canal

China has detained nearly 70 Panamanian-flagged ships after a Supreme Court ruling on the Panama Canal, US officials say.

Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States have released a joint statement in support of Panama, while criticising Chinese economic retaliation, after a Hong Kong-based conglomerate lost a legal dispute over the management of ports on the Panama Canal.

Panama’s Supreme Court in late January annulled contracts that had allowed a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison to administer the Balboa and Cristobal port terminals on the Panama Canal after deeming the decades-old agreements unconstitutional.

In their joint statement on Tuesday, the six countries claimed that following the court ruling, China has retaliated against Panama with “targeted economic pressure” on Panamanian-flagged ships.

China detained nearly 70 Panamanian-flagged ships in March, according to the US Federal Maritime Commission, a number “far exceeding historical norms”.

“These actions – following the decision of Panama’s independent Supreme Court regarding the Balboa and Cristobal terminals – are a blatant attempt to politicise maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of the nations of our hemisphere,” the signatories said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said separately on X that Washington was “deeply concerned” by China’s economic pressure on Panama.

“We stand in solidarity with Panama. Any attempts to undermine Panama’s sovereignty are a threat to us all,” he said.

China has previously accused the US of “bullying” and trying to smear its reputation in Latin America, while it described the Panamanian Supreme Court ruling as “absurd” and “shameful”.

US Federal Maritime Commission head Laura DiBella said last month that Beijing’s detention of Panamanian ships had repercussions for both Panama and the US.

“These intensified inspections were carried out under informal directives and appear intended to punish Panama after the transfer of Hutchison’s port assets,” DiBella said.

“Given that Panama‑flagged ships carry a meaningful share of US containerised trade, these actions could result in significant commercial and strategic consequences to US shipping,” she said.

‘States know how vulnerable shipping is’

Panama’s decision to invalidate the contracts held by CK Hutchison’s subsidiary Panama Ports Company was made at a time of heightened media attention around the Panama Canal amid threats by US President Donald Trump to seize the strategic waterway.

Trump had made the approximately 80km (49-mile) waterway a focus of his second administration, alleging in his inaugural address in January 2025 that China was “operating” the canal and pledging that the US would “take back” control.

US officials allege that, in addition to targeting Panama and its interests, China has also retaliated against shipping giants Maersk and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), whose subsidiaries were granted 18-month contracts to administer the Balboa and Cristobal terminals after CK Hutchison was removed.

Representatives of Maersk and MSC were both summoned by China’s Ministry of Transport for “high-level discussions”, the Federal Maritime Commission said in March, while Chinese shipping giant COSCO has suspended operations at the Balboa terminal.

CK Hutchison, through its Panama Ports Company subsidiary, is separately pursuing international arbitration against the government of Panama and seeking more than $2bn in damages.

David Smith, an associate professor at the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre, said that the Panama Canal dispute and China’s retaliation were the latest example of how shipping has become a political target, from Latin America to the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea in the Middle East.

“We have taken for granted that the world runs on container ships just freely sailing around the world,” he told Al Jazeera.

“What we’re seeing now is that states know how vulnerable shipping is. They know they can cut shipping lanes off if necessary. It should not surprise us from now on if ships and shipping in general become pawns in international politics.”

Centuries before Donald Trump started playing around with the world economy, “tariff” was a levy paid to Spain by ships using the strait of Gibraltar; it was named for Tarifa, the town near the strait’s narrowest point. France’s kings had long dreamed of a waterway linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean: as well as depriving the Spanish monarch of easy money, it would save ships a long voyage around Spain and Portugal, risking storms and pirates.

From the Atlantic, vessels can reach Toulouse from the Gironde estuary (on the Garonne River), but not until the 1660s did anyone have a viable plan for the remaining 200km to the Med. Considered one of the biggest engineering feats of the 17th century, Pierre-Paul Riquet’s Canal du Midi (finished in 1681 and called the Canal Royal du Languedoc until the revolution) rewrote the history of transport and commerce in the south of France – for centuries it carried wheat and wine, people and post.

In 1996, Unesco added the canal to its world heritage list, citing the way Riquet “turned a technical achievement into a work of art”. Today, the canal attracts more than 70,000 visitors a year, almost three-quarters of them from outside France. From La Ville Rose (as Toulouse is known) to the sea, here is how to enjoy it, however you decide to travel.

Toulouse-Carcassonne

The canal south-east of Carcassonne sees the most tourists; the Toulouse side has fewer attractions, but is enjoyably quieter, all sunflower fields and old windmills. In centuries past, horse-drawn barges would make their first stop at Négra lock; it’s a good place to clock the unusual oval shape of the lock basins, which helps the stone walls withstand water pressure. The inn that served passengers lunch is now a Locaboat rental firm, which hires out barges sleeping from two to 12.

The technically minded will enjoy the Seuil de Naurouze, the canal’s highest point, where it crosses the watershed between the Atlantic and the Med. Key to Riquet’s plan was feeding the canal with water channelled from the Montagne Noire, north-east of here. It’s a peaceful spot, with an avenue of plane trees leading to an obelisk commemorating the engineer. A short walk away, Le Pas de Naurouze offers a meaty (this is south-west France) but excellent set lunch for €23.

Eight miles on is Castelnaudary, home of rib-sticking bean cassoulet, invented while the town was besieged by the English in 1355: try it at the renowned restaurant Chez Marty. The coming of the canal boosted this town’s fortunes: waterside terraces on its lake-like Grand Bassin have an expansive feel, and a 10-minute climb to the restored 17th-century Cugarel windmill offers great views. Across the water, Le Grand Bassin is, in high season, an eco-friendly holiday let sleeping 15, but in shoulder season it lets out individual en suite rooms from €90. Handy for the station and boat jetty, it also offers cycle storage and repairs, and luggage transfers.

Carcassonne – and on

Much has been written about Carcassonne’s medieval citadel, but it is best avoided in the summer season. The canal grows more attractive from here though, even if the towpath gets bumpier. Sleepy villages in golden stone include Trèbes, between the canal and the Aude River, with its 13th-century church, marina and Sunday market. A lovely walk south-east takes in the Domaine des Pères olive oil mill (book visits online), and a three-lock flight on which boats drop seven metres of their 80-metre descent to the Mediterranean.

Paraza, 25 miles on, is an arty village, home to several studios and the unfortunately named CLAP gallery (Centre Local d’Art Parazanais). Château de Paraza winery offers tastings – and luxury castle rooms for a splurge. Cheaper options include Domaine Méditerranée (from €85) with a pool and dinners on request.

Toulouse is just under 200km from the sea, but the canal’s many loops and meanders add another 40km. One loop, just after Paraza, runs to France’s first canal aqueduct, the 1676 Pont-Canal de Répudre, the parapets of its one-arch bridge spanning the river of the same name.

Escape the canal

There’s a holiday feel to the route after Capestang. The countryside is more open, there are more pleasure craft on the water, and plenty of attractions.

It’s worth detouring a few miles to the village of Saint-Chinian, in Languedoc’s oldest winemaking area. It has narrow streets, shady squares and a Benedictine abbey, but also lots of ways to get active. Rock climbers can tackle any of 15 routes up the magnificent west-facing Notre-Dame cliff nearby. There’s kayaking on the Vernazobre and Orb rivers, horse riding and cycling among the vines on Oenovélo 1, a mostly off-road bike route that links Saint-Chinian to the canal at Colombiers (see below). This makes a nice change if you have been riding the towpath for days.

South of here is the circular, spiral-built village of Puisserguier, topped by its 1,000-year-old battlemented castle (entry free but hours can be erratic; try +33 6 62 14 70 96). Then it’s back to the canal at Capestang, with its chunky stone bridge and great market (Wed and Sun) by the tall Saint-Étienne church. There’s good food at Le Pourquoi Pas, right by the canal a few miles west, while La Pause Sous le Pin (doubles from €90 B&B) is a welcoming B&B with a pool and garden, five minutes’ walk from the centre.

To Béziers and the coast

The area around the ancient village of Colombiers used to be classic Insta-worthy Canal du Midi – curved stretches of waterway reflecting rows of tall planes – but severe canker stain infection saw about 1,600 trees felled. Many have been replanted, though, and are now thriving. Before Colombiers, there are two sites of note. The Oppidum d’Ensérune is a Gallic hill fort dating from the sixth century BC (€9 including museum). A scenic walk away (and free) is the world’s oldest canal tunnel, the Malpas, bored through a ridge. Finished in 1680, it takes just a few minutes to pass through but is a unique experience for boats, bikes and walkers.

Colombiers is the place to take to the water if you haven’t already. Sunboat offers permit-free day boats for 4-12 people from €35, all with cushions and sunshade; larger ones have a Bluetooth speaker and table for musical lunches. There are also rowing boats, kayaks and paddleboards to hire – and guided sightseeing trips. Colombiers’ 12th-century chateau is mostly closed for restoration, but there are guided tours on Wednesdays. Check out the wine cellars, glazed in multicoloured metro tiles.

Just outside Béziers is maybe the canal’s most remarkable sight: the “nine locks” of Fonseranes, allowing boats to drop 21 metres. It’s a lively spot, with plenty of spectators on the banks. Boats now enter and leave via basin seven, so the flight is six locks, but it’s impressive all the same.

And relax …

The canal empties into the Étang de Thau at Les Onglous, but boats would then cross the lagoon to unload at Sète harbour, which Riquet also designed. Sète is a pretty, lively port town, with train links on to Marseille and Avignon or back to Toulouse. It has canals of its own, sandy beaches, a covered market and traditional water jousting tournaments (great fun to watch). Les Terrasses de Saint-Clair is a peaceful B&B with three bedrooms (from €130), pool and boules court on the hill between the port and lagoon. After a canal odyssey of any kind, Séte makes a great place to stay still for a few days.

Find information about this year’s events at canal-du-midi.com

The actor will this time take the character to Miami for the chaos of the World Cup, involving 48 teams and 16 venues

Hugh Bonneville is back as Ian Fletcher, and this time around the BBC’s former Head of Values is in America, dealing with the World Cup.

The Downton star, who first introduced Fletcher in the Olympics-spoofing series Twenty Twelve and then brought him back for W1A, said that playing Ian again was so painful it was akin to a nasty visit to the dentist. “It’s a bit like root canal in that you know there’s a massive well of poison in your mouth and it’s got to be dealt with. And after it’s finished, it’s rather nice,” he laughed. “But the process itself is agony.”

Hugh, 62, says that Ian Fletcher has “evolved” since the last time we saw him. “Although, ‘evolution’ is, of course, an interesting word, conjuring images of change. “If Ian was a lapel pin it would be enamelled with the words, Stay Calm. The seas may be tossed and blown but Ian will be neither tossed and certainly not blown.”

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But he questions how much Ian has actually learned from the chaos of his past experiences. “The tragicomedy of life is that we may think we develop and change but actually most of us reset at the end of each day to catastrophically normal and – if we can afford one – a take-away.”

One new element in this series is a potential romance between Ian the terribly keen VP Sustainability Sarah Campbell (Chelsey Crisp).Writer John Morton says he “can’t remember” if the actually happens, while Hugh says cryptically: “During this series Ian’s eyes are opened a teeny bit to emotional opportunity. Then again, he’s also recovering from a detached retina.”

The actor admits his own football experience as the Under 11 B Team goalie at his junior school was an unhappy one. “I was fat and I was rubbish at running up and down. So I was put in goal. It was the days where you wore a padded top as a goalie, which was quite a warm garment, actually. So that was nice. I was quite cosy, toddling up and down in my little goal, pretending to stretch, in my green, figure-hugging little duvet. I don’t think I ever saved a ball.”

Morton said that none of the shows are actually about what they appear to be, and that they all work as standalone programmes. “Although W1A was about the BBC, this appears to be about football and 2012 was about the Olympics, none of them are really about those things,” he explained. “That’s what they’re tussling with on the surface, but underneath is where the real stuff is happening. Anybody that’s trying to organise anything with a group of people will, I hope, recognise this. Those dynamics I think are pretty much universal.”

He said that the BBC was the show’s natural home. “There’s a sort of BBCness about Ian Fletcher, a guy who’s kind of hamstrung by trying to do the right thing all the time. And I have, just personally, a huge amount of respect and affection for the BBC. I think they’re one of the best things we do. I think they’re very, very precious. And W1A was never intended to be a takedown, just as this isn’t, of anybody or anything.”

– Twenty Twenty Six, BBC Two, 10pm, Wednesday 8 April

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