While McIlroy found birdies hard to come by at times, Hidalgo had no such trouble as the 27-year-old reeled off seven in a row from the second.
After a bogey at the ninth, Hidalgo picked up four more shots in the first six holes of his back nine.
His momentum stalled with a double-bogey seven on the 16th after hitting his second into the water, but after steadying himself with a par on 17, he finished with a birdie four.
“I really feel for a few moments I was playing the PlayStation, to be honest,” said Hidalgo, who beat two-time major winner Jon Rahm in a play-off to win his national title last year.
“Every single shot was directly to the pin. Even the one I missed, it was directly to the pin, like the 13 one I go over, but it was straight to the pin.
“[I’m] so happy. Not going to lie, really, really happy. Obviously now you remember the 16th, but you need to remember the few recoveries I did. The one on 17 was pretty important, and obviously the birdie on 18 to finish with good feelings obviously for tomorrow.”
Saddier, however, was seemingly unaffected by Hidalgo’s stunning early move as the 33-year-old mixed seven birdies with three bogeys to hold the 54-hole lead and put himself in position to land a second DP World Tour title.
European Ryder Cup players Shane Lowry (70) and Tyrrell Hatton (71) failed to make a big move, while Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin carded just one birdie in a disappointing 74.
RIYADH: The Saudi Exchange is proving resilient amid a global initial public offerings downturn, highlighting the strength and dynamism of its diverse issuer base.
While traditional financial centers struggle, the Kingdom continues to attract listings, underscoring a potential shift in how and where global capital is deployed.
Across the US, Europe, and much of Asia, 2025 has seen subdued IPO activity, affected by volatile macroeconomic indicators, persistent inflation, and shifting investor sentiment. Could Saudi Arabia’s divergence signal a broader reshaping of investor priorities and market leadership?
Equity markets showed early signs of recovery in the first quarter, but geopolitical tensions and tariff shocks in April disrupted momentum, prompting issuers to delay offerings and adopt a cautious stance, according to Haitham Aljabry, capital markets consulting partner at PwC Middle East.
In contrast, the Saudi Exchange is charting its own path. As of August 2025, 33 new listings have been completed across its main market, Nomu – parallel market, and sukuk and bonds market, bringing the total number of listed securities to more than 460.
“The Saudi Exchange’s resilience amid the global IPO slowdown underscores the strength and dynamism of our diverse issuer base,” Nasser Alajaji, chief of listing at the Saudi Exchange, told Arab News.
Alajaji added: “Recent listings from new sectors such as aviation and e-commerce have further deepened market breadth and enhanced its appeal.”
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He highlighted the launch of the Kingdom’s first ESG-focused exchange-traded fund and two corporate sukuk as signs of ongoing innovation aligned with the Financial Sector Development Program under Vision 2030.
“Global IPO activity paused, as some companies chose to delay their IPO processes due to the level of uncertainty associated with the various tariff announcements,” Aljabry explained. “However, the gradual reopening of selective IPO markets is now underway, with sentiment largely tied to macroeconomic and geopolitical stability.”
Aljabry said Saudi Arabia’s sustained IPO performance reflects strong macroeconomic management, regulatory clarity, and ongoing reforms across sectors. The government’s commitment to economic diversification through megaprojects such as Neom and the Red Sea is bolstering investor confidence and stimulating activity across industries. Capital inflows have also remained consistent in 2025, supported by a stable riyal-dollar peg and Saudi Arabia’s status as a regional safe haven amid wider geopolitical instability.
Structural advantages boosting Tadawul’s appeal
Tadawul offers structural advantages that distinguish it from global peers.
“Tadawul is the largest stock exchange in the MENA region by market capitalization. Its high free-float requirement ensures liquidity, and Tadawul’s inclusion and weighting in MSCI EM and FTSE indices boosts demand from passive global funds,” Ibrahim Soumrany, partner at Gibson Dunn in Riyadh, noted.
Soumrany also cited strong valuation premiums, robust institutional demand, and consistent oversubscription levels in retail tranches, with new listings often leaving individual investors with as few as ten shares. Additional drivers include state asset privatizations, Public Investment Fund divestments, and IPOs by large family conglomerates seeking succession planning and liquidity.
“The level of capital inflow into the Saudi market since the beginning of the year suggests that investors, both local and international, continue to view the Kingdom as a stable and growth-oriented investment destination, even as global capital markets remain cautious,” Aljabry said.
Regulatory momentum
Saudi capital markets benefit from a deepening institutional investor base and growing digital engagement, particularly among younger retail investors accessing equities via trading apps.
“The Saudi capital market continues to play a pivotal role in driving economic diversification and attracting global capital,” Alajaji said. “We continue to observe steady IPO activity across all our platforms… Investor demand remains robust, supported by a favorable regulatory environment and active participation from both institutional and retail investors.”
According to Aljabry, IPOs in Saudi Arabia during 2025 have predominantly involved well-established or strategically significant companies aligned with Vision 2030, appealing to long-term investors. Despite fluctuations in crude oil prices, the Kingdom has attracted significant capital inflows, reflecting confidence in its long-term growth strategy and stable economic management.
In terms of liquidity and market-making, Saudi capital markets stand out. Soumrany emphasized that market-making regulations support tighter bid-ask spreads and consistent trading activity, enhancing the investor experience and reducing market volatility.
Further contributing to market dynamism is the growing role of Qualified Foreign Investors. As of August, over 4,400 QFIs were registered with the Saudi Exchange, highlighting rising international institutional interest, Alajaji told Arab News.
The evolution of environmental, social and governance and sustainability-linked products is also adding new dimensions to the market. Alajaji noted that the introduction of new asset classes and sustainability-driven instruments reflects the exchange’s commitment to long-term innovation.
Retail investor enthusiasm remains a key pillar. Soumrany noted: “High oversubscription levels in retail tranches. Retail investors are unlikely to receive more than 10 shares due to high oversubscription levels.”
Some IPOs have been so oversubscribed that retail investors received only a fraction of their applications, demonstrating grassroots engagement in Saudi capital markets.
Outlook
Looking ahead, Aljabry believes the momentum of Saudi IPOs is unlikely to slow. With a predictable pipeline shaped by PIF exits, state divestments, and family business listings, the exchange is well-positioned to maintain its upward trajectory.
The alignment between economic diversification objectives and capital market development ensures that listings will continue to be both strategic and impactful. Soumrany said this alignment results in IPOs that are not only financially attractive but integral to the broader national transformation.
Tadawul’s strength amid global weakness underscores its evolution into a leading regional financial hub. As global investors seek resilient, growth-oriented markets, Saudi Arabia is increasingly viewed as a compelling alternative to traditional financial centers. With robust infrastructure, regulatory foresight, and strategic positioning, the Kingdom is not just weathering the global IPO slump — it is defining a new benchmark for emerging-market exchanges.
Sucralose is a popular sugar substitute for people who are cutting calories or managing blood sugar levels, but new research by the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center suggests that the artificial sweetener may not be the best choice for patients undergoing cancer immunotherapy.
Publishing recently in Cancer Discovery, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, the study found that patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer who consumed high levels of sucralose had worse response to immunotherapy and poorer survival than those with diets low in the artificial sweetener.
Strikingly, supplements that boosted levels of the amino acid arginine mitigated the negative effects of sucralose on immunotherapy in mice, an approach that could now be tested in clinical trials.
“It’s easy to say, ‘Stop drinking diet soda,’ but when patients are being treated for cancer, they are already dealing with enough, so asking them to drastically alter their diet may not be realistic,” said lead author Abby Overacre, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at Pitt and UPMC Hillman. “We need to meet patients where they are. That’s why it’s so exciting that arginine supplementation could be a simple approach to counteract the negative effects of sucralose on immunotherapy.”
Senior author Diwakar Davar, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Pitt and a medical oncologist and hematologist at UPMC Hillman, collaborating with Overacre and their team, used mouse models to show that the negative impacts of sucralose are driven by disruption to gut bacteria.
Sucralose shifted the composition of the mouse gut microbiome, increasing bacterial species that degrade arginine, which reduced levels of this amino acid in the blood, tumor fluid and stool.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies such as anti-PD1 work by ramping up T cell activity so that they can more effectively kill cancer cells. Arginine is essential for T cell function, especially in cancer.
“When arginine levels were depleted due to sucralose-driven shifts in the microbiome, T cells couldn’t function properly,” said Overacre. “As a result, immunotherapy wasn’t as effective in mice that were fed sucralose.”
In mouse models of adenocarcinoma and melanoma, adding sucralose to the diet inhibited anti-PD1 therapy, leading to larger tumors and poorer survival. But when the researchers gave sucralose-fed mice arginine or citrulline, which is metabolized into arginine in the body, the effectiveness of immunotherapy was restored.
To assess the relevance of these findings for humans, the researchers looked at 132 patients with advanced melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer who received anti-PD1 therapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy. Patients filled out detailed diet history questionnaires that included questions about how often they consumed artificial sweeteners in coffee, tea and diet soda.
“We found that sucralose impeded the effectiveness of immunotherapies across a range of cancer types, stages and treatment modalities,” said Davar. “These observations raise the possibility of designing prebiotics, such as targeted nutrient supplementation for patients who consume high levels of sucralose.”
The researchers hope to launch a clinical trial investigating whether citrulline supplements — which boost arginine levels more than arginine itself — affect the gut microbiome and anti-tumor immune response in patients.
They are also interested in looking at how other sugar substitutes, such as aspartame, saccharin, xylitol and stevia, impact the immune system and response to immunotherapy.
Other authors on the study were Kristin Morder, M.S., Madison Nguyen, Drew Wilfahrt, Ph.D., Zakaria Dahmani, Ansen Burr, M.D., Ph.D., Bingxian Xie, Ph.D., Michael Morikone, Ph.D., Hector Nieves-Rosado, M.D., Ph.D., William Gunn, M.S., Drew Hurd, Hong Wang, Ph.D., Steven Mullett, Kaitlin Bossong, Stacy Gelhaus, Ph.D., Dhivyaa Rajasundaram, Ph.D., Lawrence Kane, Ph.D., and Greg Delgoffe, Ph.D., and Jishnu Das, Ph.D., all of Pitt or UPMC.
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (DP2AI177967, S10OD023402, S10OD032141, R01CA206517, R01AI138504, T32GM008208, U01 CA271407, R01 CA257265, U01 CA268806 and P50 CA254865), the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and Gateway for Cancer Research (G-22-800).
EXCLUSIVE: We understand that early development is underway on a sequel to the upcoming reboot of climbing classic, Cliffhanger.
Producers Rocket Science and Thank You Pictures are driving the sequel but it’s not clear at this stage whether any of the cast or creatives will be back.
Lily James and Pierce Brosnan are starring in the reimagining of the classic action pic with Jaume Collet-Serra directing. The film is currently in post. The 1993 original, which took $255M global, starred Sylvester Stallone with Renny Harlin directing.
Brosnan will play seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper, who operates a luxury chalet in the Dolomites with daughter Sydney. During a weekend trip with a billionaire’s son, they are targeted by a gang of kidnappers. Ray’s daughter Naomi (James), still haunted by a past climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes. To save her family, she must confront her fears and fight for survival.
James previously described the process of making the reboot as “exhilarating”. The new script is based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour. Melanie Toast penned the latest draft.
The movie is aiming for a theatrical release, including an IMAX element, with Rocket Science handling international sales and CAA Media Finance representing North American and Chinese territories. Talks continue at the TIFF market. Stallone isn’t involved in the reboot or the potential sequel.
Nothing’s flagship TWS earbud range went from Ear (1) to Ear (2) to Ear. No typo, they just removed the number the last time around, and guess what – that turned out to be incredibly confusing for prospective buyers.
So Nothing has decided to go back to using numbers for its next release, which will be called Nothing Ear (3) even though it’s the fourth product in the line – just to make sure there’s a tiny bit of confusion still brewing.
The earbuds are “launching soon”, Nothing says, while Andrew Freshwater, the company’s Head of Global Smart Products Marketing, explains:
We listened to feedback regarding naming and understood that it was important for users to return to the straightforward numerical order we had attributed to Ear (1) and Ear (2).
Google’s Gemini AI has been flagged as “high risk” for children and teenagers by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit dedicated to online safety. The group’s latest review warns that the chatbot, despite some safeguards, still puts young users at risk of encountering harmful or inappropriate content.
The assessment, published Friday, noted that Gemini does tell kids it is a computer, which helps reduce emotional dependence. But according to the nonprofit, the chatbot can still generate responses about intercourse, drugs, alcohol, and mental health, raising alarms about whether the product is safe for younger audiences.
