Suez Canal officials say deal reached to free seized vessel

The Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship (Mohamed El-shahed/AP)

The Suez Canal Authority said it has reached an agreement to settle a financial dispute with the owners of a giant container ship that blocked the crucial waterway for nearly a week earlier this year.

The authority did not reveal details of the settlement deal with Shoei Kisen Kaisha, the Japanese owner of the Ever Given.