Heartbreak in Egypt

In an intense 86-minute marathon at the CIB Egyptian Squash Open on Thursday, Malaysia's Sivasangari Subramaniam pushed defending champion Hania El Hammamy to the absolute limit in a thrilling five-game semi-final spectacle. 

Sivasangari drew first blood, asserting her tactical dominance early on to claim the opening game 11-6. 

The second game transformed into a fierce tie-break battle, with El Hammamy narrowly scraping by 12-10 to level the playing field. 

Undeterred, Sivasangari replicated that exact razor-thin margin in the third, capturing it 12-10 to put herself just one game away from a historic upset. 

With her tournament life on the line, El Hammamy responded with astonishing ferocity in the fourth game, catching the Malaysian off guard to execute a flawless, unanswered 11-0 sweep. 

This set the stage for a dramatic fifth-game decider. In a breathtaking finale that mirrored the dramatic margins of their previous encounters, both players traded blows until El Hammamy finally secured the match point, sealing the decider 12-10 and walking away with a grueling 3-2 victory!

In the meantime, Sport Lisboa e Benfica cruised to a dominant 4-1 victory over Celtic FC in the UEFA Europa League, also yesterday. 

Portugal’s second most decorated club set the tone instantly, jumping into an early lead thanks to a clinical 5th-minute penalty. They didn't slow down, punishing the visitors with two more goals in the 22nd and 35th minutes to command the first half. 

The Scottish champions briefly fought their way back into the contest in the 63rd minute when Camilo Duran converted a brave header, but that was all they managed. 

Benfica struck once more in stoppage time to put the game completely out of reach.

Celtic have collected two defeats from their first two games in the league phase.

F1 Roars Back to Sepang

The Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) generated an economic impact of nearly RM950 million. 

Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari said the race, held from October 02 to 04, attracted approximately 261,000 fans, including an estimated 103,000 on race day. Citing Formula One Management (FOM), he said the race was broadcast internationally and watched by 827 million viewers. 

"More than 97,000 tickets were estimated to have been sold, while more than 50,000 international tourists and about 5,000 foreign workers came to Malaysia for the event", he added. 

Taufiq affirmed the event was made possible through close cooperation between SIC and Bahrain International Circuit, with support from the government and other stakeholders. He asserted the arrival of international spectators also benefited the tourism, hospitality, aviation and small and medium-sized enterprise sectors, while promoting Malaysia as a sporting and investment destination. 

Note: Unlike previous arrangements, Bahrain bore the hosting rights costs, allowing Malaysia to benefit economically from the event.

[Background info: Malaysia's Sepang circuit had hosted a leg of the Formula One championship annually between 1999 and 2017 before being dropped from the calendar amid declining ticket sales and concerns over rising hosting costs. It returned this month as a one-off host for a rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix, after the race was cancelled at its original venue due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East]. 

Sivasangari Subramaniam completed a sensational five-game comeback against home favorite Fayrouz Aboelkheir yesterday to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the CIB Egyptian Squash Open. Playing in front of the iconic Great Pyramids of Giza, the fourth-seeded Malaysian world No. 5 demonstrated immense mental fortitude to recover from a two-game deficit, ultimately triumphing 9–11, 4–11, 11–7, 11–8, 11–7.

The opening phase was an intense, high-paced attacking display from both players. After dropped points at a critical juncture cost her the first game, Sivasangari fell further behind as the seventh-seeded Egyptian dominated the second game. Refusing to back down, the Malaysian star adapted her tactics to take total control of the subsequent games, sealing an incredible 63-minute victory. 

This win marks the Malaysian's first-ever advancement to a PSA Diamond-level tournament semi-final. 

And the result also confirms that Sivasangari will climb to a career-high ranking of world No. 4 next week.

Truly Asia, Truly Loved

Malaysia recorded 28.8 million international visitors from January to August this year, up 1.8% year on year and retaining its crown as Southeast Asia's most visited country. As per Malay Mail, October 02, 2026.

🥳🎊🎉🤩🥰💖

Sivasangari Subramaniamm produced a dominant Round 3 performance at the Egypt Squash Open yesterday. 

She needed only 33 minutes to defeat Belgium's Nele Gilis in straight games (11-5, 11-6, 11-8). 

The world No. 5 is scheduled to face Egypt's Fayrouz Aboelkheir next in the quarter-finals as the tournament moves to the iconic all-glass court by the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Finished, But Paused: A Diamond Translation Update

Great news turned bitter-sweet: while the Malay translation of "The Diamond in Your Speech" is officially complete, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause the project for now. 

We were initially on track for a November launch, but production is temporarily on hold. 

Stay tuned – the authors will be sharing more details about this breaking update very soon. Thank you all for your patience and continued support!

Yesterday, Liverpool hosted Manchester City in a Premier League match that only came alive in the second-half. 

After a cagey, goalless first half, the dynamic of the match completely shifted in the 61st minute when Reds midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second yellow card. 

Taking full advantage of the extra man, the Citizens (Cityzens) struck three times (64, 67, 78) to secure a well-deserved victory.

The result preserves Manchester City's perfect winning start to the campaign, keeping them at the top of the Premier League table while handing Liverpool their first league defeat of the season.

And at the Egypt Squash Open, Sivasangari Subramaniam who had received a first-round bye, successfully fought back after dropping the opening game to defeat Egypt's wildcard entry, Nadia Mahmoud 3-1: 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 on Sunday. 

With this victory, the Asian Games champion advances to the third round where she will clash with world No. 12 Nele Gilis of Belgium today.

Worst Ebola Outbreak in DRC's History Kills Over 4,000

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has now killed more than 4,000 people, according to government data, making it the worst epidemic in the country’s history. 

Figures released on Friday showed that the death toll has risen to 4,018, and confirmed cases had ⁠reached 8,300 across seven provinces, as the government continues to struggle to contain the outbreak.

Weak infrastructure, the remoteness of the region in eastern DRC, and ongoing conflict with armed groups near the borders with South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda have hindered efforts to respond to cases quickly and effectively.

The United Nations reported on Friday that sloldiers searching for weapons burned down an Ebola transit center inside a displacement camp earlier this week. The incident occurred at the Kigonze camp on the outskirts of Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, forcing 19,000 residents to flee. 

The UN warned that this destruction has severely crippled disease control efforts, stating: “The enormous challenge of halting the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo just became even harder after a key transit center for patients requiring treatment burned down”.

“The enormous challenge of halting the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) just became even harder after a key transit centre for patients requiring treatment burned down in Ituri province”, the UN said.

People’s mistrust and anger towards health workers and authorities have also contributed to the obstacles the government face in their efforts to contain the outbreak. 

Last Sunday, Marie-Celestin Karondwa, a local leader of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's governing UDPS party, was beaten to death and his house set on fire in Butembo, an Ebola hotspot in the eastern North Kivu province, after participating in a Radio Mangaza program to raise awareness about the Ebola epidemic. 

The current outbreak, which is the DRC’s 17th, has spread rapidly since it was officially declared on May 15.

By now, we already know that Malaysia dominated squash at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games by capturing four out of five gold medals at stake: Women's Singles (Sivasangari Subramaniam), Men's Singles (Ng Eain Yow), Women's Team, and Men's Team. 

They only missed out on the mixed team event, cementing absolute regional dominance.

The final two team golds on Friday pushed Malaysia's total to 9 golds and 18 overall medals, successfully matching the country's historic record from the 2010 Guangzhou Games.

Well done, Squash Malaysia! 🥇🥇🥇🥇

Squash Queens Rule Asia: Malaysia Edges Hong Kong to Retain Team Gold

Malaysia’s squash queens survived an early scare to defeat Hong Kong China 2-1 today, successfully defending their Asian Games women’s squash team title in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. 

This high-stakes triumph delivers Malaysia’s seventh gold medal of the Games, officially pushing the contingent past its initial six-gold target. 👏👏👏

The gold-medal tie was a masterclass in resilience, pushing both powerhouses to the absolute limit. 

Aifa Azman put Malaysia ahead by delivering a clinical performance to down Hong Kong's Tomato Ho 11-9, 11-9, 12-10. 