A Thin Safety Net
Common Sense Media found little difference between Gemini’s kid-focused modes and the adult version. Its “Under 13” and “Teen Experience” options, the report said, looked nearly identical to the standard product, with only light filtering in place. That design, critics argue, fails to meet the needs of children at different stages of development.
“An AI platform for kids should meet them where they are, not just modify adult systems,” said Robbie Torney, senior director of AI programs at Common Sense Media.
The report arrives as concern grows over AI’s impact on teens. OpenAI is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after ChatGPT allegedly gave harmful advice to a 16-year-old boy before his death. Character. AI has also been sued over a similar case, underscoring the risks of unsupervised AI interactions.
Google Pushes Back
Google responded by stressing that protections are already in place for users under 18. The company said Gemini undergoes “red-teaming” and external reviews, though it admitted that “some responses weren’t working as intended” and that more safeguards are being rolled out.
It also suggested that parts of the criticism may have been based on features unavailable to minors and noted that Common Sense Media did not disclose the exact prompts used in its evaluation.
The timing could be critical. Reports suggest Apple is considering Gemini to power a revamped Siri next year, a move that could bring the system to millions of teenagers if tougher guardrails aren’t introduced.
This isn’t the first time Common Sense has assessed AI platforms. Meta AI and Character. AI was previously rated “unacceptable.” Perplexity was flagged as “high risk,” ChatGPT landed in the “moderate risk” category, and Claude, intended for adults, was labeled minimal risk.
The Indian men’s hockey team stormed into the final of the Asia Cup 2025 with a commanding 7-0 win over the People’s Republic of China in their third Super 4 game at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar on Saturday.
Abhishek (46’, 50’), Shilanand Lakra (4’), Dilpreet Singh (7’), Mandeep Singh (18’), Raj Kumar Pal (37’) and Sukhjeet Singh (39’) were on target as India produced a complete performance to seal a title showdown with defending champions Republic of Korea on Sunday.
India hit the ground running, scoring twice in the opening seven minutes. Harmanpreet Singh’s pinpoint aerial ball set up Jarmanpreet Singh on the flank and his cross was neatly tucked in by Lakra at the far post. Soon after, Dilpreet reacted fastest to a rebound from a penalty corner to double the lead.
The hosts kept the pressure on in the second quarter. After Mandeep narrowly missed Abhishek’s cross, he made amends almost immediately by pouncing on a loose ball after a penalty corner scramble to make it 3-0 at the 18-minute mark.
China had no answer to India’s relentless waves of attack. In the third quarter, Raj Kumar Pal finished a clever deflection sequence before Sukhjeet smashed home India’s fifth.
The final quarter brought more goals. Within a minute, Sukhjeet’s dazzling solo run set up Abhishek for a simple finish. Ten minutes later, the forward struck again with a fine backhand to cap off the convincing win.
The win ensured that India topped the Super 4s stage standings with seven points, three more than record five-time winners South Korea.
Harmanpreet Singh’s men will now turn their focus to Sunday’s final against South Korea.
CERNOBBIO, Italy (Reuters) -Italy could fail to meet carbon emission reduction targets agreed at the European Union level due to delays in key green transition areas, including renewable power generation and energy storage systems, a study showed on Saturday.
The report, prepared by energy group Edison and think tank TEHA Group, pointed to Italy taking 10 years longer than anticipating in deploying renewables and storage infrastructure, which could prevent the country from hitting EU-set decarbonisation goals for 2030.
The study called for streamlining permitting, providing certainty for investments and reducing energy costs.
By combining hydropower storage with advanced nuclear power generation and carbon capture technologies, Italy could add 190 billion euros to its economic out by 2050, the study calculated.
Italy could develop hydropower storage, with an estimated 13.6 gigawatt potential across 56 new sites, supporting energy security and climate resilience, the report said.
“We must reduce our energy and technological dependence on foreign countries, enhance domestic supply chains such as hydroelectric pumping, and build European partnerships around emerging technologies, from next-generation nuclear to carbon capture,” Edison CEO Nicola Monti said, commenting the study.
Italy’s solar projects face costs that are currently 20% higher than in France, Germany and Spain, due to power grid congestion, land availability and lengthy approval processes, the report said.
(Reporting by Francesca Landini; Editing by Valentina Za)
