan Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa said Monday that Montevideo absolutely will not accept any more inmates from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo, in contrast to the previous government of Jose Mujica, who took in - as refugees - six Middle Eastern men who had been held at the facility. In remarks to the press, Nin Novoa addressed the issue...

Wikimedia Commons Washington, Mar 23 (EFE).- Two Latino groups on Monday rejected the presidential candidacy of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, saying that he could alienate Hispanics from that party even more given his "anti-immigrant" stance and his rejection of President Barack Obama's executive action measures on behalf of undocumented immigrants. Cruz, a senator from Texas who was born to a ...

Source: Trivia Crack Buenos Aires, Mar 23 (EFE).- Just four years after giving up a job developing financial apps to enter the world of games, Argentine computer engineer Maximo Cavazzani has seen his Preguntados/Trivia Crack become the world's fourth-most-downloaded app, with 125 million users. To create "something that everyone would be able to do" was his guiding principle, he told Efe i...

Messi with teammate Neymar. Wikimedia Commons Barcelona, Mar 22 (EFE).- FC Barcelona emerged with a hardfought 2-1 victory over Real Madrid on Sunday at Camp Nou as the two top teams in the Spanish soccer league standings - and arguably the biggest rivalry in the sport - squared off in the latest edition of "El Clasico." Barcelona, now with 69 points in the rankings, thus increased its lead...

The yellow regions are controlled by rebels. Wikimedia Commons Sanaa, Mar 22 (EFE).- The Shiite Houthi rebel movement on the weekend took control of the airport in the southwestern city of Taiz and began sending fighters toward Aden, where Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi lives. Witnesses in Taiz, the country's second-largest city, told Efe that Houthi militias wearing the uniform of...

An energy drink endorsed by the late Perro Aguayo Jr. Flickr Commons Mexico City, Mar 21 (EFE).- Mexican wrestler Pedro "Perro" Aguayo Jr. died Saturday of injuries from a kick by his opponent during a match in the city of Tijuana, officials of the sport known as "lucha libre," or freestyle wrestling, reported. Aguayo, 35, son of the legendary wrestler, the late Perro Aguayo, was knocked un...

A landmine explosion. Source: Wikimedia Commons By Cynthia de Benito San Andres de Pisimbala, Colombia, Mar 21 (EFE).- To live in some of the 688 Colombian municipalities devastated by anti-personnel mines and other explosives, one must learn to look at the ground, a rule that hundreds of peasants have made a routine of their daily lives. "The mines really change community life. Once we ...

Wikimedia Commons U.S. Sports Desk, Mar 21 (EFE).- Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant, the reigning league MVP, is struggling to recover from a foot injury and could miss the remainder of the 2014-2015 NBA season. The Thunder's general manager, Sam Presti, on Friday confirmed the lack of progress in Durant's recovery after a Feb. 23 operation and said the team's franchise player w...

One of Ishiguro's robots. Source: Wikimedia Commons Managua, Mar 21 (EFE).- Japanese scientist Hiroshi Ishiguro presented in Nicaragua two robots he calls "humanoids," which he developed with systems of cognitive intelligence, and which are capable of walking, talking and interacting with people. Ishiguro is director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory of the Upper School of Engineering ...

Supporters of President Maduro rally in Caracas EFE/AGENCIA VENEZOLANA DE NOTICIAS/ Washington, Mar 19 (EFE).- The Obama administration's designation of the situation in Venezuela as a threat to U.S. national security may herald a military intervention, the Venezuelan foreign minister said Thursday at the Organization of American States headquarters in this capital. "History has shown that ...

New Orleans International Airport. Source: Wikimedia Commons Washington, Mar 21 (EFE).- A police officer shot and wounded a man who had attacked three Transportation Security Administration workers with a machete and insecticide at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, local authorities said. The attacker, a 63-year-old taxi driver identified as Richard White who did not have a...

Wikimedia Commons San Juan, Mar 19 (EFE).- Jamaica is ready to lead discussions in the United Nations about changing international anti-narcotics treaties to acknowledge the therapeutic and medicinal benefits of marijuana. "Jamaica intends to participate, and to lead, if necessary, a process in the United Nations to have those treaties amended or to reflect what I believe is the evidence th...

File photo San Francisco, Mar 19 (EFE).- People in emerging and developing countries believe that the Internet has a positive effect on education, personal relations and the economy, but they feel that its impact on morals is mainly negative, according to a study published Thursday. The study prepared by the Pew Research Center is based on 36,619 interviews conducted in 32 emerging and deve...

San Juan, Mar 18 (EFE).- A Jamaican lawyer has filed a lawsuit in the Caribbean Court of Justice aimed at forcing the governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Belize to scrap immigration laws that bar the entry of gays and lesbians. Legal representatives from Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Community made statements Wednesday at a hearing on the suit, court Registry supervisor Nandlal Hardi...

Messi with teammate Neymar. Wikimedia Commons Barcelona, Mar 18 (EFE).- Barcelona, led by a masterful Lionel Messi, claimed a berth in the Champions League quarterfinals with a 1-0 win here Wednesday over Manchester City, who would have suffered an embarrassing rout but for the heroics of goalkeeper Joe Hart. Having beaten City 2-1 in the first leg at Manchester, Barça needed only to hold t...

Sosua Beach. Source: Wikimedia Commons Santo Domingo, Mar 17 (EFE).- A total of 29 Dominican women, including 20 minors, who had become the victims of sex traffickers in the northern tourist town of Sosua, were rescued by Dominican and U.S. authorities after an undercover police investigation, the U.S. Embassy in this capital announced Tuesday.   As part of the investigation, author...

Pixabay Commons Panama City, Mar 18 (EFE).- Europe is concerned about its loss of influence in Latin America and China's growing presence in the region, one of the co-presidents of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, or Eurolat, said here. "We worry about no longer being the big economic partner that Europe has been for many Latin American countries, and about being replaced by ...

British actor Daniel Craig performs during the shooting of the 24th James Bond movie 'Spectre' in Rome, Italy. EFE Mexico City, Mar 19 (EFE).- Location shooting for "Spectre," the latest film in the James Bond series, moves this week to Mexico City, where numerous street closings are planned. A number of streets will closed on Thursday in the capital, where vehicular access from some thorou...