Costa Ricans Elect Laura Fernández as New President

Costa Ricans elected ruling-party candidate Laura Fernández in a first-round landslide, as her promise of a draconian crackdown on crime resonated with voters in a nation roiled by soaring drug violence, Bloomberg News reported.

Costa Rica is also one of the few countries in the world without a standing army. (Photo: Laura Fernández Delgado Facebook) 

The country, famed for its tropical beaches and cloud forests, has become a major hub for international drug trafficking since the opening of a new port in 2019.

Costa Rica is also one of the few countries in the world without a standing army. Iran said it hopes diplomatic efforts to avert a war with the U.S. will bear fruit within days, according to the Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry.

On Monday, Trump said American naval assets were “a couple of days” away from Iran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of a “regional war” if Iran is attacked, though the U.S. president said he remains hopeful that “we’ll make a deal.”