Egypt to unveil Suez Canal extension amid nationalist fervour

Egypt will unveil a major extension of the Suez Canal that President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has billed as an historic achievement needed to boost the country's ailing economy after years of unrest. The president will host an elaborate ceremony in the canal city of Ismailia attended by foreign dignitaries amid tight security measures following a series of attacks by Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula and the capital. The unveiling of the 8.5 billion dollar (£5.5 billion) extension has been trumpeted as a historic achievement by pro-government media and has revived the nationalistic personality cult built around the 60-year-old Mr el-Sissi, who as army chief led the overthrow of an Islamist president in 2013 and was elected to office last year. Egypt's black, white and red flag now adorns streets across much of the nation, along with banners declaring support for Mr el-Sissi and hailing his latest achievement. The government declared Thursday a national holiday, and banks and most businesses were closed. The new extension involved digging and dredging along 72 kilometres of the 193-kilometre canal, making a parallel waterway at its middle that will facilitate two-way...