suspension

June 26 (UPI) — Panama will extend its suspension of constitutional rights in Bocas del Toro province through June 29 in response to escalating anti-government protests that have left one person dead, more than 300 detained and dozens injured, including 14 police officers.

After two months of roadblocks, demonstrations and vandalism, Panama’s Cabinet Council said it was necessary to temporarily restrict the constitutional rights to free assembly and movement in an effort to restore order in the region.

On June 20, the government issued a five-day decree suspending those rights and launched a special operation that deployed 1,500 additional police officers to the province.

Bocas del Toro has become the epicenter of a deep political and social crisis in Panama, sparked by mass protests following the approval of a pension system reform and a security cooperation memorandum signed by the Panamanian and U.S. governments.

While the government has presented the memorandum as a way to strengthen security and cooperation, many Panamanians see it as a surrender of national sovereignty and a sign of U.S. interference in the country’s internal affairs.

The current unrest in Panama stems from a combination of long-standing issues — including poverty, social inequality and a lack of opportunity — that have fueled widespread protests and violence.

Rejection of the pension reform, which eliminated some benefits, mobilized teachers and workers from the U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands. The company ultimately shut down its operations in Panama due to the strike. While some benefits were reinstated for banana workers, other affected groups — including teachers — remain mobilized and continue to demand the full repeal of the reform.

The demonstrations, which often include road blockades and clashes, have been met with a heavy police crackdown. Violent confrontations and mass arrests have led to accusations of excessive force and due process violations by authorities. According to Panamanian media reports, young people and teenagers make up a significant portion of the protesters.

The government has defended its crackdown, claiming that “criminal gangs” and “delinquent groups” have infiltrated otherwise peaceful demonstrations.

A growing concern is the lack of information about the whereabouts of those detained, who have been transferred to at least three provinces outside Bocas del Toro — compromising their right to a legal defense, attorney José Luis Santamaría told La Estrella de Panamá.

Amid the crisis, President José Raúl Mulino has proposed a sweeping “state reform” and a constitutional overhaul. He acknowledged that the current system is “broken” and “completely collapsed,” reflecting widespread public frustration with Panama’s institutions and bureaucracy.

Still, the promise of reform has been met with skepticism. Many Panamanians have seen similar proposals fail to deliver results in the past, and distrust in the political class remains high. Critics question whether the initiative offers a real solution or merely seeks to calm public anger without addressing the root causes of the crisis.

The nationwide teachers’ strike has entered its third month, with an estimated 30,000 educators participating — roughly 57% of Panama’s public school workforce.

On June 24, the government issued a decree allowing the immediate hiring of interim teachers to fill vacancies in areas where the strike continues. The measure will remain in effect through December 2025. The teachers’ union has announced plans to challenge the decree in court, arguing it is unconstitutional.

The protests have dealt a severe blow to the economy, with daily losses estimated between $80 million and more than $100 million. The unrest has directly affected key exports, local businesses and investor confidence. Panama’s banana industry — one of its traditional agricultural and export pillars — accounted for about 17% of total agricultural export value in 2023, or roughly $140 million.

While the government maintains its growth targets, any recovery will depend on ending the blockades and restoring social order.

Although the protests have not directly disrupted operations at the Panama Canal, they have caused indirect logistical delays. Road blockades have slowed or complicated the delivery of supplies, replacement parts and essential services such as crew changes and food.

Thanks to improved water levels and operational upgrades, the Panama Canal saw a 30% increase in vessel transits and a 22% rise in cargo volume between October 2024 and May 2025, according to the Panama Canal Authority.

Including both the expanded and original Panamax locks, the canal recorded 8,057 transits over the eight-month period — up 29.2% from 6,235 during the same span of fiscal 2024.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will serve a one-game suspension Friday night against the Nationals after Thursday’s benches-clearing altercation against the San Diego Padres.

In addition to the suspension, Major League Baseball announced Roberts was fined an undisclosed amount. Padres manager Mike Shildt also was suspended one game and fined, and Padres right-handed pitcher Robert Suarez was suspended three games and fined for “intentionally hitting” Shohei Ohtani with a pitch in the ninth inning.

“I support it. I think that obviously, I never want to make the game about the managers, it shouldn’t be,” Roberts said Friday. “It should be about the players and winning.”

He continued: “It unfortunately came to a point where we became the focus and that’s not the way it should be.”

Bench coach Danny Lehmann will manage the Dodgers against the Nationals.

The back-and-forth animosity on the field came to a peak Thursday when Dodgers relief pitcher Jack Little hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with a pitch in the ninth inning.

Shildt exited the dugout and pointed at Roberts, causing the Dodgers manager to charge toward home plate. Roberts bumped Shildt, causing the benches to clear and bullpens to empty. Both managers were ejected.

Matthew Wolfenden has spoken for the first time about being suspended from his role on ITV’s Emmerdale after appearing to mimic a Chinese accent on the set

Emmerdale actor Matthew Wolfenden has revealed why he was suspended from the ITV soap opera and how it saw him suffer a nervous breakdown. The actor who plays local businessman David Metcalfe vanished from screens in 2021 alongside his co-star, Isabel Hodgins, who plays Victoria Sugden, leaving fans baffled.

At the time, it was reported that the pair had been embroiled in a heated row while filming scenes for Super Soap Week in the same year. Reports claimed that the pair came to blows while filming a scene which involved a waterfall, which aired on October 19, 2021. However, it later emerged that the soap had launched an investigation following claims of a race row.

But until now, Matthew, 45, has remained tight-lipped about his exit from the soap and has confirmed it came after they were accused of mimicking a Chinese accent around the workplace. “We were falsely accused of doing an accent on set,” he said.

Matthew went on to explain: “Whenever the word race is used, they have to take it seriously.” He explained that a young cast member had mistakenly thought they’d heard the pair putting on a Chinese accent and later complained to a producer about the incident.

He stated that the younger cast member told a producer they were “not very happy” about what they had heard on the set of the Yorkshire-based soap opera. “So, because of this, we did have to get suspended because as soon as that’s an issue, they have to go down the correct routes while they investigate what happens,” Matthew said.

Speaking on Lewis Nicholls Life Stories, he went on to say: “Unfortunately when you get suspended from a continuing drama, you have to get written out of storylines and that is not an easy process because the storylines are written six weeks in advance, you film six weeks in advance and then it’s on screen.

“So even if you’re off for two weeks that could be three months of not being on screen.” He said that he and Isabel had worked together a lot in the lead up to the suspension due to their characters being in a relationship and the pair loved watching comedies.

“So we were sat one day talking about what comedies we loved to watch and we were doing scenes, mimicking the scenes, doing the lines from the scenes,” he said. He went on to add: “And I said to her, ‘Have you ever seen the League of Gentlemen?’

“And there’s a scene in the League of Gentlemen where Reece Shearsmith dresses up as a lady called Pam Doove and it’s called the Orange Juice Scene if anyone wants to Google it and see what I mean. And he’s playing an actress who comes into an audition room and is very eloquent – it’s an old acting joke – and then the director says, ‘Go out of the room and come back in and say ‘Has anyone got a bottle of orange juice?’ for an audition. [She returns and does it in a different accent]. “

He stated that the younger star had overheard the conversation and assumed that Matthew was mimicking the Chinese accent, which led to him being suspended over the alleged “race row”. Matthew claims that bosses behind the soap urged him not to speak out publicly about the reason behind his suspension.

He told the podcast he “didn’t have a leg to stand on” as the Emmerdale press team had instructed him to “stay quiet.” Despite this, Matthew stated he was desperate to tell the truth and found it “difficult” not to speak out over an accusation of something he hadn’t done.

He later explained he became unwell due to the mounting stress and suffered a nervous breakdown. “I ended up in The Priory for a month,” he said. Matthew feared he’d lose his job and ended up hitting a “big spiral down” following the rumours. Despite his suspension, Matthew returned to the programme, but fortunately for him, the cast member who made the claim left while he was absent.

Matthew’s character eventually left Emmerdale in 2023 after two decades on the soap. It was initially suggested that David could be killed off after Matthew expressed an interest in taking on other roles. However, David didn’t die and he instead left to be with his ex Priya and their daughter Amba after learning that his son Jacob had fallen for his former partner Victoria. He couldn’t cope with the new romance and decided he had no choice but to make his departure from the Dales, leaving both Jacob and Pollard devastated.

If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email [email protected]

The Mirror approached Emmerdale for comment.

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