WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) (ITALPRESS) – There are still just over six months to go until the start of the World Cup in the United States, but tomorrow an important event is already underway: the group stage draw, which will take place in Washington, where, meanwhile, the World Cup trophy has arrived, displayed at the John F. Kennedy Stadium and presented to the press by one of FIFA’s legends, former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand.

According to the International Football Federation, he will officiate the group stage draw for the 48 teams, along with host Samantha Johnson. Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, and Shaquille O’Neal will also be attending the event.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIO DE JANEIRO (BRAZIL) (ITALPRESS) – After the Libertadores, Flamengo also won the championship. For the eighth time (9 if you count the 1987 title awarded to Sport Recife after a lengthy legal battle), the team is crowned Brazilian champion. Danilo and his teammates, already champions of South America, beat Ceara 1-0 with a goal from Samuel Lino in the 37th minute and now have 78 points, five more than Palmeiras (who they defeated in the Libertadores final last Saturday) with one matchday remaining in the tournament.

A huge celebration at the Maracana in front of nearly 80,000 spectators, with Filipe Luis’s red-black team (which also includes Danilo, Alex Sandro, and Jorginho) completing an extraordinary season with triumphs in the “Campeonato Carioca” and the “Supercopa Rei” as well. “It was an intense week, but above all, a wonderful one. We worked hard all year and won the championship, a super tough competition and different from the Libertadores, where the challenges are of a different nature with one-off matches. We were resilient and balanced, and now we’re enjoying the successes we deserved,” said Danilo, former Juventus captain and leader of Flamengo.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – There will be no moves in January; decisions on redeeming Rashford and renewing Lewandowski will be made later on, while a return of Messi is to be ruled out. And Ter Stegen’s situation needs attention. Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, spoke about the present and future on “Cadena Ser” and ahead of the winter transfer window he made it clear that “we have clear ideas. We had prioritised contract renewals to ensure stability for the future. In January it’s difficult to find good players, and I don’t think we need anyone at the moment. Departures? Not those either”.

There is, however, the Ter Stegen issue: with the World Cup approaching, he will want playing time once he returns from injury. “First he needs to recover”, Deco commented. “When we signed Joan Garcia, we knew it was a choice for both present and future, but everything was sped up by Marc’s injury. No one has a contractual right to play. That’s up to the coach. Every player is free to look for opportunities if they want to play. But Marc isn’t even ready to be called up yet; first he must be available, then he can assess his options”.

There is more certainty around Eric Garcia (“he will renew, but some details are still missing”), while Deco remained tight-lipped both about the possible permanent signing of Rashford (“nothing has been decided; we’re happy with him, he’s giving us a lot, but this isn’t the time to talk about signings”) and about Lewandowski’s contract renewal, which expires at the end of the season.

“At the moment he is our No. 9 and he has a contract. Speculation is normal, but this is not the time to think about it. He has given us a lot and I believe he still has more to offer. We haven’t talked to him yet, because when players reach a certain age these discussions need to be held year by year,” Deco explained. And like Laporta, he dismissed the idea of a return—at least as a player—of Leo Messi: “I don’t think his arrival is possible; he has a contract with Inter Miami. He is a great player, but it’s not a topic right now”.

Speaking of the Argentinian and comparisons with Yamal, and stressing that “we don’t interfere in players’ private lives” the Barça director underlined that “they are different. Messi had no pressure when he started, and he earned his place at the right moment—something Lamine would also do in that context. But Lamine is currently at a different stage”.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is making steady progress on gender equality, yet women continue to face steep economic disadvantages, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality’s revamped 2025 Index. The country scored 58.9 out of 100, ranking 16th in the EU and below the bloc’s average of 63.4. Its weakest areas remain money and time.

The data reveals a stark pay imbalance within Maltese households. While women across the EU earn 77% of men’s annual income, Maltese women in couples earn just 66%. This “ghost quarter” of unpaid labour means women effectively work nearly four extra months to match their partner’s yearly earnings.

Although this reflects improvement from 2015, when women earned only half their partner’s income, gaps remain widest among older couples and families with children.

These disparities follow women into retirement. Malta registers the EU’s largest gender pension gap, with men receiving pensions 40% higher than women. Lower lifetime earnings and reduced pension contributions leave women significantly more vulnerable in old age.

The imbalance is rooted in daily routines: women shoulder most unpaid care work. Among parents, 37% of women spend more than five hours a day on childcare, compared with 14% of men. Women are also twice as likely to perform daily housework.

Despite economic setbacks, Malta recorded its biggest improvement since 2020 in the power domain, rising 14.2 points due to gains in political and social representation and the introduction of the gender correction mechanism in Parliament.

Malta also ranks 8th in health and knowledge, with women’s tertiary education rates far outstripping men’s. Women’s full-time equivalent employment rate has climbed to 52%, among the highest in Europe.

Yet challenges persist. Women’s political participation has dipped, and the gender gap in self-perceived health is widening, with only 75% of women rating their health as good compared to 83% of men. Women aged 65 can now expect to live just 54% of their remaining years in good health, a decline since 2020.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Time is running out for Malta to secure hundreds of millions in EU funding for a mass transport system, according to a forthcoming report commissioned by the Nationalist Party in MEP Peter Agius.

The report argues that although both major parties and NGOs support a mass transit system, Malta has yet to seriously tap into competitive EU funds that could finance much of the project’s hefty cost.

Prepared with the support of the European Parliament’s research services, the report outlines how Malta could use two major EU funding streams—the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the ETS Innovation Fund. Both are highly competitive and require detailed, technically mature project proposals.

A key warning is that Malta risks missing out as negotiations over the next EU budget continue. The island’s rising wealth, now around 105% of the EU average, will see it classified as a “more-developed region” from 2028, reducing access to generous traditional funds such as the Cohesion Fund, which currently covers up to 85% of major transport projects. Future funding would drop to roughly 40–50%, leaving taxpayers with a far larger bill.

Competitive funding is the only alternative, but Malta performs poorly in this area due to limited administrative capacity and fewer large research institutions capable of drafting winning bids.

Agius said Malta should lobby urgently in Brussels and seek alliances with other islands, including Cyprus and Ireland, to secure recognition of the specific mobility challenges faced by island regions.

For CEF eligibility, Malta must show that its mass transport system forms part of Europe’s wider network, not merely a local upgrade. For the ETS Innovation Fund, the project must present itself as a cutting-edge, net-zero mobility solution with substantial decarbonisation impact.

In a joint reply, the Finance, Transport and EU Funds ministries said no applications have been submitted because the proposal is still being developed with Arup. Once route selection, engineering designs and environmental studies are complete, they said, Malta will be in a better position to pursue EU opportunities.

The government also noted recent successes in securing CEF funds for maritime decarbonisation and dismissed concerns about post-2027 classifications, insisting current funding windows remain open.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ZURICH (SWITZERLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Starting Monday, the 15th, clubs will have to release their players to the national teams competing in the Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. FIFA announced this in agreement with the stakeholders. This decision is in line with the same principle used for the 2022 World Cup, with the loan period being reduced by seven days and starting on Monday, December 15, 2025.

Furthermore, the International Football Federation continues, it has been decided to urge the member associations participating in the Africa Cup of Nations and the clubs releasing players during the loan period for continental competitions to hold good faith discussions to find appropriate solutions on a case-by-case basis. If, after these bilateral meetings, the release of players remains controversial, FIFA will mediate between the two parties and apply guidelines that take into account the circumstances of each case, including factors relating to match scheduling. in the competitions concerned, the venues and any other relevant factors.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LIVERPOOL (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Clubs in the Saudi Pro League are said to remain committed to signing Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah. In recent months, the Egyptian striker had declined a monstrous offer to sign himself to Liverpool for another two years, but so far the Reds’ season has been well below expectations, and Slot has excluded Salah from the last match against West Ham. According to “Talksport,” Saudi Arabia could once again come knocking on the 33-year-old striker’s door: Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal and Al Qadsiah are said to be the clubs most interested.

Any potential transfer would still be finalized at the end of the season, with Liverpool having already identified a possible replacement: Rodrygo. The 24-year-old Brazilian is not considered unsellable by Real Madrid (he has played just 330 minutes in the league so far), so much so that he could even be sold in January, and both the Reds and Arsenal – “Caughtoffside” reports – are preparing an offer to submit to Florentino Perez, who values ​​him between €85 and €90 million.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – The Libyan capital, Tripoli, is gearing up to host the fifth consecutive edition of the Tripoli Media Days from December 9 to 11. The annual event brings together a select group of journalists, local and international experts, and content creators to discuss the challenges of digital journalism and the evolution of government communication.

This year’s edition will feature a series of forums and exhibitions designed to foster dialogue and the exchange of experiences in the field of digital media, in line with ongoing technological advancements. The event will open with the two-day Libyan Media Forum, held under the theme “A Renewed Message and a Digital Future.” The forum includes panel discussions and an awards ceremony recognizing excellence in media.

Running parallel to the media forum, the three-day Libya Media Expo will host pavilions from international platforms, along with specialised and academic workshops, and spaces dedicated to local companies and photographers.

The Tripoli Media Days will also feature the Tripoli Forum for Government Communication 2025, which focuses on strengthening the relationship between official institutions and the public, as well as the Arab-International Forum for Media Dialogue, aimed at building communication bridges with media institutions beyond Libya’s borders.

The event is sponsored by the Libyan Government of National Unity and organised under the supervision of the Office of the Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs, Walid Al-Lafi.

-Photo Press Office of the Government of National Unity-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – A sour note for Barcelona. During the goal that made it 2-1 against Atlético Madrid, a match the Blaugrana went on to win, Dani Olmo fell badly and injured his shoulder.

The former Leipzig player, who had put in his best performance of the season so far, was forced to ask for a substitution, and his feelings aren’t the best: the shoulder is the same one he underwent surgery on in November 2023, which forced him out for a couple of months. According to Catalan media, Olmo risks a sideline of at least three weeks, but his 2025 campaign almost certainly ended yesterday.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MARSEILLE (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – Marseille had also set their sights on Kevin De Bruyne, whose contract with Manchester City is expiring. Mehdi Benatia, former Roma and Juventus defender and now OM sporting director, revealed to the broadcaster “RMC” that he contacted the Belgian last summer: “I wanted to meet him, discuss things. He was free. I thought it could work with De Zerbi. But he was already too far along with Napoli.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews