Latest news with #Tee
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Time of India
Tee Higgins' inspiring NFL story: A mom who survived a gunshot and addiction and a son who never gave up
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images When Tee Higgins lines up on Sundays, he doesn't just carry his team's hopes, he carries his mother's survival, his father's absence, and a childhood most people wouldn't survive. His is a story of heartbreak, bullets, addiction, redemption and triumph. Let's rewind the clock to 2005. Tee was just six years old when his life was nearly shattered forever. His mom was shot in the head in 2005 and somehow lived to see him shine Camilla "Lady" Stewart, Tee's mother, was in a dark place. She'd battled crack addiction for 16 years, and one day, her then-boyfriend shot her in the head. The bullet fractured the right side of her skull. It was bad enough that surgeons had to install a metal plate and 160 screws just to save her life. The image of that day stuck with Tee forever. His sister told him, 'Momma got shot,' and he vividly remembers the helicopters and flashing lights. But this wasn't the end of Lady Stewart's story, it was the turning point. In 2007, two years after surviving the shooting, Lady was arrested for violating probation. That might've been the final straw but it became her moment of clarity. She committed to rehab, got clean, and has been sober ever since. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pernas e tornozelos inchados? Descubra o que pode ajudar a drenar agora aartedoherbalismo Undo That's over 17 years of sobriety. Now? She's not only proud, healthy, and thriving she's also the biggest fan of her NFL star son. Tee has never forgotten that journey. 'Everything I do is for her,' he once said. 'She made it out. I had no excuse not to.' His father was mostly in jail and died just as they started reconnecting Tee didn't grow up with his dad. Eric Higgins spent most of Tee's childhood behind bars. It wasn't until early 2022, right before the Bengals went to the Super Bowl, that they began to reconnect. For Tee, it felt like a fresh start. But life didn't wait. Eric passed away later that year, a loss Tee called 'one of the lowest points of my life.' He didn't talk much about it. Instead, he did what he always does: suited up, kept grinding, and played through the pain. From Tennessee to Clemson to NFL greatness, Tee didn't just survive, he soared Tee could've easily become another statistic. Instead, he became a five-star recruit, a national champion at Clemson, and a second-round NFL Draft pick in 2020. Today, he's one of the most reliable and explosive receivers in the league. And behind the scenes? His mom is always there, the same woman who was once fighting addiction and bullets, now cheering in orange and black with tears in her eyes. Their story isn't just inspiring, it's astonishing. And it reminds us: greatness doesn't always come from perfect conditions. Sometimes, it comes from the storm. Tee Higgins and Lady Stewart are more than mother and son. They're survivors. They're proof that cycles can be broken, odds can be beaten, and pain can be transformed into purpose. She fought for her life. He fought for a future. And now, together, they're rewriting what victory looks like. Also read - 'World sucks': Teddy Bridgewater suspended for helping his players and fans are furious Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Straits Times
14-07-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Rare Eurasian otter spotted in Sabah
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox PETALING JAYA - The rare and elusive Eurasian otter has been sighted again – 11 years after its last confirmed appearance in Sabah. Once thought to have been possibly eradicated from Malaysia, the Eurasian otter at the Tangkulap Forest Reserve in Sabah was captured on camera trap photos by Panthera, a conservation group studying wild cats. Mr Tee Thye Lim, project coordinator for Panthera Malaysia, said the last confirmed sighting of the animal in Malaysia was in 2014, near the Danum Valley Field Centre in Sabah. In contrast to Tangkulap Forest Reserve, which was previously a logged forest, the Danum Valley forest is relatively undisturbed. 'Historically, there has been little evidence confirming the presence of the Eurasian otter in Malaysia,' Mr Tee said in an e-mail interview. 'This lack of records may partly be due to difficulties in distinguishing them from other otter species in the region, as well as a limited number of camera trap studies focused on wetlands.' The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is considered a rare species across Malaysia, he added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business Singapore's economy continues to expand in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore What's in a name? Local author traces the evolution of Singaporean Chinese names Business From wellness zone to neurodivergent room: How companies are creating inviting, inclusive offices Singapore Govt will continue to support families, including growing group of seniors: PM Wong at PCF Family Day Singapore Swift action needed to stop vaping's slide from health risk to drug epidemic Singapore Art by Pathlight students to be displayed along Singapore River Opinion Hong Kong's past is disappearing, one icon at a time Sport Jannik Sinner dethrones Carlos Alcaraz to capture maiden Wimbledon crown With this sighting, Tangkulap is now the only known location in Malaysia where all four native otter species – the smooth coated otter, the Asian small-clawed otter, the hairy-nosed otter and the Eurasian otter – coexist. The Eurasian otter has been classified as 'Near threatened' under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 2020. Panthera works in the region to conduct monitoring surveys, determine population numbers of small cat species, and understand how they are affected by logging, agricultural expansion and poaching. However, in response to a question about whether the sighting could be due to an improvement in river and water quality in Tangkulap, Mr Tee said: 'At this stage, we haven't had the opportunity to establish the kind of long-term environmental monitoring data that would allow us to make assumptions or pinpoint direct ecological impacts.' He added that the Tangkulap Forest Reserve has suffered significant degradation over the past 20 years due to widespread logging, despite all logging licences being officially revoked in 2003. 'The recent discovery of all four otter species within this reserve indicates the success of the Forest Management Plan developed by the Sabah Forestry Department for this area,' said Mr Tee. This emphasises the reserve's great ecological importance and confirms its role as a key conservation priority, he said. However, Mr Tee cautioned that despite this remarkable biodiversity, aquatic habitats essential for otters and flat-headed cats are often under-represented in standard camera trap studies. 'This is mainly due to inherent challenges such as frequent flooding and the resulting equipment loss,' he said. 'While we recognise the strong link between these aquatic apex predators and good water quality, broader landscape-level threats remain unaddressed.' He added that human activities, including illegal fishing, habitat encroachment, hunting and agricultural water pollution, pose significant risks that could lead to the extinction of these aquatic-dependent species. 'At the same time, our understanding of their movement ecology in wet environments is still limited, leaving our knowledge of these vital species incomplete,' he said. To ensure the success of conservation efforts, Malaysia's immediate focus, he said, must be to thoroughly identify and understand the specific threats facing these aquatic top predators in this particular landscape. 'This essential knowledge will be key in developing targeted and impactful conservation strategies.' THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
The Star
14-07-2025
- Science
- The Star
Eurasian otter spotted in Sabah
Rare sighting: Camera trap photos of the Eurasian otter captured at a riverbank at the Tangkulap Forest Reserve. — Photo courtesy of the Sabah Forestry Department/Sabah Wildlife Department/Panthera PETALING JAYA: The rare exclusive Eurasian otter has been sighted again – 11 years after its last confirmed appearance in Sabah. Once thought to be possibly eradicated from Malaysia, the Eurasian otter at the Tangkulap Forest Reserve in Sabah was captured on camera trap photos by Panthera, a conservation group studying wild cats. Project coordinator for Panthera Malaysia Tee Thye Lim said the last confirmed sighting of the Eurasian otter in Malaysia was in 2014, specifically near the Danum Valley Field Centre in Sabah. In contrast to Tangkulap Forest Reserve, which was previously a logged forest, the Danum Valley forest is relatively undisturbed. 'Historically, there has been little evidence confirming the presence of the Eurasian otter in Malaysia. 'This lack of records may partly be due to difficulties in distinguishing them from other otter species in the region, as well as a limited number of camera trap studies focused on wetlands,' he said in an e-mail interview. Overall, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is considered a rare species across Malaysia, he added. With this sighting, Tangkulap is now the only known location in Malaysia where all four native otter species coexist – the smooth coated otter, the Asian small-clawed otter, the hairy-nosed otter and the Eurasian otter. The Eurasian otter has been assessed as 'Near threatened' under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 2020. Panthera works in this region to conduct monitoring surveys, determine population numbers of small cat species, and understand how they are affected by logging, agricultural expansion and poaching. However, to a question about whether the sighting could be due to an improvement in river and water quality in Tangkulap, Tee said: 'At this stage, we haven't had the opportunity to establish the kind of long-term environmental monitoring data that would allow us to make assumptions or pinpoint direct ecological impacts.' He said the Tangkulap Forest Reserve has suffered significant degradation over the past 20 years due to widespread logging, with all logging licences officially revoked in 2003. 'The recent discovery of all four otter species within this reserve indicates the success of the Forest Management Plan developed by the Sabah Forestry Department for this area,' said Tee. As the only location in Malaysia known to support all four of the country's otter species, this distinction alone emphasises its great ecological importance and confirms its role as a key conservation priority, he said. However, Tee cautioned that despite this remarkable biodiversity, aquatic habitats essential for otters and flat-headed cats are often under-represented in standard camera trap studies. 'This is mainly due to inherent challenges such as frequent flooding and the resulting equipment loss. 'While we recognise the strong link between these aquatic apex predators and good water quality, broader landscape-level threats remain unaddressed,' he said, adding that human activities, including illegal fishing, habitat encroachment, hunting and agricultural water pollution, pose significant risks that could lead to the extinction of these aquatic-dependent species. 'At the same time, our understanding of their movement ecology in wet environments is still limited, leaving our knowledge of these vital species incomplete,' he said. To ensure the success of truly effective conservation efforts, Malaysia's immediate focus, he said, must be to thoroughly identify and understand the specific threats facing these aquatic top predators in this particular landscape. 'This essential knowledge will be key in developing targeted and impactful conservation strategies.'
Scotsman
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scottish Open: Saturday sellout confirmed in sun-kissed East Lothian
Record attendance on the cards as 23,000 fans are set to take in third round Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The sun-kissed 2025 Genesis Scottish Open is officially a 'Saturday Sellout', organisers announced on Friday afternoon. A capacity of 23,000 General Admission and Ticket+ tickets have been reached for the penultimate circuit in the $9 million Rolex Series event at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With a huge crowd in attendance for Friday's second round and the figures good as well on Thursday and set to be likewise on Sunday, a record attendance is expected across the week for the event's 31st edition. Fans have enjoyed stunning weather so far this week at the Genesis Scottish Open in East Lothian |'The Genesis Scottish Open has continued to grow every year, with the stars of global golf gathering at Renaissance Club,' said Rory Colville, the Genesis Scottish Open Championship Director. 'We also have an increased fan experience, including the Fringe by the Tee stage in the Fan Zone and the Sixth Hole Stadium Experience. 'We're looking forward to a fantastic weekend of golf and entertainment, and welcoming our best ever crowd to the event.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Saturday at the Genesis Scottish Open also includes a headline set from Grammy-nominated, Brit Award-winning artist, KT Tunstall on the Fringe by the Tee stage.
Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Goodbye fraudsters? Dating app Coffee Meets Bagel rolls out identity verification
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The verification process involves retrieval of a user's NRIC, date of birth, marital status and gender. SINGAPORE - Dating app Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) has rolled out identity verification for its users in Singapore using government records to counter rising online scams and hidden marriages. Verified users will have the option to filter out unverified profiles from July 15 in what is a world first for CMB, The Straits Times has learnt. Users first authenticate themselves through SingPass, which is integrated with the CMB app. The one-time verification process will involve the CMB app retrieving users' NRIC or FIN number, date of birth, marital status and gender from government records. Confirming the move, CMB's head of trust and safety Rachel Tee said the platform is acting on feedback from its users to root out fake profiles. On June 9, it rolled out the verification feature using Singpass and MyInfo, a national digital vault containing citizens' personal data. 'We have since verified over 70 per cent of our user base in Singapore in a month and we continue to encourage more users to verify their profiles,' she added. User feedback came from a survey CMB conducted in June 2025 with 972 users aged 18 and above. It found that three in four users in Singapore had encountered a fake profile, catfisher or scammer, pointing to widespread concerns about trust in digital dating. A catfisher is someone who creates a false or misleading persona to build romantic relationships. The top concerns identified by users polled were fake profiles, scams and hidden relationships. The majority of people polled wanted more robust verification measures for identity (81 per cent) and marital status (65 per cent). 'By offering government-backed verification, we are able to significantly reduce the number of scam profiles that require manual moderation,' said Ms Tee. This will then free up resources within CMB to respond to user reports of harassment, inappropriate messages or offline misconduct, she said. Through identification, CMB will also be able to work closely with law enforcement to take action against bad actors. In April, 0.29 per cent of CMB's users complained about scammers and fake accounts on its platform, among other problems, but this has dropped to 0.21 per cent in June after it started to verify users' identity, she said. CMB did not disclose the size of its user base. It is also not known how many users complained last year. Although users who are married will not receive a verified badge, their accounts will still show up on the pages of people who had not opted to view only verified accounts. 'We understand that navigating marital status can be deeply personal and sometimes complicated. For example, a person may be undergoing separation or divorce which may span a few years,' said Ms Tee. Four other major dating platforms - Bumble, Hinge, Tinder and OkCupid - also rolled out some form of identity verification in recent years , but the measure has remained optional. For instance, Bumble started letting Singapore users verify their identities by uploading government-issued IDs on the week of June 10. The same feature has been rolled out in at least 11 other countries like Australia, Canada and France since March 2025. A Bumble spokesman said that the launch of its ID verification is part of the company's commitment to build a safe online space for people to find love. It uses an Estonia-headquartered third party identity verification service Veriff, to match a user's selfie with the picture on the uploaded ID card. The data is retaine d for up to 72 hours. Hinge, Tinder and OkCupid' s way of verifying users involve letting them upload their recorded video selfies along with their profile pictures. Many dating app users support CMB's move, but some said it could be excessive. A 21 year-old national serviceman who only wants to be known as Martin said that he had friends whose pictures were used without their knowledge on dating apps. 'Compulsory Singpass verification on dating apps could be an effective way to reduce fake accounts and prevent identity misuse,' he said. A 28 year-old public relations officer, who only wants to be known as Adeline, said: 'Simply knowing that the person you're speaking to is verified provides peace of mind and helps build trust from the very first interaction.' An aviation industry staff who only wants to be known as Ralph, 29, said that sharing highly sensitive information such as NRIC on a dating app seems excessive, and raises serious privacy and security concerns. 'The information could be exploited for identity theft, scams, or other malicious purposes. The risk simply outweighs the benefit in this case,' he said, noting that CMB could be hacked. Assuring its users, Ms Tee said that the company employs robust cybersecurity measures and partners with cloud computing service Amazon Web Services to ensure that all information is stored within a secure, encrypted infrastructure. Data collection and usage also strictly adheres to the requirements of the Personal Data Protection Act. 'We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill legitimate business purposes and to comply with applicable legal obligations,' said Ms Tee. Dr Chew Han Ei, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said that identity verification is crucial to build trust online. 'If CMB follows through, they'll be one of the first dating apps to use a government-based identity check. That protects users and frankly, it protects the company too,' he said.
