VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Alex Borg met formally for the first time as party leaders on Friday evening, striking a conciliatory tone and pledging to put national interest above partisan rivalry. The meeting, held at the Labour Party’s Headquarters, began with brief remarks to the press before continuing behind closed doors. It followed Abela’s invitation earlier this week to the newly elected Nationalist Party leader.

Abela congratulated Borg, calling the encounter the start of “more exciting times” for Malta. He urged both parties to work together “without going into personal fights,” stressing the importance of consensus on national projects such as land reclamation, the freeport’s regeneration, and the appointment of a new chief justice. The Labour leader emphasised strengthening institutions and promoting a respectful political culture, saying Malta must “keep the white and red flag flying.” He also confirmed that the 2026 budget date would be announced shortly, amid speculation about an early election. However, Abela flagged ongoing disagreements over public financing of political parties, insisting tax money should be reserved for the common good.

Borg, Malta’s youngest Opposition leader at 30, echoed the call for collaboration. Promising to “go beyond red and blue,” he pledged to represent all Maltese and Gozitans, and to promote youth involvement in politics. Still, he criticised the government’s failure to consult the Opposition on Helena Dalli’s recent appointment as acting president, urging more transparency in such decisions. Both leaders were flanked by their deputies, with observers noting the unusually conciliatory tone on both sides.

– Photo Malta Nationalist Party –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Xabi Alonso may have celebrated too soon. The Spanish coach had expressed satisfaction that all his internationals returned without issues, but Antonio Rüdiger did not board the flight to San Sebastián, where Los Blancos face Real Sociedad tomorrow in La Liga.

Medical tests revealed an injury to the rectus femoris in his left leg, suffered late in training. Real Madrid have not specified a recovery timeline, but Spanish media report a 10–12 week layoff. This would see him miss, among other matches, Atlético and Barcelona in La Liga, as well as Liverpool and Juventus in the Champions League.

Still sidelined are Camavinga and Endrick – the closest to returning – along with Bellingham and Mendy.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – “He’s tall, he’s huge… All goalkeepers make saves, they bring personality and presence. Gigio has already done it in the most important matches, he will concede goals but we’ll all help him try to prevent that.” Pep Guardiola is enjoying the arrival of Donnarumma, who could already feature in Sunday’s derby against Manchester United.

The arrival of the former PSG keeper could reduce playing time for James Trafford “but he’s also a City goalkeeper. Only one can play, but the season is so long that everyone will be involved. Maybe they don’t believe it, but that’s how it will be.”

Speaking again about Donnarumma, Guardiola added: “I always try to adapt to the qualities of the players. I won’t ask Gigio to do something he’s not comfortable with, I won’t ask him to do what Ederson did—he has different qualities. But Ederson wanted a new challenge and the market gave us the opportunity to sign Gigio. He’s only 26 but already has incredible experience.”

At City since the summer of 2016, Guardiola could follow in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson, who stayed 27 years at United. “I’ve said many times I don’t know what will happen, results decide and it’s up to me to have a good season. I won’t stay if the club feels it needs a change. But as of today, I want to do much more than last season. I like to look ahead, I don’t know how long I’ll stay: when I first arrived, I signed for three years and I never expected to be here a decade later—I’m proud of that. What I want is to keep helping this club,” he concluded.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BENGHAZI (LIBYA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – From September 9 to 11, 2025, a delegation from Gruppo San Donato and GKSD, led by President Kamel Ghribi, took part in a mission to Benghazi at the invitation of local authorities. Doctors, engineers, and managers visited some of the city’s main healthcare facilities, including the Benghazi Medical Centre, the new pediatric and maternal-infant hospitals, the oncology centre, and the Al-Marj Medical Education Center.

The mission, strongly promoted by President Ghribi, is part of the international cooperation strategy that GSD and GKSD are pursuing to strengthen the Libyan healthcare system. The identified areas of intervention concern the modernization of the Benghazi Medical Centre, the training of local staff through collaboration programmes with Italy, the launch of the new hospitals, and the development of telemedicine and remote second opinions.

“I see very encouraging signs at the conclusion of this important Libyan mission,” stated President Kamel Ghribi at the end of the visit. “Our commitment is to contribute with expertise and vision to the growth of the Libyan healthcare system, bringing to the country the best practices developed in Italy to guarantee health, hope, and a future for its citizens.”

– Photo GKSD –

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Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – “I can’t wait for the first match. I’ll give it my all. I’m very motivated, enthusiastic, I have confidence in myself, and I’ll respond on the pitch.” Having returned from Argentina, Nico Gonzalez was presented as a new player for Atlético Madrid. The Argentine arrives on loan from Juventus with an option to buy—which becomes mandatory if he plays 21 of the remaining 35 La Liga games—set at €32 million. “I’ve only been here a short time, but I already feel part of this family. It’s been wonderful. I train with top-class players, who are good people, and the fans have also shown me their affection.”

The Juventus experience didn’t go as he expected, but “I’m 27 years old, I still have many goals to achieve. We’ll aim to reach as high as possible; this is Atlético, it’s an ambitious club. I see the boys with a lot of desire, like me.” Gonzalez joined the Colchoneros on the last day of the transfer window, but “I pushed a bit to be here. When it’s my turn, I’ll give my life for this jersey”.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta’s plummeting fertility rate is “the greatest challenge of our time,” Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told social partners on Friday. Speaking at the launch of the annual pre-budget document, he echoed Archbishop Charles Scicluna’s warning that the country risks “ethnic extinction.”

Caruana highlighted that many Maltese who have one child never go on to have a second. “Where will our population be in 50 years’ time? Will we be at a point of no return?” he asked. In 1985, around 6,000 Maltese children were born; today, the figure has dropped to 3,000, meaning 3,000 fewer Maltese each year.

The minister criticized politicians for focusing on “petty issues” while ignoring the demographic crisis. “It’s a shame that politicians don’t speak about this because it doesn’t win us votes at the next election,” he said. Caruana also linked Malta’s low fertility to insufficient educational ambitions, urging individuals to invest in skills, noting that families with more than two children often have higher incomes, partly due to such investments.

Although last year’s budget introduced financial incentives for families, Caruana acknowledged that these measures address only part of the problem. “Future steps need to be greater,” he said, citing financial barriers and lack of time as persistent challenges.

Turning to the upcoming budget, Caruana promised a “fiscally responsible” plan to maintain steady economic growth. He praised Malta’s resilience amid global instability, pointing to wars in Ukraine and Gaza and ongoing trade tensions, while highlighting GDP growth around 4%—three times the EU average.

Despite debt topping €11 billion, Caruana said Malta’s debt-to-GDP ratio has declined to 48%, well below the EU average. Energy and food subsidies will continue, though they have fallen from 1.8% of GDP in 2022 to 0.7% today.

Caruana attributed Malta’s economic success to rising employment, noting the country has moved from the bottom to the top of EU employment participation. He described government income improvements through better tax collection as a “silent revolution” allowing increased spending without raising taxes.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A strong majority of Maltese support European Union membership for nine out of ten candidate countries, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.

Malta shows absolute majority backing for Albania (57%), North Macedonia (57%), Moldova (54%), Montenegro (54%), Serbia (53%), Ukraine (53%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (51%) and Georgia (51%). Kosovo receives relative majority support at 47%, while Turkey’s bid is opposed by 47% of respondents. Although Turkey remains an official candidate, its EU accession process has been effectively frozen since 2018 due to concerns over democratic backsliding.

Across the EU, Ukraine emerges as the most supported candidate. Maltese support for Ukraine, at 53%, is lower than in 14 other member states, including Sweden (91%) and Denmark (81%), but higher than in 12 others, with Hungary (30%) and Bulgaria (31%) showing the least support. Malta stands out as the most optimistic EU country regarding enlargement, with 74% expressing a positive view. This surpasses Poland (72%) and Ireland (67%). Czechia (41%), France (43%), and Greece (44%) register the lowest optimism. Nearly half of Maltese respondents (47%) see the greatest benefit of EU enlargement as creating a larger market for businesses. Migration concerns top the list of worries (49%), followed by corruption, organised crime, and terrorism (42%), and erosion of European values (36%). Only 20% worry about the financial cost, compared with 37% across the EU.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – “I don’t dream of winning the Ballon d’Or, I dream of winning lots of them.” Lamine Yamal, interviewed by José Ramón de la Morena during “Resonancia de Corazon,” makes no secret of his ambitions.

“I tell my friends too, I have the qualities to do it. If it doesn’t happen, it would be because I haven’t done things right,” adds the Barcelona striker. “If the Ballon d’Or arrives, I’ll be very happy, but first I have to win with my team.”

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ZURICH (SWITZERLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Just 24 hours before the opening of the registration period for the “Visa Presale Draw” for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has already received an impressive number of requests: over 1.5 million fans from 210 countries have completed the registration.

The largest number of requests come from the United States, Mexico, and Canada, followed by Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, England, Spain, Portugal, and Germany. The “Visa Presale” Draw represents the first phase of ticket sales and registration is open until 11 a.m. on September 19. After a random selection process, the lucky ones will receive an email notification starting September 29th, with the date and time slot assigned for ticket purchases (subject to availability), starting October 1st. Fans can secure group stage tickets starting at $60, but tickets will also be available for individual matches (all 104 scheduled), for a specific venue, and for a specific team. Subsequent sales will begin in October.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

TIRANA (ALBANIA) (ITALPRESS) – The Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, home of Atlético Madrid, will host the 2027 men’s Champions League final. The UEFA Executive Committee decided this at its meeting in Tirana.

The 2027 Women’s Champions League final will be played at the National Stadium in Warsaw, while the previous year’s European Super Cup will be held in Salzburg. As for futsal, Pesaro will host the 2026 Champions League final, while the 2027 Under-19 European Championship will be played in Astana, and the Women’s European Championship in Osijek, Croatia.

Finally, an amendment to the regulations for the 2025-26 European competitions was approved to allow the temporary substitution of a maximum of one outfield player in the event of injury or long-term illness during the group stage, up to and including matchday six. The next Executive meeting is scheduled for December 3 in Nyon.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews