VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta’s labour-driven economic expansion is approaching its limits, the International Monetary Fund has warned, urging a shift toward productivity-led growth.

In its latest assessment, the IMF praised Malta’s strong recent performance but said the current model, heavily reliant on labour supply, is straining under infrastructure constraints, high population density and tight labour markets.

The Fund noted that Malta’s population density is now 15 times higher than the EU average, making continued reliance on foreign worker inflows unsustainable.

Instead, it called for a “strategic pivot” toward productivity-driven expansion to sustain long-term growth.

On public finances, the IMF highlighted progress in deficit reduction. The fiscal deficit fell from 4.4% of GDP in 2023 to an estimated 3.2% in 2025, with authorities targeting 2.6% by 2026.

Public debt remains stable and sustainable at around 47% of GDP.

However, the IMF recommended phasing out broad energy subsidies, which are projected to cost 0.8% of GDP in 2025, to free up resources for infrastructure and green transition investments.

Malta’s financial sector was described as resilient, though the Fund urged close monitoring of banks’ exposure to property. Loans to construction and real estate account for 72% of private sector lending.

Structural bottlenecks continue to weigh on the business environment, particularly in the labour market and judiciary.

Labour shortages are acute, with 68% of services firms reporting staffing difficulties, compared with an EU average of 24%.

The IMF called for a more targeted, skills-based migration policy and stronger domestic upskilling efforts.

While the economic outlook remains positive, the Fund warned of downside risks from geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts, which could disrupt trade and trigger renewed energy price spikes in Malta’s highly open economy.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

TURIN (ITALPRESS) – “This opportunity is too important, and for this reason I am speaking Italian for the first time. Kenan Yildiz has renewed his contract with Juventus until 2030. He is a true champion. Kenan is a talent. He has consistency, ambition, a sense of responsibility, and he puts all of this at the service of the team. Thank you, Kenan, for deciding to stay with us. With him, we want to build the Juventus of the future. This is a first step. We will continue to work for Juventus and for our fans.” So said Damien Comolli, Chief Executive Officer of Juventus, during a press conference.

“I would like to thank John Elkann, Comolli, the entire Juventus club, the fans, and my teammates,” said Kenan Yildiz, Juventus forward, during the press conference following the renewal of his contract until 2030. “I am sure we will achieve great things in the future. I love this club, and I am certain that the fans are my family. Until the end.”

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has been shrouded in Saharan dust in recent days, driving air pollution to levels far exceeding international health guidelines.

Airborne particle concentrations have surpassed six times the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily limit, according to data from the country’s monitoring network.

Satellite imagery from the EU’s Copernicus programme shows a vast plume of dust stretching from North Africa across the Mediterranean and beyond Sicily.

Malta’s five air quality stations — Attard, Għarb, Msida, Żejtun and St Paul’s Bay — registered sharp spikes in pollution on Wednesday and Thursday morning, with levels continuing to climb.

All stations recorded PM10 concentrations more than four times the WHO’s 24-hour mean limit of 45µg/m³. Most peaked near 250µg/m³, while Msida approached 300µg/m³.

Meteorological officials said the dust originated in the Sahara and was carried over the central Mediterranean by strong southwesterly winds. Conditions are expected to improve in the coming hours.

PM10 particles, small enough to enter the respiratory system, are linked to worsened asthma, respiratory infections and other health risks. Typical sources include construction, traffic emissions, landfills and wildfires.

Environmental experts noted that although the dust degrades air quality, it also plays a natural ecological role.

Marine biologist Alan Deidun said Saharan dust, rich in iron and trace elements, acts as a fertiliser for marine ecosystems, supporting plankton growth weeks after major events.

He added that the dust can also benefit terrestrial plants in Malta’s typically alkaline soils and has even been traced as far as the Amazon rainforest.

Saharan dust episodes are a recurring feature in Malta, often creating hazy skies and coating surfaces in fine sand.

– Photo EU Copernicus programme –

Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Barcelona has definitively closed the door on the Super League project, currently known as Liga Unify. With an official statement, the Blaugrana club has formalized its complete and irrevocable exit from a competition that, since its announcement on April 19, 2021, has deeply divided European football.

The decision marks a historic turning point: Barcelona was one of the twelve founding clubs of the Super League, along with Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan, Milan, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester United.

Nearly five years after the project’s inception, the initiative has gradually faded, culminating in the Catalan club’s official withdrawal today. In a statement released by the management led by Joan Laporta, Barcelona, ​​AS reports, explained the decision by emphasizing that “the multiple disagreements in the creation of the Super League…” led to a definitive decision. According to the club, “the impossibility of carrying out the project for reasons not attributable to Barcelona” led to an exit “formally and irrevocably” sanctioned “for the best interests of the club and its members.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

 

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – La Liga has postponed the match between Rayo Vallecano and Real Oviedo, a matchday 23 fixture, just hours before kick-off today at 2:00 PM at the Estadio de Vallecas. A new date for the rescheduled match has yet to be determined.

The decision was made official “to protect the physical safety of the players,” according to a statement. “The decision was made after noting that, at present, the pitch does not offer the necessary guarantees to play the match in safe conditions,”

La Liga explains. However, it acknowledges the “considerable efforts” made by the club to allow the match to proceed “regularly. However, adverse weather conditions during the work, as well as the forecast for the next few hours, with continuous rain, prevented the pitch from reaching the optimal condition required.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – “Paris Saint-Germain has received a visit from a bailiff, who has filed an order at the club’s headquarters ‘demanding’ the Parisian club to pay what it still owes Kylian Mbappé.” “L’Equipe” reports, specifying that this occurred today and follows the lawsuit between the two parties, initiated following the player’s departure from Paris in the summer of 2024. Mbappé is still demanding approximately six million euros.

“At the end of December 2025, the Paris labor court ordered PSG to pay its former player €60.9 million, including €55 million in miscellaneous wages and unpaid bonuses, plus paid leave and interest totaling approximately €5.9 million. A request was made for provisional enforcement of the judgment. However, PSG paid the €55 million in miscellaneous wages and bonuses, but not the final sum,” the online edition of the famous French sports newspaper continues.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – The Basque derby between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad and the Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona. These are the Copa del Rey semifinals following today’s draw.

The first legs will be played on Wednesday, February 11, and Thursday, February 12, respectively. The return leg, with the venues reversed, is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, with Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid, followed by Real Sociedad vs. Athletic Bilbao on March 4. The final will be played on April 18 in Seville.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – On February 8, Italy’s Minister for Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, will officially inaugurate the new headquarters of the Med-Or Italian Foundation for Africa in Nairobi. The opening of the Kenyan office, the Foundation’s first abroad, marks a strategic step in strengthening its operational presence on the continent and its commitment to promoting concrete, structured and equal partnerships.

The new Nairobi headquarters will enable the Foundation to establish a direct presence in Africa, with the capacity to operate across the continent. This will help strengthen dialogue with local partners, enhance cooperation with African governments and institutions, and deepen understanding of Africa’s economic, social and political transformations.

The choice of Nairobi also reflects Kenya’s central role as a strategic platform for Africa as a whole. The country stands out for its political stability, economic dynamism and growing ability to attract international investment, while serving as a key commercial, technological and logistical hub for the continent.

In addition, the Nairobi office will serve as an operational centre for coordinating, promoting and monitoring the Foundation’s projects and initiatives focused on development and sustainable growth in African countries, the exchange of expertise between Italy and local partners, and cooperation between the public and private sectors.

“Med-Or’s work in Africa represents a strategic contribution to strengthening partnerships with African countries and the continent as a whole. The Foundation’s active presence in Kenya, in collaboration with the Ministry of Universities and Research, is a tangible investment in education, knowledge and innovation—essential drivers of solid and lasting growth,” Minister Bernini said. “Our shared goal is to invest in skills and human capital, supporting paths of economic and social transformation based on responsibility, innovation, and the enhancement of local territories and communities.”

“With the inauguration of the Nairobi headquarters, Med-Or is taking a step fully consistent with its vision: working in Africa, with Africa,” said Foundation President Marco Minniti. “A direct presence on the ground allows us to build stronger, more equal relationships with governments, institutions and local stakeholders, reinforcing a model of cooperation centred on dialogue, skills and mutual respect.”

Through this initiative, the Med-Or Italian Foundation reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the international dimension of its activities and to contributing to the development of long-term strategic relationships with key actors across the African continent.

– Photo: IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA) (ITALPRESS) – “No player is more important than a club and the system.” This, in a nutshell, is the position of the Saudi Pro League regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s behavior. In protest, he has already skipped one match and could miss the next as well, claiming that the PIF fund, which manages the top four clubs in the league, favors Al Hilal (see the signing of Benzema) and penalizes his Al Nassr.

In a statement released through its spokesperson, the League responded to CR7 in fairly strong terms: “The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: each club operates independently under the same rules. Clubs have their own boards of directors and management. Decisions regarding signings, spending, and strategy are made by them, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. This framework applies equally across the entire league. Cristiano has been fully committed to Al Nassr since his arrival and has played a key role in the club’s growth and project. Like any elite player, he wants to win. But no individual, no matter how important, makes decisions that go beyond his own club.”

–  Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The President of the Republic of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono, has urged the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to reach an agreement in Parliament on the appointment of the next Head of the Judiciary and the Supreme Court, clarifying that she will not participate in the discussions.

The President made her position known during separate meetings with Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Alex Borg, held last night at San Anton Palace.

In a statement released after the meetings, the President emphasized that the issue depends on a vote in the House of Representatives and must be resolved exclusively by members of Parliament.

She stated that both leaders “have the wisdom necessary to reach an agreement in the interests of the courts, the administration of justice, the rule of law, the state, and above all, our people”.

-Photo Office of the President of Malta-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews