LEICESTER (ENGLAND)(ITALPRESS) – Leicester are in fresh trouble after their mathematical relegation to the Championship. The Premier League has announced in a statement that, following the decision of an arbitration tribunal, the club has been referred to an independent commission for alleged financial violations dating back to the end of the 2023/24 season, when the Foxes were playing in the English second division and, under the guidance of Enzo Maresca (now at Chelsea), were promoted to the top flight.

In particular, “the rules on the profit and sustainability of the championship for the 2023/24 season” were allegedly infringed, in addition to the club’s obligations “to make its annual financial accounts available to the Premier League by 31 December 2024” and “to provide full and timely assistance to the Premier League in response to requests from the League”.

As the statement reads, “the Tribunal confirmed that the Premier League has jurisdiction to investigate an alleged breach of the P&S (Profit & Sustainability, ed.) Regulations as the EFL correctly transferred responsibility for the investigation to the Premier League in June 2024, when the club was promoted from the Championship”. The Premier League will continue to have jurisdiction even after Leicester’s relegation at the end of this season.

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Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is poised to register the strongest economic growth in the European Union this year, according to the latest forecast by the European Commission. Malta’s economy is expected to expand by 4.1% in 2025 – four times the EU average of 1.1% and outpacing all other member states.

The Commission attributed Malta’s robust performance to strong domestic demand and healthy export levels, with investment also projected to rise by 2.5% this year and a further 2.1% in 2026. The forecast also highlighted a moderation in growth, with next year’s economic expansion expected to slightly ease to 4% – still the highest in the bloc.

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Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta and Jordan have further strengthened their bilateral ties following a series of new cooperation agreements signed during Prime Minister Robert Abela’s eighth official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom. The agreements span several key areas, including tourism, education, culture, energy, and water, and aim to deepen collaboration between the two nations.

During his visit, Prime Minister Abela held high-level talks with King Abdullah II at Al Husseinieh Palace in Amman. Abela described the visit as an important opportunity to elevate bilateral relations.

Among the key developments, both countries signed a framework agreement to establish a permanent joint economic commission to enhance economic collaboration. Additional agreements were reached in technical cooperation on energy and water, tourism sector development, and a cultural agreement focusing on archiving and the Maltese language.

The leaders also discussed urgent regional matters, particularly the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Abela also commended Jordan’s enduring commitment to hosting millions of refugees over the years, including from Palestine and Syria, and acknowledged the country’s vital role in promoting regional dialogue and peace.

As part of his visit, the Maltese Prime Minister toured the Al-Zaatari refugee camp, one of the largest camps in the region, currently housing approximately 80,000 Syrian refugees. Managed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the camp includes 32 schools and eight health centres. Abela announced that the Maltese Government will provide financial support to the camp to assist in the continuation of its vital services.

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Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – “Everything will be fine. Lamine is an exceptional boy and he is happy in Barcelona. We are working to find an agreement”. This was stated in an interview with TV3 by Barcelona president Joan Laporta, declaring himself optimistic about the negotiations for the renewal of the contract of the champion Lamine Yamal, who should sign the extension as soon as he comes of age (July 13).

“We want him to stay here for many years – added the number one of the Blaugrana club -. So far there have been no problems with his entourage, on the contrary, this story will end well”. A significant adjustment to the salary is expected because the salary “must be in line with the importance of the player within the team, regardless of his age”, stated Laporta. “We have to make him feel important. Barcelona is the best possible club for him: he is Catalan, a Blaugrana fan, and is well advised“, he concluded.

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LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese Labour MEP Daniel Attard has asked for his parliamentary immunity to be lifted after learning he is named in a Belgian bribery investigation linked to Chinese tech firm Huawei.

The investigation centres on Attard’s attendance at a football match in September 2024, where he was invited to a corporate box by his Hungarian assistant. The invitation came from a person now under investigation, who reportedly raised Huawei-related topics during the match.

Attard said he was unaware the invitation was corporate or connected to Huawei. A follow-up meeting took place two weeks later in Strasbourg, which Attard claims was fully compliant with EU Parliament rules. He denies any wrongdoing and says he had no further contact with Huawei. He also noted that the ticket’s value was under the €150 threshold requiring declaration, as confirmed by his assistant.

Attard has pledged full cooperation with authorities and has informed S&D leadership of the situation while awaiting the Parliament’s decision on his immunity.

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Source: medNews

MANCHESTER (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Manchester City will most likely be without Kevin De Bruyne at the next Club World Cup, where Guardiola’s team is in the same group as Juventus. The 33-year-old Belgian has already announced that he will leave the Citizens at the end of the season but, despite his contract expiring on June 30 – during the tournament -, he is expected to leave early.

“There is no point in me going,” he said, as reported by the English media. “I have to take care of myself, what would happen if I got injured during the Club World Cup? It is very likely that I will not play.”

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Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The humanitarian aid ship Conscience, part of the Gaza Flotilla Movement, is being towed to the Libyan port city of Misrata for repairs following a reported drone attack earlier this month. The ship had been anchored just outside Maltese territorial waters at Hurd Bank since early May.

According to sources in the shipping industry, cited by MaltaToday, the Conscience is being towed by the Italian-flagged tugboat Cala Azzurra. The vessels are expected to arrive in Misrata by Monday evening.

The operation follows diplomatic efforts by the Turkish government. On Sunday, Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg announced on social media platform X that arrangements had been made to tow the vessel to “a Mediterranean port.” Borg expressed gratitude to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for his country’s assistance in resolving the situation.

Activists have alleged that the drones were Israeli, pointing to the presence of an Israeli air force Hercules plane that had flown over the area hours before the incident. The aircraft later returned to base in Israel. No official statement has been issued by the Israeli government regarding the accusation.

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Source: medNews

LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – It’s now official: Gary Lineker has left his role as a BBC pundit after a backlash over an anti-Semitic post shared (and then removed) on his social media channels.

The 64-year-old former England striker, who hosts Match of the Day, reposted a post featuring a mouse emoji, captioned: ‘Zionism explained in two minutes.’ Lineker apologised, saying he hadn’t realised the anti-Semitic content.

“This was an honest mistake, but I should have been more careful,” he said in a video, in which he described it as “a pleasure and a huge privilege” to have worked with the BBC. Lineker will host Match of the Day for the last time on Sunday.

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LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Fabio Paratici is reportedly ready to return to lead Tottenham’s sporting direction. According to the “Sun”, the Italian manager, after the imminent end of his suspension for the capital gains scandal at Juventus, will return to the position of general manager of Spurs (where he worked from 2021 to 2023).

Paratici will have a say on the coach issue and his first choice, according to the tabloid, would be Francesco Farioli, now former Ajax coach, who today announced his separation from the coach (who has also been linked with Roma in recent days).

The future of Ange Postecoglou, current Tottenham coach, would therefore seem to be sealed, regardless of the result of the Europa League final against Manchester United, scheduled for Wednesday 21 May. Tottenham is in fact seventeenth in the Premier League with 61 goals conceded.

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Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS) – A 34-year-old Romanian man, Iulian Dinca, has been extradited from Italy and charged in connection with a high-value mobile phone theft ring that targeted multiple retail outlets in Malta.

Dinca, who identified himself as a mechanic by trade, appeared in court after being arrested in Rome under a European Arrest Warrant. He is accused of participating in a series of break-ins during the summer of 2023, which resulted in the theft of mobile phones valued at approximately €180,000.

The thefts took place in retail stores located in Birkirkara and Qormi. According to the prosecution, the perpetrators forcibly breached the shops’ entrances and emptied entire shelves of mobile phones within seconds. Dinca pleaded not guilty to the charges.

However, his defense did not request bail, and he was remanded in custody. Police investigations had been ongoing for several months and led authorities to believe the thefts were carried out by an organized group of Romanian nationals. Dinca’s arrest follows the earlier capture of a 27-year-old Romanian man in January, who was extradited from Romania to Malta and is also currently being held under arrest.

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Source: medNews