MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was delighted by the commitment of his side after they bounced back from a shock defeat by Huddersfield Town with a 1-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Substitute Antony Martial’s goal nine minutes from time was enough for United to go three points clear of Spurs in second place in the Premier League table.
Mourinho slammed United for a “really poor” attitude after the 2-1 defeat by Huddersfield but the Portuguese boss was far happier with what he saw against Spurs.
“We all feel we have to win every match so that’s why I felt disappointed at Huddersfield,” he told Sky Sports.
“It looked like we didn’t know that every point is a precious point. Today, every ball looked like the last ball of their careers.”
As for Martial, whose United future has been a source of speculation, Mourinho said: “Sometimes he starts the match and his contribution is good but he doesn’t score.
“I don’t understand some reactions when people question ‘are they Red Devils’? The two strikers were up against amazing central defenders, some of the best in Europe.”
There was nothing fancy about Martial’s winner, the forward finishing after a kick downfield by United goalkeeper David De Gea was headed on by Romelu Lukaku.
“Martial scores with a bad shot, but the bad shots can be the most beautiful,” said Mourinho. “To play well against a very, very good team feels even better.”
Former Chelsea manager Mourinho accepted the result could easily have gone the other way, saying: “That was difficult, it could have been a draw. Both teams were trying to win but both knew the opponent was strong.
“We knew if we had one defensive mistake we could lose and that’s what happened to them.
“We tried and we deserved the victory.”
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino agreed with much of Mourinho’s assessment, saying: “It was an even game.
“It was a shame to lose. I think we deserved more. It was unlucky that in the last 10 minutes we conceded our goal. It was our mistake.”
Tottenham were without injured striker Harry Kane but Pochettino insisted his side’s title challenge was about more than the in-form England forward.
“If Dele Alli had scored now the question would be different,” Pochettino said. “It is always about the result. You are always going to miss your main striker but it is not fair to talk about Harry Kane.”
Mourinho hails players’ desire as Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur
Mourinho hails players’ desire as Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur
Printmaking takes center stage at JAX District exhibition
- Live screen-printing studio teaches public about processes
- Curator urges support and opportunities for local creatives
RIYADH: In a corner of JAX, Riyadh’s art district, there is an open-door policy for art enthusiasts and culture aficionados to explore the diversity of the printmaking world.
At Printworks — hosted by the Personage concept store and studio —artists, designers and architects are presenting their print-based creations to the public.
The aim is to celebrate the work of the artists and engage the public.
When curator Koren Dasoar and guest curator Dana Qabbani came together for the project, they had the aim of “really doing things that are not just for the sake of it.”
Dasoar told Arab News they are not seeking “applause, but really are conscious of people’s feelings, supporting people and building quality.”
They saw a gap in the art community: a space that caters to emerging artists.
Qabbani told Arab News: “Speaking with all of the young artists and the established ones, people are down.
“People feel they’re not doing enough to appear enough … We felt that there’s a disconnect, even with all the amazing things that’ve been happening in the scene.”
Dasoar added: “We shouldn’t wait for a large format activation or event to happen for creativity to happen.
“It’s about it being constant small- to mid-scale activities that allow people that have a growing creative practice to be able to constantly create and showcase.”
Printmaking itself is a unifier of crafts, the curators say.
It “makes you use your hands physically, and therefore the process is longer than just clicking ‘print’ and having the artwork come out.
“There is more of a practice; it’s more sacred because it slows you down. You’re making the art in slow motion,” Qabbani said.
Dasoar explained: “Print is something that I feel is completely interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and cross-medium.
“It’s something that has value in the context of artists, architects, industrial designers, product designers, and even the broader creative spectrum of writers, printers, poets.
“Print is a medium that is far-reaching. It also is something that, from a functional standpoint, allows that to be a degree of repetition, meaning that we can create repeats.
“But it’s also something that I think is quite interesting in the contemporary context, for that it takes different mediums from different practices, funnels it through a digital and non-digital medium, and translates it into something that is physical.”
The initiative aims to bring people back to a core idea of loving creativity and making art, or simply having the desire to create.
For aspiring artists to truly thrive, “there needs to be multiple points of contemplation and multiple points of creation,” Dasoar said.
“There is space for everyone, and we have a shared responsibility to support talent, nurture growth, and create opportunities for success.”
These notions manifested in Personage having an open-door policy for such events.
In this edition, the featured artists include Hayat Osama, Naif Alquba, Mohammed Zkria, Abdullah Al-Amoudi, Salman Najem, Abdullah Al-Khorayef, the sibling-led collective TwoMeem, and Shaddah Design Studio’s Il Mushtarayat.
The program allows members of the public to see how their purchased pieces are produced, as each print is made-to-order. The event also creates a space to ask questions in a more conversational setting.
“Community isn’t built in rows of chairs,” Dasoar said.
Printworks functions in two sections. The first is in existing artworks created by the artist, studio, designer or practitioner, ranging from risograph prints, screenprints, and photographic print.
The other section is an on-site, live screen-printing studio where members of the public are able to drop in and learn more about the artists, the ink, and the printing process itself.
All the works, including the print-on-demand pieces, which will be available on a limited-run basis, are part of an exhibition running until the end of April.
“We have a portion of the artists that are just in the exhibition segment, and we have several artists that have been the collaborators on the screens that are on the print and demand,” Dasoar said.
The event has talks and workshops by various creatives including Dasoar and Cristian Checcanin, the art director at TOLD, the agency behind the design of Saudi Arabia’s riyal logo.
While this is the first edition of Printworks, the goal is to create an event every month with a new, diverse set of artists and curators who can bring in fresh ideas and concepts.
This type of activation is connected to a core pillar of Personage’s mission and identity.
As a space that exists at the intersection of concept store, creative studio, and cultural platform, Personage is fundamentally about bringing people together — bridging disciplines, creative practices, and perspectives.
“We believe that the creative industry truly blossoms when we support its practitioners, while also allowing patrons and buyers to grow, connect, and engage through experiencing — and investing in — the outcomes of creativity.
“In this way, we nurture both the creators and the community that surrounds and uplifts them,” Dasoar said.
Israel army says initial probe shows Israeli tank fire killed UN worker in Gaza last month
- “The examination indicates that the fatality was caused by tank fire from IDF,” the military said
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Thursday that the initial findings from an investigation into the death of a UN worker in the central Gaza Strip last month showed he was killed by Israeli tank fire.
“According to the findings collected so far, the examination indicates that the fatality was caused by tank fire from IDF (Israeli military) troops operating in the area. The building was struck due to assessed enemy presence and was not identified by the forces as a UN facility,” the military statement said, referring to the incident on March 19.
Jamie Vardy leaving Leicester after 13 years and club hail their ‘greatest ever player’
- The 38-year-old former England international will depart at the end of the season
- “I want to keep playing and do what I enjoy most: Scoring goals,” he said
LONDON: Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester following their relegation from the Premier League, ending the striker’s 13-year stay at a team he famously helped to win the English title in 2016 at preseason odds of 5,000-1.
The 38-year-old former England international will depart at the end of the season, Leicester said on Thursday in a statement in which the club described Vardy as its “greatest ever player.”
The announcement came two days after Vardy took to social media to express his “anger and sadness” at a season he called a “total embarrassment,” with Leicester having been consigned to relegation with five matches still to play.
Vardy, who intends to continue playing, will go down as a Premier League great, having scored 143 goals — placing him No. 15 on the competition’s all-time list. He once netted in a record 11 straight games in Leicester’s improbable title-winning campaign that will be remembered as one of the great underdog stories in sporting history.
“Nine years ago, we did the impossible — we won the Premier League,” Vardy said in a video message on Instagram in which he also recounted winning the FA Cup in 2021 and reaching the Champions League quarterfinals in 2017. “Those memories will last a lifetime.”
Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha described Vardy, who joined from lower-league team Fleetwood Town for 1 million pounds (now $1.33 million) in 2012, as a “unique” and “special” player.
“He holds a place in the hearts of everyone connected to Leicester City, and he certainly has my deepest respect and affection,” Aiyawatt said. “I am endlessly grateful for everything he has given to this football club.”
Vardy has five games left for Leicester. His final home match will be on May 18 against Ipswich.
Leicester have just 18 points from 33 games and are in next-to-last place.
“My only regret, and I’m devastated about this, is that I’m not saying goodbye on the back of a much better season,” Vardy said. “This isn’t the way I wanted my career here to finish.”
Vardy insisted “this isn’t retirement.”
“I want to keep playing and do what I enjoy most: Scoring goals,” he added. “Hopefully there’s one or two more for Leicester before the end of the season and many more in the future.
“I might be 38 but I’ve still got the desire and ambition to do so much more.”
Al-Hadhan village: discover the natural and cultural jewel of Najran
- Verdant agricultural fields, flourishing palm farms, and ancient mud houses together form a timeless landscape
- Residents primarily rely on farming and livestock breeding, while actively participating in community events that strengthen their social bonds
RIYADH: Al-Hadhan village, southwest of Najran city in southern Saudi Arabia, provides a captivating blend of nature and history.
Verdant agricultural fields, flourishing palm farms, and ancient mud houses together form a timeless landscape, making it a popular destination for visitors from within the Kingdom and beyond.
Abdullah Adlan, a resident with a passion for agriculture and rural tourism, speaking to the Saudi Press Agency, described daily life in the village as simple and deeply rooted in social cohesion.
Residents primarily rely on farming and livestock breeding, while actively participating in community events that strengthen their social bonds.
They also take great pride in preserving their cultural identity by restoring historic mud buildings — some of which date back centuries — to safeguard the village’s architectural heritage and pass it on to future generations.
Adlan also noted that the village is a vital agricultural hub, supplying local markets with a variety of crops, including grapes, strawberries, dates, figs, lemons and oranges.
This abundance is made possible by the village’s fertile soil, freshwater resources, and a longstanding agricultural tradition.
Ibrahim Al-Mansour, the head of the Tourism Cooperative Society in Najran said that the history of Al-Hadhan village stretches back centuries, as reflected in its ancient landmarks and traditional mud-brick architecture.
He said that the village was once a key stop on the route for trade caravans traveling from Yemen, adding that Al-Hadhan is one of Najran’s premier tourist destinations, thanks to its strategic location at the intersection of mountains, verdant oases, and scenic valleys.
He also highlighted the genuine hospitality of the local community, which greatly enhances the overall visitor experience.
Closing Bell: TASI closes in green at 11,764
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index concluded Thursday’s trading session at 11,764.39 points, marking an increase of 83.28 points or 0.71 percent.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR6.95 billion ($1.85 billion), as 173 stocks advanced, while 67 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index also surged by 11.97 points, or 0.80 percent, to close at 1,500.71.
The Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu also increased, gaining 135.49 points, or 0.48 percent, to close at 28,598.60 points. This comes as 37 of the listed stocks advanced while as many as 42 retreated.
The main index’s top performer, Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co., recorded a 9.97 percent increase in its share price, closing at SR69.50.
Other notable gainers included Derayah Financial Co., which rose 8.22 percent to SR30.95, while Al-Baha Investment and Development Co. saw its share price climb 6.34 percent to SR3.52.
Saudi Arabian Mining Co. also recorded a positive trajectory, with its share price rising 5.74 percent to SR47.00. Saudi Reinsurance Co. posted similar gains, increasing 5.29 percent to close at SR43.75.
Mulkia Gulf Real Estate REIT recorded the steepest decline on TASI, with its share price slipping 4.71 percent to close at SR5.26.
Musharaka REIT Fund followed with a 3.51 percent drop to SR4.67. Saudi Cable Co. also saw a notable decline of 3.20 percent to settle at SR139.
On the parallel market, Hedab Alkhaleej Trading Co. was the top gainer, with its share price surging by 9.25 percent to SR44.90.
Other top gainers on Nomu included Al Mohafaza Co. for Education, which surged 7.79 percent, or SR1.80, to close at SR24.90, and Shalfa Facilities Management Co., which rose 7.43 percent, or SR5.50, to reach SR79.50.
Aqaseem Factory for Chemicals and Plastics Co. and Jana Medical Co. were the other top gainers on the parallel market.
Osool and Bakheet Investment Co. posted the largest decline on Nomu, with its share price falling 8.11 percent to SR34.
Altharwah Albashariyyah Co. fell 7.86 percent, or SR3.85, to close at SR45.15, while Meyar Co. declined 7.32 percent, or SR4.80, to settle at SR60.80 — making them among the top decliners on the parallel market.
