ISTANBUL (TURKEY) (ITALPRESS) – N’Golo Kanté is officially a new player for Fenerbahce, coached by Domenico Tedesco.

Just over four months before the start of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the 34-year-old French midfielder of Malian origins is leaving Al-Ittihad to play in Turkey, where the transfer window is open until Friday. Since moving to Saudi Arabia from Chelsea in July 2023, Kanté won the league and cup double last season. In total, he has played 105 matches in all competitions for Al-Ittihad, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists.

Now, the French international (65 caps, 2 goals), a World Cup winner in Russia (2018) and European silver medalist in France (2016), returns to European competition, as Fenerbahce is still in the Europa League and will face Nottingham Forest in the playoffs. In his long career, Kanté, who played for Boulogne and Caen in his homeland, was one of the key architects of the 2016 Premier League title won by Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PALERMO (ITALPRESS) – A Maltese delegation made up of seven surgeons, one anesthesiologist, two nephrologists and two pediatricians, along with officials from the Government of Malta and executives from Mater Dei Hospital—the main general hospital in Valletta— is visiting ISMETT with the aim of deepening its understanding of the centre’s best practices in transplant medicine and high-complexity care pathways.

The visit is part of a collaboration that has been active for more than 14 years, producing outstanding results and helping to consolidate a successful model of healthcare integration in the Mediterranean basin. The exchange reaffirmed ISMETT’s role as a highly specialised hub for expertise transfer, capable of promoting shared clinical standards and transnational care networks.

Over the course of two days, the delegation toured hospital departments and met with the institute’s clinical and organisational teams, focusing on advanced technologies, multidisciplinary protocols, patient management and continuity of care. Technical sessions explored key topics in contemporary transplant medicine, including perfusion techniques in organ retrieval from non–heart-beating donors and pediatric liver transplantation.

“The relationship between ISMETT and Malta,” said ISMETT Director Angelo Luca, “is built on 14 years of continuous collaboration that has, over time, ensured highly specialised care and life-saving procedures for many Maltese patients. At the same time, thanks to organ donations from Maltese citizens, it has also offered new treatment opportunities to Sicilian patients with end-stage organ failure.”

“This visit,” Luca added, “confirms the depth of the bond between us and represents an operational opportunity to define the next steps in our cooperation. Direct dialogue among professionals is the driving force that allows us to continually raise transplant quality and safety standards, for the benefit of patients throughout the Mediterranean.”

ISMETT, a highly specialised treatment and research centre affiliated with UPMC, reaffirmed its commitment to promoting partnerships focused on training, clinical innovation and improving the patient care experience.

Today’s meeting at ISMETT carries a meaning that goes beyond numbers and beyond the clinical dimension, Giacomo Scalzo, Director General of the Regional Department of Health, emphasised.

The presence of the Maltese delegation, he said, acknowledges a model of highly specialised healthcare that places the person at its centre above all else: listening, welcoming, clarity in communication, and continuity of care.

At ISMETT, the most advanced technology and outstanding transplant programmes do not replace the human relationship but rather strengthen it. Innovation, Scalzo noted, has value only if it helps provide better care; safer and more accessible care.

“This is the message we are sharing today,” he added, “a healthcare system that combines international cooperation with quality of care, in full respect for the dignity of every individual.”

– ISMETT press office photo –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has unveiled its first National Fisheries Strategy, setting out a ten-year roadmap aimed at building a sustainable sector for future generations.

The strategy introduces 86 measures structured around four main pillars: sustainable fisheries management, generational renewal, fisheries infrastructure, and education and training. Together, these pillars outline 20 objectives intended to guide the sector’s long-term development.

Director General within the Ministry for Fisheries, Bjorn Azzopardi, said the plan followed an extensive consultation process involving 37 meetings with 282 fishers. The document has now been opened for public consultation.

Azzopardi noted that the sector faces significant challenges, including an ageing fishing fleet and a rising average age among fishers, with fewer young people entering the profession. Despite its relatively small economic share, he said fisheries remain strategically important for national food security.

Gerald Vella, President of the Malta Fishermen’s Federation, highlighted the role of sustainable practices among recreational fishers, most of whom do not sell their catch.

He said the majority already operate responsibly but stressed the need for the strategy to remain effective over time, taking into account fish stocks, seasonal changes and broader national circumstances.

Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture Alicia Bugeja Said described the strategy as a document “created by fishers for fishers,” the result of four years of consultations held across every fishing port. She said it clearly defines the sector’s current position and its goals for the next decade, with a strong focus on people.

Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Anton Refalo called the strategy a national legacy that should be upheld regardless of the government in power.

He said that while the sector faces pressures such as climate change, clear planning and vision can ensure sustainability, attract younger generations, and preserve the identity, culture and traditions of the Maltese and Gozitan communities.

-Photo Ministry of Fisheries-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has risen nine places to 25th in the 2026 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), earning an overall classification as a medium performer.

The country received medium scores in greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and climate policy, but continues to rank low in renewable energy adoption, where it placed 41st.

