BUENOS AIRES (ARGENTINA) (ITALPRESS) – “A win, and thank you for the enduring love. I am happy to have become the third-highest goalscorer in the history of this national team. Let’s push on for more success.” This was posted on Instagram by Inter striker and captain Lautaro Martinez, who, with a goal in a friendly against Burkina Faso last night, drew level with Kun Agüero for third place on the national team’s all-time scoring list with 42 goals.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – “We must pay tribute to his great career.” That was the comment from France head coach Zinedine Zidane regarding Cristiano Ronaldo‘s likely departure from the Portuguese national team following last Wednesday’s dramatic falling-out with his coach, Jorge Jesus—who had announced that CR7 would be benched (for the second consecutive time) on the eve of the Nations League match against Norway. “I was fortunate enough to have him with me, and what he has achieved is exceptional,” Zidane said during a press conference at Clairefontaine.

“He helped me win incredible things. So, hats off to Cristiano. I always have great respect for players in general, but even more so for those with whom I’ve shared a journey—and especially for Cristiano, who helped us win so much.” Speaking about tomorrow’s match against Belgium, Zidane announced some changes: “There will be changes, that’s for sure; it’s our fourth game in a row, so we can’t take unnecessary risks. We’ll make smart changes—changes aimed, above all, at keeping us competitive.”

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ALGIERS (ALGERIA) (ITALPRESS) – Algeria could reach a Gross Domestic Product of $400 billion by the end of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated this during his regular interview with national press representatives, broadcast on Saturday evening. According to Tebboune, this result would be driven by investment momentum and ongoing projects across various economic sectors.

The President also pointed to economic growth exceeding 3.8%, with the potential to reach 4.2%. Tebboune stated that the country also aims to raise stable revenues from non-hydrocarbon sectors to at least $50 billion, highlighting the commitment to diversifying the national economy’s revenue sources. Finally, the President reiterated that Algeria does not intend to resort to loans from the International Monetary Fund.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

CAIRO (EGYPT) (ITALPRESS) – The Grand Egyptian Museum has welcomed nearly 4 million visitors between its opening in November 2025 and the end of August 2026. This figure was announced by the Egyptian Cabinet’s Media Center in an infographic published on social media. The data confirms the growing interest in Egypt’s major cultural destinations and the museum’s role in promoting ancient Egyptian heritage. According to the Media Center, various international publications and platforms have highlighted the museum’s significance. National Geographic emphasized the scale of the collections—comprising approximately 50,000 artifacts distributed across 12 halls—while Antiquity highlighted its importance within the contemporary museum landscape.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIJEKA (CROATIA) (ITALPRESS) – “It’s hard to find an explanation for a performance like ours. There was no aggression, no team spirit. I have to say, I’ve been here for 20 years, but this is the first time I’ve felt ashamed after a match.“ Luka Modric stepped up and faced the press following the humiliating 0-7 defeat his Croatia side suffered against England in Rijeka.

“Losing is one thing—that’s not a problem; right now, they are the stronger team. But losing like this and throwing away the reputation we’ve worked so hard to build over the years—that is unacceptable. It’s the first time in my 20 years here that I’ve felt actual shame. It looked as though we were playing with four or five men down. It was truly a catastrophic night,” said the midfielder, though he was quick to add: “We mustn’t point fingers at one another or look for scapegoats; we need to stand united right now, just as we always have. We have to pick ourselves up, regroup, and stick together because another very difficult match awaits us in Split”—referring to the upcoming clash with Spain—“and we need to show our true selves, the team we are right now. We need to prove that we still have grit and pride within us. The only thing we can do is apologize. I hope the fans in Split will be by our side, supporting us and spurring us on. I hope we can repay them in the best possible way,” Modric said.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ZENICA (BOSNIA) (ITALPRESS) – An equalizer, followed by a substitution shortly before the end of the match that marked Edin Dzeko’s farewell to the Bosnian national team. Kerim Alajbegovic’s goal allowed the hosts to level the score at 1–1 against Sweden, ensuring the celebration of the former Roma, Inter, and Fiorentina player’s final national team appearance wasn’t spoiled.

However, his substitution due to a muscle issue caused concern for both Bosnia and Juventus; yet, after the match in Zenica, head coach Barbarez put everyone at ease. “Kerim didn’t want to come off; he had cramps, so we substituted him,” explained the Bosnia manager. “Many players were in the same situation—it can happen when playing three matches in such a short span—but he is fine.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

BACKA TOPOLA (SERBIA) (ITALPRESS) – Everything had been going smoothly for over ten minutes, but then a couple of questions prompted Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson to stand up and leave, bringing the press conference to an early end. Tomorrow, the second Nations League match between the “Boys in Green” and Israel will take place at a neutral venue in Backa Topola, Serbia—a location chosen by the Dublin-based federation to best manage security, to the extent that the game will be played behind closed doors—and the atmosphere remains extremely tense.

A week ago, Ireland only confirmed they would play on the eve of the match following a player vote; they went on to win 3–0 in Debrecen the next day but sent several messages—ranging from wearing black armbands and refusing to shake hands with their opponents to bowing their heads during the Israeli national anthem.

Today, for most of the press conference, Hallgrimsson answered questions focused on the match—as requested by the press office, and avoiding the topic of alleged racist insults directed at two Irish players in the first leg—but two questions from Israeli journalists prompted the Irish federation to halt proceedings.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

TUNIS (TUNISIA) (ITALPRESS) – The Islamic Development Bank has approved financing of €335.49 million—equivalent to approximately 1.1 billion Tunisian dinars—for Tunisia to fund a project extending the highway network toward the Kef and Jendouba regions. The approval was granted during a meeting of the institution’s Board of Executive Directors, held in Jeddah and chaired by Mohammed Sulaiman Al Jasser, the Bank’s President. According to the institution, the project aims to strengthen economic integration and regional development by improving connectivity and accessibility between different areas of the country. The initiative also seeks to foster social cohesion, facilitate travel, improve road safety, and enhance transport infrastructure.

– photo Pexels.com –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta welcomed a record 3,160,974 inbound tourists between January and August 2026, an increase of 17.9% over the same period last year, according to figures released by the National Statistics Office.

Arrivals in August alone reached 539,655, up 14.7% year on year, while nights spent rose 9.9% to 3.8 million. Tourist expenditure increased 14.9% to €629.3 million, with average spending estimated at €165.5 per night.

Despite the rise in arrivals, expenditure per tourist for the first eight months fell to €937, from €956 in 2025.

The average length of stay also declined to 5.93 nights, compared with 6.30 in 2025 and 6.39 in 2024. In August, visitors stayed an average of seven nights.

Poland recorded the strongest growth among major markets, with 370,690 arrivals, up 50.2%, while Romania recorded a 50.5% increase to 63,941.

The UK remained Malta’s largest non-EU market, with 644,257 arrivals, an increase of 17.9%. Arrivals from France fell 7.2% to 195,896, while nights spent by French tourists declined 14.1%.

Non-EU arrivals grew by 21.1% in August, compared with 11.7% for EU markets and 7.1% for the euro area.

The figures come amid debate over the impact of rising visitor numbers on Malta’s infrastructure and environment. The country recorded 4.02 million arrivals in 2025, while the government’s Vision 2050 strategy targets 4.5 million annually by 2035.

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has previously warned of a potential “saturation point”, while the Malta Chamber of Commerce has called for a shift from volume towards higher-value tourism.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RIJEKA (CROATIA) (ITALPRESS) – “Has the Manchester City case become a distraction? If I were to say right now that it hasn’t, I could only speak for myself. I think it is—or at least it’s a topic of conversation; we talk about it at dinner, when we’re sitting at the table. So, the Manchester City players are receiving plenty of messages, phone calls, and comments about it.” Thomas Tuchel admits that the events surrounding the Manchester club inevitably come up during the England national team’s training camps. The squad includes players like Anderson and Guehi, among others. “Are they worried? I think it would be a very human reaction if you didn’t know what was happening at the club you signed with. They are still young. They are ambitious. They are being told that they are completely innocent, yet they don’t know what is going on. It’s a topic of discussion, but I’m not sure it’s a distraction. I don’t see it when I observe them during meetings or in how they interact with their teammates, and I don’t see it during training sessions. But it is a subject that comes up—how ​​could it not be?” Regarding whether a potential relegation for Manchester City might influence his squad selection, Tuchel is categorical: “I would always try to call up the best squad for the camp, the occasion, or the tournament. I would never rule out a player simply because they aren’t playing in the top flight. We have to evaluate things on a case-by-case basis.”

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews