PALERMO (ITALPRESS/MNA) – KM Malta Airlines has announced the launch of a new direct flight connecting Malta and Palermo, further strengthening ties between Malta and Sicily as part of the carrier’s 2026 summer schedule.

The new service will operate three times a week—on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays—starting May 30, offering travelers a direct link between Malta International Airport and Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport.

“We are delighted to introduce Palermo as a new destination in our 2026 summer programme,” said David Curmi, Chairman of KM Malta Airlines. “Currently, there are no direct flights from Malta to Palermo, and this new route expands travel options for Maltese travelers while creating additional opportunities to attract visitors to Malta. Sicily and Malta share strong cultural, economic, and tourism ties, and we are confident this connection will further enhance connectivity between the two islands.”

Tickets for the new route are available through the KM Malta Airlines website, mobile app, travel agencies, and other authorized sales channels.

Gianfranco Battisti, CEO of Gesap—the company managing Palermo’s international airport—welcomed the announcement: “We warmly welcome the launch of the new direct connection between Palermo and Malta by KM Malta Airlines. This important route further strengthens Palermo airport’s strategic role in the Mediterranean and expands mobility opportunities between two territories that are historically and culturally closely connected. The new link will support the growth of international traffic at the airport and promote new tourist and commercial flows between Sicily and Malta, in line with Gesap’s ongoing development strategy and progressive opening to international markets.”.

-Photo Press Office Gesap-
(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – The final credits could truly be rolling between Joshua Zirkzee and Manchester United. According to The Sun, the 24-year-old Dutch striker will return at the end of the season to ask for a transfer.

While his first year at the Red Devils was already difficult, things got worse in his second, under both Amorim and Carrick. He made just four starts, the last of which came on December 30th, when the Portuguese coach was still in charge.

Back in January, it looked like Zirkzee might leave, with Roma leading the way, but United ultimately decided to keep him. The summer arrivals of Sesko, Cunha, and Mbeumo have further reduced the Dutchman’s playing time, and his departure could be useful to the club in financing the purchase of a left-sided attacker or a midfielder.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Yesterday’s 3-0 defeat at the Bernabeu leaves little hope of progressing to the next round, but Manchester City are already looking beyond. According to the Catalan newspaper “Sport,” on the sidelines of the Champions League match against Real Madrid, City sporting director Hugo Viana met with Moussa Sissoko, Ousmane Dembelé’s agent.

The French striker is under contract with PSG until 2028, but negotiations for a renewal are struggling, and City are reportedly waiting. Meanwhile, Victor Font, who will challenge Joan Laporta for the Barcelona presidency, along with Carles Planchart and Xavier Aguilar, reportedly spent time at the hotel in Madrid hosting the English club, along with Viana and City CEO Ferran Soriano.

According to “Sport,” Font is reportedly working to secure an option on Haaland should the Norwegian striker, tied to the City until 2034, decide to leave.

-Foto IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has a financial “warchest” of €250 million available to cushion the potential economic impact of escalating tensions in the Gulf, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told parliament.

Caruana said the government could dedicate an additional €250 million, over and above current subsidy spending, to cover unexpected costs triggered by the war involving Iran without jeopardising Malta’s fiscal targets.

“The country has a headroom, meaning the flexibility we have if prices explode, that is equivalent to €250 million more that could cushion the impact from abroad,” the minister said.

Caruana explained that Malta currently spends about €150 million annually on subsidies. By comparison, the government spent €350 million in 2022 following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine War.

Malta has committed to reducing its deficit to within the European Union threshold of 3% this year. Caruana stressed that maintaining this limit is crucial to preserving the financial headroom available in the government’s contingency fund.

His remarks come amid growing concern about the potential effect of rising energy prices on households and the wider economy.

Oil and natural gas prices have climbed after Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passageway through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas supply is transported. The move has raised fears of supply disruptions and further increases in global energy costs.

-Photo DOI-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese and Italian authorities are keeping a close eye on the tanker Arctic Metagaz as it drifts in waters between Malta and Lampedusa.

The vessel is currently about 35 nautical miles west of Malta, with authorities assessing contingency plans should it drift into territorial waters.

Officials say the situation is being closely monitored while discussions continue on possible responses if the tanker approaches the Maltese coast.

Transport Malta issued a notice to mariners instructing vessels to remain at least five nautical miles away from the tanker at all times.

The authority said the ship is classified as “Not Under Command,” although it is not displaying the required NUC signals either during the day or at night.

Mariners navigating in the area have been urged to maintain an extra lookout, while navigation close to the vessel has been strictly prohibited.

Surveillance of the tanker is not limited to Malta. An aircraft from the Italian Coast Guard was surveying the vessel on Wednesday afternoon.

The Arctic Metagaz was damaged last week following an explosion near the edge of Malta’s search and rescue zone, close to Libyan waters.

The tanker was reportedly carrying liquefied natural gas when the incident occurred.

Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out an attack on the vessel, though no country has claimed responsibility so far.

The Arctic Metagaz has been sanctioned as part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet operating outside Western restrictions.

The network of vessels is believed to use complex ownership and insurance arrangements beyond the jurisdiction of the European Union and Group of Seven countries.

Such ships have been used to continue trading Russian oil and energy products with states that have not joined sanctions imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Authorities in the central Mediterranean continue to monitor the drifting tanker as a precaution.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

SOFIA (BULGARIA) (ITALPRESS) – The Union of European Clubs (UEC) presented to UEFA, during the general assembly of the European Leagues in Sofia, a proposal whose main topic is a significant redistribution of revenues from the Champions League, Europa League, and the Conference League, with the aim of avoiding the “predictability” of competitions. To date, the participating clubs share a total prize money that exceeds €3.3 billion, thanks to the €4.4 billion raised mainly from the sale of TV rights. However, only €308 million goes to the coffers of clubs that do not qualify for the cups as solidarity payments. Hence, the “Guardian” reports, the UEC’s proposal to distribute approximately €2 billion to all first- and second-division clubs. Specifically, while currently 74% of the prize money goes to Champions League teams, 17% to Europa League teams, and 9% to Conference teams, the UEC proposes a 50-30-20 split, with the money not going directly to the teams but to the leagues they represent, which would then divide it between the clubs in the top leagues (85%) and the lower divisions (15%). For those participating in the cups, there would therefore be a “national” share in addition to the portion of prize money—approximately 1.3 billion euros—that UEFA distributes based on results.

In effect, the UEC proposal would eliminate the transfer and historical quotas, which account for 35% of the total. “If the money remains concentrated at the top, there’s a serious risk that European competitions will become increasingly predictable, with the same clubs always competing,” a UEC spokesperson told the Guardian. The UEC’s model, however, would have a significant positive impact, especially on the “second-tier” leagues. For example, in the Eredivisie, clubs that don’t qualify for European competitions would earn €4.4 million instead of €1.1 million.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Mario Gila could leave Lazio. According to “As,” ahead of the summer transfer window, Atlético Madrid have set their sights on the former Real Madrid center-back, with the Blancos retaining a 50% stake in the player in the event of a deal. With his contract expiring in 2027, the Spaniard, who reportedly believes his time in the capital is over, has long attracted interest from AC Milan and Inter, with the Rossoneri already making a significant move in January.

Gila, whose market value is around €30 million, would represent a key reinforcement for Simeone’s team’s defense, which currently features Hancko and Pubill as starters. Giménez and Lenglet, however, are lower in the pecking order and could leave Madrid at the end of the season. AC Milan are also reportedly interested in the Uruguayan.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BERLIN (GERMANY) (ITALPRESS) – Jurgen Klopp has repeatedly reiterated that he doesn’t miss the coaching staff and that he’s happy with his role at Red Bull, where he oversees the company’s football operations. Yet in Germany, they see a different future for the former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager: according to “Sport Bild,” Red Bull isn’t entirely satisfied with the job Klopp began in January 2025, and the door could open for him at the Mannschaft.

Although Julian Nagelsmann is under contract until 2028, it could be the former Reds manager who takes the helm of the German national team after the World Cup, especially if things go badly on the other side of the pond.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BERLIN (GERMANY) (ITALPRESS) – More likely out than in. In recent days the Iranian Football Federation president, Mehdi Taj, had already expressed considerable pessimism about Iran’s participation in the next FIFA World Cup, which will take place this summer across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Now the country’s Sports Minister, Ahmad Donjamali, has reinforced that position. “Since this corrupt government has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances would the conditions exist for us to participate in the World Cup,” he said in a television interview, as reported by the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Donjamali spoke of “evil actions carried out against Iran” and stressed that “over the past eight or nine months, two wars have been imposed on us and several thousand of our citizens have been killed. For this reason, we absolutely have no possibility of participating.”

The FAZ notes that it is still unclear whether the statement made by the Iranian minister represents a definitive position. What is certain is that it contrasts with what FIFA president Gianni Infantino said just a few hours earlier about the reassurances he received from Donald Trump: “He reiterated to me that the Iranian team is naturally welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.”

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Households in Malta continued to feel pressure at the supermarket in 2025 as fluctuating food prices pushed up grocery bills, according to a report by the Central Bank of Malta.

Although overall food inflation averaged 3.2% last year, a surge in unprocessed food prices—reaching 6.5% in December—kept household budgets under strain.

The strongest upward pressure came from meat products, which alone added 0.2 percentage points to the overall inflation rate. International meat prices remained elevated, recording a 6.1% annual increase by January 2026.

Local beef prices rose particularly sharply, exceeding the euro area average by 5.1 percentage points. Poultry and other meats also recorded faster price growth in Malta than elsewhere in the euro area.

Shoppers also faced notable increases in the beverage aisle. Fruit and vegetable juices registered the highest average inflation rate in Malta during 2025, rising at more than double the pace recorded across the euro area.

Other everyday staples—including milk, cheese, eggs and confectionery—also contributed to higher food costs.

The analysis notes that Malta’s food price dynamics differed from those seen elsewhere in the eurozone. While Malta’s food inflation reached 3.2% compared with the euro area’s 2.8%, other countries were hit harder by a 17.3% spike in coffee prices.

There are signs that pressures could ease in the coming years. The central bank expects unprocessed food inflation to moderate to 3.5% and processed food inflation to fall to 3.1% by 2028, supported by slower growth in global meat prices.

However, analysts caution that the outlook remains uncertain, as the future path of prices could also depend on the economic impact of the war involving Iran, particularly if it continues to affect global energy and transport costs.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews