Italy’s tennis federation announced on Monday that Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time champion of the French Open, had passed away at the age of 92.
Italian tennis is mingling a legendary player. The FITP announced that Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian to be inducted into the world tennis hall of fame, had passed away.
Prior to the arrival of current world number two Jannik Sinner, Pietrangeli was widely regarded as the country’s greatest tennis player. He was born in Tunis in 1933, raised in an Italian family and raised in Russia.
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In addition to his two victories at Roland Garros in 1959 and 1960, Pietrangeli has won 44 other singles titles throughout his career.
During the Davis Cup Finals between Italy and Spain, Italian tennis player Nicola Pietrangeli returns to face Spain’s Gimeno on July 25, 1959, in Milan. (Photo By AFP)
In 1961 and 1964, he also lost to Manuel Santana in the final of the French Open, and he also won his second French Open title in the process.
The Organizers of the Italian Open tournament, which he won twice, said, “We say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a true legend of Italian tennis.
Pietrangeli also won the Davis Cup twice, playing 164 games for Italy and leading his nation to its first title in 1976 as the captain.
At the conclusion of their quarter-final match at the French Tennis Open in Paris on May 21, 1956, Italian tennis player Nicola Pietrangeli (right) shakes hands with Australian tennis player Lewis Hoad. (Photo by AFP)
Padova, Italy – Abdullah, 10, barely lifts his gaze from his tablet as he plays his favourite video game, where he creates a virtual universe that lets him be anything he imagines.
The beeping of the chemotherapy infusion pump delivering drugs into his veins briefly brings his attention back, and he fumbles for the charger of the plug-in device before resuming his game.
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His mother, Iman Ismail Mohammad Abu Mazid, says he picked up the gaming habit after leaving Gaza on May 14 for the Italian city of Padova to receive life-saving treatment for leukaemia.
Back in Deir el-Balah, the city in central Gaza that the family called home, he was a “very sociable child” who “would always be in the streets playing football with his brothers and other children his age,” she told Al Jazeera, before looking through her phone to retrieve a picture of the boy she remembers.
In it, three well-groomed children look at the camera. Abdullah has the same calm look, but his hair is now longer and his skin has a tinge of yellow. Standing beside him in the picture is Mohammad, who is now 11, and Mahmoud, who is eight. Towering above them and proudly placing his arms on their shoulders is their father, Ahmad.
Abdullah, right, his brothers Mahmoud and Mohammad, left, and father Ahmad [Courtesy of Iman Ismail Mohammad Abu Mazid]
The cancer that consumes Abdullah also tore their family apart.
While Abdullah, his mother Iman and one-year-old Qamar were granted seats on a medical evacuation flight that took them to Italy, the rest of the family – Ahmad and the other two children, Mohammad and Mahmoud – stayed behind in Gaza, which Israel continues to bomb despite a ceasefire agreement being in place.
Now the disease could be what brings them back together. In early November, a team of doctors in Gaza took blood samples from Abdullah’s siblings and sent them to Italy to determine their compatibility as donors for the boy’s marrow transplant.
If one is a match, they will all be allowed onto a medical flight to Padova. If the results are negative, they will need to apply to the Italian government for family reunion – a much longer process fraught with logistical challenges.
Iman said the fate of his family hangs on those results. They could save Abdullah from the disease, and the rest of their family from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
“I fear for their safety every day,” she said. “Abdullah misses his siblings, and I miss my children, too.”
Abdullah shyly nodded in confirmation, adding that he misses a nicely done kebab, too. He has no penchant for Italian food and reminisces about the seasoned meat the family’s go-to restaurant in Deir el-Balah served.
Asked whether he would like to bring Gaza to Padova, he said, “Not all of it, just my neighbourhood.”
Escaping war in Gaza
Iman found out she was pregnant with Qamar in March 2024, as the war was raging around her. At first, she thought her period had skipped because she had been barely surviving on water and bread. When it became apparent that a fourth child was on the way, she recalls feeling “terrified”.
“I was constantly worried and anxious that they’d tell me the baby was deformed, abnormal, sick,” because of the lack of food and sanitation, she said. “My body was exhausted, and I couldn’t stand. I spent my entire pregnancy lying on the floor,” she says rapidly in Arabic, before picking up the toddler tugging insistently at her leg and placing her on her lap to feed her.
Her baby girl was delivered in a tented field hospital in Deir el-Balah that lacked basic sanitation and medicines, as victims of Israeli bombardment were rushed in.
