Fireworks exploded as a huge container ship made an inaugural passage through the newly expanded Panama Canal on Sunday, formally launching the Central American nation's multibillion-dollar bet on a bright economic future despite tough times for global shipping, according to AP. After passing through the Atlantic locks at Agua Clara under a cloudy sky in the early morning in the northern province of Colon, the Chinese-owned Cosco Shipping Panama, carrying some 9,000 cargo containers, entered the Cocoli locks near the capital in the afternoon to complete its journey to the Pacific Ocean stewarded by tugboats. The $5.25 billion project went online nearly two years late after construction delays, labor strife and apparent cost overruns, but officials were still bullish and in a celebratory mood. Authorities said about 30,000 people and eight foreign heads of state were attending.
