LONDON: Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said on Friday a summit of signatories to the Abraham Accords, which had been planned in Morocco this summer, will be postponed.

He cited agenda problems and an unpropitious political context of “provocative and unilateral acts” that “undermine peace efforts in the region” for the postponement.

Israel normalized relations with several Arab countries under the Abraham Accords sponsored by the US and former president Donald Trump in 2020.

ROME: Thirty-seven migrants are missing after their boat capsized between Tunisia and the Italian island of Lampedusa, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday, citing an account by four survivors of the shipwreck.
The United Nations agency said the survivors, all from sub-Saharan Africa, arrived on Lampedusa late on Thursday, having been rescued from the shipwreck by another vessel.
The survivors told the IOM they left the Tunisian port of Sfax heading for Italy with 46 people aboard, but their boat capsized in strong winds.

BEIRUT: Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, carried out an inspection of new scanners at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Friday.

The scanners, donated by Germany, have been installed in the cargo shipment, goods export and DHL freight buildings in order to detect drugs and explosives.

The aim is for “Beirut airport to reflect Lebanon’s bright side,” Mikati said.

DUBAI: Arab youth across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) now say Saudi Arabia is one of the five countries in the world they would most like their own nation to be like, according to the 15th annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey.

The ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, the largest study of its kind, surveyed youth — men and women aged 18 to 24 — across the Middle East, adding South Sudan this year, on their views, hopes and fears.

BEIRUT: An illegal fishing method that uses explosives is being blamed for the rising numbers of sharks off the coast of Lebanon, amid social media panic about sightings and possible attacks.
Resorts have installed warning signs and told swimmers to be aware in the water following posts on social media showing sharks close to popular beaches.
Videos have shown the predators off the Sarafand-Zahrani shore to the south and off the Kaslik complex in Jounieh, while fishermen were recorded on Friday catching a small shark off Ouzai to the south of Beirut.