VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – KM Malta Airlines will resume flights to Israel’s main gateway, Ben Gurion International Airport, on 27 May 2026, despite the ongoing war in Gaza.

The twice-weekly service will operate every Wednesday and Sunday, restoring a direct link between Malta and the airport serving Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The route had been suspended in October 2023 by the airline’s predecessor, Air Malta, following the 7 October attacks by Palestinian terrorists that triggered the conflict.

KM Malta Airlines said the Israel route is aimed at strengthening regional ties and expanding Mediterranean connectivity.

The airline added the Tel Aviv service forms part of its largest summer schedule to date, comprising 7,948 flights across 19 routes and offering 1.34 million seats.

The carrier will operate an average of 262 weekly flights during the peak season, with aircraft utilisation expected to reach 12 hours per day.

Additional summer changes include among others, a renewed Malta–Catania flights.

Executive Chairman David Curmi said the expanded schedule demonstrates strategic investment in markets vital to Malta’s tourism, business and diaspora communities. He added that combining direct routes with access to major European hubs would enhance onward connectivity.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – The Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee has handed a seven-match ban to Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda following his confrontation with Galech Apezteguia, the referee for last Saturday’s match against Alaves. In addition to Almeyda, Joan Jordan and Juanlu Sánchez were also suspended, with two and one match bans, respectively. According to Spanish newspaper AS, the high number of suspensions is the result of a series of factors: three were handed down for contempt, the most serious offense, due to the gestures and words that followed the expulsion; Two more were handed out due to the coach’s protests. He was also punished with a match for unsporting conduct (presumably for kicking a bottle) and a final match for not going to the locker room but remaining in the tunnel after the red card was shown. Currently, the Sevilla coach, a former footballer who played for Lazio, Parma, Inter, and Brescia in Italy, is expected to miss half of the remaining matches, but the Andalusian club is doing everything in its power to reduce a suspension that appears too severe, especially given several other precedents in Spain’s two major leagues.

To find a similar situation, we have to go back over ten years, when, in the 2014-15 season, Diego Pablo Simeone received an eight-match suspension following a red card during a Madrid derby in the Spanish Super Cup, for protesting in a blatant manner, ignoring the referee’s instructions.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – Marseille are showing signs of stability. Following the dismissal of Roberto de Zerbi, OM has begun searching for a new first-team coach, identifying Habib Beye as the ideal candidate.

According to L’Equipe, the now former Rennes coach, having resolved the legal disputes surrounding his contract with the Breton club, will finally be able to take over at the Provençal club, which is ready to offer him an 18-month contract.

Beye’s debut as Marseille coach could come as early as Friday’s match against Brest, a crucial match to close in on third-place finishes, currently occupied by Fonseca’s Lyon, who are in dazzling form with five consecutive victories. The Senegalese coach replaces De Zerbi, who was dismissed following the decisive 5-0 defeat in the League.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – “And everyone points the finger at me because I hide my mouth with my shirt, when it’s well known that all football players cover their mouths when they speak. Don’t make anything up,” Gianluca Prestianni wrote on social media. The Argentine player reposted Benfica’s X message, in which the club claims that Real Madrid players were too far away to hear what the Portuguese player said when Vinicius Junior reported the alleged racist insults he received from Prestianni.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RENNES, FRANCE (ITALPRESS) – Rennes have officially announced the appointment of Franck Haise as their new head coach. Two months after leaving Nice, the 54-year-old French manager led his first training session this morning and will be presented this afternoon at Roazhon Park during a press conference.

Haise replaces Habib Beye, who was dismissed ten days ago following the home defeat against Lens. In the meantime, Sebastien Tambouret secured a high-profile 3-1 victory over PSG last Friday.

Haise will look to build on that momentum in his first match in charge, away to Auxerre this Sunday at 3:00 p.m., in a fixture valid for Matchday 22 of Ligue 1. Rennes, currently sixth in the standings, are aiming to qualify for European competition.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Vinicius Junior decided last night’s first leg of the playoff between his Real and Benfica. Los Blancos won 1-0 away against the Portuguese side, with the Brazilian scoring the only goal of the match.

However, what caused a stir were the accusations made by the Real player himself, who claimed he was the victim of racist insults from Argentine Gianluca Prestianni. The match was also interrupted for about ten minutes by referee Francois Letexier.

Around the 50th minute, after scoring, the Real player celebrated in a way deemed excessive by the Lisbon crowd. He was shown a yellow card for dissent and was then allegedly insulted by Prestianni. Benfica, however, denied this version of events: “He could not have heard what Prestianni said.”

“Racists are cowards first and foremost. They need to put their shirt in their mouth to show how weak they are,” Vinicius Junior wrote on social media.

Prestianni promptly responded: “He misinterpreted what he believes he heard. I have never been racist and, on the contrary, I am reporting the threats made against me by Real’s players.”

Finally, the Madrid club’s leader, Kylian Mbappé, defended Vinicius Junior. “It is unacceptable, but it happened and it will happen again. Prestianni lifted his shirt and told Vinicius Junior ‘you are a monkey’ five times: I heard it myself. Some Benfica players also heard the insults.”

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) –  The Jordan-EU Investment Conference is an opportunity for European companies to “start investing and use Jordan as a hub for their future expansion”. This is the opinion of Jordanian Investment Minister Tareq Abu Ghazaleh, who in an interview with Italpress spoke about the Jordan-EU Investment Conference, scheduled for April 21 on the shores of the Dead Sea.

The event is part of a new chapter in relations between Amman and Brussels, opened on January 29, 2025, with the consolidation of a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership (SCP). A year later, on January 8, 2026, a new milestone was reached with the Jordan-EU bilateral summit, attended by Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa on behalf of the European institutions, while Jordan was represented directly by King Abdullah II.

This stage, according to Minister Abu Ghazaleh, represents “a very important moment” for the implementation of the agreement itself. “The Conference will focus on two main aspects in April: the first is the modernization of Jordan’s economy, where we are embarking on a new economic vision that includes greater support for the private sector and domestic investment. The second aspect concerns using Jordan as a gateway for the development and reconstruction of all neighboring countries such as Iraq, Syria, and, hopefully, in the near future, the West Bank and Gaza. Participating in this event is a profitable opportunity for the entire private sector”, the minister noted, specifying that €1.4 billion in financial assistance is also planned “so that European companies can expand, begin investing, and use Jordan as a hub for their future expansion”.

Among the sectors that will be highlighted are infrastructure, energy, and technology. “We have comprehensively analyzed our economy and identified several sectors we would like investors to focus on. The possibility of private sector tenders will be announced approximately next month”, Abu Ghazaleh said.

In infrastructure, the minister sees “a major shift in our logistics and transportation network and a major opportunity for several projects, including railways, dry ports, and cargo airports“. The second sector, energy, has seen Jordan as a hub of excellence for over 20 years.

“We are leading in energy diversification, with nearly 27% of our resources coming from sustainable sources. There will be a strong focus on solar energy, hydropower, as well as storage and combined-cycle electricity generation. We are determined to strengthen our position to continue to be a leader in this sector in the Middle East”, Abu Ghazaleh noted.

The third sector, technology, is considered by the minister to be “essential” for employment in the country. “Jordan boasts a wealth of young talent and has been present in the regional market for many years. For example, in the last five years, the majority of large companies or startups that have transitioned to a more mature investment stage is essentially Jordanian—27 out of 100—and this despite Jordan representing only 3% of the Arab world’s population”, the minister noted. Regarding relations with Italy, Abu Ghazaleh described them as “excellent” since the Kingdom’s founding.

“Our first political and economic relationship dates back to 1949, so we have surpassed 75 years of partnership and good relations. Recently, we have sought to intensify economic cooperation, without neglecting other aspects such as tourism, social welfare, education, and other subsectors,” Abu Ghazaleh continued.

“The trade balance is skewed in Italy’s favor, but in recent years we have seen significant growth in our exports. For example, in 2024 our exports were around 60 million euros, while last year we reached 200 million”, the minister explained. Beyond the economic sphere, the similarities are strong in terms of values and education.

“Jordan also has a rich Roman history and culture, which represents an excellent starting point for building further relations in tourism and education. A good portion of our students study Italian, which allows for a broader exchange of ideas and the ever-increasing construction of partnerships, which can be more like a twinning than two individual entities,” Abu Ghazaleh commented.

“We are proud of all this, and it has the blessing of both the highest political authorities: His Majesty King Abdullah and Prime Minister Meloni, who are always pushing for better coordination and an increase in relations. These will have an impact not only on the economy, but also on the quality of life of our citizens”, concluded the Jordanian minister.

-Photo Italpress-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LONDON (ITALPRESS) – Bukayo Saka and Arsenal are set to remain together for a long time. According to BBC Sport, the England winger has signed a contract extension through 2031, making him the highest-paid player in the squad, with wages of £300,000 (€343,000) per week.

With this move, Mikel Arteta’s side once again demonstrates its ability to retain its top talents. Saka’s renewal follows those of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, all completed this summer.

Born in 2001 and part of the first team since 2018, Saka will now wear the Arsenal shirt until the age of 30, remaining in North London for the majority of his career.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – “The priority is to give everything the club needs at this moment: confidence, courage, but above all concrete answers on the pitch.” With these words, Igor Tudor introduced himself to Tottenham fans. The Spurs’ interim head coach, appointed to replace the dismissed Thomas Frank, immediately outlined his goals and set out the key ingredients of his plan to revive a struggling team.

The former Juventus manager arrives in London in a particularly critical situation, marked by numerous injuries and highly disappointing performances in the Premier League. “I know how things are going,” Tudor said, “but there is no time for excuses. From day one, I have said that each of us must give something more, because the current situation is not acceptable for any fan. We are aware of that, but awareness alone is not enough.”

The injury problem, however, is real and must be addressed. “It’s not easy. We have many players unavailable, including Kulusevski and Bentancur, whom I have coached before but unfortunately cannot rely on for now, at least on the pitch. First of all, we need to find a system of play suited to the players currently available,” Tudor explained. “It’s not easy; this is a very particular moment.”

The former Juventus manager arrives during one of the most important weeks of the Spurs’ season: the North London Derby at home. It is a crucial opportunity to spark a turnaround, especially in the most anticipated match against league leaders Arsenal, who have recently allowed Manchester City to close the gap at the top of the table.

Promising a proactive and attacking style of play, while remaining intelligent and well-organized defensively, the new Spurs manager concluded by focusing on Sunday’s big match: “I believe the most important thing, the key, is training. The league match is the result of what you do in training, so we must concentrate on that.”

After a particularly turbulent spell in charge of Juventus, Tudor now faces the task of reviving a Tottenham side in serious difficulty. With a contract running until the end of the season, the Croatian coach will also need to exceed expectations—overtaking names such as Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino—if he hopes to retain his place on the Spurs bench next season.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A Romanian man who smuggled 15kg of cocaine from Sicily to Malta by catamaran has been sentenced to 17 years in prison after striking a plea deal with prosecutors.

The Romanian admitted to importing the drugs into Malta on 26 January 2024. He had travelled from Pozzallo, Sicily, with the cocaine concealed in a hidden compartment inside his SUV.

The drugs were discovered during what authorities described as a random inspection by police and customs officials upon arrival.

Although drug-sniffing dogs failed to detect the narcotics, officers grew suspicious during a visual inspection of the vehicle. An X-ray scan later confirmed their suspicions.

Officials uncovered a concealed compartment beneath the car’s running board and rear wheel. Inside were several dark blue packages tied with yellow string.

Laboratory tests confirmed the packages contained 15kg of cocaine with a purity level of 55.7%. Police estimated the haul had a street value of approximately €2 million.

Authorities said the Romanian cooperated during the investigation but declined to answer most questions. Forensic analysis indicated that at least two other individuals had handled the packages.

He faced three charges: importation, aggravated possession, and conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Under Maltese law, the offences carry a potential life sentence.

Although he initially pleaded not guilty, the accused changed his plea on 29 January this year as part of a plea bargaining agreement.

The Office of the Attorney General and the defence jointly recommended a 17-year prison term and a €23,000 fine, along with mandatory asset confiscation.

Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera approved the agreement, stating there was no reason to deviate from the proposed sentence.

The accused was also ordered to pay €5,391.71 in court expenses.

– photo Malta Police –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews