KUALA LUMPUR — A second Malaysian state this week dissolved its assembly and called for fresh elections, setting up a key test of public support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s governing coalition amid signs of internal tensions. The chief minister of Negeri Sembilan announced the dissolution late Thursday, according to state news agency Bernama, paving the way for polls to be held at the same time as those in the southern state of Johor, which disbanded its assembly on Monday. No date has been set yet for either vote. While the state polls will not directly impact Anwar’s majority in…
Author: Editorial Team
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Kim Jong Un next week in a trip to North Korea, in his first visit in nearly seven years, according to official media in both countries. China is the largest trading partner and political ally of North Korea, which faces sweeping international sanctions as a result of its nuclear weapons program and alleged human rights violations. The visit comes weeks after Xi received US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. It is expected that Kim will seek more trade over the land border and more Chinese tourists to…
Georgia Levenson Keohane, CEO, SEDF. NEW YORK — The Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF), the impact investing arm of Open Society Foundations, announced a $5 million commitment to the Working Capital Fund III(WCF III), an early-stage venture fund backing technologies that advance transparency, accountability, and equity across global supply chains. The commitment marks a reinvestment by SEDF, which backed WCF in a prior fund, and forms part of WCF III’s initial $31 million close, with a final target of $100 million. The investment also expands SEDF’s human rights and justice portfolio, a thematic area in which catalytic capital can play an…
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) has called on establishments subject to withholding tax in the Kingdom to submit their May 2026 withholding tax forms by June 10, 2026. Submissions must be completed via the authority’s website at zatca.gov.sa to avoid a late payment penalty of 1% of the unpaid tax for every 30 days past the due date. The authority also invited business sector taxpayers seeking further information on withholding tax to contact its unified call center at 19993, available 24/7, or to reach out through X at @Zatca_Care, by email at info@zatca.gov.sa, or via live chat on…
MUMBAI — In a significant turnaround, a major Indian film workers’ union has withdrawn its directive issued just nine days ago to its members asking them not to work with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh after his alleged abrupt exit from an upcoming film. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued the informal ban on May 25 after the producers of Don 3 complained that Singh had quit the film just weeks before filming was set to begin. The boycott withdrawal comes after Singh reportedly sent a legal notice to the federation. Announced in 2023, Farhan Akhtar’s Don 3…
WASHINGTON — The US House of Representatives passed a resolution on Wednesday directing President Donald Trump to withdraw American forces from the conflict with Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after four Republicans sided with Democrats in a striking sign of growing opposition to a military campaign now in its fourth month. The House vote is a significant rebuke to the US president and his handling of the war. Democrats have repeatedly forced votes to limit Trump’s war powers in both the House and the Senate but the campaign has gradually picked up more Republican support…
Over the past decade, Middle East countries have sought to emerge as global innovation hubs, with governments across the region making unprecedented tech investments as part of wider economic diversification agendas. To cite just two examples: Saudi Arabia’s announcement of $14.9 billion in technology and AI investments at LEAP 2025 complemented a broader $100 billion AI initiative under Project Transcendence, and the UAE is home to the $15.2 billion Microsoft-backed AI and cloud build-out. The result is a large and expanding market. Digital transformation in the Middle East was valued at approximately $145 billion in 2024, with AI representing more than $40 billion of that total. It is projected to expand more than sixfold…
In summer, the farms of Al-Baha Region are adorned with a diverse range of seasonal fruits that reflect the region’s agricultural and environmental identity. With the arrival of the season, terraced fields and mountain slopes are covered with apricots, plums, grapes, hamat (wild figs), almonds, and apples, in a scene that highlights the area’s unique natural features that have made Al-Baha a fertile environment for long-standing agricultural activity passed down through generations. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA), during a field tour of the region’s farms, observed intensive agricultural activity at the start of the harvest season, as farmers continue to…
SYDNEY — New Zealand said on Thursday it would express its concerns to Beijing after China unexpectedly barred four New Zealand lawmakers from entering Hong Kong, Macau and the Chinese mainland as punishment for visiting Taiwan last month. China has banned four New Zealand Members of Parliament for a year over their visit to Taiwan, New Zealand’s foreign ministry said. The visit in May comprised lawmakers from the ruling coalition — Maureen Pugh, David Wilson and Laura McClure — as well as Duncan Webb from the opposition Labour Party. The MPs learned of the ban, which the Chinese Embassy said…
RIYADH — More than 1,700 artifacts have been uncovered at the archaeological site of Miqat al-Juhfah by the Heritage Commission. The abundance of artifacts was uncovered during the Commission’s completion — in collaboration with the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom— of the first season of survey and documentation work at the archaeological site of Al-Juhfah Miqat. The discoveries included pottery, glass, and stone fragments, as well as shells, crafted objects, and other archaeological remains, underscoring the site’s significance along the historic Egyptian Hajj route. The variety of artifacts was used in different aspects of daily life, including shells,…