Domestic Club Football Is Finally Back

Aug 19 2024

Domestic club football has finally returned after the summer break, marking the start of the 2024/25 season across Europe and beyond.

Leagues which started last weekend include the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga and Malta’s very own new and reformed Maltese Premier League.

In England there were no shocking surprises with the big teams all winning their first games. Manchester United had new star striker Joshua Zirkzee to thank as the Dutchman managed to find a winner against Fulham in the dying minutes of the game, whilst reigning champions Manchester City managed to comfortably beat rivals Chelsea with a 2-0 score.

Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new manager managed to become the first Liverpool manager in the 21st century to win his first Premier League match beating newly promoted Ipswich whilst title contenders Arsenal beat Wolves, 2-0, to kickstart their season.

The Serie A saw many surprises with reigning champions Inter Milan only managing a 2-,2 draw away to Genoa, thanks to a mistake by keeper Yann Sommer and clumsy hand ball by rookie defender Yann Aurel Bisseck.

AC Milan had to fight back from 2-0 down against Torino to salvage a draw, while Napoli’s new hothead manager, Antonio Conte, had a disastrous start, losing 3-0 to Hellas Verona.

It was also a league debut to forget for Kylian Mbappe as his star studded Real Madrid side only managed a 1-1 draw away to Mallorca whilst historic rivals Barcelona edged out a 2-1 win away to Valencia.

The Maltese Premier League also kicked off with its new and unique format. Ħamrun, Sliema, and Gżira all started with wins, while last season’s runners-up, Floriana, were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw against newly promoted Melita.

Finally, it was a weekend to forget for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr, as they were soundly defeated 4-1 by rivals Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup final

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Ramona Attard Announces Decision To Step Down As Labour President

Aug 19 2024

Ramona Attard has announced that she will not seek re-election as PL president and will not pursue any other position within the party’s administration during the upcoming elections this September. The Labour Party will hold internal elections on September 13 and 14, where several key roles, including the two deputy leader positions, will be contested.

In a pre-recorded video posted on Facebook this morning, Attard confirmed that she will not be a candidate for the presidency “or any other role” in September. She did not provide specific reasons for her decision but mentioned that she is “ready for a new challenge” after four years in the party’s administration.

Prime Minister Robert Abela responded on Facebook shortly after, expressing gratitude for Attard’s contributions, describing her as a “progressive and liberal voice” within the party, and adding that she still has much to offer.

Attard was elected party president in July 2020, succeeding Daniel Micallef. Her career includes roles in various Cabinet secretariats, as well as experience as a journalist with ONE and a member of the Planning Appeals Board.

Her departure is part of a series of recent high-profile exits from Labour’s leadership. Labour CEO Randolph Debattista resigned earlier this month, and deputy leader Daniel Micallef stepped down shortly after the party’s disappointing performance in June’s MEP elections, though he stated his decision to leave was made prior to the election results. Other departures include Labour’s head of communications Ronald Vassallo, advisor Alexander Balzan, and chief of staff Glenn Micallef, the latter now nominated as Malta’s next European Commissioner.

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Maltese Actor In Netflix Film With Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry

Aug 19 2024

After his success on the History Channel series Vikings, Maltese actor Andrei Claude is now starring in the new Netflix movie The Union, where he faces off against Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Andrei Claude (@andreiclaude)

The movie premiered on Netflix this past weekend, with Andrei portraying a villainous character named Javid Karinejad, an Iranian underworld businessman.

Images and scenes featuring Andrei from The Union (2024) are already available on his IMDb page.

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A post shared by Andrei Claude (@andreiclaude)

Andrei also featured on Game of Thrones as Khal Rhalko and Medici as Federico da Montefeltro.

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Nicky Sansone’s Cats Find a New Home

Aug 19 2024

After reaching out, Second Hand has successfully found a new home for Nicky Sansone’s cats, Billy and Tiger, following her passing after a battle with cancer.

Nicky Sansone was a respected LGBTIQ+ activist who, though not widely known, touched the hearts of many through her final video.

A close friend of Nicky’s shared a post on Facebook seeking help to find a new home for Billy, a 6-year-old female, and Tiger, a 9-year-old male. The cats were described as “calm, loving, and playful.”
Tiger and Billy have since been adopted by Angela Mifsud Bonnici, who has been deeply thanked for welcoming them into her home. Special thanks also go out to CSAF – Carers for Stray and Abandoned Felines, as well as Marisa Jones and Joyce Schembri, for their support.

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