The latest, verified reporting on events across Panama and beyond. This section covers breaking stories, developments, and essential daily news.
China has detained Panama-flagged ships in the context of a dispute over port control, according to a US agency cited in a report. The incident comes amid increased US pressure aimed at limiting Chinese influence around the Panama Canal.
Medicina Legal has moved its Los Santos operations due to structural failures but says all services will continue normally, ensuring continuity and quality of care.
OpenAI has suspended plans for an erotic chatbot feature known internally as “modo Citron,” after criticism reported by the Financial Times. The move raises moderation and regulatory questions for users and policymakers in Panama.
gCaptain reports a rise in vessel detentions at Panamanian ports amid a dispute involving China, a development a U.S. regulator has warned could affect shipping and trade through Panama.
Parents, students and administrators at the Instituto Profesional y Técnico de Veraguas report that local route buses are refusing to transport pupils and that there are no designated bus stops near the school.
Authorities confirmed the body found in Potrero Grande is the young person reported missing on March 19 in Panamá Oeste. Officials have identified the remains but have not yet released further details.
Panama Metro says Albrook Station will open at 12:00 pm Sunday, March 29, due to roof works linking future Line 3 with Line 1; morning closures may affect travelers.
Panama will host South Africa in two international friendlies on March 27 and 31, broadcast live on TVN, TVMAX, TVN Pass and TVMAX PANAMÁ’s YouTube channel.
The Municipality of Panama City and the Social Security Fund (CSS) signed an agreement to digitize health services, starting with a pilot to reduce waiting times and inform nationwide planning.
Panama has reinforced its cervical cancer prevention strategy as HPV vaccine coverage surpasses 80%, a key step against the country’s second leading cause of death in women.
Panama’s Caja de Seguro Social confirmed medicine shortages and activated emergency purchases; arriving lots include amlodipine, irbesartan, iron ampoules and hyaluronic acid.
Panama will travel to face South Africa in an international friendly at Moses Mabhida Stadium; the match comes after Panama’s coach said the team wanted an African opponent. Mbokazi will not feature for Bafana.
Panama’s Ministerio Público inspected the Cuerpo de Bomberos over alleged procurement irregularities exceeding $20 million for purchases made between 2022 and 2024. The probe is ongoing and could prompt administrative or legal actions and calls for greater transparency.
At the inauguration of Escuela República de Venezuela, President José Raúl Mulino answered reporters’ questions about education reform, a bioethanol project and Panamanians detained in Cuba, Telemetro reports.
The community of Escuela Aguas Blancas in Penonomé protested to demand official staff appointments, calling on education authorities to regularize personnel and ensure learning continuity.
Deputy Camacho confirmed that 35 aspirants for Panama’s Defensor del Pueblo will enter the decisive phase of the selection process, a key step toward appointing the country’s ombudsman.
The Alcaldía de Panamá brought its monthly outreach program “Niñez sana que brilla” to Virgen de Guadalupe school in Las Garzas, providing free pediatric and family health services to over 200 attendees and contributing to a program that has helped 2,100+ children this year.
Apede requested that Bill 391 on the right of reply be returned to first debate, citing a lack of clear guidance from authorities—particularly the Autoridad Nacional de Transparencia—and warning this reveals institutional weaknesses.
A warehouse fire in Río Abajo, Panama City, killed a 54-year-old Nicaraguan worker, Telemetro reports. Authorities have not released details on cause or response.
Reuters reports the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission is monitoring a surge in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels in China amid a reported dispute over port control, raising concerns for Panama’s maritime registry.