VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has joined an international declaration opposing Israeli plans to build new settlements in the E1 area of the West Bank, east of Jerusalem. According to the Maltese newspapers The Malta Independent and Times of Malta, the country was added yesterday, along with Denmark, to the list of signatories to the declaration, which also includes Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Norway and other European countries.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese islands are bracing for several days of intense heat as August draws to a close, with feels-like temperatures expected to reach 45°C. The prolonged heat is putting pressure on the national electricity grid. Enemalta said electricity demand reached a record 741 MW last month, almost 12% higher than the previous peak of 663 MW recorded in 2023. According to the company, the figure marks a change from previous years, when demand tended to fall after the afternoon peak before rising again in the evening. With temperatures expected to remain high over the coming days, Enemalta has urged households and businesses to use electricity moderately.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – UEFA is reportedly ready to withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving firm guarantees that the plan to sell stakes in World Cup rights will not be revived. This is according to The Guardian, which reports that the European governing body has secured binding assurances from FIFA that no plan similar to the controversial “FIFA Forward Enterprise” project will be put forward in the future. The issue arose in recent weeks following the disclosure of the initiative—linked to President Gianni Infantino—which envisaged the potential involvement of private investors in the capital associated with World Cup competitions. FIFA withdrew the proposal just four days after it became public, yet UEFA maintained its stance, demanding guarantees that initiatives of this nature would not be proposed again. After weeks of private discussions, the parties have reportedly reached a resolution. According to The Guardian, FIFA formalized its assurances via private correspondence, pledging not to again advance a project involving the privatization or sale of World Cup stakes along the lines of the one originally proposed.

The most immediate consequence concerns the Women’s Under-20 World Cup, scheduled to begin in Poland on September 5th. European national teams are expected to be authorized to participate in the competition as planned, thereby averting the risk of a major boycott. While official confirmation is still pending, the matter could be addressed as early as Thursday in Monte Carlo, where a meeting between the UEFA Executive Committee and the heads of national federations is scheduled. The presidents of UEFA’s 55 member associations will meet on the eve of the Champions League draw—one of the most significant days in the European football calendar. However, this easing of tensions regarding competitions does not signal a political U-turn by UEFA. European football’s stance toward Infantino remains unchanged; according to *The Guardian*, the goal of replacing the FIFA president has not been abandoned. Further initiatives concerning relations with the international federation’s current leadership may also be discussed in Monte Carlo.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LISBON (PORTUGAL) (ITALPRESS) – The long negotiation regarding João Palhinha has reached a happy conclusion. Benfica has officially announced the arrival of the Portuguese midfielder from Bayern Munich, with the player signing a contract running until 2030. The German club will receive a fee of €14 million, plus potential add-ons of up to €5 million. A €50 million release clause has also been included in the contract. Palhinha, 31, returns to Portugal after two seasons at Bayern, a club that had signed him from Fulham in the summer of 2024 for approximately €50 million. The midfielder pushed for a return to his homeland—partly to be closer to his family—despite having received more lucrative offers elsewhere. The presence of Marco Silva, with whom Palhinha had previously worked at Fulham between 2022 and 2024, also played a decisive role. The Portuguese player has already visited the Benfica Campus but will not be available for the match against Aarhus in the Europa League play-off return leg.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Donyell Malen has transformed into one of the most exciting centre-forwards in Europe. The Dutch striker, moved from winger to No. 9, has found his calling in Rome, becoming a true goalscorer. As ‘AS’ reports, Malen already impressed in the second half of last season, when, having arrived on loan from Aston Villa, he scored 14 goals in 18 appearances, helping Roma qualify for the Champions League.

This performance prompted the Giallorossi to exercise their €25 million option to buy. The start of the new season has confirmed his golden moment: on his debut against Fiorentina, Malen scored a hat-trick, capped by a spectacular back-heeled finish in the penalty area. His market value is now estimated at around €45 million, and his performances have not gone unnoticed.

According to AS, clubs such as Barcelona, ​​Atlético Madrid, and Manchester City are all tracking him, all seeking a striker capable of scoring goals. At 27, Malen’s career appears to have taken a new direction thanks to his change of position. Roma, for their part, will have to decide whether to lock down the player or consider potential offers.

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Source: medNews

MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Manchester City announces the completion of the signing of Moroccan international Ayyoub Bouaddi on a five-year contract, according to a statement. The 18-year-old midfielder arrives from French club Lille on a deal that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2031. Bouaddi joins the club as one of the most promising young players in world football, having already made 96 appearances for Lille and eight for the senior national team.

He made his first-team debut for the Ligue 1 club in the Conference League just three days after his 16th birthday, and established himself as a regular starter over the next two seasons. Bouaddi represented France at youth and U-21 levels before switching to Morocco, his parents’ nationality, and excelled with the Atlas Lions at this summer’s World Cup.

The elegant, well-playing midfielder is now starting a new chapter in his career with City and is excited about the new challenge.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

CAIRO (ITALPRESS) – The 265th convoy of humanitarian aid trucks, “Zad al-Ezza – from Egypt to Gaza,” began its journey today toward the Kerem Shalom crossing, through the secondary access of the Rafah terminal, in preparation for entry into the Gaza Strip.

According to the Egyptian news agency MENA, the trucks are carrying large quantities of food aid and relief supplies, including food parcels, flour, fresh bread, legumes, preserved foods, medicines, personal hygiene products, tents, clothing, and fuel.

The trucks are being inspected by Israeli authorities before entering the Strip.

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Source: medNews

MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Manchester United has officially signed Carlos Baleba from Brighton. The 22-year-old Cameroonian midfielder is moving to Old Trafford in a deal reportedly worth €80 million.

The deal also includes a percentage of any future sale to Brighton. Baleba has signed a five-year contract with the Red Devils, with an option to extend for a further season. “It’s an incredible feeling to join my dream club,” Baleba said. “Playing at Old Trafford is always special, but to have the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honor. I’m looking forward to working with Michael Carrick. His experience and knowledge of the game make him the perfect manager to help me reach the highest level.”

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Source: medNews

AMSTERDAM (NETHERLANDS) (ITALPRESS) – Xavi Hernandez is officially the new coach of the Netherlands. The former Barcelona coach was presented by the Dutch Football Association with a contract that will last until the 2030 World Cup. At his side, at a well-attended press conference, was Nigel de Jong, the Association’s sporting director and a former Dutch international. “I have many ties to this country. It feels like I’m going to the University of Football. I want my national team to always have the ball. We’re here to compete, have fun, and win,” Xavi said.

The new coach also explained his tactical approach. He has no intention of necessarily reviving a five-man formation: “I know that Van Gaal or Koeman have played with five defenders at the back. But that’s not my idea for my team. I want to play with other systems: 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, or 3-4-3. I think we can dominate the game better with these systems,” he explained.

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Source: medNews

 

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – In the trial over the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech was subjected to tough cross-examination by prosecutor Godwin Cini, who focused in particular on Fenech’s decision not to go to the police after learning, according to his own account, that €30,000 had been paid to arrange the assassination.

Fenech admitted that he had learned about the payment and had not reported the alleged plot, saying he was afraid of Keith Schembri, the former chief of staff at the Office of the Prime Minister, whom he continues to identify as the real mastermind behind the plot.

“I have no doubt,” Fenech said, reiterating his belief in Schembri’s role. According to Fenech’s account during the trial, Melvin Theuma, the intermediary in the murder, told him that €30,000 had already been handed over to the men tasked with killing the journalist. Fenech then admitted giving Theuma €50,000, claiming that the money was intended to stop the assassination.

The prosecution disputes this account and has highlighted the sums of money Fenech allegedly handed to Theuma even after the murder. During the trial, it emerged that Fenech had told investigators about payments totaling as much as around €450,000, explaining that he had been blackmailed.

The prosecution is also comparing statements Fenech gave to police in 2019 with those he is now providing before the jury, pointing to several contradictions and new details that emerged only during the trial.

Fenech categorically denies ordering the murder and continues to accuse Schembri, arguing that investigators followed the wrong lead and sought to place responsibility for the crime on him. His version, however, conflicts with that of Melvin Theuma, who told the court that Fenech was the mastermind behind the assassination.

The trial therefore remains focused on Fenech’s role and on the clash between his reconstruction of events and the accounts provided by the prosecution’s main witnesses.

Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed on October 16, 2017, when a car bomb exploded near her home in Bidnija.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews