VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela met Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden in Luxembourg to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation across key sectors.

During the meeting, the two leaders explored areas of mutual interest including trade, investment, education, and culture, highlighting opportunities for closer collaboration.

Abela stressed the importance of deepening ties between Malta and Luxembourg, particularly by creating new avenues for business and investment. He pointed to the potential for increased cooperation in financial services, technology, and sustainability.

The discussions also covered broader European and international issues, with both leaders agreeing on the need to reinforce cooperation among European Union member states.

On the situation in the Middle East, Abela and Frieden underscored the urgency of de-escalation and the need for full respect of international law. They emphasised that lasting solutions must be grounded in dialogue.

Abela reaffirmed Malta’s commitment to maintaining strong relations with partner countries, noting that ongoing dialogue is essential to addressing shared challenges.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Congo and Iraq are the final two teams to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 teams for the first time and will be held across Canada, Mexico, and United States from June 11 to July 19.

In their respective playoff finals, Congo defeated Jamaica 1-0 after extra time thanks to a decisive goal in the 100th minute by Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe. Meanwhile, Iraq secured a 2-1 victory over Bolivia with goals from Ali Al-Hamadi (10’) and Aymen Hussein (53’), making Paniagua’s equalizer (38’) irrelevant.

THE 12 GROUPS

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Bosnia, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Congo
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

– Photo IPA Agency –
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Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – FIFA will begin testing this weekend in the Canadian Premier League the new offside rule proposed by Arsène Wenger.

Under the proposed change, an attacker will be considered onside if any part of their body with which they can score is in line with the last defender. In practice, offside would only be called when there is “daylight”—a clear gap—between the attacker and the defender.

The rule has sparked significant debate, as it could give a substantial advantage to attackers and potentially push teams to defend deeper. For this reason, a compromise idea has also emerged: an attacker would be ruled offside only if their torso is beyond the last defender.

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Source: medNews

NEWCASTLE (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Eddie Howe’s job is at risk, though not immediately. The manager who led Newcastle to the Champions League twice and won the League Cup last season, ending a 70-year wait, is going through a difficult period. The derby defeat to Sunderland left the team in 12th place, and European qualification appears difficult even though seventh place is only four points away.

“We’re not considering a change of manager at the moment,” said Newcastle’s CEO, David Hopkinson. “But I don’t have a position on his future. I can say that the derby defeat hurt. We take it very seriously. We don’t think it’s just three points. It had a huge impact.”

The director met with Howe. “Eddie is our manager. I expect a great end to the season, and we’ll talk about the future at the right time. Now we’re focused on this season.” Regarding the transfer market and rumours about players like Tonali, Hopkinson recalls Isak’s sale to Liverpool for £125 million last summer: “If a situation similar to Isak’s arises again, any player under contract will only leave on our terms.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
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Source: medNews

LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – In the end, Tottenham convinced him: on April 12, for the match against Sunderland, Roberto De Zerbi will be on the Spurs’ bench. The appointment of the 46-year-old coach from Brescia is now official; he replaces Tudor, who had in turn taken over from the dismissed Thomas Frank last February 14.

The London club describes it as a “long-term” agreement without specifying the duration, but English media report that De Zerbi has signed a five-year deal, with no exit clause in case of relegation. With seven matches remaining, Tottenham are currently fourth from bottom, just one point above the relegation zone.

“I am happy to join this fantastic club, one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world,” De Zerbi said in his first remarks. “In all my discussions with the management, the ambition for the future was clear: to build a team capable of achieving great results while playing football that excites and inspires our fans. I am here because I believe in this ambition, and I have signed a long-term contract to give everything I have to make it happen. Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be our only objective until the final whistle of the last match of the season. I can’t wait to get on the pitch and work with these players to achieve it.”

De Zerbi, who left Marseille last February, had long been linked with Spurs but seemed willing to wait until June to see whether Tottenham would remain in the Premier League. It will now be up to him to ensure the club avoids relegation to the Championship.

“Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very happy to have brought him here already now,” admitted sporting director Johan Lange. “He is one of the most creative and innovative coaches in world football and brings with him great experience at the highest level, including in the Premier League.”

Indeed, De Zerbi managed Brighton from September 2022 to May 2024, leading the Seagulls to a historic qualification for the Europa League. Abroad, in addition to Marseille—where he finished second in Ligue 1 2024–25, securing a Champions League spot—he coached Shakhtar Donetsk, with whom he won his first and, so far, only trophy: the Ukrainian Super Cup.

With De Zerbi’s appointment, the number of managerial changes in the Premier League this season rises to nine: it started with Nottingham Forest (Postecoglou replacing Espírito Santo), then West Ham (Espírito Santo for Potter), again Nottingham Forest (Dyche for Postecoglou), Wolverhampton (Edwards for Pereira), Chelsea (Rosenior for Maresca), Manchester United (Carrick for Amorim), Tottenham (Tudor for Frank), again Nottingham Forest (Pereira for Dyche), and now Spurs once more.

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ANTALYA (TURKEY) (ITALPRESS) – Iran does not forget, but it will take part in the World Cup. Iranian players took to the field in Antalya, where a friendly match against Costa Rica was scheduled, displaying during the national anthem photos of children killed, as well as hospitals and historical monuments that were damaged, in front of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Before the match, during a press conference at the Titanic Mardan Palace Sports Complex in Antalya, the vice president of the Tehran Football Federation, Mehdi Muhammed Nabi, clarified the country’s participation in the upcoming World Cup: “We will be there,” he said, as reported by Turkish media. “We respect FIFA rules and we will play wherever FIFA decides, whether it is the United States, Mexico, or Canada.”

Nabi also said that Infantino met with the team and that his words had a positive impact on the players’ morale.

As for the match itself, Team Melli crushed their opponents 5–0, with a brace from former Inter player Taremi (both penalties), and goals from Gholizadeh, Mohebi, and Ghaedi.

In recent weeks, Iran had requested to move its Group G matches from Los Angeles and Seattle to Mexico, where it is set to face Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had stated that it “would not be appropriate” for Iran to participate in the tournament, “for their own life and safety.”

Mexico, for its part, through President Claudia Sheinbaum, left the decision to FIFA, stating that it would have no problem hosting Iran’s matches.

– Photo IPA Agency –
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Source: medNews

NAPLES (ITALPRESS) – Romelu Lukaku did not show up today for the team’s resumption of training, and the club reserves the right to consider disciplinary action. This is according to the Neapolitan club.

“SSC Napoli announces that the player Romelu Lukaku did not respond to today’s call-up for the resumption of training. The club reserves the right to consider adopting appropriate disciplinary measures, as well as continuing the player’s activity with the team on a permanent basis.”

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

CAIRO (EGYPT) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – As part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between Egypt and Italy, a healthcare cooperation agreement has been signed between the GKSD Group, Gruppo San Donato and the Egyptian Ministry of Health for the development of the New Heliopolis Hospital currently under construction in Cairo.

The agreement was signed yesterday during the EGYPS Egypt Energy Show held in Cairo, with the signatures of Kamel Ghribi, Chairman of the GKSD Group and Vice-Chairman of Gruppo San Donato, and Ahmed Mostafa, Chairman of Egypt’s Health Insurance Organization. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Egypt’s Minister of Health, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, and Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum, Karim Badawi. Also in attendance was Michael Damianos, Minister of Energy of Cyprus.

The Heliopolis facility will be the first hospital of the National Health Insurance Organization. It will be a highly specialised centre equipped with 433 beds, a Cancer Centre, a Heart Centre, neurosurgery, a paediatric and maternal-child department and an organ transplant centre. It is estimated that the new hospital complex will serve a population of around 1 million people.

The contract will begin in 2027, upon completion of construction, and will have a duration of 15 years. Kamel Ghribi expressed his appreciation for the growth Egypt is experiencing, stressing that “the agreement represents a solid starting point to strengthen healthcare cooperation between the two countries and to offer increasingly advanced medical services to Egyptian citizens”.

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Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has pledged that Malta will generate 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, outlining plans to expand investment in solar and wind energy over the next four years.

Speaking during a Freedom Day event on the eve of the national holiday, Abela said the government will soon unveil a long-term, 25-year strategy for the energy sector, aimed at strengthening sustainability and energy security. He noted that renewable energy currently accounts for around 17% of Malta’s energy mix, up from less than 3% 13 years ago, attributing the shift to a move away from heavy fuel oil towards cleaner sources.

Abela said the government also intends to widen access to renewable energy, including for residents who lack space for installations such as rooftop solar panels. The Prime Minister added that Malta would seek to better utilise maritime potential and position itself as a link for energy distribution between North Africa and mainland Europe. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to shielding households and businesses from rising energy costs through subsidies, contrasting Malta’s approach with other European countries facing higher consumer burdens.

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Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Ten weeks before the start of the World Cup, Ghana has fired coach Otto Addo, just hours after their friendly defeat against Germany. The Black Stars lost 2-1 in Stuttgart last night, suffering their fourth consecutive defeat, which sealed the fate of the 50-year-old German citizen, a former midfielder for Hannover, Borussia Dortmund, and Mainz.

“The federation wishes to sincerely thank Otto Addo for his contribution to the team and wishes him all the best for the future,” the Ghana Football Association wrote in a statement, which will announce “the name of the new Black Stars coach in due course.”

Otto Addo had been in charge of the African national team since March 2024. Ghana is in Group L of the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico (June 11-July 19), where they will face Panama (June 18, Toronto), England (June 23, Foxborough), and Croatia (June 27, Philadelphia).

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews