TURIN (ITALPRESS) – His arrival on a free transfer was the biggest transfer coup of the Bianconeri summer, but after just a few months, Jonathan David’s Juventus experience may already be over.

So far, the 25-year-old Canadian striker has scored just one goal and hasn’t had any convincing performances, so much so that a split in January isn’t out of the question.

According to the Spanish website “Fichajes.net,” two clubs in particular are monitoring the situation: Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich. Both believe David has enough room for improvement to justify a significant investment.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Now unemployed for almost a year and a half, Xavi is in no rush to return. Echoing rumors from Russian media, Spanish media are reporting that Spartak Moscow has offered the former Barcelona manager the job, but he has declined. Xavi’s priority is to compete in the Premier League.

-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela said Malta supports strengthening the European Union’s military readiness but warned this must not undermine the country’s constitutional neutrality.

Addressing Parliament on Wednesday evening following last week’s EU leaders’ summit, Abela stressed that security efforts should not “fuel the arms industry that perpetuates conflict rather than peace.”

He said Malta would continue contributing to the EU’s defence agenda through civil-military coordination, maritime security, crisis preparedness, and protecting Mediterranean infrastructure.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had presented the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, aimed at bolstering Europe’s security autonomy. Abela said Russia’s war on Ukraine and rising cyber threats highlighted the need for Europe to rely more on itself for safety.

On Ukraine, he reiterated Malta’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people but urged caution over EU plans to fund Kyiv through loans backed by frozen Russian assets, insisting any such move must respect international law and Malta’s neutrality.

Abela also pressed for fairness in EU climate and competitiveness policies, arguing small island states like Malta face unique challenges. He said climate targets must not place undue burdens on families and businesses.

Turning to migration, he called for greater EU solidarity and cooperation with countries of origin and transit. On the Middle East, he urged humanitarian aid for Gaza and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution.

Concluding, Abela contrasted Malta’s economic performance with austerity in other EU states and accused the Opposition of trying to tarnish the country’s reputation in Brussels.

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Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Around 70% of active companies in Malta declare no profits and pay no income tax, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.

Speaking during a discussion on tax collection, prompted by a report from the auditor general, Caruana said that despite ongoing reforms, Malta’s deep-rooted problems with tax evasion persist.

“These are not dormant companies,” he stressed. “They have employees on their books yet declare no profits at all.”

The minister dismissed claims, raised by opposition MP Graham Bencini, that companies might be including profits within salaries. “I refuse to accept that argument. The numbers do not corroborate that claim,” Caruana said.

He noted that a new AI-powered system is already monitoring all taxpayers and could soon scrutinise company profits in detail. “At some point we need to start analysing what’s eating away at their profits—or whether it’s being engineered,” he warned.

Caruana admitted that “billions” in unpaid tax debts can never be recovered but said “hundreds of millions” remain collectible. However, he resisted writing off bad debts without cross-party agreement, warning against “turning the issue into a political football.”

Malta’s tax collection system has long been under fire. In 2019, only 35–40% of businesses declared profits, and Caruana recently revealed that restaurants pay an average of just €4,500 in corporate tax annually—less than many individual taxpayers.

He has repeatedly pledged tougher enforcement, saying this summer that tax dodgers would be hit “like a ton of bricks.”

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Source: medNews

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Italy and Greece are two Mediterranean countries bound by strong historical ties and, at the same time, by shared values. This was stated by the Greek ambassador to Italy, Eleni Sourani, in an interview with Claudio Brachino for Diplomacy Magazine, the geopolitics column of the Italpress agency.

“They are two Mediterranean countries, EU members and NATO allies in the Mediterranean, working together for the prosperity and stability of our region. We are linked by strong historical ties and, at the same time, by shared values,” said the Ambassador.
This year, Greece and Italy also held an intergovernmental summit. Hosted at Villa Doria Pamphilj on May 12, the summit saw the signing of 14 documents in various areas, including security, infrastructure and transport, energy, industry, civil protection, and agriculture. “During the intergovernmental summit, we were able to take stock of bilateral relations and, at the same time, set the course for the future,” the ambassador noted, adding that the meeting produced “remarkable results.” “It should also be noted that since 1861, when Greece and Italy signed their first legally binding agreement, we have built a very broad legal framework covering all sectors. The agreements signed now are more forward-looking, for example in the fields of cybersecurity, digitalisation, space, agricultural research, the new electricity interconnection between Greece and Italy, civil protection, and fire prevention, to name just a few,” explained the head of the diplomatic mission in Rome.

On the economic front, “Italy is the leading destination market for Greek exports, with a value of about €5.2 billion, equal to 10% of our total exports,” Sourani noted. “On the other hand, we import goods from Italy worth about €7 billion. Italy supplies Greece with industrial goods, machinery, chemical and pharmaceutical products, while we mainly export petroleum products, agri-food, dairy, and fish products. Looking ahead, we see great potential particularly in the fields of information technology, defense equipment, and innovative high value-added products,” the ambassador specified. Italian companies, she continued, maintain a strong and diversified presence in Greece in the sectors of transport, energy, services, banking, telecommunications, retail, and fashion. “I can mention some of them: Eni Gas & Luce, Italgas, Enel, Edison, Snam, Sparkle, Intesa Sanpaolo, Unicredit, Grimaldi, and Ferrovie. There are many more. At the same time, we have several important Greek companies with a significant presence in Italy, in metallurgy, cement, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and energy storage: Metlen, Biokalco, Titan, Fage, Famar, Intracom, Sunlight, Energian, and Fibran, just to name a few,” said the Ambassador.

On the level of bilateral relations, however, the real “crown jewel”, as the Ambassador calls it, is culture. “The human relations between Italians and Greeks are, I believe, unique. I cannot imagine another people so close to us with such strong personal ties. When it comes to tourism, it’s true that Italians love Greeks and Greeks love Italians. We have 2.6 million Italians visiting Greece and 350,000 Greeks visiting Italy. Considering the size of our populations, it’s a good balance. Our cultural cooperation, founded on 27 centuries of shared history, continues to evolve,” Sourani observed. It’s no coincidence, then, that one of the closest areas of collaboration between the two countries concerns the restitution of illegally exported cultural artifacts. “We are very grateful to Italy for being the first country to return a fragment of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece,” the ambassador said.
Exhibitions are also of great importance. “This year we celebrated several notable events: the exhibition at Palazzo Ducale, ‘Painted Gold. From El Greco and the Art between Crete and Venice’, and the centenary of our two great composers Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis, with two concerts in Milan and Rome,” recalled the Ambassador. “Last but not least, the language: 700 classical high schools in Italy offer courses in Greek, both ancient and modern. On February 9, the World Day of the Greek Language, is widely celebrated throughout Italy, and this year it was recognised by UNESCO as the official World Day of Greek Language, for the contribution of Greek to the development of other languages,” Sourani added. “Culture is truly the crown jewel,” concluded the ambassador.

– photo Italpress –

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Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) — Following the resignation of Dragan Stojković, the Serbian Football Federation has moved quickly to appoint Veljko Paunović as the new head coach of the national team.

“Paunović will lead Serbia in the battle for a place at the 2026 World Cup,” read today’s official statement. “There are still chances to qualify, which is why Paunović, together with his professional staff, has agreed to take charge of the national team for the matches against England and Latvia,” the Federation added.

Serbia will face England in London on November 13, and will then play their final World Cup qualifying match against Latvia in Leskovac on November 16. The Serbian team currently sits third in Group K of the European qualifiers, with 10 points. England lead with 18 points, followed by Albania with 11. Serbia is therefore battling for second place, which grants access to the play-offs.

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(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) — “Injured during last night’s match against Lorient, Desiré Doué has sustained a muscle injury to his right thigh and will be unavailable for several weeks. His condition will be reassessed after the international break,” read a medical report released today by PSG.

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Source: medNews

ROMA (ITALPRESS) – The infamous “Super League” continues to stir controversy, especially in Spain. According to Spanish media reports, Real Madrid and the company A22 — the main promoters of the initiative that shook European football but was born and died within just a few days — are preparing, through their lawyers, to file a staggering damages claim.

According to As, the creators of the “Super League” could demand as much as €4.5 billion from UEFA, described as “a colossal figure meant to compensate for the damage caused.”

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Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta’s standing in the World Justice Project’s 2025 Rule of Law Index has fallen for the fourth consecutive year, dropping one place to 31st globally — a symbolic slide that contrasts sharply with the government’s claims of democratic progress.

The report paints a picture of a country where fundamental rights are largely upheld, yet institutional checks on power remain weak and corruption within the legislature persists. Malta now ranks 23rd out of 31 countries in the EU, EFTA, and North America region — firmly in the lower third of Western democracies.

“The data indicates that Malta’s primary challenges lie in constraining government powers, combating corruption, and ensuring effective civil justice,” the WJP said, warning of a growing “democratic deficit.”

Constraints on government powers saw one of the sharpest declines, with the index giving just 0.50 out of 1 for “sanctions for official misconduct.” The legislative branch scored a mere 0.36 on corruption, the lowest of any sector.

Justice delays also continue to erode public confidence. Malta ranks 48th globally for civil justice, with case resolution times nearly four times the European median.

The findings echo a recent report by The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, which revealed that nearly half of homicide cases from the past decade remain unresolved.

Prime Minister Robert Abela’s government has dismissed criticism as politically motivated, touting constitutional reforms and judicial changes. Yet international observers say these measures have yet to produce real accountability.

Malta’s decline mirrors a broader global trend — the WJP warns that 2025 marks the eighth consecutive year of weakening rule of law worldwide, driven by eroding checks on power and judicial independence.

– Photo IPA Agency –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews