Conservative supermarket magnate Ricardo Martinelli won Panama’s presidential elections in a landslide Sunday, promising to guide the country through the world economic crisis and an ambitious expansion of the Panama Canal.

A conservative supermarket magnate is favored to win presidential elections Sunday that will determine who will oversee the completion of the expansion of the Panama Canal, the nation’s economic engine.

Panama needs to adjust its labor laws to meet international standards before Congress will consider a free trade agreement with the Central American country, a House lawmaker in charge of trade policy said Wednesday.

A strongly felt shook Panama and parts of Costa Rica on Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

Ivan Rodriguez homered twice, Carlos Delgado also connected and Puerto Rico got off to a rousing start in the World Baseball Classic, beating Panama 7-0 on Saturday.

Before Carlos Lee stepped into the batter’s box for Panama he asked the umpire to check the ball for anything unusual.

Rick Porcello’s inexperience showed. So did his talent.

Kidnappers have released a Cuban-American businessman tied to an influential anti-Castro organization after holding him for nearly a year in Panama’s jungle, family and officials said Tuesday.

Panamanian authorities say a prominent ruling party lawmaker and son of a former vice president has died in a traffic accident.

Panama’s government is borrowing $1.1 billion to create a fund it hopes will ease credit and boost investment amid the global economic crisis.