The Japanese owner of the giant cargo ship that has been blocking Egypt’s Suez Canal since Tuesday has apologised for the disruption to global trade. Shoei Kisen Kaisha said it was trying to resolve the situation as soon as possible, but that dislodging the Ever Given was proving extremely difficult. The 400m-long (1,300ft), 200,000-tonne vessel became wedged across the canal amid high winds and a dust storm.

At least 150 ships are now waiting to pass through the vital maritime route. About 12% of global trade passes through the Suez canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and provides the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe. An alternative route, around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa, can take two weeks longer. The vessel, which is operated by Taiwanese transport company Evergreen Marine but called the Ever Given, is currently wedged diagonally across the waterway.(BBC)…[+]