The Suez Canal is open again after the ship that blocked it is free. The 220,000-ton Ever Given container ship got stuck last week. The blockage disrupted global trade and international markets. It cost Egypt $100 million in lost revenue. There is now a backlog of 450 ships waiting to go through the canal. They are anchored in the Red Sea and Mediterranean near the ends of the canal. Authorities will try and double the daily average of ships to go through the channel.
There have been big efforts to free the 400-metre-long ship. Dredgers cleared sand underneath it to refloat it. Around 30 tug boats worked to pull it away from the canal's banks. A high tide helped the salvage operation. Egypt's president said it was a "massive technical complexity". He added: "The world can now rest assured about the passage of goods through this pivotal shipping route. Egyptians proved that they are always up to the challenge."