Suez Canal reopens after stuck cargo ship is freed

(AP) — Salvage teams have finally freed a giant container ship that has been stuck sideways in the Suez Canal for nearly a week.

The effort ended a crisis that clogged one of the world’s most vital waterways, and the canal authority said navigation resumed at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT, noon EDT).

Tugboats pulled the bow of the skyscraper-sized Ever Given from the sandy bank with the aid of the tides. As the ship sailed, the tugs blared their horns in jubilation.

The giant vessel headed toward the Great Bitter Lake, a wide stretch halfway between the north and south ends of the canal, to be inspected for damage.