Fabregas’s Como and Pellegrini’s Betis involved in punch-up

Real Betis from Spain and Como from Italy had a preseason friendly that got even more heated with players punching each other and starting a brawl.

Former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is in charge of the Italian club while former midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Cesc Fabregas are in charge of the Italian team.

In the first half of the match, which took place in southern Spain’s La Linea de la Concepcion on Wednesday, there were several tense exchanges, and Como midfielder Maximo Perrone and Betis player Pablo Fornals got into a fight.

After a brief exchange of words, they both engaged in physical therapy.

Both teams’ players rushed in, and the conflict grew worse. With substitutes and staff members entering the field, some attempting to halt the fighting, the benches were cleared.

Before order was restored, it took a few moments. A player from each team was sent off by the referee.

Both teams want to win, but in the end, Betis midfielder Sergi Altimira said, “We are competitive,” but there is a line you can’t cross in these games. They “weren’t stopping the game all the time,” they said.

Como won the friendly 3-2 as Como prepares to face Barcelona in a second preseason game on Sunday.

South Africa ‘fear’ nothing as Australia seek WTC revenge

Kagiso Rabada, South Africa’s top paceman, says it’s time to get over the ferocity of beating Australia in the World Test Championship final, but that the team has “nothing to fear” now that their belated major trophy success has come to an end.

As South Africa take on Australia in three Twenty20 fights and three one-day internationals starting on Sunday in Darwin, Rabada will spearhead the country’s attack.

Rabada referred to South Africa’s victory over Australia at Lord’s in June as “special,” adding that she has done so many interviews since.

“I believe it’s time to move on,” she said. He stated at a news conference on Thursday that he believes South Africa will never forget that as a team and that it is time to move on.

South Africa’s five-wicket victory in the WTC final came after a number of frustrating near misses at limited-over World Cups.

“It kind of felt relief,” she said. However, as the season progresses and we approach the T20 World Cup, I’m inclined to expect something slightly different.

You are aware that nothing is a threat.

After winning the final, South African’s Kagiso Rabada and teammates take the ICC Test Championship trophy.

Rabada relishes the resumption of Australia and South Africa’s conflict.

He said, “There’s always some good cricket playing, and there’s always some hard cricket.” I always think that Australia gets the most out of us because we kind of have them in our faces whenever we play them. And I suppose that’s our style.

Rababa, who turned 30 in May, hasn’t played since the London WTC final.

“Thank goodness I’ve had a long break, so that’s awesome. Because of the high volume of cricket, maintenance work must always be done.

South Africa hopes the experience will help the young players in their squad as they prepare for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka and the 2027 World Cup in Southern Africa.

Saving endangered leopard sharks in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago

The conservationists in Indonesia who are saving leopard sharks from extinction meet at 101 East.

In the Raja Ampat archipelago of Indonesia, there were once numerous leopard sharks.

Only 20 adults remain in these pristine waters as a result of commercial fishing and the lucrative shark trade, which has nearly eliminated the population. A brand-new project aiming to rewild leopard sharks is now being led by marine biologists. Before being released into their natural waters, captive sharks are carefully raised, taught how to hunt, and closely monitored.

Religious schools fill gaps amid Afghanistan’s fractured education system

Boys in white caps and tunics diligently recite Quranic verses in Kabul’s narrow alleyways and quiet courtyards, which are increasingly becoming a bridge between Afghanistan’s struggling educational system.

Public schools continue to function, but their effectiveness has decreased as a result of staff cuts, insufficient resources, and persistent conflict. In response, families are increasingly turning to madrassas, which offer a structured education grounded in Islamic principles. One school north of Kabul, which had 35 students but had over 160 students in just five years, has experienced a remarkable enrollment growth.

While the majority of madrassas place a high value on Quranic memorizing, Islamic jurisprudence, and Arabic language instruction, some have begun incorporating fundamental secular subjects like math and English. However, many fail to meet national and international educational standards, which raise questions about how their impact will affect students’ overall development.

Educational barriers are particularly challenging for girls. Some girls attend madrassas as one of their few remaining avenues of learning despite the Taliban’s ban on secondary education. However, opportunities are still limited at these institutions.

According to critics, madrassas frequently serve as centers for religious indoctrination, and their rise to prominence may have a significant impact on Afghanistan’s future.

These religious schools are the only way for countless children to get into school, despite the fact that so many of them are scattered throughout the nation.

Italy greenlights plan to build world’s longest suspension bridge

Italy has given final approval to a long-delayed plan to construct the world’s longest suspension bridge, connecting the mainland to Sicily in a project worth €13.5bn ($15.5bn).

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini hailed the Strait of Messina Bridge as “the biggest infrastructure project in the West” after a key government committee cleared the path on Wednesday. He said the project would generate 120, 000 jobs annually and revitalise southern Italy through wider investment in infrastructure.

Preliminary work could begin as early as October, pending a green light from Italy’s court of audit, with construction expected to start in 2026. Salvini estimated the bridge could be completed by 2033.

With a span of 3.3km, the bridge would surpass Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge and carry six lanes of traffic and two railway lines, cutting the current 100-minute ferry crossing to just 10 minutes by car.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the bridge would become “an engineering symbol of global significance”.

The project, first proposed in 1969, has stalled repeatedly due to environmental objections, mafia fears and seismic risks. The design is inspired by Turkiye’s Canakkale structure, featuring a wing-shaped deck meant to improve stability in high winds.

Defence or development?

Rome says the bridge could help it meet NATO’s defence spending goals by classifying it as “dual-use” infrastructure, a designation that has caused controversy.

More than 600 academics warned that such a move would require further military safety assessments and could make the bridge a potential target.

Salvini said it was up to the defence and economy ministries to decide, but insisted “keeping organised crime out of the project is the top priority”.

Environmental groups, meanwhile, have raised complaints with the European Union, warning of potential disruption to migratory birds and a lack of proof that the project meets public interest thresholds.

The bridge contract was awarded to Webuild, the same firm that won the initial bid in 2006 before the plan was cancelled. The company says its design will withstand earthquakes, pointing to similar bridges in Japan and California.