The fight over the Panama Canal rages on

The fight over the Panama Canal rages on

Published: January 30, 2026

Duration: 6:31

From the BBC World Service: Panama’s Supreme Court has annulled a contract allowing for a Hong Kong company to operate two ports on the major shipping route. The canal handles 5% of all shipping traffic between the Atlantic and Pacific, and the news comes as the Trump administration seeks to curb Chinese influence in the region. Then, Madagascar recently opened its first-ever stretch of highway. Can it speed up trade and spur economic development in the country?