The PRD Election Committee announced they will suspend all kinds of proselytism on Thursday, midnight, facing the primaries scheduled on Sunday, June 2. (more)

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An anonymous call warned of the existence of an explosive device in the Enrique Malek Airport in David, caused the mobilization of anti-explosive units of the National Police, the Fire Department of the Airport and the internal security of the airport. (more)

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A compromising video is now the weapon intended to be used against the candidate for deputy of the PRD in the circuit 8-6, Zulay Rodríguez. (more)

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Two Spanish citizens were arrested in Panama for drugs and fraud, reported the Directorate of Judicial Investigation. (more)

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The victims of the mansion Mateo Iturralde, El Chorrillo, will have to wait eighteen months to inhabit a building which is being built for them by the Ministry of Housing and Land (MIVIOT). (more)

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The international auction for Panama’s specialty coffees will be held on June 11 via Internet from the district of Boquete in Chiriqui, said Plinio Ruiz, president of the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP). (more)

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Yesterday, unanimously, five of the six people charged in the case of former Governor of Coclé, Darío Fernández, were sentenced in prison. (more)

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The Panamenismo presidential candidate, Juan Carlos Varela, said yesterday he will review all the concessions granted during the administration of President Ricardo Martinelli in the case he wins the elections in May 4, 2014. (more)

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Eight people with minor injuries were the result of an accident between two units of the Metro Bus at the Coastal Strip. (more)

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After being the one responsible for announcing via Twitter the existence of a recording involving a candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), the President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli, referred once again about the internal situation of this political party. (more)

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After being the one responsible for announcing via Twitter the existence of a recording involving a candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), the President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli, referred once again about the internal situation of this political party. (more)

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The Traffic Police has been very active in the past 24 hours, the company announced via their twitter account, @protegeryservir, they have placed 1,021 traffic violation tickets. (more)

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A new Amador, where the third coastal strip opens the door for concrete fillings in the sea, luxurious homes, buildings and a recreation center, is the proposal disliked by engineers, architects and organized groups of the Panamanian community. (more)

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Two Panamanian people, of Kuna origin, were arrested at a checkpoint in the district of Chepo, where police officers seized more than 200 kilos of drugs in a 4x4 vehicle. (more)

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The first parts for the Wind Farm in Penonome arrived today at the Cristobal port in Colon. (more)

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Jose Luis Fabrega said his lawyers will take the right measures, after the threats he received through a recording where Roberto “Bobby” Velasquez was saying he would cut out his tongue and break one of his legs. (more)

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An approximate of 45 thousand working children and teenagers have been taken off the streets of Panama, according to figures gathered in the survey regarding Child Labour performed by the Comptroller General of Panama, through the National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC), revealed today. (more)

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A group of bar owners from the interior, protested today on the Vía Panamericana about changes of business regulations. (more)

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The Ministry of Public Constructions started cleaning the banks and bed of the Gallinaza from the bridge of the District Versalles, to the junction of the Corredor Sur in Ciudad Radial, with the aim of expanding its channel to evacuate water quickly. (more)

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A group of residents in the community of El Pantanal # 2, Juan Díaz, left Wednesday morning to protest, rejecting against the eviction of the land they occupy. (more)

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President Ricardo Martinelli ended his three-day visit to Holland today with a meeting with Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, who addressed issues of commercial relations between the countries. (more)

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The President of the National Cattlemen's Association of Chiriquí, Arnulfo Morales said there is concern over livestock theft which has been recorded especially in the east of the province of Chiriquí. (more)

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The attorney, Víctor Martínez, presented in the Supreme Court of Justice a claim for $ 5 million against the companies Sonda and Mi Bus, financial collectors and operators of the Metro Bus system. (more)

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Today, Wednesday 29 May 2013, an assessment of the damage caused by the rain will be conducted, which affected about 9 houses in the community of La Respresa in San Cristóbal in the province of Colón, in which three people were rescued, including a child of less than six months of age. (more)

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The dialogue between nurses and health authorities are stalled, because yesterday they should have received an answer from the last counter of the "white angels" and this has not happened, so today they could go on strike. (more)

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By: Allan Woods MONTREAL — A former health-care executive and alleged fraudster is likely to put up a fight against extradition efforts, but experts say it is only a matter of time before Dr. Arthur Porter is brought back to Canada to face justice.

The 57-year-old former head of the McGill University Health Centre is alleged to have participated in a bid-rigging scheme related to the construction of a $1.3-billion hospital in Montreal. He was arrested Monday along with his wife shortly after their arrival in Panama.

Pamela Mattock was taken into custody at the airport Sunday when the couple arrived in the Central American country from their home in Nassau, Bahamas. Porter initially avoided arrest, reportedly by flashing a diplomatic passport from his home country of Sierra Leone, where he is recognized as “ambassador plenipotentiary,” according to Montreal’s La Presse.

After reviewing the case, however, and realizing that an important international fugitive was at risk of going free, Panamanian police swept down on Porter’s hotel to take him into custody. Reports suggested they captured him shortly before he was scheduled to leave on a connecting flight to Trinidad & Tobago.

The question now is whether it was hubris or merely lack of attention that has landed the notorious social climber, who secured friends in some of Canada’s highest political offices, in a Panama jail cell.

The charges, including fraud, conspiracy and receiving secret commissions, were laid against Porter last February by Quebec’s anti-corruption force.

Also charged were former SNC-Lavalin president Pierre Duhaime and vice-president Riadh Ben Aissa, MUHC executive Yanai Elbaz and Jeremy Morris, who runs the Bahamas-based firm Sierra Asset Management.

The allegations are that SNC-Lavalin made a $22.5-million payment to Porter through Sierra Asset Management in exchange for the contract to build McGill’s new hospital, which is set to open in 2015.

Mattock is additionally charged with money laundering, Quebec’s anti-corruption squad said in a statement announcing the arrests Monday evening.

It’s not known if the oncologist, who has degrees and certificates from schools like Cambridge and Harvard, knew that Canada has had an extradition treaty with Panama since 1907. But he was well aware of the seriousness of the allegations against him, refusing in several media interviews since the charges were laid to return to Canada (though he suggested he would be happy to meet with investigators at his home in Nassau).

His reasoning at the time was that he had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer that was spreading through his body. He made no attempts to unhook himself from the oxygen tank feeding him air during meetings with reporters and his hair was thinning or falling out in the way that is common after some types of cancer treatment.

Yet there was no sign of infirmity or illness when cameras captured him walking away Monday in handcuffs wearing a light-coloured suit over a black shirt, flanked by Panamanian police.

The diplomatic immunity argument used by Porter when he arrived in Panama is likely to resurface as the extradition process proceeds through the court system. But one lawyer with experience in extradition processes (but no involvement in the Porter case) says the defence will probably be quickly overruled.

“In reality, they could choose to ignore it and say that he’s not travelling on official business, that he’s using it as a shield to extradition when in fact it’s just a ruse,” Joseph Neuberger said. “So long as everything else is in order with respect to the request, he could be extradited.” (Toronto Star)

Editor's Comment: I think it's hilarious how people have not figured out that Panama is now filtering each and every passenger who passes through the Tocumen International Airport - even if it's just for a connecting flight - against the Interpol database of wanted fugitives. There have been dozens of these sorts of arrests, and in fact they happen every day. The fact that his is a high profile guy and his arrest is huge news in Canada is sort of secondary, for me at least. I think the much bigger story is that now Panama is scooping up fugitives like this on a regular and routine basis. And eventually his little schemes to avoid being extradited back to Canada will fail. So spread the word far and wide. If you're a dirtbag who's wanted somewhere, don't book a flight that passes through Panama, because you'll get caught, arrested, and deported back to the jurisdiction that wants you. Excellent. The water in the pool is getting just a little bit cleaner with each passing day. So Panama is getting good at catching international trash. Now if they would only do a better job of cleaning house at home...

The leader of the opposition, the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Balbina Herrera, said the controversial recording has caused a stir in the last few days and has affected their political party. (more)

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Three people were trapped after a landslide in La Represa, community of San Judas, in the village of Cativá, in the province of Colón. (more)

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In a statement, the Ombudsman's Office defended the 250 thousand-dollar contract with the company Imaginarium Studio, S.A. for the creation of a new logo and the development of a website. (more)

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The president of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli, posted on his Twitter account, @rmartinelli, “I warned everyone about the recording made by them, how terrible, and they are signing ethical pacts, what a joke.” (more)

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