Before the show tonight, there were protests on the streets of Milan as hundreds of people, mostly students according to reports, voiced their unhappiness at the presence of American ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents in Italy.

Our correspondent Elisabetta Galla was at the protests today and passed on the following information:

Many were protesting about the social issues in Milan, such as rising rent costs and how spending money on an Olympic Games was not the right choice right now. Others were upset about the environmental impact of all the new construction that has gone on, particularly in Cortina. There were also protesters about Isreal being at the Games and not being banned like Russia. Around 10,000 protesters from all across Italy are expected in Milan tomorrow, but tonight, in front of the stadium, Galla reports a totally different atmosphere with many happy people from Milan who are proud of hosting the Olympics.

The US ambassador to Italy, Tilman J. Fertitta, recently said that the ICE officers would be deployed “only in an advisory and intelligence capacity, without patrolling or enforcement measures.”

This is likely in reference to the Homeland Security Investigations unit, which is a unit within ICE that focuses on cross-border crimes. It frequently sends officers to events like the Olympics to help with security, and they are completely seperate from those currently at the forefront of the immigration crackdown in the US. However, as the protests show, any ICE presence in the country has increased the tension.

US vice president JD Vance and secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will be at the opening ceremony tonight, and Vance met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier on Friday. Meloni said sport and religion were “values that keep together Italy and the US, Europe and the US, Western civilisation.”

The former Leicester assistant coach confirmed the news to TNT Sports before his side’s Prem Rugby Cup clash against the Tigers at Welford Road.

“I am not there next season, but I wish the club well with whoever comes in and I sincerely mean that,” he said.

“I want to be professional. There is a job to finish here.

“It was an honour to be asked to be the interim head coach of Newcastle Red Bulls. I have enjoyed the people, I have enjoyed the place and I wish them well in the future.

“In terms of the players, I want the best for those who are staying and moving on. I want them to find jobs in the country or wherever so they can continue their professional careers.”

He would not, however, be drawn on rumours of his successor.

“That is news to me [about Gregor Townsend]. I am sure he covered that off in his press conference this week,” said Dickens.

“The job he has is a consultant to Red Bull, and that is what he does.”

At Elwick Racecourse, Dad And Dave provided Ciaron Maher with his latest Tasmanian Derby conquest, his second in the three-year-old spectacle.

The son of Time Test joins six others in completing the Launceston Guineas–Tasmanian Derby double.

Maher and David Eustace had previously succeeded here with Explosive Jack, the multiple Group 1 star, in 2021.

Nikki White, speaking for the stable, highlighted how the gelding keeps improving.

“He’s sort of been a bit of a dark horse,” she said.

“We didn’t screw him down as much at home, but we just knew we had potential to obviously get out and trip and it’s paid off.

“When I sort of saw him back three-wide, I thought, ‘you know, you’ve got to ride this horse ugly to be able to produce him’, and it worked out.”

White responded to questions on future Derby targets by saying: “We possibly will. We’ll see how he comes back through this and we’ll make a plan after that.”

Eoin Walsh overcame the gelding’s wide gate to settle the $3.30 top pick midfield and one off the fence with a full lap left on Hobart’s layout.

During the middle of the race, the Irishman went three-wide, ramping up speed and threatening large on the corner into the straight.

In the run home, the gelding asserted dominance, taking charge and extending the margin to three quarters of a length.

Consecutive LR wins for Time Test 3yo DAD AND DAVE in the Tasmanian Derby following his win in the Launceston Guineas@cmaherracing @WindsorParkStud @KarakaChat @OhukiaLodge @NZTM_TWEET @littleavondale @_TJK_pic.twitter.com/5y7hshmc0k

 — Pedigree Update (@pedigreeupdate) February 6, 2026

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Walsh appreciated the race’s early rhythm.

“I was pretty confident going into the first bend, I thought ‘geez, we’re going to go a good one as long as they don’t steady them up,’ he said.

“But no, a lovely genuine tempo and my lad was the best stayer in the race today.

“I was just following him on one I got stuck behind last day as well, and that’s why I popped out three wide, just to get my lad going, because I could see my native friend John Allen (Colizzi) was travelling well down the inside.

