Imran Sherwani, Great Britain Olympic hockey hero, dies aged 63
Imran Sherwani, who starred in the Great Britain hockey team that won Olympic gold in 1988, has died at the age of 63, his family have announced,Sherwani revealed in 2021 that had he been diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s in 2019, and his family continue to raise awareness of the condition,He represented Great Britain and England 94 times, culminating in scoring two goals in his team’s 3-1 final victory over West Germany in Seoul,Sherwani’s second goal, which in effect clinched the contest, sparked a famous reaction from BBC commentator Barry Davies, who asked: “Where were the Germans? But frankly, who cares!”It sparked British hockey’s greatest moment for thousands watching at dawn back home in the UK,Imran was the third Asian player to play for GB after Sutinder Kehar and Kulbir Bhaura, his 1988 teammate.
He came from a sporting family – his father played hockey for Pakistan and his great uncles played football for Stoke City and Port Vale.Recalling his greatest moment with the winning goal in Seoul, Sherwani said: “Batch [Steve Batchelor] did the German and I just carried on for his pass and met it as it came across and slotted home.It was just incredible and I think we knew then.It felt like that was it.I still get emotional about it.
The win, the team, it is all just a fantastic story and I am privileged and fortunate enough to be part of it.”Rich Beer, chief operating officer of Great Britain Hockey, said: “Imran Sherwani will forever be remembered as one of the true icons of England and Great Britain Hockey.His talent, leadership and humility inspired generations of players and fans alike.”Leek Hockey Club said: “Imran was one of Leek HC’s greatest players and arguably their most influential.He joined Leek in 1996 and was the catalyst for an unprecedented period of success.
“Whilst it would seem inconceivable to many that his greatest achievement wasn’t the two goals scored to win gold for Great Britain in the 1988 Olympic final, Imran often insisted the 6-2 win against Old Georgians securing Leek promotion to the National League at Belle Vue in 2003 was his proudest moment,“Imran was not only a great hockey player but a great person and will be sadly missed by all at Leek Hockey Club,”
Airbus issues major A320 recall after mid-air incident grounds planes, disrupting global travel
Airlines around the world cancelled and delayed flights heading into the weekend after Airbus announced on Friday that it had ordered immediate repairs to 6,000 of its A320 family of jets in a recall affecting more than half of the global fleet.The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the main certifying authority for A320 aircraft, issued the instruction on Friday night as a precautionary action, saying that “safety is paramount”.The US Federal Aviation Administration also issued an emergency airworthiness directive for certain Airbus planes, requiring the aircraft to replace or modify specific software.The fix mainly involves reverting to earlier software and is relatively simple, but must be carried out before the planes can fly again, according to the bulletin to airlines seen by Reuters.Of the 6,000 jets affected, a sub-set will need a time-consuming hardware change rather than a quick software fix, though the number that require more extensive fixes was smaller than the initial estimates of 1,000, Airbus said
US small businesses sound alarm over Trump’s tariffs amid crucial holiday season
Donald Trump’s tariffs have increased prices on an array of popular holiday goods and driven a “massive” number of small firms out of business, industry leaders have warned.On Small Business Saturday, firms have their fingers crossed that strong holiday sales will ease the impact of a tough year. But many aren’t holding their breath.“My husband and I have invested a lot of our retirement money into this business,” Joann Cartiglia, owner of Queen’s Treasures, a toy company in Ticonderoga, New York, during a press briefing organized by We Pay the Tariffs, a coalition of small businesses, this week. “And now I have absolutely no hope of retirement
How big tech is creating its own friendly media bubble to ‘win the narrative battle online’
At a time when distrust of big tech is high, Silicon Valley is embracing an alternative ecosystem where every CEO is a starA montage of Palantir’s CEO, Alex Karp, and waving US flags set to a remix of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck blasts out as the intro for the tech billionaire’s interview with Sourcery, a YouTube show presented by the digital finance platform Brex. Over the course of a friendly walk through the company offices, Karp fields no questions about Palantir’s controversial ties to ICE but instead extolls the company’s virtues, brandishes a sword and discusses how he exhumed the remains of his childhood dog Rosita to rebury them near his current home.“That’s really sweet,” host Molly O’Shea tells Karp.If you are looking to hear from some of tech’s most powerful people, you will increasingly find them on a constellation of shows and podcasts like Sourcery that provide a safe space for an industry that is wary, if not openly hostile, towards critical media outlets. Some of the new media outlets are created by the companies themselves
More than 1,000 Amazon workers warn rapid AI rollout threatens jobs and climate
More than 1,000 Amazon employees have signed an open letter expressing “serious concerns” about AI development, saying that the company’s “all-costs justified, warp speed” approach to the powerful technology will cause damage to “democracy, to our jobs, and to the earth.”The letter, published on Wednesday, was signed by the Amazon workers anonymously, and comes a month after Amazon announced mass layoff plans as it increases adoption of AI in its operations.Among the signatories are staffers in a range of positions, including engineers, product managers and warehouse associates.Reflecting broader AI concerns across the industry, the letter was also supported by more than 2,400 workers from companies including Meta, Google, Apple and Microsoft.The letter contains a range of demands for Amazon, concerning its impact on the workplace and the environment
Wales v South Africa: Autumn Nations Series rugby union – live
PEEEEEEP! That’s last act of an entirely expected half of rugby.40+3 mins. An absolutely massive carry by Esterhuizen clatters to within a metre and two short phases later the scrum half is over to score.40+1 mins. South African rampage 80 metres back the other way and are hammering away at the Wales line
Lando Norris still on track for F1 title after third-place finish in Qatar sprint race won by Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri won the Qatar Grand Prix sprint with a dominant drive for McLaren. With the championship leader, Lando Norris, in third, it was a vital boost to the Australian’s title ambitions. The third contender, Max Verstappen, took fourth place, dropping a point to Norris. Mercedes’s George Russell was second. Yuki Tsunoda was fifth for Red Bull despite a track limits penalty, after Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli also picked one up and had to settle for sixth
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