MONACO (MONTECARLO) (ITALPRESS) – “The recent defeats all have the same common denominator. We played better than our opponents and created a lot, but in the end we lost. We certainly won’t change our way of playing, though.” This was stated by PSG coach Luis Enrique to Sky Sport on the eve of the first leg of the Champions League playoffs, away against Monaco. The Parisians, who dropped to second place in Ligue 1, overtaken by Lens, are returning to the competition they won for the first time in their history last year. Luis Enrique’s men start their campaign against Monaco, where they lost 1-0 in the league. “We’re always trying to improve. Both offensively and defensively. We’re ‘different’ than last season and also than the Ligue 1 match against Monaco. After all, our opponents are ‘different’ too,” added the PSG coach.

“Siamo felici a prescindere. Avremmo meritato di più nella prima fase di questa competizione, ma giochiamo comunque questo playoff con tanta convinzione: ci piace sempre giocare in Champions”, ha concluso Luis Enrique.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LONDON (ITALPRESS) – Christian Pulisic has several admirers in the Premier League. According to a report from the English website Caughtoffside, Milan could seriously consider offers of €70-80 million for the American winger at the end of the season, a figure that would match the Rossoneri’s sporting and financial ambitions.

The former Dortmund player, who has just over a year left on his contract, is reportedly being eyed by Tottenham Hotspur, who need quality midfielders, Arsenal, who have been monitoring him for some time and are particularly attracted by his goalscoring ability, and Manchester United, who are keen to revamp their attacking lineup.

For the American, it would be a return to the Premier League after four years at Chelsea, during which he appeared 146 times, scoring 26 goals and also winning the 2021 Champions League. Aiming to return to a league he already knows and where he wouldn’t need much time to adapt, the player is said to be open to a return to England, with the final decision now being made by the Rossoneri management, who are aware that they would still need to replace him with someone equally valuable.

– photo IPA Agency –

Source: medNews

LONDON (ITALPRESS) – Shy signs of recovery from Newcastle in Birmingham. Eddie Howe’s Magpies advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup by defeating Aston Villa, securing their second consecutive away victory.

At Villa Park, the standout performer was an outstanding Sandro Tonali, who scored for the first time this season, netting a brace and bringing an end to a goal drought that had lasted for months. During the January transfer window, in which the Italian midfielder had been linked with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, rumors had grown increasingly persistent about a less-than-ideal relationship with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe.

After Saturday’s win, Tonali—whose first part of the season had fallen well short of expectations (as he himself admitted)—spoke publicly again to address those rumors suggesting he was set to leave St James’ Park and speculating about his relationship with the English coach.

“The celebration for the first goal was one of relief, the kind of reaction from a player who hasn’t managed to score for seven months; after the second goal, however, I went straight over to Eddie (Howe), because in recent weeks there has been a lot of talk about our relationship, even though everything between us is absolutely perfect,” said the former AC Milan player.

Happy and confident, he praised the team, emphasizing how their focus in training remains consistently high day after day, especially because of a very packed schedule that sees them play every three days.

Following their second consecutive away win (the first being the 1–2 victory against Tottenham), his hopes are to see a more self-assured Newcastle, eager to climb back up the league table and to “return to Wembley” in the FA Cup.

This is good news both for the Magpies, who are now entering the most crucial phase of the season, and for our national team, which, just over a month before the decisive playoffs to qualify for this summer’s World Cup, sees one of its most important stars shining brightly once again.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

V ALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – TomTom, a Dutch navigation and location-technology company, has ranked Malta as the world’s second most congested country, trailing only Colombia, in its latest Traffic Index.

The 15th annual study found Malta recorded an average congestion level of 45.1% in 2025, meaning journeys took nearly half as long again compared to free-flow conditions. Colombia topped the list at 48.8%, while Philippines gained the third position with 44.6%.

In the Valletta area, drivers lost 94 hours to peak-hour traffic over the year — almost four hours more than in 2024 — equivalent to nearly four full days spent in congestion. A 10-kilometre commute during rush hour averaged just over 27 minutes.

Malta ranked first in Europe, ahead of larger economies such as India, Singapore, Japan and the United Kingdom. The United States placed 54th globally with 19% congestion.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Leonardo will supply four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence, providing the capabilities needed to cope with modern submarine and sea surface threats, to guarantee effective Search and Rescue (SAR) services and to perform transport and airdrop missions. Deliveries to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, which becomes the 21st operator of the type globally, are expected to start in 2029.

This significant achievement confirms the strong bond between Leonardo and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, increasing the number of C-27Js ordered by KSA users, following the recent (Summer 2025) in-country acquisition of two units dedicated to firefighting, cargo transport and medical evacuation tasks.

It also marks the first time the C- 27J MPA is procured with maritime weapon system integration capability. A further evidence of the platform’s versatility, able to uniquely combine transport, disaster response and multi-domain surveillance capabilities.

-Photo Leonardo press office-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced a reform that will allow young people between the ages of 16 and 18 to run businesses and manage bank accounts without their parents’ court approval. Abela explained that the measure will facilitate young people’s participation.

in the research and innovation market, without providing further details. Under current Maltese law, 16- and 17-year-olds remain under their parents’ authority for business matters. To legally trade, minors must go through a complex civil court process to sign binding contracts.

Banks often deny young people business accounts, citing their limited liability for debts. The reform aims to remove these obstacles and give young people greater autonomy in entrepreneurship.

Experts argue that the change could stimulate youth innovation, especially in Malta’s technology and research sectors.

-Photo Labour Party-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

NOTTINGHAM (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Nottingham Forest has announced the appointment of Vitor Pereira as its new manager on an 18-month contract. The 57-year-old Portuguese coach becomes the club’s fourth manager since the start of the season, a record in Premier League history. Pereira replaces Sean Dyche, who was dismissed after the disappointing goalless draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Forest currently lie in 17th place in the league table, just three points ahead of the relegation zone and with just two wins in the last ten matches.

The manager’s debut is scheduled for Monday with the first training session at the City Ground. His debut in charge, however, will come in a high-profile European match: the first leg of the Europa League knockout play-offs against his former club Fenerbahce, scheduled for Thursday in Turkey. In the league, however, the first test will be the home match against Liverpool. Pereira’s return to England comes just a few months after being sacked by Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he had been in charge for eleven months.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MARSEILLE (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – A new shakeup at the top of Marseille: following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi, sporting director Medhi Benatia has also chosen to leave the French club. The decision was announced today in a short message posted on his official Instagram profile, in which the 38-year-old formalized the end of his time at Marseille. “After a long consideration, I have taken responsibility and decided, on Monday, February 9, to end my collaboration with OM,” Benatia said, explaining that, despite the evolving sporting project, the overall context could no longer be ignored: “Despite recent setbacks, the project is progressing from a sporting point of view, but I cannot ignore the current climate.” The manager spoke openly about an increasingly tense environment: “I sense a growing dissatisfaction, which I deeply regret. In Marseille, the result is the only judge,” he also admitted that he “hasn’t managed to calm the atmosphere around the Marseille team.”

“You know my frankness and transparency; therefore, given the tensions surrounding the management, I have indeed submitted my resignation, because in my opinion the club will always come before individuals, and I don’t want my presence to become an obstacle or burden to the organization and its development,” he added, reiterating, however, that the team remains “still in the running” for qualification for next year’s Champions League, which is “within our reach,” and the possibility of competing for the French Cup.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – As Carnival celebrations coincided with Valentine’s Day, Malta International Airport experienced a surge in traffic, with thousands of passengers moving through the terminal at the start of one of the year’s busiest weekends.

The airport is expecting around 121,000 passengers to travel between 13 and 17 February, as holidaymakers take advantage of the long weekend to celebrate love and Carnival festivities across Europe.

Paris continues to rank among the top destinations for couples planning a romantic escape. Flights are operating four times weekly to Orly, daily to Charles de Gaulle and twice weekly to Beauvais, offering travellers flexible options to reach the French capital.

Venice Treviso, served daily from Malta, is also drawing strong interest from those eager to experience the world-famous Venetian Carnival, renowned for its elaborate masks and centuries-old traditions.

Cologne has emerged as another popular choice, with three weekly flights connecting Malta to Germany’s largest street festival, famous for its colourful parades and vibrant celebrations.

The busy February period follows a strong start to 2026 for the airport. January saw 594,889 passenger movements recorded, underlining continued growth in traffic.

Seat capacity increased by 13.7 per cent year-on-year to 781,475 seats, while the seat load factor rose by 2.3 percentage points to reach 76.1 per cent.

The airport’s busiest day of the year so far fell on 3 January, when 35,166 passenger movements were handled across 207 scheduled and charter flights.

Italy remained the airport’s largest market in January, accounting for 109,296 passengers and an 18.4 per cent market share. Poland followed with 15.3 per cent, ahead of the United Kingdom at 15.7 per cent, Germany at 6.5 per cent and Spain at 5.7 per cent.

With departure halls already bustling and flights operating at a steady pace, airport authorities are bracing for several more days of intense activity as travellers head abroad to mark the season’s twin celebrations.

– photo Malta International Airport –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MUNICH, GERMANY (ITALPRESS) – “At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, dialogue is not a ritual, but a concrete responsibility. In a time marked by tensions, conflicts, and the redefinition of global balances, Munich remains one of the few places where politics, defense, the economy, and civil society engage with realism and vision.”
This was stated by Kamel Ghribi, President of Ecam – The European Corporate Council on Africa and the Middle East – on the occasion of the Munich Security Conference.

“I had the pleasure of meeting with Defense Minister Guido Crosetto,” Ghribi continued, “with whom we shared a frank reflection on Italy’s role in an increasingly complex international scenario: European security, transatlantic relations, industrial cooperation, and responsibility in the broader Mediterranean. Italy can and must be a factor of stability and reliability.”

He also described as significant his discussion with Massad Fares Boulos, U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs. “Africa and the Middle East are not peripheries, but strategic crossroads for the global future,” Ghribi stressed. “Dialogue, development, and serious partnerships are the true infrastructure of security.”

Equally important, he added, was his meeting with Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. “In an international context marked by new polarisations, keeping channels of communication open with all major powers is essential to preserving balance and stability. Security does not arise from isolation, but from cooperation. And Munich reminds us that keeping dialogue open—even when the world grows more rigid—is the first form of leadership,” he concluded.

-Photo screenshot video Ecam-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews