VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta recorded its hottest July day on Saturday after temperatures reached 43.3°C, according to the Meteorological Office.

The reading exceeded the previous July record of 42.7°C, set in both 1998 and 2023, and came just 0.5°C below the country’s all-time high of 43.8°C recorded in August 1999.

The record was measured at the Meteorological Office at Malta International Airport as a severe heatwave continued across the islands.

Forecasts indicate the heatwave will persist until at least Wednesday, with daytime temperatures expected to remain above 40°C throughout the period.

Health authorities have escalated the Heat Health Action Plan, warning that the current spell is expected to persist until at least Tuesday.

Twenty cooling centres have been opened across Malta to assist vulnerable people without adequate cooling at home.

Authorities urged residents to stay hydrated, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and check regularly on older relatives, neighbours and people living alone.

Culture Minister Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, a medical doctor, advised the public to drink plenty of water, limit alcohol consumption and monitor people with dementia, who may not recognise the signs of dehydration.

Officials warned that prolonged exposure to extreme heat can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and, in severe cases, heatstroke, which can be life-threatening.

Older adults, young children, people with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers and those taking certain medications were identified as being at greatest risk.

The heatwave follows an exceptionally warm start to summer, with June 2026 recorded as the hottest June in western Europe and the second hottest across Europe.

-Photo Martin Agius-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

AMSTERDAM (NETHERLANDS) (ITALPRESS) – Ajax have completed their third signing of the transfer window, officially announcing the arrival of Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo from Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal.

The Dutch club have reportedly paid close to €20 million to bring the 23-year-old back to Europe. Marcos Leonardo joined the Saudi side in 2024 after an impressive season with Benfica.

The forward has signed a contract with Ajax that will keep him at the club until 2031.

– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE (ITALPRESS) – The question is no longer who, but when. It is now widely expected that Zinedine Zidane will succeed Didier Deschamps as head coach of the French national team, although the French Football Federation has yet to make an official announcement.

According to L’Équipe, the date has already been set: September 1. From then on, the former Real Madrid manager will begin preparations for France’s opening UEFA Nations League fixtures. Les Bleus are scheduled to face Turkey on September 24, Belgium on September 28, Italy on October 2, and Belgium again on October 5.

– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

NEW YORK (USA) (ITALPRESS) – “It was a tournament like no other, full of unforgettable moments.“ US President Donald Trump said this during a press conference at Trump Tower, attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who thanked Trump himself: “You don’t need any compliments, but without you, this World Cup wouldn’t have been such an incredible success,” the FIFA president said.

Trump also jokingly returned to the story surrounding the lifting of American player Balogun’s suspension (“I had to call Gianni for a recommendation, but I didn’t know how it would go. But it went better this way, Belgium won and the US had all their players, so Gianni, you made another great choice”).

he US president also added that the next World Cup will be held only in the United States “without Mexico and Canada,” joking that it could be held “in the US and China, so it would only be a short flight away.”

Trump finally praised Lionel Messi (“I saw that pass, brilliant”) and defended Harry Kane, criticizing Tuchel’s decisions in the semi-final against Argentina. “I think they made a mistake by playing him in defense. They took the lead, took their best player, and put him in defense.”

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has made little or no progress on most key rule of law reforms recommended by the European Commission, according to the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report.

The report found no progress on three of seven recommendations, limited progress on another three and some progress only on reforms to the governance of public service broadcasting, which have yet to be fully implemented.

The Commission said Malta continues to lag in tackling high-level corruption, improving court efficiency, strengthening media freedom and implementing institutional reforms.

It noted that while the Police and the Office of the Attorney General received additional resources and launched new investigations, Malta has failed to establish a strong record of final judgments in high-level corruption cases.

Malta also scored 49 out of 100 in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, placing it among six EU countries below the 50-point mark.

The report highlighted no progress on reforming the appointment of the Chief Justice, establishing a National Human Rights Institution in line with UN Paris Principles, strengthening lobbying rules and updating asset declaration rules for MPs and ministers.

Limited progress was recorded on improving protections for journalists, access to official documents and public consultation before legislation is enacted.

The Commission welcomed reforms to media ownership transparency, state advertising rules and safeguards for the appointment of the PBS chief executive, but said further implementation is required.

It also raised concerns over weak conflict-of-interest verification mechanisms in public administration and frequent legislative changes affecting legal certainty for businesses.

– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

NEW YORK (USA) (ITALPRESS) – “The truth is, that photograph is crazy. I took a picture with him when he was a child, and now we find ourselves facing each other in a World Cup final.“ This is how Lionel Messi describes the generational clash with Lamine Yamal, on the eve of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

The Argentine ace spoke about the Spanish talent during a panel in New York that brought together the captains and coaches of the two finalists, hosted by Tom Brady, Rio Ferdinand, Novak Djokovic, and Kevin Durant. The reference is to the famous 2007 photograph of the newborn Yamal alongside Messi, which went viral on the eve of the World Cup title match. An image that today takes on an even more special meaning: 19 years later, the two will face each other again in the most important match in world football.

“Lamine is an extraordinary player, whom I’ve followed very closely because he plays for a club I love and for which I always wish the best. At 19, he’s already a world-class player and has his entire career ahead of him. He has a great opportunity to achieve something historic, but we’ll do our best to ensure it doesn’t happen this time. I wish him all the best. He’s one of the best players in the world right now,” added the Argentine captain.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MIAMI (USA) (ITALPRESS) – Just hours before the third-place play-off against France, England coach Thomas Tuchel reflected on the semi-final defeat against Argentina and took responsibility for the defeat, but defended his tactical decisions. “I don’t regret my decisions,” the English coach explained in a press conference.

“I felt the game had changed, that we had become too passive, and I tried to help the team.” His decisions during the match, lost 2-1 after England had taken the lead, were criticized by commentators and former players. Tuchel, however, reiterated that he acted based on instinct and experience: “The result didn’t come, and I obviously take responsibility for the decisions I made, but they are decisions made under pressure, during the game.”

The German coach then rejected the idea of ​​looking for a culprit: “If you need someone to blame, it’s me. I’m the coach. But for me, there’s no single person to blame.” England face France in Miami tonight to decide third place in the World Cup.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – Mohamed Ouahbi remains at the helm of the Moroccan team. The coach—who led the Under-20 national team to become world champions last October and was promoted to lead the Atlas Lions in place of Regragui in March—has been confirmed in his role following the team’s elimination in the World Cup quarter-finals by France. The Moroccan Football Federation’s steering committee has, in fact, “renewed its confidence in the head coach.”

The national team’s World Cup campaign was deemed “positive and honorable,” with the run to the quarter-finals marking “the continued development of domestic football, while highlighting the importance of learning from this experience to face upcoming challenges and maintain the same standard in future competitions,” according to a statement from the Federation.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – The FIFA Clearing House—the entity established to centralize payments between clubs regarding training rewards—has already distributed over $639 million, FIFA has announced. “These figures demonstrate the work done by the FIFA Clearing House to strengthen the football development system, ensuring that clubs receive fair financial compensation for training future generations of players,” stated Gianni Infantino, President of the world football governing body. The clearing house “remains a cornerstone of FIFA’s commitment to enhancing financial transparency, bolstering trust in the international transfer system, and rewarding investment in youth development across the football world,” the FIFA chief added. According to the organization, the transfers of 530 players from national teams participating in the competition have generated $221 million in training compensation over the course of their careers.

On average, 63% of the training compensation generated by players participating in the World Cup benefits clubs in their respective home countries. However, this average varies significantly from one federation to another. Clubs in the Czech Republic received 92.4% of the training compensation generated by players from their national team. They are followed by Argentine clubs (89.8%) and German clubs (88.6%). Conversely, training compensation generated by players from national teams such as Senegal (15.3%), Algeria (14%), and the United States (11.5%) primarily benefited clubs belonging to other federations. Here is the top 10 list of footballers based on training compensation generated: Neymar (Brazil), João Félix (Portugal), Manuel Ugarte (Uruguay), Enzo Fernández (Argentina), Kai Havertz (Germany), Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador), Michael Olise (France), Kim Min-jae (Republic of Korea), Malik Tillman (United States), and Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden). Ten players, ten different national teams—confirming the universal nature of the system.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Atlético Madrid have made it clear that Julián Álvarez is not for sale.

“My position is clear, the club’s position is clear, and we have made it clear to the player, his agent, and the Barcelona president,” Atlético Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín said on the club’s official social media channels.

“I have no doubt that Atlético is the best place in the world for Julián, and that Julián is the perfect striker for Atlético Madrid. We want to continue building our future with him,” he added.

“We have no intention of selling him. We would not accept an offer of €100 million, nor would we accept offers of €150 million or even €200 million,” Gil Marín concluded, sending a clear message to Barcelona, the club that has shown the strongest interest in signing Álvarez.

The Argentina international is currently preparing for Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final against Spain.

– Photo Ipa Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews