ROME (ITALPRESS) – “My heart aches.” Brahim Diaz began his social media post the day after the incredible Africa Cup of Nations final, where he was first a leading light and a key figure for his Morocco team, but then missed the most controversial penalty in football history with an unbelievable chip, given Senegal’s reaction to the penalty, which ultimately won in extra time.

“I dreamed of the continental title, I also dreamed of it because of all the love you have given me with every message, with every show of support that made me feel I was not alone. I fought with all my strength, putting my heart above all else. Yesterday I failed, and I take full responsibility. I apologize from the bottom of my heart. It will be hard to recover, because this wound doesn’t heal easily, but I will try. Not for myself, but for all those who believed in me and for all those who suffered with me. I will continue until one day I can reciprocate all this love and be a source of pride for my Moroccan people,” said the Real Madrid player, formerly of AC Milan.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is bracing for a day of disruption on Monday and into early Tuesday as gale-force winds are forecast to batter the islands, prompting transport cancellations and public safety warnings.

Ferry services across the Grand Harbour were suspended on Monday morning, with crossings between Valletta, Sliema and the Three Cities halted due to rough seas and strong winds. All Virtu Ferries trips to and from Sicily were cancelled, while the Gozo Channel warned of possible delays and cancellations.

The Met Office warned that east-southeast winds would strengthen throughout the day, increasing from Force 7 to Force 8 on Monday and peaking at Force 9 by Tuesday before easing later in the day. Winds of over 40 knots are possible, according to officials.

The Armed Forces’ Rescue Coordination Centre and the Civil Protection Department urged the public to avoid coastal areas, rooftops, balconies and other exposed locations. Authorities also advised securing loose items and exercising caution while driving.

The unsettled weather is being caused by a strengthening low-pressure system over Algeria, which is forecast to extend into the central Mediterranean and intensify as it crosses Tunisia. Meanwhile, a strong high-pressure system is expected to remain anchored over the Balkans.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – The Africa Cup of Nations final is not over yet. The Moroccan Football Federation announced in a statement that it will take legal action with the African Football Confederation and FIFA to rule on last night’s actions by Senegal, who left the pitch—only to return about ten minutes later—following a penalty awarded “unanimously judged correct by the experts” to the hosts Atlas Lions. “This situation had a significant impact on the proper conduct of the match and on the players’ performance,” they said in Rabat.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has said no woman will go to prison for abortion while he remains in office, pledging to use his constitutional prerogative to prevent custodial sentences.

Abela said he does not believe women should be imprisoned for having an abortion, even though the procedure remains illegal in Malta.

“If a woman is given a prison sentence, I would feel comfortable exercising my prerogative to ask Cabinet to reconsider the sentence,” Abela said, adding he would favour a conditional discharge over imprisonment.

Under the Constitution, the President of Malta, acting on Cabinet’s advice, can substitute a court-imposed punishment with a less severe one.

Abela’s commitment, however, remains personal and does not alter Malta’s strict abortion laws, under which women and doctors can still face prison.

He confirmed that abortion will not feature in the Labour Party’s next electoral manifesto, signalling no push for a popular mandate on reform.

The prime minister said attitudes are shifting, particularly after recent court cases involving women charged over abortion.

In July 2025, a woman who bought abortion pills online received a 22-month prison sentence suspended for two years. In 2023, another woman was granted a conditional discharge after a medical abortion at home.

Abela said the real test would come if a woman were handed an effective prison term, insisting such an outcome would be unacceptable.

Malta allows abortion only when a woman’s life is at risk and with approval from three specialists, making its law the second most restrictive in Europe.

