Container movement at Panama’s ports grew by 1.65% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2024, reaching a total of 4,829,562 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) reported on Friday.

“This growth reaffirms the resilience of Panama’s maritime sector, despite global trade uncertainties and local operational challenges,” the AMP said in a statement.

Transshipment cargo, which accounts for roughly 89% of total port traffic, saw a 1.2% increase between January and July compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, local cargo volume rose by 5.7%, driven by an uptick in domestic commercial and logistics activity, explained Max Florez, Director General of Ports and Auxiliary Industries at the AMP.

The AMP oversees about twenty ports in total, most of them small and focused on cabotage, fishing, and local passenger transport. The country’s five main ports, located near the Interoceanic Canal, are operated by companies from the U.S., Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.

Honduras’ Catholic and Evangelical churches issued a joint statement on Friday urging the country’s political leaders to respect the will of the people in the upcoming general elections on November 30.

“Let our message be clear: the will of the citizens, legitimately expressed at the polls, must be respected on November 30 and every four years. We do not forget the past, but we look to the future with hope and determination,” declared the Episcopal Conference and the Evangelical Fellowship of Honduras in a joint communiqué.

The message was delivered by Archbishop José Vicente Nácher of Tegucigalpa and Pastor Gerardo Irías during an event in the capital city, which also included representatives from the private sector.

The churches also called on “all Hondurans of faith” to join in an extended prayer for the country, which will include a nationwide prayer walk in various cities on August 16.

Honduran health authorities confirmed on Monday four deaths caused by the influenza virus, which has affected 587 people so far in 2025. During this period, two deaths due to COVID-19 have also been reported.

Lorenzo Pavón, head of the Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, stated that the individuals who died from influenza were over 50 years old and passed away due to complications related to chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and kidney failure.

The deaths occurred in the departments of El Paraíso (east), Ocotepeque (west), and in the cities of Siguatepeque and Comayagua, located in the central region of the country, Pavón detailed without providing further case specifics.

Official data shows that so far this year, 571 infections of the influenza A H1N1 virus and 16 cases of influenza B have been confirmed.

Among the total influenza A infections, 302 were women and 268 men, with the population between 15 and 49 years being the most affected, with 167 cases recorded, Pavón detailed.

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Health authorities warned that vaccination remains the primary tool to prevent complications caused by the virus, against which antibiotics are ineffective.

They also recommended the population, especially vulnerable groups, to get the influenza vaccine, avoid self-medication, and seek medical attention if symptoms appear.

Meanwhile, Pavón indicated that the country has also reported two COVID-19 deaths and 261 confirmed cases, with 107 men and 154 women affected, women being the majority.

The age groups with the highest incidence of COVID-19 are adults between 20 and 29 years, with 54 cases, and children aged 0 to 9, with 47 infections.

In light of the rise in COVID-19 cases, health authorities recommended strengthening biosecurity measures such as frequent hand washing, wearing masks in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, and using hand sanitizer.

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