Giant ship blocking Suez Canal partially refloated amid hopes of unblocking waterway

The giant cargo carrier blocking the Suez Canal was partly refloated early Monday morning, nearly a week after it wedged sideways, threatening the world's global economy.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi declared mission accomplished later in the day, saying in a statement that “Egyptians have succeeded today in ending the crisis of the stranded ship in the Suez Canal.”

He portrayed the efforts as a patriotic victory that assured the world that Egypt could be trusted with overseeing the 13 percent of all global trade that passes through the crucial...