The tie was thrown into jeopardy when Chan Sin Yuk pulled off a stunning upset, defeating newly crowned Asian Games individual champion Sivasangari Subramaniam in a gruelling five-game thriller (11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7). 

But Aifa's sister, 22-year-old Aira Azman stood her ground and showed nerves of steel. She demolished her opponent, Lee Ka Yi 11-9, 11-5, 11-4, to secure the winning point. 

Malaysia had also defeated Hong Kong 2-1 to capture the team gold at Hangzhou 2022. 

And not to forget mentioning the bronze medal Malaysia earned for the mixed doubles event, won by Ameeshenraj Chandaran and Rachel Mae Arnold. 🥉

Good Riddance!

US forces completed their final withdrawal from Iraq on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, ending a military presence that spanned more than two decades and cost the lives of 4,500 Americans. 

The exit follows a 2024 agreement negotiated under US President Joe Biden and was executed by Donald Trump’s administration, even amidst escalating US military conflict with Iran. 

Iraqi security experts state that maintaining a long-term US military presence in the country had ultimately become unsustainable.

Iraq has now reclaimed its sovereignty. 

The national women's squash team are one step away from defending their gold medal after advancing to the final of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games today. 

Malaysia earned their spot in the final after defeating Japan 2-0 in the semi-finals. 

Sivasangari Subramaniam (left) dug deep before overcoming world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe 5-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-3 to deliver Malaysia's first point. 

[Aira Azman then sealed the win for the national squad by beating Akari Midorikawa 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 to complete the 2-0 victory]. 

Malaysia will face Hong Kong China – the latter eliminated India 2-1 – in the final, setting up a rematch of the Hangzhou 2022 gold medal clash. 

On Friday, the girls defend their legacy and capture Asian Games glory once more.

Court to Decide on Rosmah Mansor's Mareva Injunction in January 2027

Malaysia's High Court fixed January 07, 2027 to hear the Mareva injunction application filed by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and 10 other companies against Najib Razak' spouse, Rosmah Mansor (right). 

Judicial Commissioner Muhammad Adam Edward Abdullah fixed the date during case management here on Monday. The court would also deliver the decision on the application on the same day. 

A Mareva injunction is a temporary court order that stops a defendant from moving or selling their assets before a legal case finishes. 

The application is part of a lawsuit involving luxury goods worth more than $346 million (roughly RM1.6 billion), allegedly using misappropriated funds from 1MDB. 

On Tuesday, Malaysia won all the three matches against Singapore in the Women’s team squash event at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. 

Meaning, they finished as the champions of Pool A, earning a direct bye straight into the semi-finals. 

In the second match of the tie, Sivasangari Subramaniam made a strong impact, defeating Au Yeong Wai Yhann in straight games (11-6, 11-6, 11-5). 

The women's singles gold medalist had sat out Monday's 3-0 victory over Macau China, allowing her crucial extra time to recover from her demanding individual final the day before. 

Malaysia is set to face India in the semi-finals tomorrow.

Sivasangari Subramaniam Wins Asian Games Gold & Qualifies for LA28 Olympics!

Sivasangari Subramaniam is the very first female squash player to qualify for the Olympics after successfully defending her women's singles title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games today. 💖💖💖

The Malaysian put on a dominant, flawless performance to defeat India's world No. 17 Anahat Singh, in straight games 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 in a time of twenty-four minutes.

In badminton, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan have secured at least a bronze by beating India's Gayatri Gopichand–Treesa Jolly 21-18, 21-9 in 42 minutes in the quarter-finals. 

They are the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to step onto an Asian Games podium since Vivian Hoo and Woon Khe Wei claimed bronze at the 2014 Incheon Games in South Korea. 

A tougher test awaits Pearly–Thinaah in tomorrow's semi-finals against China's world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu–Tan Ning, but the Malaysian pair has proven time and again that they can pull off thrilling upsets when they are in sync.

80% of New DRC Ebola Cases Untracked

Health authorities battling the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo have identified only about 30,000 people who may have been exposed to the virus, a fraction of the more ‌than 400,000 expected through contact tracing. 

Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the shortfall showed the outbreak remained entrenched in communities despite signs of progress. More than 80% of new confirmed cases were being detected among people who were not already on contact lists, suggesting transmission is still occurring beyond the reach of surveillance efforts. 

For every confirmed Ebola case, health authorities would expect to identify about 60 people who had direct or indirect ⁠contact with the infected person, Kaseya told Reuters on Friday.  With roughly 7,000 confirmed cases, that would translate into about 420,000 contacts. 

"But currently, we have just 30,000 people in the contact list", Kaseya said. 

"When the outbreak is at community level, we cannot talk about control", he added. 

The Ebola outbreak was detected in May and is already the second largest on record, behind one in West Africa from 2014 to 2016.

Sivasangari Subramaniam is one match away from defending her Asian Games gold medal and earning a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after advancing to the women's final in Nagoya, Japan yesterday. 

The world No. 5 had defeated Hong Kong's world No. 21 Chan Sin Yuk 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-7) in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, in badminton, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan made an assured start to their Asian Games individual campaign with straight-games victories on Friday. The World No. 5 Malaysian pair overcame Indonesia's ninth-ranked Febi Setianingrum-Rachel Allessya Rose 21-13, 21-11 to reach the women's doubles second round.

On Saturday, they booked their spot in the quarter-finals when they prevailed over Thailand's Napapakorn Tungkasatan and Hathaithip Mijad 21-8, 21-12 in just 29 minutes.

Gucci’s ‘Made in China’ Gamble

Gucci have begun selling new luxury sneaker models called Drip and labelled ‘Made in China’, a break with their Italian manufacturing tradition that some industry watchers say could undermine the brand’s high-end image as they race to win back middle-class shoppers. 

The move highlights the challenge facing Gucci designer Demna, who must create innovative products while keeping costs under control to attract so-called aspirational shoppers, the bulk of luxury consumers who are more price-sensitive than the super-rich. 

The Drip sneaker, made from nylon, canvas or suede, and described on Gucci’s website as “Demna’s first sneaker for Gucci”, went on sale last month as part of the designer’s ‘Primavera’ collection. Retailing at around €800 in Europe and $1,000 in the United States, it is cheaper than many other Gucci shoes, though still firmly in the luxury category. 

The Drip is a break from Gucci’s more traditional white leather laced Ace sneakers, and its sock-like shape is reminiscent of Demna’s chunky sneaker designs at Balenciaga which were a streetwear hit in the late 2010s. 

All other Gucci shoes carrying a country-of-origin label on the website are made in Italy.

On Thursday, after receiving an opening round bye, Malaysia's Sivasangari Subramaniam began her defence of the Asian Games individual crown with a dominant 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-3) win over Sri Lanka's Chanithma Sinaly in 17 minutes to cruise into the last eight. 

Yesterday, the world No. 5 stayed on course after defeating Hong Kong’s Ho Tze Lok. She only needed 25 minutes to knock out the world No. 39, 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-8).

Weaponizing Space: The US Aggression

On September 14, 2026, US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference that the United States has fielded "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action". 

This marks the first time any global superpower has publicly acknowledged having active, offensive technology positioned directly in Earth's orbit. 

The public admission of orbital weapons deployment underscores a deeply disturbing shift toward absolute military dominance, signaling clear belligerence and warmongering intentions by the United States. Far from a measure of passive defense, moving active weaponry into Earth's orbit effectively breaks a decades-long global taboo against the weaponization of space, transforming the final frontier into a potential theater of war. 

Sivasangari Subramaniam was just two points away from beating the World No. 1 in the Qatar Classic semi-final in Doha on Thursday. 

But the Malaysian, having dragged Egypt's Hania El Hammamy all the way to a fifth-game tiebreak, just couldn't finish it off. It was easily the match of the year – an 87-minute battlefield that ultimately ended 8-11, 11-9, 15-13, 9-11, 12-10 in Hania's favour. 

A loss is still a loss. 

Sure, this was her maiden Platinum-level semi-final. Sure, breaking into the top four in Doha proves she is actively scaling the highest tier of the global game. 

But she still couldn't cross the finish line. Even though she remains the highest-ranked Malaysian since the legendary Nicol David, being a torchbearer isn't the same as holding the trophy. This performance wasn't a ceiling; it was a benchmark – and a stark reminder of the gap she needs to close.

Woven in Harmony

Tenunan songket benang suasa, 
Sari berkilau indah berpesta; 
Biar berbeza lidah dan bahasa, 
Satu impian membina nusa. 

Padi menguning di sawah rata, 
Burung kedidi terbang sekawan; 
Kepelbagaian budaya lubuk permata, 
Toleransi dijaga menjadi acuan. 

Mekar teratai di dalam kolam,
Pohon beringin tempat ceritera;
Harmoni dijiwai siang dan malam,
Malaysia sentiasa aman dan bahagia.

HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY 2026!

Malaysia’s top women’s squash player Sivasangari Subramaniam has reached her first semi-final at a Platinum-level PSA Squash Tour event after Tinne Gilis withdrew from their Qatar Classic 2026 quarter-final in Doha yesterday. 

According to the PSA Squash Tour, Belgium’s Gilis pulled out of the match because of injury. 

Sivasangari, ranked No 5 in the world, will next face Egypt’s world No 1 Hania El Hammamy. On Thursday.

Nearly 20 Years, 10 Million Views

I started "As I See It" back in October 2008 simply as a place to write about the things that interest me. 

Nearly two decades later, that casual project has turned into a fulfilling journey, having now crossed a massive milestone of over 10 million lifetime views. 

What began as a single post has grown into millions of connections, and it's been incredibly cool to share my perspectives with readers along the way.

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 

Squash player Sivasangari Subramaniam has sealed a place in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Classic. 

World No. 5 and fourth seed Sivasangari defeated Egypt's  world No. 13 Salma Hany 12-10, 11-6, 11-5.in 26 minutes in the second round on Sunday. It was the Malaysian's third win over the Egyptian in five meetings. 

She had started her campaign in the first round on Saturday, September 12, where she defeated another Egyptian, world No. 19 Sana Ibrahim 3-1 (11-5, 3-11, 11-4, 11-4) to advance.

Today, Sivasangari will face world No. 9 Tinne Gilis of Belgium for a place in the semi-finals. She has a 3-1 head-to-head against Gilis.

Demographics in Reverse

According to the US Census Bureau's "An Aging World: 2025" report – released on August 31, 2026 – the global elderly population (65+) has officially surpassed children under five for the first time in human history. 

The elderly accounted for 10.5% of humanity in 2025, a shift driven by longer life expectancy and rapidly falling birth rates. This sustained fertility decline below replacement levels threatens to create a “fertility trap” as the number of potential parents shrinks over time. 

According to UN data, annual births have fallen to roughly 132 million worldwide, down from a peak of 142 million in the early 2010s. This historic demographic inversion is set to accelerate. 

By 2060, the 65+ demographic is projected to surge by 1.15 billion, making up 19.6% of the global population. 

This rapid aging will severely strain public budgets as fewer workers and taxpayers remain to support a booming number of retirees. 

In fact, the Census report estimates that across OECD countries, increased government healthcare spending over the next decade will devour 2.6% of GDP – twice the projected 1.3% growth in revenues. 

We are entering uncharted demographic territory. Navigating this shift is no longer a future problem – it is a current economic reality that requires us to completely rethink how we structure our societies, workplaces, and public budgets.

At the London Squash Classic 2026 semifinal yesterday, Amina Orfi secured a straight-games victory over Sivasangari Subramaniam 3-0: 11-8, 1l-9, 11-6 in 46 minutes. 

The Egyptian's ability to maintain her composure during critical rallies completely neutralized the Malaysian's attacking threats. It was a masterclass in tactical discipline, ensuring she closed out the high-stakes encounter without dropping a single game.

Halfway There! Permata Dalam Bicaramu Update

"Permata Dalam Bicaramu", the Malay version of "The Diamond in Your Speech", is progressing along nicely. 

According to Rohijas MD Sharif, seven chapters have already been completed. Seven more to go.

Translating a specialized guide on public speaking requires a masterful grasp of communication nuance. His dedicated effort ensures that the book's highly effective speech-crafting frameworks transition seamlessly and powerfully into the Malay language. 

At the ongoing 2026 London Squash Classic, Sivasangari Subramaniam defeated India's Anahat Singh in 17 minutes with scores of 11-4, 11-4 to reach the semifinals yesterday. 

The third seed had received a first-round bye and began her campaign directly in the second round (the round of 16), where she disposed of world No. 32, Egypt's Nardine Garas 11-5, 11-5 in another quick 17-minute match a day earlier. 

The Malaysian will next face Egypt's rising prodigy, Amina Orfi today. The latter is the second seed for the tournament and the reigning World Champion. 

This is the exact moment for Sivasangari to stake her claim. She has the lethal speed and tactical brilliance to take down anyone on the planet. 

While Amina presents a massive hurdle, Sivasangari has proven she can dismantle the Egyptian powerhouse before. If she brings the same ruthless intensity she used to crush her quarter-final opponent, a spot in the final is hers for the taking. 

This matchup is a highly anticipated clash between two of the world's top players. Of course, I am rooting for Sivasangari to win!

6 Million Viewers Tune In to Watch Scotland Lose to Morocco

Whoa, a peak audience of six million viewers tuned in to watch Scotland lose 1-0 to Morocco in the World Cup on Friday. 

The figure was achieved across ITV, STV, ITVX and STV Player, with a peak of 1.2 million viewers on STV in Scotland, making it the most-watched television event on the channel since the team took on Germany in the opening game of Euro 2024, as cited by The London Standard (branded online as The Standard and formerly known as the Evening Standard). 

Richard Williams, managing director of audience at STV, said: “In spite of the disappointing result, it’s clear from the viewing figures that the nation was right behind Steve Clarke’s men... no other group of supporters comes close. It’s been great to have Scotland back in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and the ratings prove that shared experiences like this can bring audiences together like nothing else”. 

At its peak, the match had an 81% share of TV viewing.  

Fourth seed Sivasangari Subramaniam faced second seed Hania El Hammamy for the title decider at the PSA Squash Tour Finals yesterday. 

However, the Egyptian proved to be a formidable opponent, utilizing her speed and accuracy to halt the Malaysian's incredible tournament momentum. Hania beat Sivasangari 3-1: 11-6, 10-11, 11-8, 11-8 in 41 minutes. 

Donald Trump Shrugs at School Strike that Killed 168 Children

Donald Trump doesn't give a damn! 

When asked whether anyone would be held accountable for US strikes on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran, on February 28, 2026, that killed 168 children (and 14 teachers), the US president said no, called it "a strange question", and shrugged: "Mistakes are made". 💀💀💀

He made the remarks on Wednesday, June 17, during a press conference at the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.

The children were killed in the active voice. The excuse arrived in passive voice. 

Malaysian squash star Sivasangari Subramaniam made history yesterday by advancing to the final of the 2025-2026 PSA Squash Tour Finals. 

The world No. 5 secured her spot in the championship match by defeating Egypt’s top seed Amina Orfi 3-1: 8-11, 11-10, 11-8, 11-10 in a gruelling 74-minute clash and becoming the first Malaysian finalist since squash legend Nicol David in 2012.

KPMG Publish AI Report Filled with Hallucinations

KPMG, one of the largest consulting firms in the world, have been accused of publishing a report on the future of AI that is riddled with hallucinations. 

In one instance, uncovered by the AI detection company, GPTZero, the report claims that the Japanese East Japan Railway Company (JR East) are using agentic AI for customer service, linking to a 2019 press release, years before agentic AI became mainstream. 

In another instance, the report falsely claimed that Austrian electricity provider Verbund is using AI agents in households to conduct real-time analytics as part of its “energy-as-a-service ecosystem”. Although Verbund invested in a start-up using agents for grid optimization, there was no evidence to support the claim of real-time analytics in households.  

GPTZero had analyzed the report, Total Experience: Redefining Excellence in the Age of Agentic AI, which was released in October, 2025. Out of 45 total citations, they found only 5 were accurate, with many of the others being entirely fabricated or containing a mix of real authors and fake data (a phenomenon GPTZero dubbed "vibe citing"). Another 28 citations provide paraphrased titles and/or fake components for a real source. The final 12 are too vague or flawed to accurately determine if a source exists.

Additionally, the report highlighted cutting-edge "Agentic AI" case studies for several major organizations. However, companies like UBS, Swiss Federal Railways, UK's Transport for London (TfL), and NHS (Greater Manchester) formally denied these claims, calling them factually incorrect or highly misleading.

The results may have redefined excellence, but not in the way KPMG intended! 

Anyway, the said report, which has now been taken down, has been referenced by multiple customer service publications and a major newspaper in the Czech Republic. 

In addition, researchers noted that the paper is now being referenced as a resource on customer experience by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini. GPTZero allege that an LLM research tool was asked to find appropriate case studies of companies using agentic AI worldwide. 

“This tool seems to have conflated sources, exaggerated claims, and injected references to agentic AI that were copied into the final report without verification”, according to GPTZero, which suspect "no human at KPMG double-checked the citations, the claims, or the sources” before the report was published.

And predictably, KPMG came up with the following "generic excuse": "We expect all our people to follow our guidelines on the responsible use of AI, including human oversight to validate content and verify independent sources".  😅😅😅

Sivasangari Subramaniam was in top form to beat world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe of Japan in straight games to reach the semi-finals of the PSA Tour Finals in Paris, France on Wednesday. 

The Malaysian, ranked No. 5 in the world, won the first-round encounter 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 in 35 minutes. It was Sivasangari's eighth win over Satomi in nine meetings. 

The 27-year-old Sivasangari, who won the Australian and Grasshopper Open titles this year, will face world champion Amina Orfi of Egypt for a place in the final on Friday. 

Orfi, who won the British Open title  earlier this month, has a 7-2 winning record against the Malaysian.

Scotland at the 2026 World Cup

For the 2026 World Cup, I SUPPORT SCOTLAND!

Scotland are back at the World Cup after a 28-year absence.

And they have been drawn into a tough group with five-time winners Brazil, Morocco and Haiti as the Scots attempt to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time in their history.

Scotland's 2026 World Cup fixtures are as follows:

GROUP STAGE 

Scotland vs. Haiti on Sunday, June 14 

Scotland's first game is certainly their easiest on paper, against the 83rd-ranked Haiti. The game, which kicks off locally on Saturday night, provides a great chance for a strong start.

Scotland vs. Morocco on Friday, June 19 

Morocco, now eighth in the world, are dark horses for the tournament after reaching the semis four years ago. Even a point from this game would be a bonus for Steve Clarke and Co. 

Scotland vs. Brazil on Wednesday, June 24 

Scotland's next test will be against the iconic Seleção, another side they faced in their last World Cup group stage in 1998. Back then, Brazil won 2-1 to kick off their tournament. 

ROUND OF 32

1st in Group C: Monday, June 29 vs. Group F runners-up 

2nd in Group C: Tuesday, June 30, vs. Group F winners 

3rd in Group C: Depends on third-place seeding

Just over a week until Scotland's World Cup campaign begins, tickets for the opening match are being sold on third-party resale websites. This is a shambolic situation because US travel bans mean that fans traveling from countries such as Haiti won’t be able to attend the World Cup to support their teams. If this is not discrimination, I don't know what is.

The situation highlights a disgraceful disconnect between FIFA’s global inclusive ethos and strict, localized US immigration policies.  

Football aside, Malaysian women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan advanced to the Indonesia Open Badminton quarter-finals on Thursday after defeating Taiwan's Hsu Ya Ching-Sung Yu Hsuan. 

The world No. 2 beat the Taiwanese world No. 15 duo 21-18, 21-19 in a close second-round match in Jakarta. This will be their first quarter-final appearance since Pearly returned from a back injury at last week's Singapore Open, where they were eliminated in the second round.

And in squash, Sivasangari Subramaniam's challenge at the British Open ended in the third round on Wednesday. 

The world No. 5 was tipped to overcome England's world No. 8 Georgina Kennedy for a place in the quarter-finals but instead went down 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 11-5 in 52 minutes. It was the Malaysian's fifth defeat to Kennedy in six meetings. 

She had received a first-round bye and on Monday, she defeated England's world No. 30 Lucy Turmel in the second round, rallying back from a game down to win 10-12, 11-2, 11-8, 11-9.