“You could see someone injured at any moment – an amputated limb, an amputated hand … The scenes were horrific,” she said. “And the doctors were nervous because the area was being targeted.”
Months later, in April this year, Abdullah started feeling sick.
“He was yellow, had abdominal cramps, a headache,” she said.
At the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Abdullah was strapped to an IV and given painkillers and antibiotics. The fluids kept the fever from spiking, but nothing could stop the cancer from spreading.
The family was advised to take him to the European Hospital in Khan Younis, despite the Israeli army having announced a major expansion of military operations in the area.
The 10-kilometre (six-mile) ride southward was “terrifying”.
“There wasn’t a soul on the street,” Iman remembered. Doctors could only offer diluted chemotherapy treatment. Abdullah was flagged to the World Health Organization (WHO) for medical evacuation.
Unexpectedly, medical evacuation was granted shortly afterwards. Iman and her husband, Ahmad, did not need words to take the decision to split the family.
“There was more silence than dialogue,” she said.
Ahmad arrived at the European Hospital on May 13 to bid Iman, Abdullah and Qamar an emotional farewell. As he was leaving the compound, the earth shook and a slab of concrete flew right past his head.
That day, the Israeli military announced they had dropped nine bunker-busting bombs and dozens of other munitions on the hospital’s courtyard and surrounding area. They claimed to have killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar and more than 20 other members of the group. International law prohibits attacks on hospitals, which constitute a war crime. Hamas confirmed Sinwar’s death in August, but did not provide details on how he died.
“I was convinced that [my husband] had been killed,” Iman recalled.
“I kept calling him and screaming, saying, ‘I swear, he’s gone’,” she said. “I called 10 times or more, but he didn’t answer. I was certain he had been martyred. But I didn’t give up, I didn’t give up! After so many attempts, finally, he answered.”
A new life away from home
Abdullah is among more than 5,500 children who have been evacuated from Gaza through medical evacuations coordinated by the WHO.
A total of 8,000 people have so far been able to leave for life-saving treatment, but 16,500 people are still waiting, according to United Nations figures. Of those, 3,800 are children.
Since July 2024, more than 900 patients have died while awaiting medical evacuations, according to the WHO.
Abdullah was taken to Padova thanks to the doggedness of lawyer Rebecca Fedetto, who in February founded an organisation to facilitate and support medical evacuations.
“I knew I wanted to do something and be active,” she told Al Jazeera. “I couldn’t live normally, my conscience didn’t allow it.”
Fedetto worked the phone in search of anyone who could help her navigate the process of paperwork, approvals, and coordination required to provide a referral for a patient to be moved to a medical facility abroad.
“At one point, I thought I wouldn’t make it, it was all so complex,” she said. “When it started to work out, I couldn’t believe it.”
Her self-made NGO, Padova Abbraccia i Bambini (Padova Hugs Children), has facilitated six medical evacuations, welcoming 25 people. Among them are six-year-old Ahmad, who is recovering from third-degree burns on nearly half of his body, and eight-year-old Seela, who lost both legs.
A team of volunteers caters to the families’ every need, offering transport, babysitting, homeschooling and emotional support.
Fedetto said the city’s response has been overwhelmingly welcoming.
“Many people have emailed us asking if they could help, because this war is something that touches our conscience” she said. “Often people want to help, they just don’t know how.”
WHO has appealed for countries to offer more medical evacuations, as Gaza’s healthcare remains limited. Only 18 hospitals out of 36 are partially functional.
More than 30 countries have so far heeded the call, including European Union member states, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
“We are thankful for their solidarity,” Rik Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, told Al Jazeera.
Peeperkorn said that under the terms of the ceasefire, WHO should be able to evacuate 50 patients per day, in addition to their caregivers.
In the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, Brydon Carse believes England can attack Australia with pace once more.
The first Test ended with a crushing defeat for the tourists, but Perth returned the highest overall average speed ever recorded by an England attack on the opening day.
For Thursday’s second Test, a day-nighter, England will be without their fastest bowler, Mark Wood.
When asked if England could match the pace of the first innings in Perth, Carse replied, “I’d like to think so.” We are very excited about what this week has to offer, both individually and collectively, and we take a lot of confidence.
In the first innings, England defeated Australia for 132, but the hosts struggled to maintain their collective pace as they raced to 205 in 28.2 overs.
The bowlers’ lack of rest was one of the reasons. After being dismissed in their second innings of 34.4 overs, England bowled twice on the following day.
England head coach Brendon McCullum made the case that batters should give bowlers longer to recover following the Perth defeat, which was the first two-day Ashes Test in 104 years.
Carse, who has taken 41 wickets in his 10 Test starts, said, “The volume we bowled in that first innings wasn’t as bad as it would be in a typical full day.
There is no justification for having to bowl on day two. These rest days will definitely take on more significance as the series progresses. We’ll assess it more closely, as well as more closely, depending on the game’s circumstances.
Due to soreness in Wood’s left knee, which he had surgery on in March, he is unlikely to play in Brisbane.
three hours ago
Wood was the only member of the England squad who participated in the country’s first training session on Monday at the Gabba.
England have only seven matches played, losing five, while Australia are experienced in day-night tests, 14 of which have featured Australia in 24 previous floodlit matches worldwide.
Tuesday’s training session for England will take place in the afternoon, with a second underbelly practice starting on Wednesday.
England have a terrible record, but Ben Stokes’ side are trying to level the series. Since 1986, they haven’t won here.
Carse, 30, predicted that because of the 1-0 deficit, England will be prepared for a “hostile” atmosphere at the Gabba.
England’s run of 16 Test victories in Australia dates back to 2011, but they haven’t won any of them. Carse acknowledged the importance of keeping the series alive as thousands of supporters were scheduled to travel over the holiday season.
The Durham man remarked, “The English support at Perth was fantastic. Someone mentioned to me recently how many fans are traveling throughout the Ashes series.
“The following and the support we receive are very kind to us. Every player in that dressing room, along with the fans, and everyone who follows English cricket, is keen to win. We’ll be aiming to make both their and our faces smiles.
After Usman Khawaja struggled with back spasms in Perth and his replacement, Travis Head, lost the match-winning hundred in the second innings, Australia has yet to confirm who will start the batting.
On Monday, Khawaja practiced some physical exercises and batted in the nets.
You can tell that Usman is a top-notch player when you consider his performance and contributions to Australian cricket, said batter Marnus Labuschagne. He has been a rock at the top of the charts because of his super consistency.
Katie Price, a mother-of-five, has urged fans to stop using the habit to protect their health. She also shared a warning to her followers.
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Katie Price has told fans she needs to stop vaping(Image: Instagram)
Katie Price has issued a stark warning after sharing the dangers of vaping. The former glamour model, 47, whose mum, Amy, 73, is battling Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), posted a sobering message on Instagram as she admitted she needed to start looking after her health.
Posting a shocking X-ray of a diseased lung, the mum-of-five – who was spotted vaping on a train last year – wrote: “Vaping has officially been linked to rare and irreversible lung disease”. She then added: “I have to stop”.
Katie, sadly, has a history of lung disease in her family after her mum, Amy, was diagnosed with IPF before having a lung transplant in 2022.
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According to the NHS, Amy’s condition causes the lungs to become scarred and breathing to become increasingly difficult. Doctors previously told her that her life expectancy was up to five years.
Speaking on her podcast, The Katie Price Show, earlier this year, which she hosts with her sister Sophie, Katie, admitted that her mum has lost her independence.
She said, “I do feel for you, mum, because people have to understand what my mother has gone through,” when she spoke to Amy on the podcast.
Her brain is still on, and she’s just that. She is frustrated because she is unable to perform the tasks she once did.
Citing an example, Katie informed listeners that Amy would be joining her at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival.
She continued, “I am a patient person, but when my mother teases me and says, “Let’s go look at the Isle of Wight, shall I take my walker or wheelchair”?, I’m like, “No, we’re taking your wheelchair because I’m not taking an hour.”
Amy responded, “I’m supposed to walk to help myself, so it’s not doing me any good.”
A source told Closer magazine in September that Katie needed a “vice” because she could never live or exist without one, and it’s always as addiction. She currently smokes and vaping, but it’s never healthy. Both her family worries that things could escalate if she doesn’t get some help from her, and both are driven by her addictive nature.
Katie recently made a worrying health announcement when she revealed that she had already spent time in a hospital. She added that she might need to return home soon.
In a message update shared via Snapchat, the OnlyFans star said she had to get some of the stitches she received after accidentally stabbing herself removed – while also undergoing tests to understand why she was losing so much weight.
Katie’s changing figure has not gone unnoticed with fans, with the former glamour model previously stepping on the scales to prove nothing was wrong. However, Katie has now admitted that she “doesn’t know why” she is losing weight and underwent tests to find out more.
She shared a video on her Snapchat story, saying, “Gone to the doctors about my weight. My doctors scheduled me for an early x-ray so she could get some blood, and they had three x-rays because my veins are so stinkin’ bad. There were only two empty tubes.
