VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Children under 18 will no longer be allowed to marry in Malta, even with parental or guardian consent, under new legislation presented in Parliament.

The proposed amendment to the Various Laws Relating to Forced Marriages was tabled by Junior Minister for Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg during the bill’s second reading. The reform would set the minimum legal age for all civil, religious, and cultural marriages at 18, eliminating all current exceptions.

“This reform ensures that marriage is entered into freely and with maturity,” Buttigieg said, noting that previous laws had been “open to abuse.”

The move follows recommendations from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which urged Malta to close legal loopholes enabling child marriage. The urgency of the change was underscored by a 2023 case in which a minor was sold and forced into marriage for €5,000.

The bill also extends protections to informal or traditional unions involving minors, aimed at preventing forced or arranged marriages in all communities.

The law is seen as a key step toward aligning Malta’s child protection framework with international human rights standards.+

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Fulham are trying to beat Manchester United and Milan to the punch on Tolu Arokodare. According to the “Sun”, the Cottagers are reportedly moving to secure the 24-year-old Nigerian striker from Genk, top scorer in the last Belgian championship with 17 goals.

An imposing presence in the area but also good at starting and finishing, Arokodare is for United one of the alternatives to Gyokeres but the Rossoneri have also taken note of his progress. This is why Fulham would like to get ahead of the game and have reportedly already contacted the player’s entourage. Arokodare, for his part, has reportedly made it known that he wants to continue his career in the Premier League. His registration fee could be around 17.5 million euros.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

MONTE CARLO (MONACO) (ITALPRESS) – “It was the right choice to make”. Paul Pogba gives his first interview as a Monaco player to the club’s media. The 32-year-old French midfielder arrives as a free agent and has signed a two-year contract, letting himself go with tears of emotion at the moment of signing: the Principality is his great opportunity to relaunch himself even if he knows it will take time considering that he has not played since September 2023.

“There are steps. This is the first: to return, to feel the sensation of stepping on a football pitch again. Then, to get back in the best shape to help the team as I can. I was alone for two years – the reference to the doping disqualification and the separation from Juve – Training alone is not the same as doing it in a group. There will be a personalized program to get back on track. I feel good. My head is positive and I am super determined. I can’t wait to be with the group, to play, to get back on the pitch”.

Pogba confesses that he “loved the project: the conditions, the city, being in France, playing in Ligue 1, which I’ve never done. There were so many elements that fit together, an opportunity that arrived at the right time”.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Vincenzo Montella has renewed his contract as coach of the Turkish national team until 2028. “I am excited, happy and proud to have reached this agreement”, the Italian coach said during the press conference.

“We have been here for less than two years and in this period we have watched 689 matches from the stadiums – he added -. Our minds are completely focused on the World Cup qualifiers. We know we are in one of the most difficult groups (with Spain, Georgia and Bulgaria, ed.) and we will have to give our all. The absence from the World Cup for 23 years saddens me a lot. I have been saying it since I arrived: ‘How is it possible that the Turkish national team has not participated for so many years?’. We need to create a little more constructive energy”.

Finally, the conclusion on the possibility of becoming a Turkish citizen: “Of course I would like to obtain citizenship, but I know that first I have to learn the language”.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Tammy Abraham on his way to Besiktas. According to the Turkish press, Roma and the Turkish club have reached an agreement for the transfer of the English stricker (returning from a loan at Milan), who already has an agreement with the black and white club for a four-year contract.

The total amount for the operation is estimated at around 15 and 20 million. A significant capital gain for Roma that must stay within the limits of the settlement agreement signed with UEFA.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is grappling with a sharp increase in HIV cases, with 754 people currently known to be living with the virus—a 65% rise over the past five years. The figures, presented in Parliament by Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela, show a steady annual increase since 2020.

In 2020, there were 457 known cases. The numbers rose to 539 in 2021, 612 in 2022, 650 in 2023, and 696 in 2024, reaching 754 this year. These are cumulative figures, including all individuals diagnosed with HIV in Malta, not just new cases.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Three individuals were arrested in Malta last year in connection with terrorist activities, according to a new report issued by Europol. The arrests—of two Syrian men aged 20 and 22, and a 32-year-old man from Côte d’Ivoire—were part of a broader increase in terrorism-related incidents across the European Union in 2024.

Europol revealed that a total of 58 terrorist attacks were either carried out or thwarted in 20 EU member states, a dramatic rise from the 14 attacks reported in 2023. Of the 58 incidents, 34 were successfully carried out, five failed, and 19 were prevented by police. Throughout the year, authorities arrested 449 people in connection with these attacks.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Italy will host the first-ever Italy-Balkans Tourism Forum in Rome on July 17 and 18, announced Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè. The initiative, launched by the Italian government, aims to enhance cooperation between Italy and the countries of the Balkan and Adriatic-Ionian regions through tourism.

“In line with the Meloni government’s commitment to supporting the European integration process of the Western Balkans, the forum will serve as a platform to develop a strategy that strengthens our ties through tourism,” Santanchè stated.

The event will focus on promoting the potential and complementary aspects of the participating destinations. Organizers plan to build on existing regional initiatives while identifying new joint actions involving institutions, businesses, and industry stakeholders.

“The forum will provide a space for dialogue on experiences, promotional strategies, and investment opportunities, reaffirming tourism’s role as a bridge for mutual understanding, economic and social development, and a vehicle for peace,” the minister added.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – “The club thanks Paiva and his assistants for the work done in recent months, in particular for the historic victory against PSG at the Club World Cup and for the qualification for the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil”.  Renato Paiva is no longer the coach of Botafogo and the club announced in this way the dismissal of the 55-year-old Portuguese manager, sacked after the elimination from the Club World Cup in the round of 16 against Palmeiras. Paiva was the 10° coach since John Textor arrived at Botafogo.

– photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – Olympique Lyon, awaiting the outcome of the appeal against the decision of the DNCG (National Directorate of Control and Management) regarding the club’s automatic relegation to Ligue 2, is reorganizing. After John Textor’s resignation from the club and the board of directors, OL announced the appointment of Michele Kang – owner of the club – as its new president. She is the first woman to hold this role in the history of Lyon. Michael Gerlinger, former general manager, was promoted to CEO.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews