Extension of Egypt's Suez Canal to open on 6 August

A major extension of the Suez Canal is due to open on Thursday, 6 August, in what the government hopes will be a moment of national pride following years of political unrest. Around 10 per cent of the world's trade flows through the waterway, which links the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, allowing vessels to avoid sailing around Africa. The canal, which was constructed under the supervision of the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAAF) in about a year, is one of Egypt's top foreign currency earners and is seen as a symbol of its modern state.