Latest news with #Miller
Montreal Gazette
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Revolution score three times in second half to beat CF Montréal 3-0
Club de Foot Montreal CF Montréal's struggles continued Saturday night at Saputo Stadium, with the Major League Soccer team dropping its fifth straight match, a 3-0 loss against the New England Revolution. New England (6-4-5) scored three times in the second half, taking advantage of a red card given to Montreal forward Giacomo Vrioni in the latter stages of the opening half. 'I just want to say that I'm proud of these guys, of how they fought for the entire game,' said CF Montréal interim head coach Marco Donadel in an abbreviated 50-second post-game press conference. 'The first half, 11 versus 11, I think that we dominated. Even at 10 versus 11, at the end of the first half and the second half. I just wanted to say that.' The Montreal bench boss refrained from taking any questions from members of the media, simply saying 'I want to stay on the bench for the next games and not be disqualified.' In addition, no players were made available after the game, with the team's media relations team calling it 'a club decision.' Donadel and the team's frustration likely stemmed from that straight red card issued to Vrioni in the 36th minute of play for what was deemed 'violent conduct' on New England defender Keegan Hughes. The former Revolution forward, who was acquired by Montreal from New England last January, and Hughes had been battling for the ball when Vrioni kicked his rival, who writhed in pain along the New England sidelines. Up to that point, Montreal had largely controlled play, outshooting New England 8-2 through the first 45 minutes and controlling possession 61 per cent of the time. However, the club failed to capitalize on its scoring chances, most notably on a chance by Caden Clark inside the box off a Dante Sealy free kick in the 23rd minute that was ultimately blocked by Revolution defender Tanner Beason. Montreal's Nathan Saliba (who accounted for the club's only shot on target of the half) and Vrioni also followed with chances of their own in the ensuing minutes. However, both of their attempts missed the target. Upon their return to the pitch for the second half, New England wasted little time profiting from their man advantage. After winning a free kick after being fouled by Montreal's Sealy, Revolution midfielder Peyton Miller accepted a cross from defender Ilay Feingold. Miller froze Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, scoring his first career MLS goal with a left-footed deflection to the bottom right corner of the net. The Revolution doubled their lead in the 55th minute when Feingold made a run inside the right side of the box, using his left boot to beat Sirois. Feingold struck again in the dying minutes of the match, scoring from the right side of the box on a lateral feed from Miller in the 87th minute. All three of the Israeli international's goals this season have come in the past two games. With the team officially at the halfway point of its 2025 MLS season, Montreal (1-11-5) has yet to win a game on home turf (0-4-3). The club remains firmly entrenched at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, with eight points accumulated out of a possible 51. For New England, the win helped run their MLS unbeaten streak to nine games (5-0-4) dating back to April 12. It also marked the seventh straight road result for New England, tying a franchise record established in 2019. Revolution goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic earned his seventh clean sheet of the season, helping New England improve upon its stingy defensive record since the start of this 2025 MLS campaign. The club has allowed only 14 goals through its opening 15 games, tops in the league. Piette hits 200 game mark Midfielder Samuel Piette became the first player in club history to appear in 200 career MLS games, all with Montreal. Already the franchise leader in games played, the Le Gardeur native, also paces Montreal in career starts (178) and minutes played (15,534). Saturday's match also marked the 30-year-old's 225th game across all competitions with Montreal, passing goalkeeper Evan Bush for sole possession of sixth place since the founding of the club in 1993. Card trouble In addition to Vrioni's red card, Montreal's Saliba and Joel Waterman were issued yellow cards. Both Saliba and Waterman entered the match on the MLS' caution accumulation warnings, meaning a single yellow card would likely result in a suspension for both players during the team's next match.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
British businessman ‘spied for Beijing and tried to smuggle weapons into China'
A British businessman tried to smuggle missiles and drones into China and attempted to silence critics of Xi Jinping, according to an indictment. John Miller is accused of spying for the Chinese Communist Party and faces extradition to the US after his arrest in Serbia. The 63-year-old allegedly referred to Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, as 'The Boss' in intercepted phone calls and conducted surveillance on an artist who created statues mocking the country's leader. In April, Mr Miller was arrested along with 43-year-old Chinese national Cui Guanghai, in Belgrade, Serbia, on the orders of the FBI and is now awaiting extradition to the US where he could be jailed for 20 years. Over two and a half years, Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly employed a wide range of tactics to harass, intimidate, stalk and threaten a Los Angeles resident, known only as 'the victim', who is a public critic of President Xi. 'As alleged, the defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime,' said Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney Miller is a long-time resident of the US, but also owns a £1.5 million home in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Companies House records show Mr Miller has held roles in at least five UK companies, including TEFL Jobs China Ltd, which seemed to facilitate English language teaching jobs, but is now dissolved. A few months before the case began in June 2023, Mr Miller went to China where he met with Chinese government officials in Beijing and Liaoning, a province in north-east China that borders North Korea. He also met someone who works for the governor of Liaoning. During the trip, Mr Cui reportedly introduced Mr Miller to two people, who Mr Miller later referred to as 'big mother------s.' Upon his return, he reportedly boasted that 'the trip couldn't have gone better'. The first incident referred to in the indictment occurred shortly after he returned. In October 2023, Mr Miller and Mr Cui approached two individuals who, unbeknownst to them, were working for the FBI. They enlisted the undercover agents to stop 'the victim' from protesting against Xi's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit the following month. Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly installed tracking devices on 'the victim's' car and paid the undercover agents to slash their tires. Mr Miller and Mr Cui also devised a complex plan to destroy a set of statues created by 'the victim'. These depicted President Xi and his wife bare-chested, kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs, and were potentially going to be displayed at a protest. The 'victim' had previously displayed the statues in Times Square electronic billboards and broadcast the display on X, according to court documents. Initially, Mr Miller had wanted to steal the statues and 'remove the heads' as evidence, but later decided to pay the undercover FBI agents to 'smash up' them up. In 2025, Mr Miller paid the agents $36,500 (£27,100) to convince 'the victim' to desist from showcasing the new statues at an upcoming protest, after 'the victim' had displayed the statues on a 24-hour live feed online. Beyond the intimidation schemes, Mr Miller also allegedly tried to purchase millions of pounds worth of military equipment on behalf of the Chinese military. Mr Miller reportedly tried to buy a £37,000 Stinger portable missile launcher, two military drones valued at £148,000, a £668,000 AGM-88E anti-radiation missile system and a £1.5 million air-defence radar system. He also allegedly tried to procure a cryptographic device, which is used for secure communication of classified and sensitive information. At one point, the Briton suggested that the device be smuggled from the US to China by hiding it inside a food blender or a motor starter, having shipped it first via DHL or FedEx to Hong Kong, according to court documents. Several times in Mr Miller's conversations, he mentions a 'boss' or at times a 'big boss' that seems to be the one giving orders. According to the special FBI agent who submitted the affidavit, Mr Miller's use of the phrase 'boss' 'refer[s] to President Xi' and 'demonstrates [Miller's] awareness that he was acting at the direction and control of the [Chinese] government.' Mr Blanche said: 'This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.' Bill Essayli, attorney for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because [they] criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC [People's Republic of China], and targeting him with violence.' If convicted, Mr Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Metro
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Metro
British man arrested in the US is accused of spying for China
A British man is facing charges in the US after being accused of spying and smuggling arms for China. John Miller, 63, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has been accused of carrying out interstate activities with Cui Guanghai, 43 from China. The US Justice Department confirmed it was trying to extradite the pair from Serbia. Both 'solicited the procurement of US defence articles, including missiles, air defense radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the United States to the People's Republic of China', according to released documents. Miller told a neighbour he often visited the Far East for work and also allegedly referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as 'The Boss', The Mail on Sunday reported. He and Mr Guanghai are accused of attempting to prevent a protest against Xi's attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in November 2023. The two men allegedly targeted the suspected protester's car by installing a tracker on the vehicle and even slashing its tyres. On a separate occasion, the duo are said to have tried to thwart another protest against the Chinese president by paying £27,010 to two dissenters to renounce their intention to post an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of Mr Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan. The pair allegedly paid around £7,400 via wire transfer to a US account for a cryptographic device which they intended to export from the US to China. They reportedly considered several methods to ship the device undetected, including concealing it in a food blender and sending it via Hong Kong. Violation of the Arms Export Control Act – the most serious offence the pair are accused of – carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. If found guilty, Miller could face maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling. Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said: 'As alleged, the defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime. 'This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.' US attorney Bill Essayli, for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because he criticised the Chinese government and its president. More Trending 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC (People's Republic of China), and targeting him with violence.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Two shot dead at popular Irish pub in Costa del Sol holiday resort MORE: Why so many young Brits are being 'manipulated' into smuggling drugs MORE: Brothers deny killing commuter as he walked home from tube station 41 years ago
ITV News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- ITV News
British man charged in US with spying for China
A British man, from Tunbridge Wells, has been charged in the US with spying after allegedly trying to smuggle US military technology to China. John Miller, 63, is accused of interstate stalking, conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act. The Justice Department said the US is seeking to extradite Mr Miller from Serbia, along with his co-accused, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China. Court documents released by the US Attorney's Office said the pair tried to get hold of missiles, air defence radar and drones for unlawful export to China. It said they paid around 10,000 dollars (£7,400) as a deposit for the equipment via a courier in the US and a wire transfer to a US bank account. The two men are said to have discussed ways to export a cryptographic device from the US to China, including concealing the device in a blender, and shipping the device first to Hong Kong. The most serious offence they are accused of – violation of the Arms Export Control Act – carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The two men are also said to have been part of a plot to prevent an individual who had been critical of China's President Xi Jinping from protesting his appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in November 2023. In the weeks leading up to the Apec summit, they are accused of coordinating an interstate scheme to conduct surveillance on the victim by installing a tracking device on his car and slashing its tyres. Another offence relates to the spring of this year, when the dissenter announced that he planned to make public an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of Mr Xi and his wife. In connection with these plots, the accused are said to have paid two other individuals approximately 36,500 dollars (£27,010) to convince the victim to desist from the online display of the statues. These two individuals were affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI. Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said: 'As alleged, the defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime. 'This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.'US attorney Bill Essayli, for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because he criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC (People's Republic of China), and targeting him with violence.' If convicted Mr Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Brit dad 'caught spying for China' as he 'called Xi Jinping the boss in calls'
John Miller, 63, is accused of conspiring with US-based Chinese national Cui Guanghai, 43 after he was arrested in a sting involving undercover FBI agents A British businessman has been arrested in an alleged Chinese spy plot, and is accused of trying to smuggle sensitive US military technology to Beijing. John Miller, 63, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, was arrested on April 24 while on a business trip to Belgrade, Serbia, as part of a sting involving undercover FBI agents. Miller is accused of conspiring with US-based Chinese national, Cui Guanghai, 43. If convicted, both men could face up to 40 years in prison. A number of intercepted phone calls showed Miller referred to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as 'The Boss', court documents reportedly allege. The FBI said this demonstrated his 'awareness that he was acting at the direction and control of the [Chinese] government'. Documents filed at the Eastern District Court of Wisconsin in Milwaukee reportedly allege Miller tried to buy military hardware in the US for the People's Liberation Army, including missile launchers, air defence radars and Black Hornet 'microdrone'. Other equipment he allegedly attempted to obtain included a hand-held device for the secure communication of 'classified and sensitive national security information'. The pair are also accused of mounting a surveillance and harassment operation against a Chinese-American artist to stop him from protesting during a visit by Xi to San Francisco in November 2023. US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said: "The defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime. "This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. The Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems." Miller and Cui also allegedly hired two people to buy an 'embarrassing' sculpture the artist made to prevent the artist from displaying the work during a protest. But unbeknown to Miller the two people he hired were actually FBI investigators. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said: "The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticised the actions of the People's Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America. The same individuals are also charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive US military technology to China. "I want to commend the good work of the FBI and our partners in the US and overseas in putting a stop to these illegal activities." Court papers claim Miller returned from a trip to China in June 2023 boasting to undercover agents that he had met senior government officials and that the visit 'couldn't have gone better". The two men remain in Serbia and the US is co-ordinating with Serbian officials regarding their pending extraditions. Last night, the Foreign Office said: "We are providing consular assistance to a British national following his arrest in Serbia in April and are in touch with the local authorities and his family."
