Colombia

The biggest earthquake in Ecuador in decades has killed 272 people -- but that toll will 'certainly' rise even further, the president said on April 17 as overwhelmed rescuers struggled to pull survivors out of the destruction.

Greece ranked 29th among the best countries in the world for visiting, according to the readers of British newspaper Telegraph.

It is also chosen as the second most popular tourist destination in Mediterranean by British travelers.

A Turkish music project in New York is not only helping introduce classical Turkish music to Americans and others, but also helping Turks keep in touch with their own past.

Colombia's second-largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), freed an ex-governor on April 3 held captive since 2013, in a new boost to peace efforts.

"Pleased by the release of (Choco department) ex governor Patrocinio Sanchez Montes de Oca. Much support to him and family. #welcometofreedom," the Choco governor's office said on Twitter.

Tens of thousands of people protested in more than 20 cities across Colombia on April 2 against President Juan Manuel Santos and his government's peace process with the FARC guerrillas.

The Rolling Stones took to Cuban media to promise a "historic" occasion when they give their first Havana concert on March 25 in a communist country where rock 'n roll was long considered subversive.

Last year was regarded as a new milestone after the 2008-2009 crisis. The expansionary monetary policy adopted to overcome the crisis was to end with the U.S. Central Bank, the Fed, hiking rates, supposedly ushering in a new era.

The remote village of Bogata in Romania has become an internet sensation after US rapper Snoop Dogg, who was on tour in Bogota, Colombia, posted a selfie on Instagram but checked in the Romanian hamlet instead by mistake.

Thousands of followers started to ironically congratulate the US artist on choosing to visit Bogata, Romania.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry has advised the country's citizens to exercise caution when visiting parts of South America afflicted by mosquito-transmitted diseases.

More than 3,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Feb. 6, as the disease continues its rapid spread across the Americas. 

There are 25,645 people infected with Zika in Colombia, Santos said during a TV broadcast with health officials. Among them are 3,177 pregnant women.