Katie continued, “And I’ve got to have my stitches removed because they examined my minor stab wound.” I’m seeing the doctors because I keep losing weight, and I’m not sure why. That’s that, then.
After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had requested a pardon from his long-running corruption trial, hundreds of Israelis gathered outside President Isaac Herzog’s residence in Tel Aviv. Herzog was requested to decline the request by the demonstrators.
The Red Army might become a new favorite after Sunday’s victory at Livingston, which was the club’s fourth straight 1-0 victory in their six previous Scottish Premiership games.
Jimmy Thelin’s managerial change from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-4-1 has resulted in a run of five clean sheets in seven domestic games and a rise from bottom to seventh place, three points off the top six.
Only Celtic and Rangers have scored more points in their eight league games thanks to the newfound steel at the back.
However, they must still persuade from the beginning. There is no threat in the final third of the league, where there are only 10 league goals in 13 games, which is the second-wenigstens among them.
The key to success is “character” and “steel.”
Thelin praised his team’s defensive display in West Lothian, which allowed them to maintain their lead in the first half thanks to Livingston’s dominance.
In the first period, David Martindale’s side, which is currently at the bottom of the table and without a win since August, managed a whopping 10 shots, seven of which came from inside Aberdeen’s penalty area.
Thelin told BBC Scotland: “Livingston did a lot of good things with some good chances in the first half.
“We stayed in the game, and gradually we grew,” he said, adding that there was more team harmony.
However, even though they were better in the first half, we had a chance to win the game once more thanks to their effective defense.
The success of Aberdeen’s turnaround was largely attributed to the back three of Nicky Devlin, Jack Milne, and Mats Knoester.
Milne, 22, appears to be growing in stature and confidence as he intercepts a crucial pass before colliding with the post to stop a near-certain goal.
Knoester won seven aerial duels and made 12 clearances from the end of the box.
Devlin did not fall far behind, allowing Livingston striker Tete Yengi to clear the ball just before the winner was scored in the other box.
At the beginning of the season and for a significant portion of the previous term, that resilience was lacking. Only Aberdeen and Heart of Midlothian and Celtic currently have six clean sheets in the league.
You need to keep in mind that the league started off well, that we are in Europe, and that we play every three days, Thelin said.
It’s to get through this time as many points as possible, share the burden as a team, and make adjustments where necessary, but not too often that we lose touch with one another.
“The players did well,” he said. The game started like it did after we had a difficult game on Thursday when we arrived.
Is Aberdeen’s lack of punch a long-term solution?
Having said that, it’s reasonable to wonder how long a team can continue to grind out unproven victories while allowing more chances than they give up.
Some fans may also be willing to demand more because Aberdeen’s budget should allow for European qualification.
In their previous nine games, Aberdeen have only scored once.
Before the Premiership action this weekend, Thelin had to make bleak reading from a look at some key metrics.
They had the fewest passes and crosses into the opposition’s box, and they placed ninth in the division in terms of chances created in open play.
They ultimately fail to deliver crosses and take enough shots, and they also have poor accuracy at doing so.
Only St Mirren converts a smaller portion of their shots, and they have the league’s worst crossing accuracy from open play.
Aberdeen’s conversion rate is a meager 6.4%. They have had the second-lowest chances possible, so it’s not even as though they are relying on set pieces.
Thelin gained notoriety for playing wingers, who were frequently his Elfsborg side’s main source of ideas and goals.
However, due to the change in body, players like Kenan Bilalovic, Topi Keskinen, Jesper Karlsson, and Nicolas Milanovic either have limited game time or are playing further upfield, where space is congested.
After making his debut a month ago, Dylan Lobban, 20, on the right, gave Stuart Armstrong a chance to face Livingston.
He still needs assistance as he enters senior football.
Unexpected, Sivert Heltne Nilsen, 34, who had previously been subject to criticism for his mobility, was given a starting midfield berth at Almondvale.
Does it, however, show that no other starters are making a compelling case for their position?
On Sunday, Aberdeen’s passing accuracy dropped to 72%, and that dropped to 60% in the final third.
Thelin’s main themes in speaking about performances were calmness, composure, and players taking more personal responsibility for the game.
They frequently fail to form sustained attacks.
Do Aberdeen have time to address these pressing problems given the congested schedule that runs through January?
Do they have Thelin’s intense and counter-attacking squad members with the running ability to execute it?
Or can they simply reassess in January after a difficult start to the season?
