VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Relations between Israel and Malta remain formally stable despite diplomatic friction over Malta’s recent recognition move, Israel’s ambassador said in an interview with The Times of Malta, stressing that bilateral ties have not been affected at present. While acknowledging that Malta’s trustworthiness had been questioned in some Israeli government circles, the ambassador maintained that official relations between the two countries remain unchanged.

Her remarks came as a fragile ceasefire in Gaza continues to hold following months of war triggered by Hamas’s October attacks and Israel’s subsequent military campaign. Describing humanitarian conditions in Gaza as “really horrific,” she said Israel was working “very hard” to improve the situation, adding that a ceasefire plan led by US President Donald Trump had “radically improved” conditions on the ground.

She defended the large-scale destruction of buildings as militarily necessary to collapse Hamas tunnels, saying there was “no way” to destroy the underground network without demolishing structures above.

However, she rejected the idea that Israel would need to level all of Gaza, arguing a better solution would be for Hamas to disarm, face trial for crimes against humanity and “disappear from Gaza.” If the group refuses, she said, Israel would not allow it to regroup and “would have to operate militantly,” though she added, “hopefully we don’t have to do that.”

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Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – “I’ve spent my life playing my own melody. Every touch, every pass, every shot: a note. Football was my music, the pitch was my piano.” Thus begins Miralem Pjanic’s farewell message, as he officially hung up his boots today, announcing his decision in a post on Instagram.

Starting out in Ligue 1, with Lyon and Metz, the Bosnian midfielder made over 120 appearances and scored 14 goals. He then moved to Italy with Roma, where he played from 2014 to 2016 (159 appearances and 27 goals), before moving to Juventus, where he played until 2020, scoring 15 goals in 122 appearances.

Subsequently, little space at Barcelona and Besiktas led him to move to Sharjah Football Club, a team from the United Arab Emirates where he made 41 appearances and scored 4 goals, starting the end of a great career, which concluded with a season at CSKA Moscow (16 appearances).

Over the course of his career, he has also made 115 appearances and scored 17 goals for the Bosnian national team, a choice he made over Luxembourg, where he grew up. “With a heart full of gratitude,” Pjanic thanks everyone who has supported him, allowing him to play the symphony he has shared with the entire football world to this day.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BRESCIA (ITALPRESS) – Moroccan Ambassador to Italy Youssef Balla conducted an economic mission to Brescia on January 26 and 27, meeting with representatives of Confindustria and Confapi, as well as numerous local entrepreneurs. During the meetings, the ambassador outlined Morocco’s strengths as a competitive and reliable industrial hub, emphasizing the strong complementarity between Brescia’s manufacturing excellence and the Kingdom’s industrial development ambitions.

It was noted that industry accounts for approximately 26% of Morocco’s GDP and that the country attracts over $3 billion in foreign direct investment each year, particularly in the automotive, mechanical, aeronautical, and industrial processing sectors. Focus was also placed on the energy transition, with over 40% of electricity capacity coming from renewable sources, and on the quality of infrastructure and logistics, which enable rapid access to European and African markets.

The ambassador emphasized that Morocco is not intended as a destination for relocation, but rather as a partner for co-production and co-investment, offering Brescian companies concrete opportunities to develop more resilient and sustainable Euro-African value chains. The mission is part of the strengthening of the Italian-Moroccan economic partnership and the growing interest of Italian SMEs in Morocco as an industrial and export hub.

-Photo of the Moroccan Embassy in Italy-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta Police have dismantled an organised crime ring after a coordinated operation targeting foreign criminal networks in the country.

Yesterday’s operation led to the arrest of four men and one woman, all Italian nationals aged between 27 and 35, suspected of drug trafficking, money laundering, and involvement in a criminal organisation.

Police conducted simultaneous searches at residences in Msida, Sliema, and Swieqi, seizing around 13 kilogrammes of suspected cocaine, cannabis resin, and cannabis grass. Authorities estimate the drugs’ street value at 250,000 euros.

In addition, clothing and jewellery worth approximately 150,000 euros, 386,715 euros in cash, two vehicles, and a firearm were confiscated. The firearm was later confirmed as stolen.

A magisterial inquiry has been launched, led by Magistrate Dr Monica Borg Galea, who has appointed experts to assist in the ongoing investigation.

Police investigations into the network continue, with further arrests not ruled out.

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Source: medNews

LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Eighteen months after his move to Turin, Douglas Luiz could be set for a return to Birmingham. According to Sky Sports UK, after completing the signing of Abraham from Beşiktaş, Aston Villa are considering bringing the Brazilian midfielder back to strengthen a department hit by injuries: Kamara is ruled out for the rest of the season, McGinn is also sidelined, and Tielemans picked up an ankle injury in the win over Newcastle.

Douglas Luiz was sold by Juventus last summer to Nottingham Forest on loan with an obligation to buy tied to appearances, but the 27-year-old Brazilian has so far made only 318 minutes in the Premier League, starting just five matches.

Under contract with Juventus until 2029, Douglas Luiz could therefore return to Villa Park — where he played from 2019 to 2024 — once again on a loan deal.

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has received an informal invitation to sit on US President Donald Trump’s newly-formed “Board of Peace,” Prime Minister Robert Abela told parliament on Monday evening. Abela said the invitation is being evaluated and that the government is seeking legal advice before deciding whether Malta should join the initiative. “If it is in the national interest, we will join, even if the EU disagrees,” Abela said, responding to a question from Nationalist MP Mario de Marco. The Board of Peace, formally unveiled by Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, aims to address global conflicts.

So far, only Hungary and Bulgaria have agreed to participate among European Union member states. Critics in Europe have raised concerns that the body could undermine the United Nations. Trump has repeatedly criticised the UN, and the new board’s structure—reportedly with Trump as permanent chair with veto powers—has drawn controversy. Abela told European leaders that each state should decide independently on participation, reiterating that Malta will support any initiative that advances peace. Opposition Leader Alex Borg sharply criticised the government’s stance, accusing it of ambiguity and failing to safeguard Malta’s interests. “Small states pay the price first in geopolitical crises,” Borg warned, urging clear decisions that protect the Maltese people. The government has not yet announced a timeline for its final decision.

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Source: medNews

ASUNCIÓN (PARAGUAY) (ITALPRESS) – The possibility has emerged for Leo Messi to play in the Copa Libertadores for the first time in his career. CONMEBOL, through its president Alejandro Domínguez, has opened the door to the idea of involving Mexican and U.S. teams in South America’s most important club competition.

“It has already happened in the past,” Domínguez said, referring to the fact that Mexican teams took part in the Libertadores from 1998 to 2016. “But we are very respectful of other confederations; this is an issue that must first be discussed within CONCACAF. For us, it is an honor that teams from other confederations consider the Libertadores a point of reference. If they want to return, however, they must first talk with CONCACAF.”

Domínguez’s comments come just days after remarks by Jorge Mas, owner and executive of Inter Miami, where Messi plays, who confirmed contacts with CONMEBOL regarding possible participation in the Libertadores. “I believe that, with a view to global growth, the competition would be better with the participation of North American and Mexican teams,” Mas said. “The teams that win MLS and the Mexican league would deserve a place.”

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BRASILIA (BRAZIL) (ITALPRESS) – No fear of boycotts. In Brasilia to meet with Lula ahead of next year’s Women’s World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino did not appear troubled by the possibility that some European national teams might decide not to participate in the World Cup, to be played in Canada, the United States, and Mexico this summer in protest against Trump’s threats regarding the Greenland issue.

“I always look to the future, and for me, what matters in events like the World Cup is to unite countries, to unite people from all over the world.” Infantino noted that FIFA has received over 500 million requests for match tickets, compared to a six million available: “This shows that people want to participate. People will go, they will celebrate, and we will celebrate football together, as always. We need opportunities that bring people together, especially in today’s world.”

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Source: medNews

SAO PAULO (BRAZIL) (ITALPRESS) – The Emperor’s anger. Former Inter Milan striker Adriano posted a story on Instagram to reveal that his mother, Rosilda, had been scammed.

“She just deposited a little over 15,000 reais (about €2,400, ed.) into the account of someone who was impersonating me. To this bastard, I say: you better give the money back, because I’ll come looking for you. You don’t mess with your mother, nor your grandmother, nor your family.”

According to the reconstruction by “Uol Esporte,” the scammer used artificial intelligence to call and deceive Adriano’s mother, thus exploiting their relationship of trust to receive the transfer.

– foto IPA Agency –

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Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Roberto Moreno, former assistant to Luis Enrique in Spain, where he later served as interim coach during the Asturian coach’s break for family reasons, was fired last September by Sochi for excessive use of ChatGPT both in training and match preparation, as well as to select reinforcements on the transfer market. The club’s former general director, Andrey Orlov, revealed the news. Before the match against SKA Khabarovsk, Moreno allegedly relied on AI to develop a team preparation plan, which, however, stipulated that the Sochi players would have to stay awake for 28 hours consecutively. “I asked him, ‘Robert, when do the players sleep?’” Orlov said. At that point, Moreno reportedly corrected the parameters, changing the preparation. Among other details disclosed by the former Sochi general manager were the selection of players to sign on the market, such as Kazakh Arthur Shushenachev, recommended by the chatbot but whose performance has never been convincing.

“I have never used ChatGPT to prepare matches, decide on lineups, or select players,” Moreno replied in a statement published by “La Razon.” “Like any coaching staff, we use analytics tools to organize information, but sporting and human decisions always depend on the coach and his staff.” Regarding Shushenachev, “His arrival was a process guided by the sporting management and technically approved by the coach. He also scored in the Cup and suffered an injury that affected his consistency, as happens in any team. From the experience at Sochi, I take away the work I did and what I learned. I will not enter into arguments with people who belong to the past,” added Moreno.

– photo IPA Agency –

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Source: medNews