Panama Court Voids Port Deal as Maersk Takes Over Strategic Gateway

Panama Canal authorities appointed AP Moller-Maersk to temporarily manage port operations after the Supreme Court annulled contracts with the Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison.This ruling follows years of pressure from Donald Trump and Marco Rubio to curb Chinese influence over the waterway after an audit cited irregularities in a 2021 concession extension.Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun vowed to protect the rights of Chinese firms as the decision jeopardizes a $23 billion global asset sale involving BlackRock and MSC.