beIN MEDIA GROUP has appointed former Canada international Kaylyn Kyle as executive presenter for beIN SPORTS, where she will lead the broadcaster’s English-language football coverage across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Based in Doha, Kyle will become the face of beIN SPORTS’ English channels, fronting studio programming across the network’s extensive football rights portfolio. She is scheduled to make her debut on August 29, presenting the Premier League fixture between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.

The appointment marks a return to beIN SPORTS for Kyle, who previously featured as part of the network’s English-language coverage during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. She joins after four years with Major League Soccer’s (MLS) broadcast team, adding to a media career built on more than a decade of experience as a professional footballer.

Mohammed Al-Bader, managing director of beIN Channels – MENA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kaylyn back to beIN SPORTS as our new executive presenter. Her experience at the highest level of football, combined with her broadcasting expertise and familiarity with beIN, makes her a valuable addition to our English-language team. We look forward to seeing Kaylyn lead our English-language coverage, bringing her insight and experience to viewers across the MENA region.”

Kyle said: “I’m excited to be returning to beIN SPORTS and taking on this new role as Executive Presenter. Having been part of the team during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 makes returning to Doha particularly special. I look forward to working alongside the team once again, connecting with beIN SPORTS viewers across the region, and enjoying all that Qatar has to offer with my family.”

Kyle earned 101 caps for Canada during her international career, representing her country at two FIFA Women’s World Cups and helping the team secure a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Since retiring from professional football, she has established herself as a sports broadcaster, most recently covering Major League Soccer.

The Trump administration is tightening its grip on the U.S. immigration system, pausing visa appointments worldwide while moving to make a more than $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas permanent, developments that could create fresh uncertainty for global workers and businesses reliant on international talent.

The State Department said on Tuesday that it had launched a global training initiative across US embassies and consulates and that visa appointments would be adjusted to accommodate the training. The department did not provide a timeline for when normal appointment schedules would resume, a Reuters report said.

The move comes as President Donald Trump pursues a broad immigration crackdown involving deportations, visa and green-card revocations and increased scrutiny of visa applications.

Global Visa appointments face disruption

A State Department spokesperson said the training would help consular officers identify applicants deemed likely to become dependent on US public benefits and ensure visa applications are evaluated “comprehensively and consistently.”

The Financial Times earlier reported that immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews at US embassies and consulates had received emails saying their appointments were being rescheduled and that they would receive new dates later.

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The administration says its immigration campaign is intended to strengthen domestic security. But the policies have faced legal challenges and criticism from human rights groups, which have accused the administration of discriminatory practices and violations of free speech and due process.

A US judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration policy suspending immigrant visa issuance to applicants from 75 countries, ruling that it exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statutory authority.

H-1B fee could transform hiring costs

For companies, another major concern is the administration’s proposal to permanently impose a $103,265 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers.

The Department of Homeland Security published the proposed rule in the Federal Register on Monday. If finalised, it would codify a charge first imposed temporarily by Trump last year. The temporary fee is due to expire in September, while the proposed permanent rule could be finalized by the end of 2026.

Before Trump’s order, H-1B visas generally carried fees of between $2,000 and $5,000.

The H-1B program allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations. It provides 65,000 visas annually, plus another 20,000 for workers with advanced degrees, with visas generally approved for three to six years.

The proposed fee therefore represents a dramatic increase in the cost of recruiting international workers.

Businesses and administration clash

Trump and other critics argue that companies abuse the H-1B system by replacing American workers with cheaper foreign labor. Business groups and companies, however, say the program is essential for addressing shortages of qualified workers and competing for highly skilled talent.

About 70 employers had paid the $100,000 fee on 85 visa applications as of late February, according to court filings.

The fee is being challenged by the US Chamber of Commerce, Democratic-led states and a coalition of unions and employers. Lawsuits argue that presidential authority to restrict entry does not allow the administration to override the law establishing the H-1B program.

The challengers also say the Homeland Security Department cannot impose fees or other revenue-generating measures without authorization from Congress.

The Trump administration maintains that the charge is not a traditional tax and that courts have limited authority to question the president’s power to restrict entry.

H-1B demand is already falling

The broader immigration crackdown is coinciding with a sharp decline in H-1B registrations. Employers registered for about 344,000 H-1B visas last year, down more than 25 per cent from 2024 and less than half the 759,000 visas sought in 2023, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data cited by Reuters.

The administration has also ordered enhanced vetting of H-1B applicants and proposed a selection system that would favor higher-skilled and better-paid workers.

Earlier this month, Homeland Security separately added fees of up to $4,500 for applications to extend H-1B workers’ stays or transfer employees based overseas to the US.

UAE faces added visa and security pressure

For applicants in the UAE, the developments come alongside a separate security challenge.

On August 1, the US Embassy and Consulate General in the UAE issued a security alert warning that heightened Middle East tensions had created a complex environment with potential for unforeseen escalation.

The alert advised Americans in the region to exercise heightened vigilance and prepare for flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions.

It said the US Embassy and Consulate General remained on ordered-departure status, meaning non-emergency government personnel had been relocated outside the UAE. Consular assistance remained available, but the alert said limited non-immigrant visa appointments were available and all immigrant visa services remained suspended.

The embassy also urged travelers to monitor airline operations and official guidance. Flight status information was available through Abu Dhabi.

The security alert also advised Americans to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, remain aware of their surroundings, keep phones charged and follow instructions from local authorities.

For businesses and workers navigating the U.S. immigration system, the combined effect is increasingly significant: longer uncertainty around visa processing, sharply higher potential hiring costs and a more restrictive regulatory environment.

Dubai will add 26 private education institutions in the 2026-27 academic year, including seven schools that will create nearly 17,000 new places, as the emirate expands capacity across early childhood, school and higher education.

The new institutions comprise 17 private early childhood centres, seven schools and two international higher education institutions, according to Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

The seven schools will add 16,846 places, while the new early childhood centres will provide more than 1,700 additional seats.

Dubai’s private education sector recorded annual growth of 4.6 per cent across early childhood education, schools and higher education over the past three academic years, despite what KHDA described as exceptional circumstances during the 2025-26 academic year.

The number of teachers working in Dubai’s private education sector has risen 17.5 per cent over the past three academic years as the emirate continues to attract educators from around the world.

“The continued growth of Dubai’s private education sector reflects the trust that learners, families, educators and investors place in Dubai as a destination for high-quality education,” Aisha Miran, director general of KHDA, said.

“Every new early childhood centre, school and higher education institution expands opportunities for learners at every stage of their educational journey and contributes to our shared ambition to build one of the world’s best education systems.

“Through the Education 33 Strategy, we are creating an education ecosystem that offers greater choice, nurtures talent, attracts world-class institutions, and equips learners with the knowledge, skills and values they need to thrive in the future, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and the emirate’s social and economic priorities.”

New education institutions in Dubai: Offerings

The 17 new early childhood centres will offer a range of curricula, including the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage, Montessori, Ontario, French and Indian curricula.

Over the past three years, 87 new early childhood centres have opened in Dubai, with enrolment growing by 2.6 per cent.

Of the seven new private schools, four will offer the UK curriculum and three the International Baccalaureate. Together, they will add 16,846 new places.

The new schools include Dubai campuses of Harrow International School Dubai, Queen Elizabeth’s School Dubai Sports City and Rugby School Dubai.

Dubai’s private school sector has added 21 schools over the past three years, with enrolment growing by 3.1 per cent.

Higher education capacity will also expand with the opening of two internationally recognised institutions.

The American University of Beirut’s Dubai campus is due to open in September 2026, while Peking University HSBC Business School will launch its MBA and EMBA programmes in January 2027.

KHDA said the programmes are ranked 47th globally in QS ratings.

Eleven new higher education institutions have opened in Dubai over the past three years, with enrolment growing by 29 per cent.

Bangladesh could consider joining the Mecca pact, a mutual defence agreement signed this month between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, a minister said, a move that could complicate its foreign relations, particularly with neighbouring India.

Ties have been strained as Bangladesh accused Indian border forces of forcibly pushing in people while it seeks extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has lived in exile in India since her ouster in a protest movement in August 2024.

“If there is a security arrangement among Islamic nations in the Middle East, it is not unusual for us to consider participating. It is being viewed positively,” said junior foreign minister Humayun Kabir.

“They are inviting the leadership of Bangladesh, particularly Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, to come and participate,” he told reporters on Monday.

A source in the Bangladesh foreign ministry told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had invited Dhaka to join the pact, but did not say when the invitation was made. The source sought anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media.

The three Sunni Muslim-majority countries signed the agreement, modelled on NATO’s collective-defence principle, in the Saudi holy city of Mecca this month.

They pledged that an armed attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all, amid heightened tension in the regional conflagration that has brought Iranian missile fire across the Middle East.

Bangladesh, like Turkey, is a secular republic, although more than 90 per cent of its population identifies as Sunni Muslim.

Asked for comment on the minister’s remarks, the embassies of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in the South Asian country did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Turkey, which ​has NATO’s ⁠second-largest army, has said the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia was open to expansion.

Analysts say joining a military alliance would test Bangladesh’s long-standing foreign policy of avoiding rival geopolitical camps to help it attract investment, expand exports and maintain economic ties with competing powers.

The economy relies on exports of readymade garments, most of which go to Britain, the European Union and the United States, while remittances from millions of workers abroad, mainly in the Middle East, are a major source of foreign exchange.

Formal alliance membership could complicate Bangladesh’s ties not just with India, but also China, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, said geopolitical analyst Kollol Kibria.

“These relationships would not automatically break, but once Bangladesh joins a military bloc, the question of which side Bangladesh is on becomes much harder to avoid,” Kibria said.

The invitation comes at a delicate moment in Bangladesh’s relations with India under Rahman’s six-month-old government, despite efforts by both to ensure cordial ties.

The prime minister has yet to decide whether to visit India, Rahman’s spokesperson said this month, as Dhaka awaits New Delhi’s response to its extradition request for Hasina.

Dhaka has previously called for a “propitious environment” for such a visit after Hasina spoke to journalists in New Delhi this month, a move criticised by Bangladesh.

India’s foreign ministry spokesperson on the Mecca pact said it was closely following developments in West Asia.

Analysts said New Delhi was unlikely to welcome Bangladesh’s membership of a security alliance that includes arch foe Pakistan, although Dhaka would ultimately need to weigh the broader economic and strategic consequences of such a move.

The perception of alignment could create risks for Bangladesh’s export-driven economy, reliant on stable commercial and diplomatic ties with a wide range of partners, said Asif Shahan, a development studies professor at Dhaka University.

“If Bangladesh joins this alliance, several countries, including India, will not be pleased,” Shahan added. “However, that should not be the basis of Bangladesh’s decision.”

The HUAWEI Pura 90s Series is giving its Celia voice assistant a broader role, turning everyday voice commands into practical actions for users. Long used for tasks such as setting timers, checking the weather, sending messages and making calls, Celia can now handle a wider range of requests. For people on the move, that means getting information, opening apps, adjusting settings or finding directions without interrupting whatever they are doing during a busy day or commute.

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On the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series, Huawei says Celia has become more intuitive and personal. Its knowledge Q&A capabilities can provide quick responses on topics ranging from weather and time zones to travel recommendations and general questions. The assistant can also support content generation for everyday communication, including drafts for messages, invitations and simple documents. That combination can reduce the time users spend switching between apps when they need information or want to communicate quickly.

Voice control meets everyday convenience

Through natural voice control, users can manage system functions, open or control apps, adjust settings, take screenshots and start recordings. Celia also supports calls, messages, reminders and schedules, helping compress high-frequency actions into a single interaction. Contextual controls add another layer by surfacing relevant functions and settings through the interface. The result is a less fragmented experience, with fewer menus to navigate and fewer taps required for routine actions throughout the day for busy users.

Hail rides with Celia

Navigation is another area where the assistant is designed to be useful. Through voice commands, Celia can help users find directions, nearby places and travel routes directly on Huawei devices. Working with Huawei’s mapping services, it can provide walking or driving guidance and use saved locations such as home or work to speed up familiar journeys. For people exploring unfamiliar cities, this can reduce the friction of finding a destination while keeping the interaction simple.

The more regionally focused feature is support for ride-hailing services. Users can say, “Hey Celia, get me a ride to Dubai Mall” or “Hey Celia, get me a ride to Dubai Airport,” and let Celia help initiate the ride-hailing request while they continue with what they’re doing. For someone having coffee, working or navigating a busy day, that can turn a multi-step process into a natural interaction. It also reinforces Huawei’s push toward locally relevant AI for users who rely on digital services.

The integration could be especially useful when users are driving, traveling in unfamiliar locations or simply need to arrange transportation without manually navigating between applications. The combination of real-time information, navigation and regional services gives Celia a more practical role than a conventional voice assistant. It is not only about answering a question but about helping users move from intention to action with fewer steps. For Huawei, that points to a broader AI strategy too.

AI goes beyond voice commands

That broader vision is visible in the series’ camera tools. AI Composition is designed to intelligently frame shots for better visual balance, while AI De-glare removes distracting reflections with a single tap. Together, these features show how AI is being positioned as an embedded part of the device rather than a separate application. Celia’s assistant functions, navigation tools and camera capabilities all work toward the same objective: reducing friction in smartphone use and making technology feel natural.

Celia’s evolution reflects a broader shift in smartphone AI, from basic voice commands toward context-aware assistance that can connect information, device controls, navigation and services. For users, the appeal is straightforward: less time spent searching through menus, switching applications or typing requests. For Huawei, the strategy turns Celia into a more visible part of the Pura 90s experience, with regional services adding a distinctly local dimension to the smartphone’s daily experience too.