Climate legislation has strengthened since the Climate Action Act of 2015 established legal commitments to climate protection. Yet experts highlight a persistent gap between policy frameworks and real-world outcomes.

The Climate Action Authority, set up in 2024 to coordinate efforts, has not yet delivered significant emissions cuts, with implementation described as weak.

Energy policy drew mixed assessments. Malta’s 2025 budget extended subsidies to offset energy costs, a measure likely to continue in 2026. While aimed at shielding households from fuel poverty, experts caution that subsidies may encourage excessive consumption.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – With another year and a half left on his contract, the possibility that Manchester City and Pep Guardiola could part ways at the end of the season, rather than in June 2027, is considered more concrete than ever according to the British press.

According to The Telegraph, in the event of an early split—currently denied by the club—there are three names on the list of potential candidates to succeed Pep. They are Enzo Maresca, the Italian coach who has parted ways with Chelsea and previously worked alongside Guardiola at City; Xabi Alonso, also coming off a painful separation from Real Madrid; and finally Cesc Fabregas.

The Como coach is doing very well in Italy, is a former Barcelona player as well as Catalan like Pep, and is, according to The Sun, held in high regard by Guardiola himself and by the entire Manchester City hierarchy.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has opened the door to the reinstatement of Russian clubs in international competitions, from which they have been suspended since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“This suspension has led to nothing! It has only created more frustration and hatred,” Infantino told Sky Sports. “We need to assess the possibility of bringing Russian teams back.”

The response from Ukraine’s Minister of Sport, Matvii Bidnyi, was swift: “Gianni Infantino’s words sound irresponsible, not to say childish. They separate football from the reality in which children are being killed.”

Bidnyi stated that more than 100 footballers are among the over 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed by Russians.

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – After several days of heated negotiations with his club, Al-Ittihad, regarding a contract renewal, Karim Benzema has been sold to rival Al-Hilal, who signed the 38-year-old French striker on a one-and-a-half-year contract, running until June 2027.

The former Lyon and Real Madrid striker arrived in Saudi Arabia in 2023 and leaves Al-Ittihad after two and a half seasons and 83 appearances, during which he scored 54 goals and provided 17 assists, notably winning the league and cup titles last season.

The former French international will join his new team alongside his compatriot Theo Hernandez and former Lazio player Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, as well as coach Simone Inzaghi, who led Inter to the Italian championship in 2024.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

FLORENCE (ITALPRESS) – “It’s an honor for me to win the Golden Bench of the Technical Sector. First, to be recognized here at Coverciano, and then to succeed coaches like Ancelotti, like Gasperini last year, and above all to represent the Italian school of thought abroad, which is always a pleasure.” Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was awarded the Golden Bench of the FIGC’s Technical Sector today at Coverciano. A prestigious recognition for a coach who just a few months ago won the Conference League and then the Club World Cup with the Blues.

“Serie A is always an interesting championship, even if every country is different,” explained Maresca, who later denied he would refuse to lead an Italian team. “I never said I wouldn’t come back to coach here,” Maresca pointed out. “I simply said that I’ve been abroad for many years now, and right now I’m still abroad because I’m still” under contract at Chelsea, “and we’ll see what happens in the future. I don’t think it’s so much the level of the league, but rather the willpower each coach has in making certain choices. I’ve been abroad as a coach for seven or eight years, and I’m happy there, so I’m happy to eventually stay and coach abroad.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The government has begun offering HIV prevention medication PrEP free of charge, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela announced.

Addressing health professionals and the media, Abela said the move also expands access to PEP, making both treatments freely available to anyone who needs them, fulfilling a long-standing pledge.

“This is a game-changer,” the minister said, describing the measure as a major step in the country’s sexual health efforts.

PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is a combination of two drugs taken by HIV-negative individuals to prevent infection. When used correctly, it is highly effective in stopping transmission of the virus.

– photo DOI –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LISBON (PORTUGAL) (ITALPRESS) – Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly lost his patience, to the point that he may not play today against Al Riyadh. There’s no energy management ahead of Friday’s match against Al Ittihad, but—”A Bola” reports, citing sources within the club—a decision by CR7 himself, dissatisfied with how the PIF fund is managing Al Nassr’s transfer market, especially when compared to rivals controlled by the same fund.

Ronaldo is reportedly unhappy that Jorge Jesus’ team, battling for the title with Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal, has signed only Haydeer Abdulkareem, a 21-year-old midfielder from Iraq. Furthermore, the powers of sporting director Simão Coutinho and CEO José Semedo were reportedly frozen at the beginning of the month by the board of directors, another decision that would have irritated Ronaldo, with Al Hilal having instead signed Pablo Marì from Fiorentina and Kader Meitè from Rennes and could even snatch Benzema from Al Ittihard and Bouabrè from Neom. Ronaldo’s irritation would thus be compounded by that of Jorge Jesus, who in recent weeks stressed that Al Nassr “does not have the political power of Al Hilal.”

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews