The following mail from the RoboCup executive committee arrived this morning. Even though it still reads a bit doubtful, it is a long-awaited signal for participants. Frankly, I’m happy not to take part in the RoboCup world championships this year…

Dear RoboCuppers,

Thank you very much for your patience regarding the status of RoboCup
2008. We are happy to announce that we now fully expect RoboCup to go
forward in Suzhou in July as planned. We sincerely apologize for any
inconvenience the uncertainty over the last few weeks may have caused
you, but we hope that you will now be able to turn your attention once
again towards creating your agents, improving your algorithms, working
on your posters and presentations, and planning your travel. Please
remember to register by May 23rd, and especially to apply for your
visas as soon as possible.

We look forward to seeing you in Suzhou in 2 months!

– Minoru Asada, the president of RoboCup Federation