Panama voids 25-year port deal with CK Hutchison over constitutional and financial concerns.

A 25-year port concession given to a CK Hutchison subsidiary was revoked by the Supreme Court of Panama due to constitutional infractions and audit findings of unapproved transactions and accounting errors. China's foreign ministry vowed to defend its company's rights in response to the ruling, which has an impact on operations at important ports close to the Panama Canal. CK Hutchison called the decision legally baseless and threatened job losses. The decision, driven by concerns over national sovereignty and foreign influence, comes amid heightened U.S.-China tensions over strategic trade routes. No immediate change in operations is anticipated, and the ports' future is still uncertain as Panama considers its next course of action.