Source: Sky News
Security & Justice
Lebanon’s Border Villages Face Renewed Devastation Amid Israeli Withdrawal
The Israeli army withdrew from the southern Lebanese village of Bani Hayyan on Friday morning, two days after entering the area in the Marjayoun district. According to local reports, Israeli forces demolished multiple homes as they retreated.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Interview Set to Shed Light on Mossad’s Decade-Long Covert Operation Against Hezbollah
In a highly anticipated episode of CBS’s 60 Minutes, recently retired Mossad agents provide unprecedented insights into a decade-long covert operation targeting Hezbollah. The agents, whose identities remain concealed with masks and altered voices, share with journalist Lesley Stahl the intricate details of their mission to sabotage Hezbollah’s communications network.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Wednesday 6 December 2023 12:50:23
Microchip in Adidas Euro 2024 Ball Will Be Used to Help Referees Make Handball Decisions
A microchip inside Adidas's Euro 2024 ball will be used to help referees make handball decisions at next summer's tournament.
The German sportswear brand says its Fussballliebe will contain a rechargeable microchip that can send precise ball data to video match officials in real time.
The chip was used in the semi-automated offside decision-making process in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The technology will now be used in offside decisions at the men's Euro 2024 tournament in Germany next summer, according to Adidas.
As first reported by The Times, the chip will also be used in conjunction with limb-tracking technology to help determine whether there has been a handball in the lead-up to a goal.
"Our Connected Ball Technology will be used during the competition," a spokesperson told Sky News.
How does it work?
Adidas's Euro 2024 football contains a rechargeable motion sensor at the centre of the ball.
The microchip can detect up to 500 movements per second - meaning it can accurately record when a ball is touched by a player.
It was used alongside movement-tracking technology in the semi-automated offside decision-making system in Qatar to determine the moment the ball was played in the build-up to a goal.
The system is semi-automated because referees still have to decide whether a player in an offside position is interfering with play.
UEFA - the governing body responsible for the European Championships - already uses a similar semi-automated offside system in its premier club competition, the Champions League.
However, it does not currently involve the use of a microchipped ball.
Instead, it uses cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) to determine the moment the ball is played to the eventual goalscorer.
The semi-automated offside system is different from the VAR system used in the Premier League, which involves officials manually drawing lines to measure whether a player is in an offside position.
The lines are drawn based on five cameras calibrated before the match, with the system also able to use broadcast cameras to identify the point of contact with the ball by the attacker and synchronise all cameras for this purpose.
The Premier League is reportedly considering switching to a semi-automated offside system next season - though nothing has been announced.
Handball decisions in the Premier League are also reviewed with the current VAR system.
