Panama probes death of US tourist

Panamanian authorities are investigating the suspicious death of a young American tourist whose body was found on a tropical island after an hours-long search.
Reports in Panama yesterday said the 23-year-old woman, Catherine Johannet, had been strangled with her own swimsuit and eight people were being detained in relation to her death.
But the national prosecutors' office did not confirm that information to AFP. "The investigation is being carried out under strict confidentiality," a spokesperson said.
The body of Johannet was found on Sunday along a wooded trail on Bastimentos Island, in an idyllic area off Panama's Caribbean coast frequented by tourists for its crystal-clear waters and palm-lined beaches.

She had arrived in the country three days earlier, on February 2. Traveling companions raised the alarm when she disappeared.
US media said Johannet was a New York resident and an experienced international traveler who had worked as an English teacher in Vietnam last year.
Her family flew to Panama this week, where they were received by Security Minister Alexis Bethancourt.