Jithen de Silva

[South Asian Reporter on Environmental Law @SAREL2026]

The elephant in the room finally has standing!

In a first, Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal lets an elephant be a petitioner, represented by the Centre for Eco-Cultural Studies as next friend.

Read more: https://t.co/SIQZed9z4x

[Melissa Reddy @MelissaReddy_]

Poor - and biased - response from Andy Burnham on Manchester City being found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules by an Independent Commission.

He says “I can’t intervene *more* in the process,” which requires an explanation in itself.

Then offers commentary on previous proceedings he felt was unfair, AND states he wouldn’t want to lose the club’s owners who have “been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester. Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.”

How was that force built?

And on the investment into the city itself, per a 2022 Guardian report: “Nine sites were sold to Sheikh Mansour at a fraction of their value, and well below what other plots nearby fetched. They were on leases lasting 999 years, well beyond the norm. And the fund shifted what had been public assets to companies registered in Jersey.

“That walk along the water from New Islington into Ancoats now passes blocks of privatised land owned in an offshore tax haven, which yields millions upon millions for a key member of the wealthy elite running a surveillance state halfway across the globe. One of the greatest cities in the world has sold itself to a senior figure in a brutal autocracy – and not even for a good price.”

[Daniel Storey @danielstorey85]

Etihad threatening to sue. UAE reportedly intimating that UK investment could be pulled. A Prime Minister couching any criticisism. If this sorry saga doesn't convince you that state ownership of football clubs should never be allowed, nothing ever will.

[Paddy - Attacking Football @PaddyKeoghAF]

Man City bought Girona FC alongside Pep Guardiola's brother Pere Guardiola. Pere invested €3.5 million into the club, as did City Football Group.

Nothing to see here.

[Play the Game @playthegame_org]

Long before this week’s ruling that Man City broke Premier League rules, investigative journalist @sportingintel was following the money behind its sponsorships🔎

Our new podcast replays his 2022 PtG talk on a documented history of controversy🎧👇🏼

https://t.co/in56ncCglq

[Chris Winterburn @cmwinterburn]

It’s the only option. You also can’t offer any sort of re-entry procedure until ownership is changed and the new ones fully pass a stringent fit and proper test.

[HandofArsenal @HandofArsenal]

The year is 2021, the world is in an economic crisis due to Covid -19. Sham City casually post a club record total revenue of… wait for it.. £569.8m beating a PRE- COVID record of £532.2m.

See how years of fraud allowed them to do this with assets. They fully mocked it.

[Nick Harris @sportingintel]

What Man City have done with their false accounting, sham contracts, their lying witnesses and ongoing bullshit gaslighting that they’re innocent is all fraud, on a massive scale. Maybe even criminal fraud.

(One day I’ll tell you what I really think and stop pulling my punches)

[Daily Mail Sport @MailSport]

OLIVER HOLT: Man City have been exposed as the most famous cheats in English sporting history. The gory details revealed by the Premier League leave no doubt - nothing less than relegation will suffice for this sinister, dishonest club https://t.co/BfIv5NPlS9

[Jimmy Murphy @JimmyMu35984013]

The arrogance is unreal. Nobody will ever respect you after this. Blatantly cheated for years and withheld evidence, proven by an independent panel and you come out with this shite

[Chris @CWeatherspoon_]

In three seasons Manchester City won the Premier League, 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2017-18, they recorded £360million in commercial income from Abu Dhabi-based sponsors

The independent commission found that just £43m of that was actually paid to City by those sponsors

[MUFC Ticket Alerts @MUFSeeAlerts]

Now tell us the one about when you paid off the referees in Spain.

[Łukasz Bączek @Lu_Class_]

🚨 #ManCity overstated sponsorship income by more than £830m over eight years.

Over the years, the club has entered into numerous agreements with entities from the United Arab Emirates and companies linked to Emirati capital.

[Alternative MUFC. @AlternativeMUFC]

What an international break this has been so far.

Proper top tier stuff.

[Ben Smith @bensmithppc]

Those charges are unbelievably bad. Sanction them to the point they can't return. Cheating pricks.

[Sky News @SkyNews]

"Do you apologise to football fans? The Premier League says 'sham' contracts, is this a 'sham' club?"

@RobHarris questions Man City chief executive Ferran Soriano after the club was found guilty of all charges related to Premier League's financial rules

https://t.co/3A2kYsOcCZ

[Mark Ogden @MarkOgden_]

Man City received £949.94m in commercial income from Abu Dhabi sponsors between 2009-2018. Only £119.25m came from sponsors -- the remaining £830.69m were "Tagged Sums" paid by Abu Dhabi United Group (City's owners)

[Sam Lee @SamLee]

The verdict in the Premier League’s case against City has been made public and it is absolutely damning for City. It says the independent panel found that City concealed the true state of their accounts from auditors and governing bodies and artificially inflated revenues by more than £900m. City have until October 2 to appeal.

https://t.co/xRm5hiqI6p

[Nick Harris @sportingintel]

It’s official- cheats

Xxx https://t.co/AGYaIFAaDl