While only five abortions were carried out legally between 2023 and 2025, hundreds of women are believed to self-administer abortion pills each year, often in secrecy and fear of prosecution.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MILAN (ITALPRESS) – “There’s no chance of me returning to Manchester City.” Manuel Akanji said this in a press conference on the eve of the match against the Gunners at San Siro, the penultimate match of the Champions League phase. In England, given Guardiola’s numerous defensive injuries, there had been talk of the Swiss defender, currently on loan at Inter, being recalled during the January transfer window. “I don’t know in the summer, it’s not just up to me. We’ll see what happens at the end of the season. I hope to be able to continue here,” he added.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Italian Cultural Institute and the Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the auction house Hampel, are presenting Italian Masters in Abu Dhabi, an exhibition dedicated to the timeless allure of Italian cities as seen through the eyes of great masters between the 18th and 19th centuries.

From January 30 to February 13, 2026, visitors will be invited on an ideal journey through Venice, Rome and other celebrated urban landscapes, showcased through a selection of works that portray Italy as a privileged destination in the European imagination. At the heart of the exhibition lies the tradition of the veduta, a form of painting that is both documentary and poetic, capable of depicting architecture, light, everyday life and monumental perspectives with extraordinary precision.

During the era of the Grand Tour, between the 18th and 19th centuries, travel to Italy was a fundamental part of the cultural education of European aristocrats, artists and intellectuals. Vedute thus became visual “souvenirs” of the journey—images to be collected, exchanged and preserved as symbols of knowledge and refined taste.

The exhibition brings together works by some of the most renowned and beloved artists of veduta painting, including Canaletto, Francesco Guardi, Giovanni Paolo Panini, Vanvitelli, Ippolito Caffi and Thomas Patch, alongside other leading figures of the 18th- and 19th-century artistic scene. The result is an accessible and engaging narrative in which Italian cities are transformed into stages of history, elegance and wonder.

Italian Masters in Abu Dhabi is organised by the Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi, the Embassy of Italy in the UAE and Hampel—one of Europe’s leading auction houses, based in Munich and widely recognised for the quality of its selections and its commitment to art historical research.

The exhibition aims to bring audiences in the Emirates and the international community of Abu Dhabi closer to an iconic chapter of European art, while highlighting Italy’s enduring ability to inspire the gaze of travelers, both past and present.

– Photo: Press Office of the Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – “We didn’t agree, but I don’t want to dwell on every incident. I apologize to football.” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw expressed remorse for what happened during the rescheduled Africa Cup of Nations final. In the 98th minute, immediately after his team had a goal disallowed, the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco.

Senegal’s players then walked off the pitch in protest, only to return and win the trophy in extra time, thanks in part to Mendy’s poor save from Diaz’s penalty. “After thinking it over, I let them back on the pitch. It was a heated reaction, we accept the referee’s mistakes,” Thiaw told beIN Sports and reported by the BBC. “We shouldn’t have reacted that way, but it happened, and now we apologize to football.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Competition for João Gomes is heating up. The 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder from Wolverhampton is among Napoli’s targets for next season, but according to CaughtOffside, two clubs could try to move early and secure the player during the current transfer window.

One is Atlético Madrid, who have funds to invest following the sales of Gallagher and Raspadori. The other is Manchester United, who have been tracking João Gomes since last summer and consider him the ideal successor to Casemiro.

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – The sirens from Saudi Arabia continue to sound for Vinicius, but in Madrid the goal is to keep him. According to AS, Real Madrid are keen to convince the Brazilian to renew his contract, which expires in 2027. The support shown by his teammates, the club and the coaching staff on Saturday—after he was booed by the crowd during the match against Levante—moves in that direction.

The offer to extend his contract therefore remains on the table, and it will now be up to the Brazilian to decide what to do, with next summer set to be decisive for his future.

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

FRANKFURT (GERMANY) (ITALPRESS) – Dino Toppmöller is no longer the coach of Eintracht Frankfurt. Friday’s 3-3 draw in Bremen proved fatal, with the team having picked up just two points from their first three games of 2026, slipping to seventh place, six points shy of a Champions League spot.

The 45-year-old German coach is thus leaving after two and a half seasons, a total of 121 spells in charge, the highlight of which was a third-place finish in last season’s Bundesliga, which secured a Champions League qualification. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Under-21 coach Dennis Schmitt has taken over the reins for the time being, alongside former striker Alexander Meier.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews