Honduras weighs shift in China-Taiwan ties

WASHINGTON (AP) – Three years after Honduras parted ways with Taiwan and forged diplomatic ties with China in hope of economic gain, shrimp farmers in the Central American country are in revolt. Their sales to Taiwan fell to a mere $16 million in 2025, down from more than $100 million in 2022, and the Chinese didn’t fill the void as hoped.

Oil prices resume their rise, but US stocks hold steadier

NEW YORK (AP) - Oil prices resumed their rise because of the war with Iran, but U.S. stocks held steadier this time around. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Tuesday and added to its gain from the day before, which was its best since the war began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.5%.

Panama Canal ports drag Panama into tussle between superpowers

PANAMA CITY (AP) – Two ports run for years by a Hong Kong-based company at either end of the Panama Canal have thrust Panama into a geopolitical tug-of-war between the United States and China. Even before taking office for his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump complained that China was running the Panama Canal.

Top counterterrorism official resigns, says Iran posed no imminent threat

WASHINGTON (AP) – Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

Panamanian investigators remove documents from Canal Port operator

PANAMA CITY (AP) – Panamanian investigators carried documents Thursday out of offices belonging to a Hong Kong-owned company that operated ports at either end of the Panama Canal until its concession was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last month.

Trump team applying pressure to media: Tell the war's story the way we see it

Through lectures, scoldings and outright threats, President Donald Trump and his aides are ratcheting up the pressure on journalists to cover the war in the Middle East the way the administration wants. The Republican president has fumed on social media about stories he doesn’t like and berated a reporter on Air Force One.

Hong Kong Protests Over Panama's Control in Panama Canal

BANGKOK (AP) – Hong Kong is protesting Panama’s seizure of two ports on a canal vital for global trade that were operated by a Hong Kong-based company for decades, the city’s government said Tuesday. Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said in a statement it had lodged “stern protests” with Panama’s consulate.

Editorials from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Panama orders occupation of 2 key canal ports after Supreme Court ruling

PANAMA CITY (AP) – The Panamanian government on Monday issued a decree ordering the occupation of two ports at the entrances of the Panama Canal, a move triggered by a final Supreme Court ruling that declared the operating concession held by Hong Kong-based company CK Hutchison unconstitutional.