“I just wanted to get him in a pocket, but my horse is still just racing a little lazy still.”

Dad And Dave defeated Colizzi ($8) trained by David and Coral Feek, followed half a length adrift by Helioson ($12) for Patrick and Michelle Payne. Bettors looking for value should visit the best racing betting markets for the Tasmanian Derby.

The post Watch: Dad And Dave’s Tasmanian Derby Delight first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were spotted at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan, Italy, at San Siro on Friday night.

The Milan Cortina Olympics were officially opening with a ceremony celebrating the history and culture of the country. The vice president and Usha Vance were seated near Italian President Sergio Mattarella and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry were introduced in the stadium. Former IOC president Thomas Bach was also seated near them.

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JD Vance and his wife Usha applaud at the start of the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

The NBC broadcast briefly showed the Vances clapping for Mattarella and Coventry.

Vance was among those leading the American contingent to the Olympic Games in Italy this year. He was spotted with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. women’s ice hockey game against the Czech Republic on Thursday. The Americans won the game, 5-1.

It was a part of a busy trip for Vance.

Vice President JD Vance, center, attends the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.  (Andreas Rentz/Pool Photo via AP)

2026 MILAN CORTINA OLYMPICS: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR’S WINTER GAMES

On Friday, he started his day at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, watching the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition with Rubio and his family. He then headed to the Prefettura di Milano for a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“In the spirit of the Olympics friendship, competition — competition based on rules — and just coming together around shared values, we’re very, very thrilled to be here, and we’ll have a great conversation about number of topics,” Vance told Meloni as the press corps looked on.

Vice President JD Vance, center, and his wife Usha Vance attend the figure skating ice dance team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

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He said he had been excited to go to the Olympics in Milan “pretty much since I became vice president.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Raducanu suffered a listless second-round exit at January’s Australian Open and subsequently split with coach Francisco Roig.

However, she has shown real grit throughout her run in Romania to reach the final.

“I’m so proud of how I competed, how I came back in the third set and how I managed the match,” Raducanu said.

“I don’t think I could have done it without everyone’s support here so thank you so much.”

Raducanu’s father, Ion, is from Bucharest and an exhausted but thrilled Raducanu briefly addressed the crowd in Romanian after her victory.

Only home hope Sorana Cirstea now stands between Raducanu and her first piece of silverware in five years.

Raducanu failed to serve out the opening set at the first time of asking, allowing Oliynykova to break back before winning the next two games – wrapping it up after a gruelling hour and 15 minutes.

But the top seed’s momentum faltered further in the second set and she was broken three times as Oliynykova forced a decider, where Raducanu was forced to fight back from a break down.

And after missing her first two match points at 5-3, the Briton saved two break-back points and served out the win at the third time of asking.

The victory snapped a six-match losing streak in deciding sets for Raducanu, while it was her first three-set win since she beat Ann Li in the first round of Eastbourne in June.

Emanuel Steward once named who he deemed to be the best fighter that he ever worked with.

Steward is globally recognised as being one of the greatest trainers of all time, operating out of the famous Kronk Gym in Detroit.

A lot of his success came working with heavyweights, having helped Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko have long reigns as world heavyweight champions, while he also coached iconic names such as Oscar De La Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez and Evander Holyfield.

Before sadly passing away in 2012, Steward told East End Boxing who he viewed as the number one boxer he trained, and it may come as no surprise to learn that it was Thomas ‘The Hitman’ Hearns.

“Not only was Tommy the best fighter I ever worked with, he was also the most exciting. For me, climbing in the ring whenever Tommy fought, it was just so exciting. Tommy was very special.

“He was probably the closest reflection to my own style of fighting. With Tommy, he had so many outstanding qualities it’s hard to list just one – but he was so dedicated.

“Tommy worked so hard in the gym. If I told him, ‘Tommy, today you spar 20 rounds.’ He’d say ‘Okay.’ That’s just the way he was – dedicated.”

Hearns enjoyed immense success during his career, becoming the first boxer in history to win world titles in five divisions after triumphing from welterweight up to light heavyweight.

His final record stood at 61 wins from 67 fights, and he was a member of the legendary ‘Four Kings’ alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.

Egyptian giants Pyramids FC are expected to arrive in Uyo on Friday night ahead of their CAF Champions League Group A match against Rivers United. The encounter is scheduled for Sunday, February 8, 2026, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

Pyramids travel to Nigeria in strong form as they continue their push for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition. The Egyptian side currently tops Group A with 10 points from four matches and needs only one point from their remaining two games to secure qualification for the knockout stage.

The team moved closer to qualification after recording a convincing 3-0 victory over Morocco’s RS Berkane at the Air Defence Stadium. Mahmoud Abdel-Hafiz, popularly known as Zalaka, opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a header from Nasser Maher’s cross.

Despite attempts by Berkane to respond, Pyramids maintained defensive discipline and extended their lead in the 74th minute when Maher scored his first goal for the club since joining from Zamalek during the January transfer window. Ahmed Atef later sealed the victory with a third goal six minutes later.

In the group standings, Morocco’s RS Berkane occupies second place with seven points, while Zambia’s Power Dynamos sit third with four points following their 1-0 away win over Rivers United. The Nigerian side is currently bottom of the group with one point after four matches.

However, Pyramids head into the Uyo clash after suffering a setback in their domestic league, losing to Smouha in a midweek Egyptian Premier League fixture. Former Akwa United winger Samuel Amadi was among the scorers in that match.

For Rivers United, Sunday’s fixture presents an opportunity to restore pride and improve their standing after a difficult campaign in the group stage. 

Emma Raducanu is one win away from her maiden WTA Tour title after reaching the final of the Transylvania Open.

The British number one beat Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-5 3-6 6-3 in an epic semi-final to take her place in Saturday’s showpiece in Cluj.

She now has a shot at winning her first tournament since her incredible US Open success in 2021 and announcing herself as a real force on the WTA Tour.

It completed an impressive day for home tennis as Katie Boulter made it into the final of the Ostrava Open, meaning that two British women will compete in different WTA Tour finals on the same day for the first time.

What sort of physical or mental condition top seed Raducanu will be in for the final against either Sorana Cirstea or Daria Snigur remains to be seen after she made it through one of the toughest matches of her career.

It was a war of attrition for Raducanu against the eccentric Ukrainian, who, adorned in face tattoos, adopted some frustrating tactics, including heavy use of ‘moon balling’ and slices.

The teary Briton was left physically shattered after a near three-hour battle.

“What an incredible match,” she said during her on-court interview. “I think all props to my opponent today.

“She played incredible makes it so tricky to put any ball past her. You think it’s past her, and then the ball is on your baseline or on your sideline so it’s so difficult.

“I’m just most proud of how I competed, how I came back in the third set, how I managed the match.

“I honestly don’t know if I could have done it without everyone’s support.”

The world number 91 adopted her infuriating tactics especially well late in the first set after Raducanu had broken to go 5-4 up.

It paid off as she broke back, but Raducanu stayed strong to claim another break in a mammoth game at 5-5 and then served the set out with relative ease.

She then broke in the opening game of the second set to raise hopes of a more comfortable route to victory as the Briton opened up a 3-1 lead.

But her Ukrainian opponent would just not go away and turned the set on its head with a run of five successive games to level up as Raducanu had no answers to her unusual style.

Raducanu showed her fighting spirit after trailing 2-1 in the decider to took back control of the match, winning 16 straight points to move on the brink of victory.

She missed three match points on Oliynykova’s serve, but finally finished the job to wrap it up.

Earlier, British number four Boulter beat American Katie Volynets 6-1 6-3 to secure a place in the Ostrava Open final.

Boulter broke in the opening game and then the fifth to establish a 4-1 lead, before taking the set as Volynets’ serve faltered again.

World number 96 Volynets regrouped for the start of the second set, forcing an early break in the first game, but Boulter responded immediately to level at 1-1.

Boulter then went on the offensive with some power hitting across the court.

Another break in game eight left her serving for the match, which she closed out after recovering from 0-40 down to hold her nerve and progress to a fifth career WTA final.