ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi on Friday officially launched an advanced marine research vessel with a mission to monitor sea life and help combat the effects of climate change in the Gulf.
‘Jaywun’, a 50-meter vessel developed by the emirate’s environment agency EAD, was launched by its Chairman Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
The vessel can be crewed by around 30 people, and is equipped with the advanced equipment including six laboratories and a remotely operated submersible.

BEIRUT: The Lebanese army said on Friday its troops shot at an Israeli drone that crossed into Lebanon’s southern airspace, with a security source saying the drone was not brought down.
Israel regularly flies military aircraft in Lebanon’s airspace without permission but it is rare for troops to target them.
The Lebanese army statement said a patrol was inspecting a separate incident in the south when a “drone belonging to the Israeli enemy violated Lebanese airspace,” prompting troops to begin shooting in its direction.

CAIRO: A top US official has praised efforts by Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority to improve navigation in the waterway and ensure the safe passage of ships.

Mira Resnick, US deputy assistant secretary of state for regional security in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, was speaking during her first official visit to the canal.

Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, received her at the Guidance Building in Ismailia.

The visit included an inspection of improvement works on a section of the canal.

TRIPOLI: The CIA chief has met with one of Libya’s rival prime ministers, the government in the country’s capital of Tripoli said Thursday.
It was a rare visit by a senior US official to the war-torn country, currently split between two rival administrations.
The Tripoli-based government said CIA Director William Burns and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah discussed cooperation, economic and security issues. It also posted a hand-shaking photo of the two on one of its social media pages.

QALANDIA, Palestinian Territories: Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents in the occupied West Bank Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as the army reported opening fire on fleeing suspects and troops being pelted with rocks during raids.
The uptick in West Bank violence continued the trend of 2022, which was the deadliest since UN records began in 2005.