(live-PR.com) - Panama - Nip and Tuck are offering a Special Price for Liposuction as a Medical Tourism Special, from $2,830 all clinic costs included. Liposuction is the surgical removal of fat at a superficial level beneath the skin through well-hidden incisions. Liposuction benefits women and men of rather normal weight who have isolated deposits of fat, causing certain areas to appear disproportionate. These localized areas may be an inherited trait and typically do not respond to dieting or exercise. In most cases, liposuction is the only way to eliminate them. Is This Procedure for You? (more)

By Fermín Estribí for Panama America - Mudslides caused by the rainstorm this afternoon has blocked several streets in the eastern part of the province of Panama. According to RPC radio a large mudslide has occurred blocking the Pan American highway near Pacora causing a huge traffic jam. In the sector of Felipillo, a river left its channel and flooded the center of town, delaying the flow of traffic through the area. In addition a traffic accident on the bridge near the old statue of Roosevelt in San Miguelito caused further traffic problems.

By William Sala for La Prensa - Cristian Vega, the pilot of a single engine airplane Cessna 152 with registration HP-846, had to tread water for one hour after the engine died on the plane he was flying and it crashed into the ocean near the port of Vacamonte, in Arraiján. Víctor de la Hoz, spokesman for the Civil Aeronautical Authority, said yesterday the accident was apparently caused by a problem with the motor of the aircraft, but that they would continue to investigate to confirm. Cristian Vega, who was flying to Chitré, Herrera, had 59 hours of experience as of last Monday, according to Germinal Sarasqueta, the Director of the Albrook Flight School where Vega is now studying to obtain a commercial pilot's license. He already has a private pilot's license. (more)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Now that the case file for the murder of Toni Grossi Abrams is available in the judicial system you can expect a burst of interest in the case. In fact, Debra Ann Ridgley, who is accused of having murdered Toni Grossi Abrams in her apartment on 9 April 2007, will not be going before a judge until March 2009. At this point no one else is covering this story and in fact not much has changed. Friends of Debra's, some of whom I have met and other's I've spoken to on the phone, have posted comments in her defense. Whatever is in the case file (and whatever I report on here) are the statements of those witnesses. They are not reflections of what I think. As a matter of fact what I believe doesn't mean a damn thing. Debra Ann Ridgley has to defend herself in a Panamanian court. She will be confronted with the evidence that resides in those case files. And, a judge (or jury, most likely) will decide her guilt or innocence. So please, try to keep things separate. For example, the cab driver said the following in his statement (and I quote...) That's not what I think - it's what he said in a sworn statement. And, there's a big difference between those two things. I just wanted to make that perfectly clear.

Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The New York Yankees star relief pitcher, Panamanian Mariano "Sandman" Rivera, picked up his 9th save of the 2008 season this afternoon. Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano and Wilson Betemit all connected for home runs in the Yankees' 6-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Mariano Rivera came on in the 9th inning and gave up one solid double to Cleveland's Ben Francisco, just barely two feet short of being a home run that would have spoiled Rivera's still perfect 0.00 ERA. Francisco made very solid contact for a stand-up double but none of the other Cleveland batters could come through against Rivera at Yankee Staduim in the top of the 9th, as Mariano put another save in the books. As a side note, today Mariano Rivera appeared in his 800th career game (all as a New York Yankee). (more)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Ah, yes. It's rainy season again. For those of you who don't already know, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has a live looping weather radar image that covers the Panama Canal and the Panama City area. You can go straight to the loop by hitting this link (bookmark that link). It comes in handy when you want to know if that big, black nasty storm is going to come crashing down on your garden party (or whatever.) Now is a good time to check the tread on your tires, change the window wipers, test your favorite umbrella for proper functionality and all that other rainy season stuff.

Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Well, it's about time - I was getting tired of waiting. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) published their Monthly Canal Operations Summary – APRIL 2008 today. The report is dated 7 May 2008 and it came out on their website today. I've been wanting to see this report in order to confirm the continuing existence of the ongoing "malicious compliance" strike by the Panama Canal Pilots. And in fact, yup, it's there. You just have to be able to understand the numbers and statistics being presented, and to be able to analyze and compare Panama Canal traffic and transit statistics over time. In short, the ACP data from April 2008 demonstrates that in fact the Panama Canal Pilots are continuing their "malicious compliance" or "work to rules" strike. (more)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Today I was up at the Supreme Court building for some other business and I stopped in to check on the Toni Grossi-Abrams murder case file. The last time I checked it was still at the prosecutor's office but today (surprise) all five volumes were at the courthouse. I only had a couple of minutes, and no where near enough time to read through and analyze all five volumes, but I know enough about the case to be able to flip to the key declaration - that made by the cab driver who picked up the trip in front of the Atlantis building and who drove them to Rio Abajo. (more)

By Fermín Estribí for the Panama America - Rolando Mirones announced his resignation as the Chief of the Panamanian National Police to the press. At the press conference he gave samples and examples of his accomplishments. Mirones emphasized his administration was based on a process of reconstruction of the institution as well as the proper and correct handling of money and resources destined for its operation. In addition he said he made the decision to resign some months ago, denying any relation to recent pressure from groups such as the National Transportation Board (CANATRA) who have been calling for his resignation. According to Mirones he had not resigned earlier because he wanted to complete a process of restructuring internal to the organization, as requested by President Martin Torrijos. With regards to the problems if delinquency, the former director of the National Police said the problem is multifaceted and it is not caused by the police not doing their jobs, and that there are other organizations and institutions better suited to confront the problem and to contribute to the improvement of the Panamanian society. At the same time, Mirones denied he was going to take a position within the Electoral Tribunal and added that he is analyzing several offers to work in the private sector. Rolando Mirones has been the Chief of the Panamanian National Police since 2005.

newkerala.com Washington, May 7 : US President George W. Bush has pledged to move forward on the ratification of a free-trade agreement with Panama despite congressional opposition. Bush said Tuesday after a meeting with Panamanian President Martin Torrijos: "I assured him that we will do everything in our capacity to move the trade bills - not only the Panamanian bill, but the Colombian bill and the (South) Korean bill." The US and Panama signed a free-trade agreement in July 2007, but it has been held up over White House insistence that Congress first take up the Colombian free-trade deal, which was inked earlier. The Democrat-controlled Congress has blocked the deal with Colombia because of violence against trade unions in the country and a demand to address concerns that the deal could cost jobs in the US.

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush met with his Panamanian counterpart Martin Torrijos at the White House on Tuesday, pledging to get Congress to approve a pending free trade agreement with the Central American country. "The Panamanian free trade vote is a priority of this government. It should be a priority of the United States Congress," Bush told reporters after the meeting. In addition to free trade, Bush and Torrijos also discussed, among others, expanding trade in the Western Hemisphere and security cooperation in the region. "Panama is an important friend and ally of the United States," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters before the U.S.-Panama summit meeting.

PANAMA CITY, May 6 (Reuters) - Panama may sell its 49 percent stake in telephone operator Cable & Wireless Panama S.A., also owned by Cable & Wireless PLC, the government said on Tuesday. Panama's government is examining a study of options but has not decided whether the sale will go ahead or how it would be carried out, economy ministry spokesman Manuel Naza told Reuters. In 1997, London-based Cable & Wireless PLC (CW.L: Quote, Profile, Research) bought 49 percent of state-owned telecoms monopoly Intel S.A., for $652 million, making it the first foreign firm to enter the Panamanian telephone market. The government retained a 49 percent share with the remaining 2 percent owned by employees. (more)

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA--(Marketwire - May 7, 2008) - Digicel Central America Holdings Limited, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Digicel (Panama) S.A., is pleased to announce that it has won a competitive bid process for a license to operate a GSM mobile network in Panama. The highly competitive auction took place on Wednesday, May 7th, with Digicel bidding US$86 million. Digicel's win for a mobile license in Panama is the latest milestone for the company's expansion efforts in Central America. Digicel currently operates in El Salvador and has plans to launch in Honduras later this year. Significant investment in Panama is planned to build a world-class network and operation that is set to stimulate growth in the mobile market by increasing mobile penetration within the next five years from approximately 60 percent to 90 percent. Panama has a total population of more than 3,000,000 people. (more)

sportsya.com - Chile, which will face Guatemala next June 4 in a friendly, will also meet Panama three days later before the South American Qualifiers, which you can follow on JumpTV. Even though both friendly games will be held at Chile on June 4 and 7 respectively, the venues are not known yet. In fifth round at the South American Qualifiers, Chile must meet Bolivia on June 15, and Venezuela four days later; as a result, the Chilean Soccer Federation intends to play one of the friendly games in Calama (2,660 meters over the level of the sea), if Bolivia is authorized to host the game against Chile. Still, Guatemala and Panama officers ruled out this chance due to the long trip (Calama is located 1,560 away from Santiago), so they want to play in the capital city of Chile or any other city around there. (more)

powerboat-world.com - Two days ahead of Round World record pace, the 78 foot biofuelled trimaran Earthrace is heading for Colon, Panama, the start of the 40 nautical mile Panama Canal. Ahead lays much uncertainty. A strike by Canal Workers has currently paralyzed shipping with delays of two weeks for transiting vessels. At 2100 GMT on Wednesday Earthrace was just on 400 nautical miles from Panama, traveling at a steady 19 knots. New Zealand skipper Pete Bethune said his ground crew would be asking the workers to allow the Earthrace a rapid transit, because if she has to join the queue caused by the current industrial action with an employees' 'work-to-rule' slowing traffic through the canal, then her bid to set a new world circumnavigation record is doomed. (more)

Xinhua - A fire destroyed at least five warehouses in a commercial zone near Panama City, leaving one fireman injured, the Panamanian fire service said Monday. The fire began in the morning and hit some warehouses of the Colon Free Zone, the world?s second-largest free-trade zone with some 1,600 enterprises, said Panama's Fire Department, or CBP. According to the CBP, some 200 firemen, accompanied by a dozen fire trucks and rescue units, were mobilized to fight the fire, which forced the state power company to cut the electricity supply. Hundreds of people were forced to withdraw from the zone. The fireman was hurt when he fell while trying to fight the fire, and suffered burns and fractures, local reports said, adding that the fire was difficult to put out due to a lack of water pressure. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hostel Bookers.com - Forget the commonplace destinations of Australia and Thailand, Panama City is one of a host of destinations growing in gap year travel popularity. Figures released by STA Travel show that there has been a 154 per cent increase in the number of travelers heading off to Panama. But Celia Pronto, UK marketing director of STA Travel, claimed that the old favourites were still the most popular. She said: "Australia, Thailand and South America remain the most popular destinations for round-the-world travelers. "Destinations that are increasing in popularity include Panama, Nepal and Argentina." Nepal is home to the Himalayas while Argentina offers a huge variety of indigenous experiences from horse-riding to wine tasting tours. Meanwhile, Ms Pronto advised that gap year travel is best done on an around the world ticket, which is harder to lose than a series of individual tickets.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Over the weekend my trusty steed (Jeep) threw her fan belt and yesterday Alvaro was fixing the problem. Leaving the office I reached for my ever-present camera bag and thought "do I really want to lug this thing..." I usually never go anywhere without my cameras but in this case I just grabbed the video camera on the outside chance I would run into something on the way home. The video camera is small enough to fit in my pocket, lightweight, and it can do both stills and video. Lo and behold, as I was walking down the middle of the hotel and tourist section of El Cangrejo (D Street) I saw a woman strolling down the street - naked from the waist-up - and apparently without a care in the world. (more)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - There have been significant increases in movements of the earth's crust all along the Pacific "ring of fire." I saw another report this morning talking about "swarms" of minor earthquakes near Reno, Nevada. The Chaiten volcano in Chile is going full blast. On Friday, 2 May 2008, there was a 6.6 earthquake near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. With all of this activity along the Pacific ring of fire, Panama might eventually be affected. (more)

By Delfia Cortez for La Critica - The fire that devastated six warehouses of the companies Abdalá, Elbros, Euro Moda, Presti Fashion, Mahadev and in the Colón Free Trade Zone caused more than $20 million dollars in damages. All six warehouses were destroyed and collapsed as a result of the fire. The fire started at about 9:30 am and seven hours later it still had not been controlled due to a lack of water pressure, and Colón firemen asked for tanker support from Panama City. Fireman Aldo Góndola was taken to the emergency room with minor injuries suffered fighting the fire. Dany Nadwany, the owner of Panafoto Free Trade Zone and a warehouse next to those affected by the fire, criticized the lack of a strategy to fight these fires and said that the firemen did not arrive fast enough.

By Ereida Prieto Barreiro Panama America - He will not be reelected. Pedro Miguel González's decision to not seek reelection as the President of the National Assembly "arrived late" said Panameñista assemblyman Jose Blandón. He said the announcement of González "will not have impact" on the possible approval they year of the bilateral Tree Trade Agreement with the United States because the US government is on the verge of changing. "The opportune moment to ratify the TPC happened a year ago," said Blandon. He indicated the decision of Gonzalez, which comes within a few hours of President Martin Torrijos' trip is "a message" they are trying to send to the American government. Meanwhile, former Panamanian Ambassador to the United States Guillermo "Billy" Ford said "the censurable thing" is that González was "the fundamental obstacle" causing the TPC to not be ratified. He pointed to the permanence of González as president of the Assembly "turned into an enormous stumbling block in relations" with the USA. He emphasized that the deputy has "a pending" case with American justice that ties him to the death of US Army Sergeant Zak Hernandez, but "if he feels he is innocent, (then he should) face the charges."

By Betty Brannan Jaén for La Prensa - The ratification of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Panama has been "on hold" for more than a year and a half, but the government of Panama has continued to pay the lobbyists they have under contract in Washington. Although official numbers are not available, the lobbyists could be costing Panama around $84,000 per month and hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Two of the lobbyists, one of them Panamanian Raúl Romero - are on contract at a rate of $26,000 per month, along with one lobbyist for $15,000 and another one for $17,000 dollars per month. This newspaper (La Prensa) obtained documents detailing part of the payments the lobbyists received in 2007. The documents, although incomplete, allow one to presume the lobbyists have received their complete payment in spite of the impasse suffered by the treaty since the installation (in September 2007) of Pedro Miguel González as the President of the National Assembly.

By ED FOUNTAINE for the New York Post - May 6, 2008 -- THEY murdered that poor filly, Eight Belles, in the Kentucky Derby, and someone has to take the fall. Why not her jockey, Gabriel Saez, a 20-year-old kid from Panama? So says PETA, which descended on the tragedy like vultures before Eight Belles' body was even cold, petitioning the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority to suspend Saez pending an investigation into the horse's death. Eight Belles, PETA said, was "doubtlessly injured before the finish" but Saez "mercilessly" whipped her to death. (more)

By Kelvin Wong for (Bloomberg) -- Six Australian cities are among the 20 destinations with the highest hotel occupancy rates outside the U.S. last year, with Perth claiming the top spot, according to a report by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Perth had an occupancy rate of 85.1 percent, Deloitte said in a report released today. Next on the list, which tracks 7,800 hotels in 165 cities outside the U.S., was Panama with 84.7 percent followed by Dubai at 84.5 percent. Brisbane came in fourth with 84.3 percent. The other Australian cities in the top 20 were Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Cairns. (more)

The Associated Press - PANAMA CITY, Panama: A lawmaker wanted in the U.S. in the killing of an American soldier said he will not seek re-election as president of Panama's congress. Pedro Miguel Gonzalez announced his decision in a le