Egypt closed the Suez Canal and four of its ports on the Red Sea to shipping on Thursday because of sand storms and high waves, maritime officials said. The weather prevented 26 ships from passing through the waterway, including six blocked by a German container ship that had veered and was obstructing the canal. "The ship is lying crosswise in the canal, causing a total block in movement," a Suez Canal Authority official said. The four closed ports - Port Tawfik, Adabiya, Zayteyat and Ataka - "will reopen as soon as the weather improves," Red Sea Ports Authority spokesman Salah Hashem said. The canal is an important source of foreign currency for Egypt, along with tourism, oil and gas exports and remittances from Egyptians living abroad.
