VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Environment Ministry has announced a two-year extension of the moratorium on the collection of sea urchins, pushing the ban’s expiry to July 7, 2027. First introduced in 2003, the measure has already led to a notable increase in sea urchin populations, the ministry said.

Sea urchins are essential to the health of marine ecosystems, keeping algae in check and serving as a food source for 18 fish species. Their decline not only disrupts marine balance but also increases vulnerability to invasive species.

Scientific monitoring across 10 sites shows population growth in about 60% of surveyed areas. However, the recovery has not been uniform, prompting the need for more time to allow weaker populations to stabilise.

Notably, the greatest increases were seen in young sea urchins measuring 2–4 cm — a sign of slow but steady growth, as the species typically grows just 1–2 cm per year.

Aquatic Resources Malta (ARM) has been collecting and studying purple sea urchins as part of a wider research initiative. In collaboration with Stella Mare of the University of Corsica, they are exploring sustainable breeding, hatching, and restocking techniques.

The ministry reminded the public that collecting, transporting, selling, or distributing wild sea urchins remains illegal. Offenders face fines of €500 to €5,000. Over the past two years, three people were fined €1,900 in total after being caught in Żonqor, Marsascala.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MILAN (ITALPRESS) – AC Milan has made the transfer of Theo Hernandez official. The French left-back is moving to Saudi Arabia to join Simone Inzaghi, coach of Al-Hilal, a team fresh from a successful Club World Cup under the former Inter Milan manager. In a statement, the Rossoneri announced “it has permanently sold the rights to the performances of the player Theo Bernard François Hernandez to Al-Hilal SC. The club thanks Theo for the six years spent together and wishes him every success in his personal and professional career.”

AC Milan also bid farewell to the 27-year-old Frenchman on social media, dedicating a video to him that retraces his career with the Rossoneri: “Six unforgettable years, magical moments, endless memories. Thank you, Theo!”

The Arab club also made official the arrival of Theo Hernanez from AC Milan, announcing that the chairman of the board, Fahad Bin Saad Bin Nafel, has completed the acquisition of the French international. The contract is for three years, until the end of the 2027/28 season. The signing ceremony took place Thursday evening at the Four Seasons George V Hotel in Paris.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Napoli are back in the hunt for Alejandro Garnacho. The 2004-born argentine striker is on his way out of Manchester United, following a rift with manager Ruben Amorim. The Neapolitans had already attempted to bring the 21-year-old to Italy last January, but the Azzurri’s offer was deemed low. Now, however, the figures could be different, and for €50 million, they could snatch the youngster from the Red Devils, who need to sell him. The deal could get underway in the next few days.

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(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

LISBON (PORTUGAL) (ITALPRESS) – Arsenal and Gyokeres are further apart. According to A Bola, citing a qualified Gunners source, negotiations between the London club and Sporting Lisbon for the Swedish striker are close to a definitive breakdown.

Arsenal’s sporting director, Andrea Berta, arrived in Lisbon on Friday and left the Portuguese capital empty-handed on Monday. Sporting wants €80 million, a figure Arsenal is willing to meet, but with €15 million in bonuses added to the €65 million fixed fee. Sporting are showing no signs of openness, and the deal, as the Portuguese newspaper explains, is on the verge of falling through.

According to A Bola, Gyokeres may decide not to show up at tomorrow’s training camp for the Lions to try to force the transfer.

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Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – The Italian national team has dropped out of the top 10 of the FIFA Rankings. The body that governs world football has updated its international rankings, which sees the Azzurri (now eleventh) lose two places to Germany (9th) and Croatia (10th). The top five remains unchanged, with Argentina leading the ranking, ahead of Spain (2nd), France (3rd), England (4th), and Brazil (5th). Portugal rose one place after their Nations League victory, now sixth, ahead of the Netherlands (7th) and Belgium (8th). The national team that has made the biggest leap in the rankings is Costa Rica, which has climbed 14 places, settling in 40th.

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(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

NEW YORK (USA) (ITALPRESS) – “Tebas? It’s always the same story. I’ve never heard a president in Italy or England make comments like that.” These were the words of Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the mixed zone, reported by AS, after the defeat against PSG, referring to La Liga’s rejection of the Blancos’ request to postpone their first matchday of the season against Osasuna (scheduled for August 19) to allow them further rest after their summer commitments at the Club World Cup.

“We’re not on vacation; we played the World Cup, an event that is part of the FIFA calendar. We’re the only sport in the world that has 11-12 months of competition, and that’s the mistake. I hope La Liga can postpone the match, maybe even the following week. They may not appreciate the Club World Cup, but it exists, we’re here, and they must respect our rest and our preparation,” Courtois said.

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(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is facing record-high electricity demand due to soaring summer temperatures. The national energy provider, Enemalta, reported consumption of 598 megawatts yesterday—100 megawatts more than the same period last year.

Enemalta’s executive chairman, engineer Ryan Fava, explained that rising temperatures—up to five degrees Celsius higher than in June last year—have put severe pressure on the electricity grid. This demand has already reached its highest point last year, recorded on July 18.

Blackouts have been reported in several locations, prompting Enemalta to deploy temporary generators, including one in Tarxien. Fava noted that 64% of affected consumers saw their supply restored in less than an hour, thanks to infrastructure investments made over the past two years.

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Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta urgently needs to address the length of court proceedings and inefficiencies in the justice system, the European Commission warned in its 2025 Rule of Law Report.

The report criticized a new law that makes it more difficult for citizens to request judicial investigations into alleged crimes, including corruption. It cited stricter evidence requirements, potential legal fees, and a two-year deadline for the transfer of evidence. The Commission noted that these changes have drawn strong criticism, as they weaken a key tool for public accountability.

The EU executive has also condemned Malta’s investor citizenship program. In April, the European Court of Justice ruled that the “golden passport” program violated EU law by commercializing EU citizenship.

Despite increased staffing and new tools available to prosecutors, Malta has yet to secure a significant number of convictions for high-level corruption cases. The Permanent Commission against Corruption has not yet referred any cases to the Attorney General and has not received any new complaints in the past two years.

The report highlighted limited progress regarding press freedom and persistent delays in civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings. The Maltese judiciary remains under-resourced and understaffed compared to other EU countries.

The Ministry of Justice welcomed the report, citing reforms and growing trust in the judiciary. But Nationalist MEP David Casa argued that the government should not be overjoyed, highlighting the lack of measures against corruption and press freedom.

-Photo Ipa Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – One year suspended sentence. Carlo Ancelotti was not sentenced to prison, but, according to Spanish press reports, he was convicted by the Madrid Provincial Court in the trial where he was accused of tax fraud related to 2014. He was acquitted, however, for the same crime, but related to 2015. The Brazil national team coach and former Real Madrid manager was also fined €386,361.

The prosecutor had requested a sentence of four years and nine months in prison for alleged fraud that, according to calculations, amounted to just over €1 million between 2014 (€386,361) and 2015 (€675,718), during his first stint in Spain. According to the prosecution, Ancelotti allegedly omitted from his tax returns the income from the exploitation of image rights sold to other entities. On April 2nd, the Italian coach defended himself with these words: “When Real Madrid proposed selling me their image rights, I contacted my English consultant and then I didn’t worry about it anymore because everything seemed correct to me,” Ancelotti explained.

“I didn’t think there was any fraud, although now that I’m here, I believe things weren’t entirely correct. I’ve never given importance to image rights; it’s the players who sell shirts. I was only interested in receiving the six million net over three years, and I never realized anything was wrong, nor did I receive any communication about an ongoing investigation,” Ancelotti said last April.

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(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

ISTANBUL (TURKEY) (ITALPRESS) – Galatasaray and Victor Osimhen are getting closer. At least that’s the belief of the Turkish club’s vice president, Metin Öztürk, who addressed the issue at the end of the local Football Federation’s meeting. “We have made the necessary offer to Napoli for Victor Osimhen. The matter will be resolved within 48 hours,” he said, as reported by the Turkish press.

There is great optimism among the Istanbul club’s leaders about closing the deal with Napoli and converting the loan for the player this season into a permanent purchase. Napoli still need to be convinced, but Öztürk calls it a “necessary offer,” meaning a proposal that should satisfy the demands of President De Laurentiis’ club, adding that the Nigerian striker “wants Galatasaray.”

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews