VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has pledged to position Malta as Europe’s most “AI-friendly” country through continued investment in emerging technologies.

Speaking during the Office of the Prime Minister’s budget estimates debate in parliament, Abela highlighted that the 2026 Budget allocates €9.3 billion for national spending.

He said progress in the economy now allows Malta to be selective about the foreign investment it welcomes. “This country has advanced so much that we now need new targets and support that is fresh and different,” Abela noted.

The government’s Vision 2050, which will guide future incentives, focuses on four pillars: sustaining 5% annual economic growth, transforming public services, building national resilience through modern education, and making better use of land and sea resources.

Abela acknowledged the ambitious nature of the growth target, pointing out that many EU countries are currently hovering around 1% growth. “This shows how ambitious this target is and how much work, competence, and skill it requires,” he said.

On environmental commitments, Abela insisted his administration has allocated the highest spending ever for the sector — €275 million. He referenced plans to transform Manoel Island and the White Rocks area into a national park.

He also briefly mentioned upcoming planning reforms, saying the message from the public is clear: they must “be done right.”

– Foto IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Achraf Hakimi won the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award, the African Footballer of the Year, at a ceremony held in Rabat. The Paris Saint-Germain full-back—who beat out Momo Salah and Victor Osimhen—had a remarkable 2025: Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, French Super Cup, and UEFA Super Cup, as well as the Club World Cup final with PSG and World Cup qualification with Morocco.

Hakimi, who succeeds Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, is also the first defender to win the award since 1973 (Mazembe center-back Bwanga Tshimen won at the time). The last Moroccan player to be named African Player of the Year was Mustapha Hadji in 1998. Among other accolades, Bubista was named Coach of the Year for leading Cape Verde to its historic first World Cup qualification.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ZURICH (SWITZERLAND) (ITALPRESS) – With qualifying now complete and awaiting the play-offs in March that will decide the final six spots for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has released its updated rankings, which will serve as the basis for tomorrow’s draw. The top three remains unchanged, with Spain leading ahead of Argentina and France, while England is fourth.

Behind them is Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil, who have moved up two spots, overtaking Portugal and the Netherlands. Belgium are eighth, while the debacle against Norway has cost Italy dearly: the Azzurri have dropped three spots and slipped out of the top ten, finishing in 12th place. Germany and Croatia have taken advantage, now ninth and tenth respectively, while Morocco has also moved ahead of Donnarumma and company.

Of note, the USA (14th) has overtaken Mexico (15th), and Fabio Cannavaro’s Uzbekistan has returned to the top 50 after a nine-year absence.

RANKING FIFA

1. Spain 1877.18 points (–)
2. Argentina 1873.33 (–)
3. France 1870.00 (–)
4. England 1834.12 (–)
5. Brazil 1760.46 (+2)
6. Portugal 1760.38 (-1)
7. Holland 1756.27 (-1)
8. Belgium 1730.71 (–)
9. Germany 1724.15 (+1)
10. Croatia 1716.88 (+1)

12. ITALY 1702.06 (-3)

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

KINGSTON (JAMAICA) (ITALPRESS) – Steve McClaren has resigned as Jamaica’s head coach after failing to secure direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The Reggae Boyz needed to beat Curaçao in the final matchday of the Concacaf group stage, but Curaçao held them to a 0–0 draw, enough to finish top of the group and clinch a historic qualification.

Jamaica will now have to go through the intercontinental playoffs, but they will do so without McClaren, the former England manager, who took over in August 2024 from Heimir Hallgrimsson, now in charge of Ireland.

“Over the past 18 months I have given everything to this job, to this role,” McClaren said. “I have carried the weight and pride of this position with the utmost respect. Coaching this team has been one of the greatest honours of my career. But football is a results-driven industry, and we did not achieve our goal, which was to qualify through this group. It is up to me to take responsibility, and after deep reflection and an honest assessment of where we are and where we need to be, I have decided to resign.”

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta’s newly launched National Transport Master Plan 2030 makes no mention of the much-touted metro system, instead reopening debate on a bus rapid transit (BRT) network as a possible mass-transit solution.

Unveiled for public consultation on November 10, the document is intended to guide the country’s road, sea and air transport strategy over the coming years. But despite repeated government references to ongoing metro studies by international consultancy Arup, the project is entirely absent from the plan.

Instead, authorities pledge to “assess the feasibility of a mass rapid transit system,” listing BRT as one of the options under consideration. Such systems rely on dedicated bus lanes to deliver faster, more reliable journeys.

Malta previously explored BRT nearly two decades ago, when a 2007 study by the UK’s Halcrow Group concluded the system had “great scope” for improving mobility. The idea was later shelved, though it resurfaced in political proposals including the Natioanlist Party’s 2022 trackless tram concept and comments by Transport Minister Chris Bonett last year.

The omission of the metro comes as congestion continues to mount. The master plan estimates that traffic cost Malta €400 million—3.6% of GDP—in 2022, a figure projected to soar to €1.28 billion annually by 2050 without decisive intervention.

Government had pledged to unveil a new mass-transit solution by year’s end, with recent discussions centred on scaled-back metro proposals ranging from €2.8 to €6.2 billion. But Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has cautioned that choosing the wrong system could “royally screw” the country given the costs involved.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Malta Fiscal Advisory Council has cautioned that Malta’s continued reliance on domestic demand to fuel economic growth may heighten pressure on infrastructure and undermine fiscal sustainability, while delivering limited long-term gains.

The warning was issued as the council assessed the macroeconomic forecasts underpinning Malta’s draft budgetary plan, which all EU member states are required to submit to the European Commission.

Although the MFAC—an independent body whose members are appointed by the finance minister—said that government projections for 2025 and 2026 fall within an endorsable range, it flagged concerns over next year’s outlook. It noted that the balance of risks for 2025 is “tilted to the downside,” even as risks for 2026 appear broadly balanced.

Government forecasts assume a strong rebound in real GDP growth from the 3.1% registered in the first half of 2025, an assumption the council explicitly disputed.

Beyond the projections themselves, the MFAC stressed that Malta’s growth pattern remains overly dependent on private and public consumption. It reiterated that a shift toward export-led growth is “a pressing priority,” urging support for innovation, export diversification, and the upgrading of competitive sectors.

The council also highlighted the need to tackle structural challenges, including skills mismatches, limited innovation capacity, and the demands of digital and environmental transition.

Fiscal policy, it added, should act as a catalyst for productive investment and reforms that foster sustainable, innovation-driven growth.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – The third and final stage of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup concluded last night, with Curaçao, Haiti, and Panama advancing, while Jamaica and Suriname will play for their all in the playoffs.

Curaçao made a historic first, finishing first in Group B after drawing their direct match in Kingston. Jamaica, however, drew 0-0 at home, advancing to the play-offs. Curaçao, with a population of just over 150,000, made history by becoming the smallest country to reach a World Cup finals. In Group A, Panama, with 12 points, qualified directly. A resounding 3-0 home win in El Salvador (goals from Blackman, Davis, and Puma), while Suriname lost 3-1 in Guatemala, finishing in second place and forced to settle for the play-offs. In Group C, Haiti qualified, thanks to a 2-0 home win over Nicaragua (goals from Deedson and Providence), but also Costa Rica’s 0-0 draw against Honduras. This was Haiti’s second appearance in a World Cup final after 1974.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, and Belgium have qualified for the World Cup. There are now 39 teams already qualified. In addition to Canada, Mexico, and the United States as host nations, the following teams are guaranteed a spot in the final tournament, which will feature 48 teams for the first time:

AFC: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan.

CAF: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.

CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

OFC: New Zealand.

UEFA: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, and Belgium.

Bolivia, New Caledonia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, and the two best runners-up from the final CONCACAF qualifying round have qualified for the intercontinental play-offs, which award three spots; another four spots will be awarded through the European play-offs.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – “The possibility of Italy? My focus has always been Argentina, I’ve never thought of anything else. I’m Argentinian and I want to play for my national team.” Roma striker Matias Soulé told Sport Mediaset, dismissing the possibility of wearing the Azzurri jersey due to his dual citizenship, following his recent exclusions from Scaloni’s Argentina squad.

“I’m calm; the call-up is a reward for my performance at the club, and my focus is on Roma. I’m a little disappointed, because it’s normal to dream of the national team from a young age. But if I continue on this path, the moment will come,” Soulé added.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL) (ITALPRESS) – Once, the news was about his transfers from one club to another — from Real Madrid to Manchester City, from AC Milan to Santos, just to name a few. But Robinho’s life has changed dramatically. Now, the former Brazilian footballer’s transfers involve prisons.

The former AC Milan player, 41, has been moved from Tremembé to the Limeira Resocialization Center. Convicted of rape in Italy, the Brazilian has been in prison since March 2024. According to UOL Esporte, his lawyers requested the transfer from the prison administration, emphasizing his “good conduct” and the benefits offered by a resocialization center for an inmate “serving a sentence of less than ten years, with no prior offenses, and no other charges pending.”

The request was approved, and thanks to the transfer, Robinho — who is serving a 9-year sentence — will be able to receive family visits on weekends and take part in volunteer work, such as “maintaining the city’s common areas.”

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews