The global shipping industry has warned there could be days of disruption, after a massive container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal. More than 10 percent of global trade passes through the strategic waterway. Also in today's show: diplomatic tensions threaten to derail a massive investment deal between the EU and China, and US donut chain Krispy Kreme tries to sweeten the deal for Covid-19 vaccinations.

Traffic along one of the world's most important trade routes has been at a standstill since the MV Ever Green ran aground. Dislodging the 400-meter long vessel could take weeks, one rescue company said.

A giant container ship blocking the Suez Canal has put the vulnerabilities of global trade center stage. DW looks at the major shipping routes most at risk from unforeseen events.

The massive container ship blocking the Suez Canal for almost a week has been turned 80 percent in the right direction, officials said Monday, raising hopes the vital trade route could soon be clear. But its owner said that while the giant ship "has turned", it was still not yet afloat. The MV Ever Given, longer than four football fields, has been wedged diagonally across the canal since Tuesday, strangling world supply chains and costing the global economy billions.

The giant container ship MV Ever Given was refloated and the Suez Canal reopened, sparking relief almost a week after the huge container ship got stuck during a sandstorm and blocked a major artery for global trade.

The Italian government has given the go-ahead for cruise liners to be banned from the area close to Venice's city center. The issue has been an ongoing one, and the large vessels were banned once before.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has promised that his country would buy equipment to avoid any repetition of the past week's closure of the Suez Canal as he visited Ismailia, en route to the vital trade artery.

Images from a recent Philippine military aerial patrol show several reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where over 200 Chinese ships are scattered. China has claimed the vessels are fishing boats sheltering from bad weather. But Manila insists they are from Beijing's Maritime Militia, frequently accused of conducting covert military operations in the area.

The Italian government has announced a ban on giant cruise ships entering the centre of Venice. Accused of being dangerous, polluting and unsightly, the vessels will soon have to dock at a nearby port on the mainland. Italian ministers said the decision was made to "protect a historical and cultural heritage not only of Italy but of the whole world". Although the move has been welcomed by most Venice residents, hoteliers and shop owners are nevertheless worried about the impact it may have on the local economy, already hit hard by Covid-19. Our correspondents report.

The Panama-flagged Ever Given is sailing in the Mediterranean. Egypt had held the container ship until authorities reached a compensation agreement with its owners.

The restriction will come into effect at the beginning of August, the Italian government has confirmed. Campaigners say the liners cause damage to Venice's ecosystem.

Aid agencies fear the Pacific island nation of Tonga may run out of drinking water because sources were contaminated after the recent volcanic eruption. New Zealand and Australia are shipping supplies to the area but they will not arrive until Friday.