THE HOT STORY

US starts returning staff to Middle East missions

The US is beginning to send staff back to some diplomatic missions in the Middle East. Diplomatic posts in Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Baghdad will see staff return, with family members also allowed back in Riyadh. However, some embassies will operate at no more than 85% of their authorised staff levels initially. The return of personnel is expected to commence as early as this week, following the evacuation of staff after US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28, said sources familiar with the matter. “Returning personnel to missions that were partly evacuated suggests the administration believes the war is winding down,” former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told the New York Times.

New York Times

South China Morning Post

The Times of Israel

STRATEGY

Work Reimagined UAE launches in September

Work Reimagined UAE: The Next Era of HR, Culture & Employee Experience , presented by InsuranceMarket.ae in association with Gulf News, launches on September 14 at Clubhouse, InsuranceMarket.ae HQ, Motor City, Dubai. The event is part of a four-month leadership series and brings together senior HR executives, chief human resources officers (CHROs), policymakers and workplace strategists to examine the decisions driving workforce strategy in the UAE.

Gulfnews.com

LEGAL

Saudi Arabia signs global anti-corruption information-sharing agreement

Saudi Arabia's Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) has signed an information-sharing agreement with the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network). Nazaha President Mazin Al-Kahmous said the agreement is designed to improve the efficiency of international cooperation and facilitate faster and more secure exchanges of information among anti-corruption law enforcement authorities. Saudi Gazette says Saudi Arabia's commitment to combating corruption is evident in its leadership role within the GlobE Network, which now includes 252 law enforcement authorities from 137 countries.

Saudi Gazette

WORKFORCE

Omani youth shift towards flexible, AI-driven careers

The modern job landscape is evolving, prompting Omani youth to seek independent specialisations rather than traditional employment, Times of Oman reports. Talal bin Khamis Al Bahri, Senior Technician at Sultan Qaboos University, notes that young people are now managing their own projects using limited resources and AI tools. This shift is driven by technological advancements and the digital economy, which encourage creativity and innovation.

TimesofOman

INTERNATIONAL

Trump administration issues new $103K fee proposal for H-1B visas

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a new proposed rule for H-1B visas that would charge a $103,265 fee for all skilled workers seeking to gain employment in the U.S. The plans were announced months after a federal judge voided the administration’s previous attempt to require a $100,000 application fee. The DHS said the two charges rely on different legal authority and cover different petitions. “The proposed H‑1B fee is intended to recover the costs incurred across the federal government to adjudicate, vet, and support lawful immigration programs that otherwise must be funded by taxpayers,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Zach Kahler said.

Fortescue suspends executive amid sexual harassment claims

Fortescue, Australia's third-largest miner, has suspended an unnamed executive over sexual harassment allegations, and engaged law firm MinterEllison to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. "As the investigation has progressed, Fortescue has continued to take external legal and governance advice," the miner said. "It has been decided that the employee who is the subject of the allegations will not undertake any work for Fortescue while the investigation continues." Fortescue is already facing a class action lawsuit filed last month that alleges it failed to protect female workers from sexual harassment and discrimination at its mine sites.

Australian Financial Review

Bloomberg

Reuters

Sydney Morning Herald

Workers jeer VW chief

Volkswagen's labour unions are opposing proposed job cuts that could affect up to 50,000 workers. Over 10,000 employees protested at the company's headquarters in Wolfsburg, some jeering Oliver Blume, the carmaker's chief executive, as he called on employees to "pull together" behind the company's restructuring. Blume also said that no decision had yet been taken on factory closures, which he called the "last and most expensive resort." Outside, workers waved banners bearing slogans such as "Our jobs are not your balance sheet adjustments" and "Respect is not up for negotiation." Volkswagen labour leader Daniela Cavallo said German factories were "an integral part" of the group. "Our trust in this company's executive board, and especially in Oliver Blume, has been damaged. Not yet beyond repair, but damaged nonetheless," she said. Rival turnaround proposals have been drawn up by labour representatives, which they intend to introduce at a supervisory board meeting next week.

Gulf Times

The Peninsula

The Times

New China law will extend its anti-corruption reach abroad

China's top legislature introduced a draft Anti-Cross-Border Corruption Law during the 24th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress. The law aims to enhance China's anti-graft legal framework internationally. It seeks to address issues including evidence collection and asset repatriation related to offshore financial crimes. According to state news agency Xinhua, the law, which codifies ten years of anti-corruption practices, will enrich the legal toolbox for handling foreign-related corruption cases and protect national interests. Chinese media outlet Caixin had earlier reported that the law will govern “compliance management and jurisdictional and procedural issues involving Chinese companies’ overseas branches and foreign businesses’ branches in China.”

Bloomberg

South China Morning Post

OTHER

UAE unveils new AI system to detect and track misinformation

The International Centre for Combating Media Disinformation (ICCMD) has announced the development of a sophisticated system for monitoring and analysing digital content, alongside the launch of the International Charter for Media Integrity and Combating Misinformation. Issa Al Shaiji, chair of the board, said: "The launch represents an important step towards building cross-border professional cooperation."

Khaleej Times Online

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