Al-Hilal’s veteran midfielder Mohammed Al-Shalhoub says he is undecided about whether to retire or continue playing at his beloved Al-Hilal or at another club next season.
The 37 year-old celebrating his seventh league title in the colors of Al-Hilal with his young daughter Al-Bandari at the end of Al-Za’eem’s 4-1 victory over Al-Fateh that captured a record 15th league title.
Al-Shalhoub has spent his entire playing career at Al-Hilal after making his debut 20 years ago in 1998, however he has made just one start in the league and 11 overall this season. In his one and only start in the league against Al-Qadisiyah last month he scored the winning goal. He is out of contract this summer and could well have played his last game for the Riyadh giants.
“The fact that I was focused in the last period toward the end of the league on winning the championship with Al-Hilal, I did not want to distract my thoughts over the subject of my retirement or any possible new destination if I left Al-Hilal,” he told KSA Sport TV program Al-Barnamig Al-Khaima (The Tent Show).
Al-Shaloub added that he “honestly did not know” when he would retire and only was focusing on finishing the season with a league title for his club and would announce his decision at the end of the campaign. “We will see in the coming days,” Al-Shaloub concluded.
Al-Hilal legend Mohammed Al-Shalhoub to decide future ‘in the coming days’
Al-Hilal legend Mohammed Al-Shalhoub to decide future ‘in the coming days’
Pioneering Pakistan woman MMA fighter breaks barriers ... and arms
- Anita Karim comes from Gilgit-Baltistan and is nicknamed ‘the arm collector’ due to her fierce performances
- She originally trained in taekwondo and jiu-jitsu before discovering MMA at high school in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Growing up in the rugged northern reaches of Pakistan, Anita Karim honed her combat skills fighting with three older brothers who pulled no punches.
The bruising experience prepared her for a career in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) — blending Thai kickboxing, Japanese judo and wrestling — and she is now the nation’s pre-eminent woman fighter.
“The village where I come from, they support women fighters,” she told AFP. “But when I started MMA, they had no awareness of this sport.”
“They said it’s a men’s game exclusively and a woman cannot do that one,” the 28-year-old said.
Eight years ago she won the right to enter the ring, swiftly becoming Pakistan’s first internationally competing woman MMA fighter and appearing in Asia’s biggest promotion, ONE Championship.
“Now misogynistic comments and criticisms have stopped,” she said at her gym in the capital Islamabad, where she trains without heating in the octagonal “cage” where fighters face off.
It is unusual for women to take up sport in deeply conservative Pakistan, where it is often forbidden by families.
But Karim’s native Gilgit-Baltistan region — where female modesty codes are more relaxed — has become an incubator for women’s sport.
In October, two sisters from the region, Maliha and Maneesha Ali, brought back gold and bronze from a taekwondo competition in Indonesia.
Karim’s brother Uloomi, who became her coach after being on the receiving end of her blows, said support began at home.
“When she showed the commitment, the dedication, we knew that she was going to make it,” said the 33-year-old, standing in their family-owned gym.
“We knew that she could take it and we did not have any issues with her training with any guy.”
Surprisingly timid outside the ring, Karim is at the head of a cohort of Pakistani female MMA fighters — five from Gilgit-Baltistan, according to the regional government.
“She’s shy, but when she enters the cage, it’s completely different,” said Uloomi, who has also competed in the sport.
Her speciality is the armlock, deployed with an agonizing all-body grip, which aims to force an opponent to “tap out” in submission before bones are broken or joints wrecked.
In 2022 she was pictured atop a podium in Pakistan with two opponents wearing slings on their injured arms — a performance that earned her the nickname “the arm collector.”
“They could have tapped to stop the fight, but they didn’t, so I went through with it,” she said.
In her hometown, Karim originally trained in taekwondo and jiu-jitsu before discovering MMA at high school in Islamabad — to the consternation of her community back home.
“A lot of people close to me criticized me, but that’s part of the game. Now they know how it works,” she said.
The message emanating from her hometown now is one of pride.
“The way she has made the name of Gilgit-Baltistan and all of Pakistan shine on the international level, serves as a lesson,” said the regional government’s sports chief Shah Muhammad.
After losing on her professional debut in 2018, where the referee refused to let her fight unless she raised her leggings above the knee, she moved to Thailand to train at an MMA academy.
She now earns a living from competition prizes, modest government grants and coaching at her Islamabad gym.
When she returns after competitions, small crowds gather to greet her at the airport and she is followed by a fledgling community of female fighters.
They too want to turn professional in a nation where only one in five women have jobs, according to United Nations figures.
“Anita is a role model for us,” said Bushra Ahmed, a few years Karim’s junior and out of breath as she trains alongside her, another woman and a dozen men.
Karim also wants to “give Pakistani women confidence and self-defense techniques,” with over 80 percent having been victims of public harassment, according to the UN.
Recently she “hit a man who was harassing me in a market in Islamabad,” Karim said.
“He left with his face stained with blood.”
Italian qualifier Bellucci stuns Medvedev in Rotterdam
- The Italian, who also reached the last eight in Atlanta in 2024, will next play sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor for a spot in the semifinals
- Former US Open champion Medvedev, ranked seven in the world, had defeated veteran Stan Wawrinka in the first round but has struggled at the start of 2025
ROTTERDAM: Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci stunned former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in three tough sets on Wednesday to reach the Rotterdam ATP quarterfinals.
The 23-year-old left-hander, playing on a career-high ranking of 92, came through 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 to record a first win over a top 10 opponent.
“It was a three-hour match and I really enjoyed every moment of it. I really tried to do the best I could. I’m pretty tired but I’m happy,” said Bellucci.
“I was going for the serve and volley which is not something I’m used to doing but it worked pretty good today.”
Bellucci held his nerve in the decider, where he saved six break points, after squandering a match point in the second set tie-break against the 2023 champion in Rotterdam.
The Italian, who also reached the last eight in Atlanta in 2024, will next play sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor for a spot in the semifinals.
Former US Open champion Medvedev, ranked seven in the world, had defeated veteran Stan Wawrinka in the first round but has struggled at the start of 2025 having lost in the second round of the Australian Open last month.
Pakistan eyes tech-driven export growth as local firms join AI event in UAE
- AI Everything Global 2025 is one of the largest public-private artificial intelligence gatherings of the year
- Eleven Pakistani companies and two start-ups are attending the event featuring several global tech giants
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is participating in AI Everything Global 2025, a major artificial intelligence event in the United Arab Emirates, with hopes of leveraging technology to drive a significant jump in exports, its ambassador said on Wednesday.
AI Everything Global 2025 is one of the largest public-private AI gatherings of the year, bringing together over 500 exhibitors and 150 investors from 70 countries. The event, which began in Abu Dhabi on February 4 and continues in Dubai from February 5-6, serves as a platform for industry leaders, governments and innovators to explore AI’s impact on economic transformation.
It features global tech giants including ASUS, IBM, Zoom, Oracle and Intel presenting cutting-edge AI solutions.
Pakistan has made its presence felt at the event with a delegation of over 30 industry leaders, backed by the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). The Commercial Section of Pakistan’s Consulate in Dubai is facilitating participation, which aims to strengthen Pakistan’s AI footprint and explore collaborations in the growing digital economy.
“There are 11 Pakistani companies and two start-ups [attending the event],” Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said. “There are 30 delegates, and it’s a great opportunity [for them].”
“I always say if we harness technology, because the world depends on technology, our total [Pakistani] exports are $30 billion, and we can export even more through technology,” he added.
The potential of Pakistan’s tech industry was also highlighted by Abu Bakar, CEO of PSEB, who said the country was making strides in IT exports.
“We have just started,” he said. “Our [IT] export was $3.2 billion last year. I think we have a lot of aspirations. God willing, this year [the IT export] will be more than $4 billion.”
“We have to go up to $15 billion,” he continued. “For that, everyone has to work together for brand Pakistan and tech destination Pakistan. And we feel very happy to see that our companies get a lot of recognition here [in the UAE].”
The event comes as AI is projected to contribute $100 billion to the UAE’s GDP by 2030, aligning with the country’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 and its ambition to become a global AI leader.
Pakistan’s participation reflects its efforts to integrate AI into its economy, upskill its workforce and expand the country’s digital exports.
January was 1.75C hotter than pre-industrial times: EU monitor
- Climate scientists announced the unexpected warming as human-caused greenhouse gas emissions crank up the global thermostat
- Scientists warn that every fraction of a degree of warming above 1.5C increases the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events like heatwaves, heavy rainfall and droughts
PARIS: Last month was the hottest January on record, Europe’s climate monitor said Thursday, despite expectations that cooler La Nina conditions might quell a streak of record-breaking global temperatures.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service said January was 1.75C hotter than pre-industrial times, extending a persistent run of history-making highs over 2023 and 2024, as human-caused greenhouse gas emissions crank up the global thermostat.
Climate scientists had expected this exceptional spell to subside after a warming El Nino event peaked in January 2024 and conditions gradually shifted to an opposing, cooling La Nina phase.
But the heat has lingered at record or near record levels ever since, sparking debate among scientists about what other factors could be driving heating to the top end of expectations.
“This is what makes it a bit of a surprise... you’re not seeing this cooling effect, or temporary brake at least, on the global temperature that we were expecting to see,” Julien Nicolas, a climate scientist from Copernicus, told AFP.
La Nina is expected to be weak and Copernicus said prevailing temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean suggested “a slowing or stalling of the move toward” the cooling phenomenon.
Nicolas said it could disappear completely by March.
Clear sign the limit was being tested
Last month, Copernicus said that global temperatures averaged across 2023 and 2024 had exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius for the first time.
This did not represent a permanent breach of the long-term 1.5C warming target under the Paris climate accord — but a clear sign that the limit was being tested.
Scientists warn that every fraction of a degree of warming above 1.5C increases the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events like heatwaves, heavy rainfall and droughts.
Copernicus said Arctic sea ice in January hit a monthly record low, virtually tied with 2018. Analysis from the US this week put it at the second-lowest in that dataset.
Overall, 2025, is not expected to follow 2023 and 2024 into the history books: scientists predict it will rank the third hottest year yet.
Copernicus said it would be closely monitoring ocean temperatures throughout 2025 for hints about how the climate might behave.
Oceans are a vital climate regulator and carbon sink, and cooler waters can absorb greater amounts of heat from the atmosphere, helping to lower air temperatures.
They also store 90 percent of the excess heat trapped by humanity’s release of greenhouse gases.
“This heat is bound to resurface periodically,” said Nicolas.
“I think that’s also one of the questions — is this what has been happening over the past couple of years?“
Sea surface temperatures have been exceptionally warm over 2023 and 2024, and Copernicus said readings in January were the second highest on record.
“That is the thing that is a little puzzling — why they remain so warm,” Nicolas said.
The culprit: burning fossil fuels
Scientists are unanimous that burning fossil fuels has largely driven long-term global warming, and that natural climate variability can also influence temperatures one year to the next.
But natural warming cycles like El Nino could not alone explain what had taken place in the atmosphere and seas, and answers were being sought elsewhere.
One theory is that a global shift to cleaner shipping fuels in 2020 accelerated warming by reducing sulfur emissions that make clouds more mirror-like and reflective of sunlight.
In December, another peer-reviewed paper looked at whether a reduction in low-lying clouds had let more heat reach Earth’s surface.
“It’s really still a matter of debate,” said Nicolas.
The EU monitor uses billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations to aid its climate calculations.
Its records go back to 1940, but other sources of climate data — such as ice cores, tree rings and coral skeletons — allow scientists to expand their conclusions using evidence from much further in the past.
Scientists say the period being lived through right now is likely the warmest the Earth has been for the last 125,000 years.
Nothing wrong in Donald Trump’s idea to displace Palestinians from Gaza, says Netanyahu
- They can leave, they can then come back, they can relocate and come back, the Israeli Pells Fox News
- Press Secretary Leavitt said in a briefing with reporters in Washington that Gaza is “a demolition site” and referenced footage of the devastation.
WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday there was nothing wrong in Donald Trump’s idea to displace Palestinians from Gaza after the US president’s proposal was widely criticized internationally.
“The actual idea of allowing Gazans who want to leave to leave. I mean, what’s wrong with that? They can leave, they can then come back, they can relocate and come back. But you have to rebuild Gaza,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity,
“It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued. Examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone,” Netanyahu reiterated his praise for Trump.
Trump on Tuesday had called for “permanently” resettling Palestinians from war-torn Gaza and left open the door to deploying American troops there as part of a massive rebuilding operation.
But Trump's top diplomat and main spokesperson on Wednesday walked back the idea that Trump wants the permanent relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, after American allies and even Republican lawmakers rebuffed his suggestion that the US take “ownership” of the territory.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump only sought to move the roughly 1.8 million Gazans temporarily to allow for reconstruction.
Even that proposal has drawn criticism from Palestinians, who are worried they may never be allowed back in if they flee, and from the Arab nations that Trump has called on to take them in.
Rubio, on his first foreign trip as secretary of state, described Trump’s proposal as a “very generous” offer to help with debris removal and reconstruction of the enclave following 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
“In the interim, obviously people are going to have to live somewhere while you’re rebuilding it,” Rubio said in a news conference in Guatemala City.
Press Secretary Leavitt said in a briefing with reporters in Washington that Gaza is “a demolition site” and referenced footage of the devastation.
“The president has made it clear that they need to be temporarily relocated out of Gaza,” she said, calling it currently “an uninhabitable place for human beings” and saying it would be “evil to suggest that people should live in such dire conditions.”
Their comments contradicted Trump, who said Tuesday night, “If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what’s happening in Gaza.” He added that he envisioned “long-term” US ownership of a redevelopment of the territory, which sits along the Mediterranean Sea.
In a meeting with Netanyahu at the Pentagon on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military is “prepared to look at all options” for rebuilding Gaza.
“We look forward to working with our allies, our counterparts, both diplomatically and militarily, to look at all options,” Hegseth said.
In an interview later Wednesday with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Netanyahu reiterated his praise for Trump: “It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued. Examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”
Egypt, Jordan and other US allies in the Mideast have cautioned Trump that relocating Palestinians from Gaza would threaten Mideast stability, risk expanding the conflict and undermine a decades-long push by the US and its allies for a two-state solution.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued a sharply worded reaction to Trump, noting its long call for an independent Palestinian state was a “firm, steadfast and unwavering position.” Saudi Arabia has been in negotiations with the US over a deal to diplomatically recognize Israel in exchange for a security pact and other terms.
“The duty of the international community today is to work to alleviate the severe human suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain committed to their land and will not budge from it,” the Saudi statement said.
Even Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican and a Trump ally, called it “problematic.”
“The idea of Americans going in on the ground in Gaza is a non starter for every senator,” the South Carolina lawmaker told reporters Wednesday. “So I would suggest we go back to what we’ve been trying to do which is destroy Hamas and find a way for the Arab world to take over Gaza and the West Bank, in a fashion that would lead to a Palestinian state that Israel can live with.”
Rubio insisted that Trump’s position “was not meant as a hostile move.”
“What he’s very generously has offered is the ability of the United States to go in and help with debris removal, help with munitions removal, help with reconstruction, the rebuilding homes and businesses and things of this nature so that then people can move back in,” Rubio said.
Still, the White House said Trump was ruling out sending US dollars to aid in the reconstruction of Gaza.
But Leavitt, like Trump, refused to rule out sending American troops into Gaza, saying of Trump, “he wants to preserve that leverage in negotiations.”
The Palestinians, Arab nations and others have rejected even a temporary relocation from Gaza, which would run counter to decades of US policy calling for the creation of a Palestinian state with no further displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank.
The proposals also appear to trash months of negotiations by the Biden administration to draft a “day after” plan for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza. President Joe Biden had tried to lock in that plan — which calls for joint governance of the territory by the Palestinian Authority under UN stewardship and a multi-national peacekeeping force — before leaving office by inviting Trump’s main Mideast envoy into final talks over a Gaza ceasefire.
