European Commission tells Italy that imposing conditions on UniCredit/BPM bid could breach EU law
In a letter sent to Rome setting out its preliminary view, the European Commission said that a decree issued by the Italian Prime Minister's Office on April 18 imposing certain obligations on the merged entity may constitute a breach of EU merger regulations and other provisions of EU law.
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Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Lifting amnesty for Troubles veterans ‘will lead to witch hunt'
Lifting the legal immunity for Troubles veterans will lead to a 'witch hunt' of servicemen involved in future conflicts, Sir David Davis has warned. The 2023 Legacy Act put an end to fresh historical inquests into deaths that occurred in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, as well as civil actions. It created the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, which would review deaths and serious injuries that occurred during the conflict. However, Labour pledged in its manifesto to scrap the legislation, which it said was unpopular with Irish political parties and victims' groups as well as being incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Sir David, a senior Tory MP, said that allowing inquests to restart would cause concern among soldiers as it would set a precedent for servicemen facing legal action. Speaking at a debate in Westminster on Monday, the former minister said: 'Getting this right is not just a matter of historical justice, the legal witch hunt won't end in Northern Ireland. 'It will cast a shadow over every future conflict that our Armed Forces engage in and undermine their abilities to defend us'. He added: 'Our soldiers have been held to the highest standards of law and yet our Government is rewarding this by effectively threatening them in their retirement. That is not a proper reflection of their human rights'. Mark Francois, the shadow Armed Forces minister, said that to repeal the Act to allow fresh inquests would be 'not just morally but operationally mad'. He told MPs: 'It would be an act of sheer folly and indeed aid to our enemies to continue with this act of military self-harm so that to put it bluntly even fewer people will join the Army and even more will leave.' All three Armed Forces branches are struggling to maintain their numbers, with more than 14,500 service members leaving in 2024 while only 12,850 new recruits joined. Mr Francois added: 'This government-sanctioned form of lawfare is self-evidently a case of two-tier justice at its worst and that is why on these benches we are utterly against it.' One of the most controversial elements of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement saw paramilitary prisoners released from jail as part of securing an end to the conflict. Sarah Pochin, the Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby, said: 'These courageous men should be enjoying their hard-earned retirement, not facing prosecution for defending the British people from IRA terrorists.' Ms Pochin, whose father served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, added: 'The same British people who value these soldiers are outraged at the unfair and unjust action of this British Government.' Meanwhile unionist MPs warned that reversing the law could lead to prosecutions being used to relitigate the conflict. Gavin Robinson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said: 'Our responsibility as parliamentarians from across the United Kingdom is to say no, we will not assist your quest to rewrite the history of the past, nor will we assist in the IRA's pursuit to try and attain some sort of honour toward their retirement. 'They tried to destroy this country through war and they failed. Let's not create the conditions for them to try and destroy the reputation of this country through peace.' Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, insisted that the Legacy Act must be repealed but said that all MPs were in agreement that 'there can be no rewriting of history'. He told MPs: 'We can't have any more false promises or undeliverable pledges, pledges that our courts have found to be unlawful. 'And that is why we will fix the mess we inherited from the previous government, whatever its intentions were, and we will protect our veterans as we do so.' Mr Benn admitted that 'legacy is hard' to get right, adding: 'This is the unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement and that is why, as well as listening carefully to veterans which we are doing, we also need to listen to the many families who lost loved ones, including the families of British personnel who served so bravely.'
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Why Chelsea have NOT qualified for 2029 Club World Cup despite winning… but losing finalists PSG have
CHELSEA have not qualified for the next Club World Cup competition despite winning the first one after the tournament's restructuring. But Paris Saint-Germain - the team the Blues comprehensively defeated in the final - have punched their ticket for the next championship in four years' time. 3 3 3 The West Londoners thrashed Champions League winners PSG 3-0 on Sunday at the MetLife Stadium in the United States. Enzo Maresca's men dominated the first half and sealed the trophy by half-time thanks to a brace by Cole Palmer and a fine finish by summer signing Joao Pedro. But bizarrely enough, Chelsea were not rewarded with an automatic place in the 2029 Club World Cup. That is because there are 32 places up for grabs with the allocation being distributed between each continent. As per Fifa rankings, Uefa are granted 12 spots, CONMEBOL six, AFC four, CAF four, CONCACAF four, and OFC one. The host nation of the next tournament will also be granted a slot but there is no guaranteed spot for the actual winners, meaning Chelsea must qualify as one of Uefa's 12 clubs. But PSG are already confirmed despite losing the final as they will be one of the four Champions League winners leading to the next tournament. After the Champions League winners are added, the remaining spots will be filled through Uefa ranking. And Chelsea are currently sitting 14th in that respective list, so they may either have to climb up a few places or win the competition by 2029. Nevertheless, the Premier League giants will be leaving the US with far more than just a trophy. Chelsea have also bagged a staggering £97million in earnings.
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Desperate Harry's fed-up of being a floundering house-husband & wants back in royal fold – here's why damage is done
SO Britain's second-least worst prince is on manoeuvres. Prince Andrew 's nephew, Harry, has been quietly negotiating behind the scenes to edge himself back into the royal fold. 8 8 8 Despite his apparent utter contempt for the monarchy, the Duke of Sussex evidently instructed his senior aides to attend the secret summit with the King's communications secretary. Well, so secret that the whole meeting was snapped by a handily placed photographer. A bottle of wine — presumably not a £21 bottle of Meghan 's As Ever rosé — was given to Harry's team by Charles 's spokesman, Tobyn Andreae. A class touch from a team who owe the moaning Montecito one nothing. While it is not known who instigated the peace talks, it's clear that Harry wants back in. As well he might. Because with his wife's influencer career on the rise, and her lifestyle brand flying, poor old Harry has been left floundering on the sidelines. His vanity project, a Netflix show about egalitarian polo, tanked and he's now basically a full-time house husband. Mr Markle, if you will. In May, he gave that astonishing interview to the BBC in which he said he would 'love a reconciliation' with the King before callously speculating on just how long the poor chap has left to live. Charles, for his part, must realise he cannot trust his youngest son as far as he can throw him. Hence sending his man into battle with Harry's US and UK reps, Meredith Maines and Liam Maguire. Thus far, not a word of what was said has leaked. Huge Prince Harry update as he arranges peace summit with King Charles 'within weeks' – but has no plans to meet William Still, there's a second book and a TV show for that. While the King may be open to reconciliation — as Harry himself said, life is both short and precious — the UK may be less so. Honestly? We don't want him back. Inflammatory remarks Tellingly, Prince William 's comms team was nowhere to be seen. From this, then, can we glean that the Prince and Princess of Wales have longer memories? And may be less able to forgive and forget. The damage done from Harry's bloodyminded tome, Spare, cannot be undone. Nor can those inflammatory remarks about racism within the Royal Family, made to Oprah Winfrey in 2021, be unspoken. Charles will not want his legacy to be one of stripping his son of his royal titles. That's something Harry's big brother can do, though. And should do. What a statement of intent that would be. Harry is a man who has his cake and eats it. A chap who preaches about poverty from the confines of his £11million Californian mansion, and one who lectures us on climate change, minutes after stepping off a private jet. At the heart of this, though, is a tragic family feud — something millions of Brits can relate to. So, of course, I hope Harry and Charles find their peace, and — as they say in America — reconnect. But that's all this should be. Professionally, Prince Harry is all out of second chances. Personally, maybe, just maybe, he deserves one more. BUERK RIGHT ON AID FINALLY a bit of common sense. Veteran broadcaster Michael Buerk has hit back at lefties who label the West's efforts to end the Ethiopian famine as 'white saviour complex'. The newsreader, whose harrowing reports prompted Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to organise Live Aid in 1985, rightly points out that any help is better than no help. He said: 'If you're one of the women picking through donkey dung trying to find undigested seeds or one of the children whose eyes were rotting through vitamin deficiency... have you seen somebody dying from starvation? The body eats itself from inside. 'If you're one of those people… you're not really that concerned about whether your saviour is white or black, and I think The Guardian thinks we're being paternalistic. It's rather obscene that people should go around talking about white saviours. 'Any saviour in that context is very welcome indeed.' Quite. His pals' staunch defence – that he is so neurodiverse he cannot wear underpants – really was from the 'I don't sweat' playbook. AI MAY BE WAY TO GO 8 I RETURNED to my junior school last week to give a speech and hand out the cups at prize giving. Obviously it was terrifying. Anyway, I whanged on a bit about journalism, what a great and noble career it is, and how, you too, kids, could one day meet Harry Styles if you play your cards right. I then got home and read reports of those going into AI expecting to earn a starter salary of £2million. So, kids, I take it all back. Don't bother with journalism. LIZ SEXY AT 60. . . AND I WANT HER SECRET 8 8 THIS is 60. Love her or loathe her, Elizabeth Hurley is almost single-handedly redefining middle age. The star, who posed naked on her birthday, looks effortlessly incredible. Whatever she's having, bar Billy Ray Cyrus, I want it. MY VET PEEVE IN a seemingly never-ending cost-of-living crisis, more and more pets are being dumped in shelters as heartbroken owners can no longer afford to look after them. So why, then, are vets making it even harder? My friend took her dog to her local vet last week, and the itemised bill afterwards charged for both an 'X-ray' and 'X-ray fees'. Which, presumably, meant turning the machine on. More needs to be done to regulate this industry, one which takes advantage of our unwavering love of our animals – and blind faith in the people paid to take care of them. LOONY LINEN LINEN shorts co-ords are the look of summer, apparently. Actresses Rebecca Ferguson and Ambika Mod both turned up at Wimbledon in theirs. The former, however, teamed hers with white socks and silver stilettos.
