WASHINGTON, July 1 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the White House next week for talks with President Donald Trump, as the U.S. intensifies efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, a U.S. official confirmed on Monday.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — National women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah powered their way into the semi-finals of the 2025 Malaysia Masters with a commanding straight-sets victory over Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi yesterday.
The Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medallists took just 34 minutes to secure the win, triumphing 21-14, 21-14 at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil. Despite a shaky start against the world No. 9 pair, Pearly and Thinaah quickly shifted to a more aggressive strategy that sealed their spot in the next round.
“As I’ve said before, each match is a fresh start. The feeling of winning is behind us now—we’re back to zero and taking it step by step. Our focus is to give our best in tomorrow’s match,” Pearly told reporters.
Yesterday’s victory marks the Malaysian pair’s fifth win over Febriana-Amallia in six encounters.
Pearly and Thinaah will next face a tougher test against China’s seventh seeds, Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian, who edged past Indonesia’s Lanny Tria Mayasari and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti 21-15, 15-21, 21-14. The head-to-head between Pearly-Thinaah and Jia-Zhang stands at 1-1, with the Malaysians previously winning at the 2025 Indian Open after the Chinese pair retired while leading 14-4.
“We’ll stay focused on our game plan, work closely with our coach, and take things step by step on court. It’s all about confidence and execution,” Pearly added.
If they make it to the final, Pearly and Thinaah have a shot at clinching their second title of the season, just six days after their triumph at the 2025 Thailand Open on May 18.
In the 2023 Malaysia Masters, the pair reached the final but were narrowly defeated by South Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee in a hard-fought match that ended 20-22, 21-8, 17-21. — Bernama
