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vip99bet NoneThe Golf Central team breaks down Lydia Ko's first round at the CME Group Tour Championship and how it compared to her previous success in the event. Golf Central analyzes what makes Nelly Korda's golf swing so "poetic" before looking back on her even-par CME Group Tour Championship Round 1, which saw her struggle on the greens. Watch highlights from first-round action of the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship, part of the DP World Tour. Rex Hoggard reports on Caitlin Clark's appearance at the RSM Classic pro-am, explaining what the star power of the WNBA phenom means for the event and golf as whole. Jeeno Thitikul sits down with Golf Central to discuss her Aon Risk Reward Challenge win, identifying the strongest part of her game and why she strives to inspire more Thai golfers to compete overseas. The Golf Central crew breaks down the 'evolution' of women's sports, particularly through the LPGA and how the CME Group Tour Championship is pushing women's golf to a new level. Amy Rogers reports on the anticipation leading up to the LPGA CME Group Tour Championship and the record $4M paid to the winner, as well as player reactions to the 2025 schedule. Wesley Bryan reflects on his play over the last few months, where he's recorded four top-25 finishes in five starts, before sharing why he's at ease no matter what happens at the RSM Classic. Trevor Immelman joins Golf Central to talk about playing at the PNC Championship with his son Jacob, Scottie Scheffler's year, the new PGA Tour rule proposals and whether Rory McIlroy will complete his career grand slam. Rafael Campos was emotional after everything came together for him to get his first PGA Tour win at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. There are 10 DP World Tour golfers who earned PGA Tour cards for the 2025 season on Sunday at the DP World Tour Championship, including Thriston Lawrence, Matteo Manassero, Tom McKibbin, Jesper Svensson and Paul Waring.

Morrissey throws 67-yard TD pass to Calwise Jr. to lift Eastern Kentucky over North Alabama 21-15

UCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC job

ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

TROY, Ala. (AP) — Damien Taylor rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns, Matthew Caldwell threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Troy scored 21 points in less than two minutes in the fourth quarter to beat Southern Miss 52-20 on Saturday. Taylor went straight up the middle from 56-yards out to give Troy a 24-8 lead midway through the third quarter. He added a 35-yard scoring run for a 38-20 lead with 5:50 left in the fourth. On the ensuing possession, intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 31 yards for a 25-point lead. Southern Miss quarterback Tate Rodemaker was intercepted again and LJ Green returned it 49 yards to the Golden Eagles’ 16-yard line. Jordan Lovett capitalized on the short field by running it in from the 5. Taylor reached the 1,000-yard mark on the season for Troy (4-8, 3-5 Sun Belt Conference). Caldwell was 14 of 26 for 187 yards and he carried it seven times for 30 yards. Rodemaker threw for 234 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Southern Miss (1-11, 0-8). ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: andFAILING authorities missed at least 15 opportunities to put Sara Sharif in a safe home before she was beaten to death. They included reports from her siblings of dad Urfan Sharif’s violence as long as ten years before she died. Social workers spotted burn marks on children and were told Sharif slapped a child around the face and that he waved a knife around the home. Sara’s school also logged bruises on their internal computer, without formally passing those concerns on to social services. The Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza , said it showed Britain’s child protection system had a “profound weakness” which “we have failed time and time again to correct”. And Sara’s MP in Woking, Will Forster, called for an immediate inquest to understand how the system let her down. He said: “It is heartbreaking to think of the warning signs that were missed that allowed her to die at the hands of those who were meant to protect her.” But Surrey County Council said: “It is clear the perpetrators went to extreme lengths to conceal the truth from everyone.” It will now launch a safeguarding review, which is expected to appoint a cultural adviser. Sara was known to social services from the day she was born in 2013 — yet 15 opportunities were missed by authorities. JANUARY 2013: Sara was made subject to a child protection plan at birth because of Urfan Sharif being accused of attacking three women including her mother, as well as hitting and biting two children. But she was allowed to remain with her father. FEBRUARY 22, 2013: A month after Sara was born, social services and police were told that Sharif had slapped a child around the face. Nothing was done. MAY 7, 2013: A social worker spotted a burn mark on a child’s leg. Sharif failed to report the incident and claimed it was a barbecue accident. Nothing was done. OCTOBER 7, 2013: A child was seen with a burn mark made by a domestic iron. Sharif told social services the child had bumped into the appliance. No action was taken. 2013 TO 2014: A child told a social worker that Sharif smashed up a TV and punched Sara’s mother Olga . NOVEMBER 2014: Sara was taken into foster care after a child told a social worker about a bite mark. But she later returned to live with her father following a family court hearing in October 2019 where social services recommended Sara lived with her father because that was her preference. JANUARY 2015: Sharif was reported to social services for ­waving a knife around at home in what he said was a zombie game. Social workers noted that Sharif hit and kicked Olga at home and the pair threatened to kill each other. FEBRUARY 2015: A child told their foster carer that Sharif used to hit them on the bottom with a belt. In September that year the child was heard to say to Sharif: “When you’re at home you hit and kick me every day.” 2015: Olga told social services about Sharif tightening a belt around her neck. Around this time social workers complained Sharif was coercive and derogatory towards them. A male social worker was then appointed to the family. DECEMBER 2016: A child told a social worker they did not like Sharif because he punched them all over their body and gave them lots of bruises. Social workers saw Sara flinch when Sharif told her off during supervised contact and seem ­surprised when he cuddled her. JUNE 6, 2022: A teacher reported that Sara had a bruise under her eye, using the school’s online child protection monitoring system. Sara initially would not say what happened, before later saying another child hit her. But no referral was made to social services. MARCH 10, 2023: A teacher saw bruises on Sara’s face. Sara said she had fallen on roller skates. When she gave a different story to a safeguarding lead, the school made a referral to social services. Six days later social services decided to take no further action. It is understood there had been no contact between social services and Sara’s family for four years at this point. Social services categorised the case as the second highest priority and asked other agencies for information. When nothing came back, the case was closed. MARCH 20, 2023: A report was logged on the school’s internal system after Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool was overheard referring to children as “motherf***er, sister f***er, b**** and whore” in the playground. But no details were passed to social services. MARCH 28, 2023: Batool claimed a mark on Sara’s face was caused by a pen. The teacher told the school safeguarding lead. APRIL 17, 2023: Sharif decided to home-school Sara. School staff rang the council for advice and were told they should make a referral if there were concerns. Staff saw Sara later that day at school pick-up and she seemed fine so they decided against it, even though she had been beaten earlier that day. She was never seen outside the home again. Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel said: “Her death is a heartbreaking reminder of the profound weaknesses in our child protection system that, as a country, we have failed time and time again to correct. “We have been here before — and each time we have said ‘never again’. Sara’s death must also bring about an immediate shift in how we protect children like her.” Rachael Wardell, executive director for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning at Surrey County Council, said: “We are resolute in our commitment to protecting children, and we are determined to play a full and active part in the forthcoming review alongside ­partner agencies, to thoroughly understand the wider circumstances surrounding Sara’s tragic death.” By Ed Southgate AUTHORITIES are facing questions over whether cultural and religious issues affected decision-making in the Sara Sharif case. It is expected a cultural adviser will be appointed to the safeguarding review to examine how it would affect certain areas. Ten-year-old Sara was forced to wear a hijab to conceal injuries — but her wicked stepmum Beinash Batool did not wear one. Ex-neighbour Chloe Redwin told jurors she spoke with Sharif and Batool when she first saw Sara in a headscarf, commenting that she looked nice in it. Ms Redwin said Sharif claimed Sara was “learning about the faith”, and that she “wanted to explore more”. She also said the way Batool spoke to her about it was “abrupt, almost as if she wanted the conversation to end”. Another neighbour said he felt it was odd Sara had only her eyes covered, as nobody else in the family wore Asian dress. He never saw any injuries, but could not know as she was so covered. One witness who saw Sara with bruises said she wore a headscarf that was “very low”. Rather than simply covering her hair, as would be the norm, it was worn “very low, almost ­covering her forehead”. Friends of Sara’s birth mum Olga also claim a Muslim social worker once told her to stop being “selfish”, to return to Poland, and to let Sara enjoy an upbringing in a Muslim family. SARA Sharif’s stepmother Beinash Batool was abused by her own family. At 18, they objected to a man she wanted to marry and she was held against her will at her uncle’s house in the UK for weeks. Batool was also assaulted by her grandad. She was born to a “very traditional” Pakistani family with three sisters and a brother, and was said to be instrumental in courts deciding Sara should live with her and Sharif. But she refused to give dental impressions after bites were found on Sara’s body. FAISAL Malik was born to a large family in Pakistan in 1995 — but he did not grow up with his brother Urfan. Malik travelled to the UK in 2022 to study at Portsmouth University. It was the first time he had left Pakistan. He was not close to Urfan who felt obliged to let him live with his family. Malik, 29, worked at McDonald’s and would often leave the home to escape tensions between Urfan and Batool. His barrister suggested that after the trio fled to Pakistan it was Malik who first said he was returning to the UK.

College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama outRALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina's elections board dismissed formal protests Wednesday by several Republican candidates who trailed narrowly in their races last month and had questioned well over 60,000 ballots cast in November, The State Board of Elections' decisions sided with the Democratic candidates, including those for a state Supreme Court seat and a key General Assembly seat. These matters are now expected to be resolved in the courts. The board voted in favor of denying the protests of GOP Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin, who after a recent statewide machine recount trailed Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes from over 5.5 million ballots cast. No additional recounts had been ordered after a partial hand recount completed Tuesday failed to suggest that Griffin could catch up to Riggs. Riggs is one of only two Democrats on the seven-member court, which has been a partisan flash point in the state over the past two years involving redistricting, photo voter identification and other voting rights. The board on Wednesday considered protests filed by Griffin, a current Court of Appeals judge, and three candidates for the General Assembly covering three categories of voting. They included votes cast by people with voter registration records lacking driver’s licenses or containing partial Social Security numbers; overseas voters who have never lived in the U.S. but whose parents were deemed North Carolina residents; and military or overseas voters who did not provide copies of photo identification with their ballots. The board is composed of three Democrats and two Republicans. In three of four dismissal motions Wednesday, the votes were 3-2 along party lines. The vote on the other motions was unanimous. Griffin did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the decisions. Riggs' campaign has said that she is the winner and that Griffin should concede immediately. Speaking after the hearing, Riggs mentioned that her parents were among the 60,000 voters whose registrations were being challenged, and “I can personally attest they are in fact lawful votes." One of the protesters is GOP Rep. Frank Sossamon, who trailed Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn. A Cohn victory would mean Republicans fall one seat short of retaining their current veto-proof majority for the next two-year General Assembly starting next month. The board could have ultimately ordered corrected ballot tallies, more recounts or new elections if it determined the evidence showed election law violations or irregularities called into question the results of the protested elections. Scores of protests filed by Griffin and the legislative candidates are still being considered by county boards. During Wednesday's hearing, Riggs' attorneys urged the state board to throw out the protests. They called that an illegal attempt to change the election rules after votes have been cast and counted and out of line with protest rules. “The voters that protesters are challenging here today unquestionably are eligible voters,” said Will Robertson, an attorney representing the three Democratic legislative candidates and the state Democratic Party. “These protests are not only facially invalid but they’re an affront to democracy and to the rule of law in North Carolina.” Citing the state constitution, attorneys for Griffin said that elections boards cannot count the ballots of people who have never lived in North Carolina. And they said the state board erred by generating voter registration forms that did not make clear that state law requires an applicant to provide the identifying numbers. “We filed these protests because we believe the winners of these elections should be determined by eligible voters and only be eligible voters,” Craig Schauer, an attorney for Griffin and GOP legislative candidates, told the board. In addition to the substance of the protests, Democratic board members also threw out the protests because they determined that voters did not receive appropriate legal notice that their votes were being challenged. Griffin sent postcards to a voter or the “current resident” stating that “your vote may be affected” by a protest, according to legal briefs and evidence. It included a QR code that mobile phone users could visit to obtain information. Democrats said people may have thrown the postcard away or considered it a scam. The state board's decisions came days after the state Democratic Party sued in federal court to block the State Board of Elections from ruling in any way to throw out the disputed ballots. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals.

Have you been told you look like someone famous? You could be cut out for a look-alike contest. In recent weeks, pop culture doppelgangers have descended on parks and public squares across the US and UK to battle it out for the coveted title of best look-alike, cash prizes, and bragging rights. The internet's favourite 'it' boys have all been featured such as Timothee Chalamet, Harry Styles and Paul Mescal. Even Australia's own Dom Dolla has been represented via hundreds of men with moustaches. Early last week, Triple J Drive decided to run the contest. Drive presenters Tyrone and Abby said they were "absolutely" influenced by the contests they've seen over in the UK and US. "With the rise of celebrity look-alikes happening across the world, we thought it would be fun to try our own but on a national (and some international) scale across radio and socials," they said. "We had over 250 Dom Dolla look-alikes apply from every state and territory and quite a few international. "All we needed was a man with a stache and mullet, and in this country, there is no shortage." Look-alike contests, drag performances and impersonators of icons — from Elvis Presley to Marilyn Monroe — have been around for decades. But here's why this craze has been going viral. Where did the celebrity look-alike craze start? It all began when a New York City-based contest was launched to find a Timothee Chalamet look-alike. Posters advertising the contest appeared across Manhattan and social media in the weeks leading up to the event. On the fateful Sunday, thousands of Chalamet wannabes, journalists and spectators gathered. The winner, 21-year-old Miles Mitchell, earned the loudest applause, donning a Willy Wonka costume he thrifted. Chalamet himself even made a surprise appearance — prompting others to organise their own contest in the hopes their favourite celeb would turn up. The event took social media by storm, with one person commenting on X it was a "historic pop culture moment". Why are they taking off? Lauren Rosewarne, an associate professor and pop culture expert at the University of Melbourne, has an idea about why these contests are so popular. "Celebrity look-alike contests are yet another way to participate in celebrity culture," Ms Rosewarne said. "They are also social opportunities that are a bit fun and silly and potentially an opportunity for participants and onlookers to be part of a media event." Flinders University associate lecturer Katharine Perrotta says their popularity was indicative of broader trends in youth culture. "There's a certain appeal towards deeply un-serious activities, given various overwhelming political crises," Ms Perrotta said. "I also think that these contests offer an option for a non-threatening way to engage in public desire. "Because of their position as 'vintage objects', these contests offer an opportunity for people to engage in objectification in ways that are perceived as less predatory or 'problematic'." And when it comes to what it could mean for a contest winner, Ms Rosewarne imagines that someone "distinctly entrepreneurial might be able to parlay their success into certain kinds of influencing". Social media driving the events Caitlin Adams, lecturer in the department of media at the University of Adelaide, says social media has made it easier to spread the discussion about these events. "Its capacity to allow users and media outlets to post and reply to updates in real time is a large reason why these events are going viral," Ms Adams said. "Also, the idea that a celebrity might attend feeds into the fantasy of it all. "This perceived possibility is exacerbated at the moment because of Chalamet's attendance, but also some of the folklore about other celebrities attending their own contests and losing." Dolly Parton and Charlie Chaplin are some names that get tossed around for this. All the subjects have been male Our fascination with celebrity look-alikes is nothing new. Television game show Stars In Their Eyes allowed look-alike contestants to impersonate their favourite singers. But the latest competitions have one thing in common — the celebrities are all young and male. It's a complete switch in the traditional power dynamics. "There is a very long history of beauty pageants centred around appraising women's appearances," Ms Rosewarne said. "I imagine that there would be concerns that having a look-alike competition for a famous woman lends itself to being a bit too "beauty contest"-ish and veering a little too close to the scrutinising of women's bodies that is widely understood to already be prolific and often viewed as problematic. "The contests centred around male celebrity look-alikes tend to be less about "beauty" and more about capturing "something" that makes the celebrity unique looking." This could link back to the 'hot rodent men' trend that was all the rage earlier this year. These men tend to have lean physiques, scruffy hair, beady eyes — essentially, they're unconventionally attractive. The likes of Jeremy Allen White, Timothee Chalamet, Barry Keoughan and Matty Healy (among others) have all been classified in this category — and two of them have had a look-alike contest in their honour. Ms Perrotta says it's simpler to engage in this kind of desire in regards to men, because it's not understood to be dangerous to them. "For a youth culture that is aware of the dangerous effects of the public objectification leading to the dehumanisation of women, it is far too politically fraught to wade into those waters," she said. "To publicly judge a woman in any way on her appearance, no matter how innocent the impetus for this may be, aligns too closely with misogyny." What will happen if we do see a female celebrity look-alike contest? According to a flyer posted on Reddit, a Zendaya look-alike contest — the first competition with a female subject — is set to be held in the actress' hometown of Oakland, California this week. Users on Reddit have expressed their concern for the event. "I don't think this is a very good idea. Some of the male celebrity ones have been funny, but I think that people are too likely to start getting very mean about girls participating in Hollywood actress look-alike competitions," one user wrote. "People are going to be really mean about this one," another said. Ms Perrotta says it's difficult to gauge what the response will be at a female event. "There is always the opportunity for bad actors to comment and/or share the event on social media to a broader and more dangerous online community. "Given that Zendaya, and presumably those who will enter this contest, are Black women, this further opens up the possibility for harassment and misogynoir." Will the craze fizzle out? Who knows how long these viral look-alike contests will be coming to bless us. But, one thing we do know is that, right now, they're still happening. Another Paul Mescal competition is set to go ahead in an Irish Pub in London this week, Miles Teller in Philadelphia, plus Zendaya's as well. Ms Adams says the sheer number of these events currently is in part because of the pop culture hype around them. "That said, given how long we've been having look-alike contests, it's likely that these will continue once the current hype has passed, just with much less fanfare." Meanwhile, Ms Rosewarne believes the hype will deteriorate as "audiences will very quickly move onto something else". Here's a look at some of the contests we've seen so far. Journalist Katrina Mirpuri organised this contest in Soho Square. She told the BBC the reason why she started it was because "people need to have some fun after all the dreary news we're having". Zayn Malik fans were quick to criticise the look-alike contest, stating it drew less than realistic expectations. "None of them looked anything like him," one user wrote on X. "Zayn I'm so sorry," another commented. ABC

Frank Nazar (drafted with Kirby Dach trade pick) dominates

SINGAPORE: Three mass casualty incidents that played out in just nine days - the recent spate of what seems to be “revenge on society” attacks in China are raising concerns about underlying societal issues and cannot be dismissed as isolated acts of troubled individuals, analysts told CNA. A brutal car attack in the southern city of Zhuhai on Nov 11 killed 35 people exercising at a sports stadium . Days later, a stabbing incident at a vocational college in eastern China’s Yixing city killed eight and badly injured 17 and on Tuesday (Nov 19), an SUV ploughed into students and pedestrians outside a primary school in Hunan’s Changde, where scores of children were seen fleeing in fear . While the attacker’s motives and the exact injury toll of the latest incident are still unknown, the attacks in Zhuhai and Yixing were “triggered by the dissatisfaction with the division of property following a divorce” and the “failure to obtain a diploma due to poor exam results” respectively, based on police statements. According to official statistics, violent crime in China is lower than global averages. The country’s murder rate in 2023 was 0.46 cases per 100,000 people as compared to 5.7 in the US. But the recent attacks are still raising alarm among many. In addition to the incidents in November, others have been reported in recent months, including a mass stabbing at a supermarket in Shanghai in September and a stabbing at a top school in Beijing the following month in October. ‘THE WORLD IS CRAZY’ Before posts and comments were swiftly taken down , Chinese social media users expressed anger and shock about the recent killings, asking if it was a sign of underlying issues facing society today. “They (the perpetrators) are seeking revenge on society,” remarked a user on the Sina Weibo microblogging site in a comment on a state media post about the Zhuhai car attack, which was later removed. “Why are such incidents happening every day,” asked a user on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok especially popular among young users. Another said bluntly: “The world is crazy.” Dr Zhao Litao, a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS), told CNA that while it was challenging to establish a link between the rampage incidents “due to limited publicly available information”, there was a common thread – “their nature of acts as ‘social revenge’ (in which) perpetrators act on personal grievances by attacking strangers”. “Victims were often random and unrelated to the perpetrators, which highlighted the unpredictability and indiscriminate targeting involved,” he said, adding that the incidents “amplified public concern about whether the pattern reflected deeper underlying issues”. A police report shows that the 62-year-old perpetrator in Zhuhai took “social revenge” after anger over his divorce settlement. He later attempted suicide and is now in a coma. The 21-year-old suspect in the Yixing stabbing rampage vented his frustration and “attacked others after failing an exam and not receiving his graduation certificate”, according to a statement issued by the Yixing Public Security Bureau. He had also been deeply unhappy over his low internship pay, the statement added. “The complex web of personal traumas and grievances... led them to this fatalistic moment,” said Mr Barclay Bram, a Fellow on Chinese Society at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, who has also researched mental health and psychological counselling in China. He told CNA that the “inability to find other means of resolving issues, access to weapons, and the social contagion effect of other acts of mass violence” could also be contributing factors. Dr Zhao said the attacks highlighted structural issues such as socioeconomic disparities, weakened social norms as well as gaps in psychological support. “Individual mental health challenges are often shaped by broader societal stressors. For instance, work pressures, unemployment, strained relationships, or economic disputes can escalate stress levels,” he added. “It’s critical to ask how and why individuals transition from normalcy to extremity – and what environmental or systemic conditions might be facilitating this shift.” A “sustainable approach” would require tackling the root causes of social discontent, Dr Zhao said. “Policies promoting equitable economic development, robust social safety nets, accessible mental health services and fair dispute resolution mechanisms can reduce the pressures that drive individuals to extreme actions,” he added. THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS China’s economy is facing a number of challenges – a property crisis, steep public debt as well as rising youth unemployment rates, all of which have taken a toll on both economic and mental health. Mental health remains a growing issue in the country – with reports of people feeling stressed, burnt out , anxious and depressed . Experts have also cited issues like rising costs of living, high unemployment rates and the lack of state support amid a turbulent economy still in post-pandemic recovery. “Chinese society is under significant stress due to a slowing economy, uncertain future and an unstable global climate,” said Mr Bram, who also stressed that it was “hard to generalise across a population as large as that of China”. The long tail of the COVID-19 pandemic and public mistrust caused by the government’s harsh lockdowns “contributed to a sense of hopelessness amongst many in society”, he added. The Blue Book of National Depression, published by the Chinese Academy of Science in 2022, found that for every one million people in China, only 20 had proper access to mental health services – as compared to 1,000 Americans (per million) who enjoyed those benefits and support in the US. Experts like Dr Zhao suggested more proactive approaches to promote mental health awareness and encourage empathy. “The role of social support systems is crucial,” he said. “When individuals lack effective avenues to cope with stress or resolve disputes, their frustrations may accumulate to a breaking point.” But there was also still strong social stigma around treatment and seeking help. “Stigma often prevents individuals from seeking help, leading many to suffer in silence or keep their struggles within the family,” said Dr Jared Ng, a psychiatrist and also the Medical Director of Connections MindHealth, a clinic in Singapore which provides mental health services to a diverse clientele, including Chinese students studying abroad. Limited access to care is another challenge, Dr Ng added. “Psychological support services are concentrated in urban centres like major cities but rural areas have far fewer resources,” he said, adding that early detection and intervention was also crucial in preventing violent episodes. “Socio-economic stressors can push individuals to their breaking point and when combined with substances like drugs or alcohol, these pressures can escalate into extreme actions including harm to themselves or others.” Psychological support alone cannot solve the deep rooted issues, other experts said. “Would increased psychological support be a good thing in this case? Of course,” said Mr Bram. “(But) would it have prevented these instances of social violence altogether? Possibly not, as the dynamics involved are both specific and complex.” ADDRESSING SOCIAL DISCONTENT The violent episodes have also raised questions about the ability of the Chinese government to deal with grievances in society. Following the car attack in Zhuhai, authorities pledged to solve the root of the problem, by better handling issues such as family and property-related disputes. Though not all are buying it. “This is what happens when a government prioritises money and economic growth over the welfare of people,” read a highly rated comment on Weibo before it was deleted. “For those in power, achieving wealth and status is more important than people’s lives,” said another user. Conundrums have existed and persisted over the past decade, said Associate Professor Alfred Wu from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP). “Beijing has traditionally relied on a top-down approach to governance to manage security,” Assoc Prof Wu said. “But in reality, the central government can’t actually handle so many things.” “A more effective way would be a rethink on fostering a healthy society and managing that well – including by allowing more grassroots-level initiatives,” he said. In the aftermath of recent incidents, the more immediate response from authorities was to censor information and discourse on the internet. Graphic images showing the extent of the crime scene in Zhuhai – blood and bodies lying in the street, were scrubbed off sites like Weibo and comments critical of efforts by the authorities removed. This level of censorship can be expected, experts previously told CNA, especially in the aftermath of a serious tragedy to “try and control the narrative”. A post sharing details of the most recent incident in Changde on an official procuratorate’s Douyin channel initially garnered over 4,000 comments. However, the number of comments dropped to less than 80 by the next day. Checks by CNA also found that comment sections had been disabled on Weibo a day after the incident. “Such responses (by the Chinese authorities) are largely reactive,” said Dr Zhao, adding that censorship efforts focused more on “containment after incidents occur rather than addressing root causes.” Assoc Prof Wu said that the Chinese government’s current approach has “not been to solve the problem but rather the people who voice out” – and was aimed more at “blocking” and controlling rather than “easing” the situation at hand. But some netizens also caution against oversharing and reporting news about violent incidents, out of concern that they might inspire copycat attacks. “(With a population) of 1.4 billion, there are definitely extremists,” said a user on Xiaohongshu who went by the name Yang Lm, who referenced both car attacks in Changde and Zhuhai. “This is why we shouldn’t report such incidents, there are too many copycat criminals.” There are some merits to restricting and filtering content on social media, said Dr Ng, who also agreed that it could inadvertently lead to “copycat behaviour”. “It is crucial that the content being shared does not glorify the incident,” he said. “Social media platforms have a responsibility to balance raising awareness with protecting the mental well-being of their users,” he added. While efforts by authorities like “risk mapping and enhanced surveillance” may mitigate immediate threats, they are “far from sufficient” as long-term solutions, said Dr Zhao. “The unpredictable nature of attacks makes it nearly impossible to identify all potential perpetrators in advance. Moreover, these measures risk alienating communities if perceived as overly intrusive,” he said. “Policies promoting equitable economic development, robust social safety nets and accessible mental health services can reduce the pressures that drive individuals to extreme actions.” “Building a society where people feel secure, supported and hopeful is key to preventing such tragedies.”Former Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has knocked Governor Monday Okpebholo decision to probe his (Obaseki) administration, saying it is a diversionary tactic to mask his incompetence and unpreparedness for office. Recall that Okpebholo had approved the formation of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate the administration of his predecessor. The committee is tasked with verifying the state’s assets and liabilities under the previous administration. But reacting in a statement to Naija News on Sunday, Obaseki’s Media Aide, Crusoe Osagie, said his principal ran Edo’s most transparent government. He stated that the barrage of empty probes by Okpebholo is a smoke screen to mask his incompetence and unpreparedness for office. According to Obaseki’s aide, Okpebholo is devoid of ideas and lacks a clear vision to drive development in the State, noting that the Edo governor is resorting to cheap political theatrics and using a circus of meaningless probes to distract from his glaring incompetence and lack of direction. The statement reads: “ Our attention has been drawn to a laughable and utterly ridiculous statement by the Monday Okpebholo’s administration setting up a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to probe the administration of his predecessor, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, who is globally acclaimed to have run one of the most transparent, accountable and prudent government’s in the history of Nigeria. “This is another in the list of the barrage of meaningless probes which the governor and his directionless government is embarking on since they got into Dennis Osadebey Avenue through the back door. From probing civil servants’ employment to probing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and probing vehicles and other assets of government, among others, the governor-select has continued to show that he is bereft of ideas and lacks a clear vision for the development of the State and has therefore resorted to these charades of empty probes to buy time and distract from his incompetence and unpreparedness for office. “His plan is to treat Edo people like an undiscerning mob that you can distract with a show like the duel of gladiators in the Ancient Roman Colosseum. But Okpebholo will soon learn that he is the governor with the hardest job in Nigeria because the Edo people of Edo State are wise and can hardly be fooled. His diversionary probes may succeed in deceiving people in some States in Nigeria but certainly not those in Edo State. “He should stop his futile and failed attempt to fool the people of Edo State who have already seen him for who he truly is: a politician out of his depth who has become a tool in the hands of his many godfathers who are thirsty for vendetta, having for long been denied access to the people’s patrimony by the immediate past government of His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. “It is on record that the Obaseki administration achieved an unprecedented level of transparency in governance, laying a solid foundation for fiscal discipline, which was why it was able to accomplish the numerous milestones recorded across various sectors of the State, including the economy, education, agriculture, infrastructure, among others. Under Obaseki’s watch, the State developed its first asset register, containing all the government’s assets, which has since been handed over to the new government.” He added: “ So, we know what their plans are with the diversionary probes. It is just a smokescreen to mask the governor-select’s incompetence and unpreparedness for office, having come into power through a stolen mandate. “We want to advise Okpebholo to focus on governance and improving the lives of Edo people rather than waste state resources masking his incompetence in meaningless probes. Edo people are watching and his short-span government which lasts until the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) reclaims its mandate duly given to it by Edo voters will be judged not by the noise it makes but by the impact it delivers.”General's promotion blocked in first sign of Trump retaliation for Afghanistan pullout

Petition demanding general election hits 100,000– humiliated Keir Starmer must now respond

TROY, Ala. (AP) — Damien Taylor rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns, Matthew Caldwell threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Troy scored 21 points in less than two minutes in the fourth quarter to beat Southern Miss 52-20 on Saturday. Taylor went straight up the middle from 56-yards out to give Troy a 24-8 lead midway through the third quarter. He added a 35-yard scoring run for a 38-20 lead with 5:50 left in the fourth. On the ensuing possession, intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 31 yards for a 25-point lead. Southern Miss quarterback Tate Rodemaker was intercepted again and LJ Green returned it 49 yards to the Golden Eagles’ 16-yard line. Jordan Lovett capitalized on the short field by running it in from the 5. Taylor reached the 1,000-yard mark on the season for Troy (4-8, 3-5 Sun Belt Conference). Caldwell was 14 of 26 for 187 yards and he carried it seven times for 30 yards. Rodemaker threw for 234 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Southern Miss (1-11, 0-8). ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and