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Panama national team footballer Gilberto Hernández killed by gunmen
A player for Panama’s national football team has been shot dead in the city of Colón.
Gunmen opened fire on a group of people, among them 26-year-old Gilberto Hernández, who had gathered in a building in the city.
Hernández died and seven others were injured in the attack.
It is not yet clear if the footballer, who also played for Club Atlético Independiente, was the target of the shooting or what the motive was.
There has been a rise in murders in Colón over the past months as two rival gangs fight for control of lucrative drug smuggling routes.
So far, more than 50 people have been killed in Colón, a city of 40,000 inhabitants, so far this year.
The port city, on the north entrance to the Panama canal, is a transit point for cocaine smuggled from South America through Panama to Europe.
The shooting happened on Sunday afternoon local time.
Two gunmen forced a taxi driver to take them to a building in the city’s Barrio Norte neighbourhood and opened fire on the group gathered there.
The gunmen fled the scene.
Gilberto Hernández had made his debut in the Panamanian national side in March this year in a match against Guatemala.
The player’s father urged the youth of Colón “to stop the violence”, and called on the authorities to “launch projects to save the youth from this violence”.
He also asked the killers to hand themselves in: “Don’t cause more harm.”
Panama’s football federation and Gilberto Hernández’s club expressed their condolences to his family.
Source: BBC.com
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Hohoe Municipality Command, has conducted fire safety inspections and public education at selected fuel filling stations within the municipality.
The exercise, held from July 3, 2026 to July 5, 2025 was led by the Municipal Commander, DO III Bismark Hosu-Porbley.
During the inspection, the team assessed the fire safety preparedness of the facilities. Staff were also educated on fire prevention, emergency response procedures, and the proper use of firefighting equipment.
Management of the affected fuel stations expressed appreciation for the exercise and pledged to comply with the recommended safety measures.
The GNFS said the exercise reaffirms its commitment to continuous fire safety awareness and risk reduction to safeguard lives and property.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
