Latest news with #StephenLee
CBS News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Rare chance to see Northern Lights in Colorado Sunday night
A rare G4 geomagnetic storm on Sunday may put on a show across Colorado skies as geomagnetic activity will push auroras farther south than usual. CBS According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, solar wind, along with a coronal mass ejection, is putting pressure on Earth's magnetic field. That energy will light up parts of the sky Sunday night into early Monday morning. The strong G4 storm could make the aurora visible with the naked eye as far south as Colorado. Streaks of the northern lights jetting out over the mountains near Horsetooth Reservoir were captured by CBS News Colorado viewer Stephen Lee. Courtesy / Stephen R. Lee To be able to view the aurora, it must be nighttime, and the skies must be free of clouds. Stay clear of any areas with light pollution, like within cities, and look to the northern horizon. You might catch a glimpse of the soft glowing bands of primarily green light with possible pinks and purples mixed in. The intensity and color will vary depending on the distance from the aurora and how strong it is. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration A strong to severe geomagnetic storm could possibly cause voltage control problems and may trip out assets from the grid, said NOAA.
South China Morning Post
24-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Safety documents for Hong Kong construction sites ‘should require e-signatures'
A Hong Kong construction industry leader has called on professionals to use electronic signatures for safety documents to help prevent fraud, after authorities uncovered a suspected bribery scandal involving a residential project in Kwun Tong. Earlier this week, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) uncovered subcontractors allegedly offering bribes to supervisors to turn a blind eye towards subpar steel reinforcement works at a residential project handled by real estate giant CK Asset Holdings. Industry veterans on Saturday stressed that the alleged scandal was unacceptable but was likely an isolated incident. Authorities said they found rebar in the concrete of all six buildings at the site failed to comply with approved building plans as it was either missing, displaced, loosely arranged or thinner than required, missing, displaced or loosely arranged. The city's anti-corruption agency also alleged that site supervisors had accepted bribes from a subcontractor in exchange for lenient oversight of subpar construction practices intended to cuts costs and maximise profit. Hong Kong Construction Association vice-president Stephen Lee on Saturday said strict law enforcement was necessary to combat what he called an individual case. He said the industry should use technology to combat fraud and suggest such efforts target professionals who pre-signed safety documents without any thorough on-site checks.
Irish Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Snooker star with 12-year ban misses World Championships despite completing ban
Disgraced snooker star Stephen Lee could have pursued qualification for this year's World Championship, as his 12-year ban from playing ceased in October 2024. In 2013, the former World No.5 was handed a 12-year ban, which was backdated to 2012, after being found guilty of match fixing. He was punished for seven instances of match-fixing during 2008 and 2009, which were condemned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) as the "the worst case of corruption" within snooker circles. Lee's punishment stood as the harshest until 2023 when Li Hang and Liang Wenbo received lifetime bans following another match-fixing exposé. However, unlike the Chinese pair, Lee's suspension has run its course, which provided him with the opportunity to qualify for the ongoing World Snooker Championship, had he chosen to do so. Should the ambition bite for next year, Lee must first clear the substantial £40,000 fine levied by the WPBSA, which escalated to £125,000 after an ill-fated appeal attempt. Paying off this debt would open pathways for qualification via options like the Q Tour, the WSF Championship, or Q School for the next World Snooker Tour season. To facilitate his return, the WPBSA clarified to the Mirror, stating: "Stephen Lee would need to reach a satisfactory agreement with the WPBSA over the settlement of his outstanding costs before he could return to compete at WPBSA/WST events." Lee had previously expressed his reluctance to return to competition in an interview with the Mirror back in 2022. He said: "I must get asked this weekly, daily, minutely. I would like to say no, but I am still capable of playing "Let's see what happens in two years. It's not a no, and not a yes. My eyes are getting worse, and I never had good eyes to start with. As you get older the determination and the fire goes." Around the same time, in a candid response on Facebook, Lee further quashed rumours of a comeback, writing: "Not a chance of it my friend. I struggle to break off nowadays. It's down to my son now.." Lee responded to the match-fixing allegations, claiming he was "totally innocent" and "devastated" by the guilty verdict. However, a tribunal found him guilty of intentionally throwing matches against Ken Doherty and Marco Fu at the 2008 Malta Cup, and also deliberately losing the opening frame in matches against Stephen Hendry and Mark King at the 2008 UK Championship. A 2012 verdict from Tribunal Chairman Adam Lewis said: "I concluded that Mr Lee did not strike me as a cynical cheat, but rather as a weak man who under financial pressure, succumbed to the temptation to take improper steps that he may well have justified to himself as not really wrong, because the ultimate result of the match, win or lose, was the same. "These breaches occurred when Mr Lee was in a financially perilous state not entirely of his own making and was finding it difficult to obtain entry to enough tournaments. As a weak man in a vulnerable position, he succumbed to temptation. I consider it unlikely that he was the prime mover or instigator of the activity. It seems to me likely that advantage was taken of him."
Wales Online
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Snooker star banned for 12 years missed 2025 World Championship despite suspension ending
Snooker star banned for 12 years missed 2025 World Championship despite suspension ending The Crucible always plays host to plenty of controversial characters and it could have set the stage for the return of one snooker star who was banned for 12 years A snooker star who was banned for 12 years could have made a bid to compete in this year's World Snooker Championship (Image: George Wood, Getty Images ) Snooker fans will remember where they were when news of Stephen Lee's 12-year ban for match-fixing was reported. The former World No.5 received the unprecedented suspension in 2013, although it was back-dated to 2012 when the investigation was originally opened. He was found guilty of seven counts of match-fixing which occurred between 2008 and 2009, leading to what the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) deemed "the worst case of corruption". Lee's suspension remained the sternest punishment meted out to a player until the recent lifetime bans dished out to Li Hang and Liang Wenbo in the 2023 match-fixing scandal. Although his suspension has expired, Lee would need to clear his WPBSA-imposed fines if he wished to compete in this year's World Snooker Championship. He faced not only a lengthy ban but was also hit with a £40,000 fine, which ballooned to £125,000 following an unsuccessful appeal. Should he pay up, Lee could aim for qualification through avenues such as Q Tour, the WSF Championship, or Q School for a spot on next season's World Snooker Tour. The WPBSA, when asked by the Mirror if Lee could continue, said: "Stephen Lee would need to reach a satisfactory agreement with the WPBSA over the settlement of his outstanding costs before he could return to compete at WPBSA/WST events." A previous interview with Lee revealed to the Mirror that he's frequently questioned about his return to competitive play. In 2022, he said: "I must get asked this weekly, daily, minutely. "I would like to say no, but I am still capable of playing. Let's see what happens in two years. It's not a no, and not a yes. We can only just see what happens in a couple of years' time. Article continues below "I have some exciting things coming up, and I'm also getting older. My eyes are getting worse, and I never had good eyes to start with. As you get older the determination and the fire goes." Stephen Lee can play snooker again (Image: PA ) Subsequent to the interview, Lee was seen on Facebook addressing a user's query about making a comeback. He responded: "Not a chance of it my friend. I struggle to break off nowadays. It's down to my son now..." When faced with the charges, Lee professed he was "totally innocent" and felt completely "devastated" upon receiving the verdict. A tribunal found that he had intentionally thrown matches against Ken Doherty and Marco Fu during the 2008 Malta Cup. He was also found to have deliberately lost the first frame in games against Stephen Hendry and Mark King at the UK Championship that same year. In a 2012 statement, Tribunal Chairman Adam Lewis suggested that Lee had been exploited. Lee's last official snooker match was in October 2012, against John Higgins (Image: PA ) Article continues below Lewis said: "I concluded that Mr Lee did not strike me as a cynical cheat, but rather as a weak man who under financial pressure, succumbed to the temptation to take improper steps that he may well have justified to himself as not really wrong, because the ultimate result of the match, win or lose, was the same. "These breaches occurred when Mr Lee was in a financially perilous state not entirely of his own making and was finding it difficult to obtain entry to enough tournaments. As a weak man in a vulnerable position, he succumbed to temptation. "I consider it unlikely that he was the prime mover or instigator of the activity. It seems to me likely that advantage was taken of him."
Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Snooker star slapped with 12-year ban missed 2025 World Championship after suspension ended
The 2025 World Snooker Championship featured most of the game's top players, but there was one controversial star who did not appear at the Crucible off the back of his 12-year ban The snooker world will never forget the humongous ban that disgraced match-fixer Stephen Lee was handed in 2012. Just over a decade ago, the former World No. 5 was slapped with a whopping 12-year ban after being found guilty of match-fixing. He was punished for seven counts of fixing matches which took place between 2008 and 2009. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) described it as "the worst case of corruption". Lee's suspension was the longest handed out to any snooker player until the match-fixing scandal of 2023, when Li Hang and Liang Wenbo were banned for life. Unlike the Chinese duo, Lee's ban is now over, and – if he wanted to – he would have been free to attempt to qualify for this year's World Snooker Championship. If the 50-year-old decided he has unfinished business at the Crucible, he would have had to settle the enormous fine he was handed by the WPBSA. As well as his hefty ban, he was also ordered to part with £40,000 in costs, which would rise up to £125,000 as a result of an unsuccessful appeal he made. Should the fines be paid, he would be free to try and qualify through Q Tour, the WSF Championship or Q School to qualify for next season's World Snooker Tour. Outlining what he would need to do, the WPBSA told the Mirror: "Stephen Lee would need to reach a satisfactory agreement with the WPBSA over the settlement of his outstanding costs before he could return to compete at WPBSA/WST events.' Meanwhile, a previous interview Lee gave to the Mirror suggests that he does not have the appetite to compete again. In 2022, he said: "I must get asked this weekly, daily, minutely. "I would like to say no, but I am still capable of playing. Let's see what happens in two years. It's not a no, and not a yes. "We can only just see what happens in a couple of years' time. I have some exciting things coming up, and I'm also getting older. "My eyes are getting worse, and I never had good eyes to start with. As you get older the determination and the fire goes.' Not long after the interview, Lee was seen replying to a Facebook user, who asked if he would want to return to the sport. Lee said: "Not a chance of it my friend. I struggle to break off nowadays. It's down to my son now…' At the time of his punishment, Lee insisted he was "totally innocent" and was completely "devastated" when the punishment was handed to him. It was ruled by the tribunal that he intentionally lost to Ken Doherty and Marco Fu at the 2008 Malta Cup and also deliberately lost the first frame in matches against Stephen Hendry and Mark King, all the way back in 2008 at the UK Championship. A 2012 statement from Tribunal Chairman Adam Lewis said: "I concluded that Mr Lee did not strike me as a cynical cheat, but rather as a weak man who under financial pressure, succumbed to the temptation to take improper steps that he may well have justified to himself as not really wrong, because the ultimate result of the match, win or lose, was the same. "These breaches occurred when Mr Lee was in a financially perilous state not entirely of his own making and was finding it difficult to obtain entry to enough tournaments. As a weak man in a vulnerable position, he succumbed to temptation. I consider it unlikely that he was the prime mover or instigator of the activity. It seems to me likely that advantage was taken of him."
