From 24m ago Security minister Dan Jarvis answers urgent question on China spy case Dan Jarvis, the security minister, is responding to an urgent question on the China spy case in the Commons. He say the decision to drop the prosecution was taken by the CPS. He says the PM was only told about that a few days before the decision it was announced, and at that point there was nothing that he or other ministers could do to stop that. Share <gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"68f64c3e8f08ae83a2058417","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Chris Philp, the…
Tag: Football
No 10 says talks happening ‘at pace’ across government to lift ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending Aston Villa match – live
From 2h ago No 10 says talks happening ‘at pace’ across government to get Maccabi fans ban lifted Downing Street has said that discussions are happening “at pace, across government” to resolve the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending the Europa League match in Birmingham. At the morning lobby briefing, a No 10 spokesperson told reporters: Conversations began on this last night. You will have seen the West Midlands police and crime commissioner has asked police and Birmingham’s safety advisory group to immediately review the decision. Culture secretary Lisa…
China hosts first fully autonomous AI robot football match
They think it’s all over … for human footballers at least. The pitch wasn’t the only artificial element on display at a football match on Saturday. Four teams of humanoid robots took each other on in Beijing, in games of three-a-side powered by artificial intelligence. While the modern game has faced accusations of becoming near-robotic in its obsession with tactical perfection, the games in China showed that AI won’t be taking Kylian Mbappé’s job just yet. Footage of the humanoid kickabout showed the robots struggling to kick the ball or…
Humanoid footballers stumble through their first tournament in China – video
China’s first three-on-three humanoid robot soccer league, the RoBoLeague World Robot Soccer League, officially kicked off at the Beijing Smart Esports Event Centre on Saturday. The humanoid footballers showcased real-time decision-making, coordinated teamwork and even the ability to self-recover after falling. The optimised penalty system minimised interruptions, allowing the 1.2- to 1.5-metre-tall robots to execute fluid movements and well-orchestrated attacks, mimicking human football tactics The Guardian
Former head of China football association jailed for life for taking bribes – state media
The former chief of China’s national football association, Chen Xuyuan, has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes, state media reported on Tuesday, after one of the biggest anti-corruption probes in the sport in years. The severe sentence for Chen, 67, concludes an inquiry into high-level football officials in China in a sport that has long grappled with corruption, which fans have blamed for the perpetual under performance of the national team. In the last episode of a four-part documentary series on corruption aired on national television in…
Lionel Messi: fans refunded in Hong Kong after anger over Tokyo appearance
The organiser of Inter Miami’s ill-fated match in Hong Kong, in which star player Lionel Messi failed to appear, said it would offer refunds of 50%, after the Hong Kong government as well as football fans harshly criticised the event. The refunds will cost Tatler Asia, a magazine and lifestyle brand, $56m HKD (£5.7m). Messi’s failure to play in the much-hyped friendly match on Sunday, because of a groin injury, sparked outrage in Hong Kong, with fans booing the 36-year-old player for not coming on to the pitch. The controversy…
Lionel Messi: outcry in China and Hong Kong after star returns from injury in time for Japan match
Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians and fans have cried foul after Lionel Messi played in a match in Japan, just days after he stayed on the bench for a highly-anticipated match in Hong Kong. Many in Hong Kong were dismayed on Sunday when the 36-year-old Argentinian player did not come on to the field during a much-hyped Inter Miami fixture to a sell-out crowd with fans demanding answers and a refund. Miami’s head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said Messi was deemed unfit to play in Sunday’s match in the…
Hong Kong beat China at football for first time in 29 years
Hong Kong have beaten China for the first time in 29 years in a friendly football match in Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong’s 2-1 victory over China comes as the former British colony prepares to participate in the Asian Cup for the first time since 1968, when the territory was still under British rule. Hong Kong was passed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997 and is now a “special administrative region” of the People’s Republic of China. But under the terms of the handover agreement, the territory is permitted…
Why no concern at prisoners being paid just 50p an hour to work? | Brief letters
Reading another article about Chinese prisoners possibly making products for sale in the UK (Chinese prisoner’s ID card apparently found in lining of Regatta coat, 1 December), I wonder why there is no concern that British prisoners are forced to work for UK companies for about 50p an hour? This work provides no training for release and serves only to enrich private prison contractors.David AdamsDarlington, County Durham How appropriate that on the day you note that Katherine Rundell, the author of The Golden Mole, has won the Waterstones book award…
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami call off China tour
Lionel Messi won’t be playing in China this month after all. Inter Miami announced Wednesday that its planned trip to China for a pair of exhibition matches has been called off. The team announced the trip last month, with a pair of games originally scheduled for 5 November and 8 November. It would have been at least the eighth time that Messi – the World Cup champion for Argentina and now an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, after receiving the annual award yet again earlier this week – played in China,…