That will be no easy task given that Morecambe currently have a squad of five first-team players, no manager, and are due to face Altrincham at 12:30pm on Saturday.
The BBC was informed that the team’s kit will only be delivered later this week, and that players are still not insured to play or train, meaning that a postponement – just like their opening three fixtures of the season – is possible.
Earlier this summer, when Panjab Warriors first agreed to take over the club, the BBC learned that the group planned to remove manager Derek Adams from his position and replace him with 30-year-old former Notts Country, Wigan Athletic and Como coach Ashvir Singh Johal, who has never managed a senior first team side.
Singh Johal even conducted an interview with the BBC in which he thanked Panjab Warriors for hiring him. But the takeover wasn’t completed at the time, and so Adams remained in post, unpaid and with no squad to coach.
Adams has now been removed from his position, with his sacking announced while the BBC was interviewing the new owners on Monday evening. Singh Johal is expected to be his successor.
The 50-year-old Adams has become a hugely popular figure among the fanbase, having managed the club three times and led them to League One for the first time in their history.
When asked on Monday – while Adams’ sacking was being finalised by another member of the ownership group in an adjacent room – whether they still planned to let him go and install Singh Johal in his place, Panjab Warriors head of communications Gurpreet Singh said: “All we want to say is, trust us.
“There are going to be changes. We went from League One all the way down to the National League. But we are here for the betterment of the club, so trust us.”
Proofpoint has identified a complex phishing campaign using counterfeit Microsoft OAuth applications to evade Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and gain illicit access to Microsoft 365 accounts.
Tactics and scale
The campaign involves threat actors creating deceptive Microsoft OAuth applications that impersonate brands including Adobe, DocuSign, and SharePoint. These apps are used in Attacker-in-the-Middle (AiTM) phishing attacks, with the Tycoon phishing kit being the primary tool for harvesting user credentials and intercepting MFA tokens.
Researchers at Proofpoint observed over 50 distinct impersonated applications and nearly 3,000 attempted compromises of Microsoft 365 accounts across more than 900 environments. The confirmed success rate for these attacks has exceeded 50% in 2025. Proofpoint noted that, “Threat actors are creating deceptive Microsoft OAuth applications that impersonate well-known brands such as Adobe, DocuSign, and SharePoint. These malicious apps serve as lures in Attacker-in-the-Middle (AiTM) phishing attacks, primarily utilizing the Tycoon phishing kit, to harvest user credentials and intercept MFA tokens.”
The attacks target a range of industries, with some campaigns tailor-made for specific sectors. For instance, lures directed at aerospace and defence firms use industry language such as “request-for-quotes” (RFQs) and impersonate services like ILSMart. According to the company, “The attacks are often highly tailored. While many campaigns impersonate general enterprise applications, some are customized to specific industries. For instance, Proofpoint observed lures targeting the aerospace and defense sector, using themes like ‘request-for-quotes’ (RFQs) and impersonating industry-specific services such as ILSMart.”
Attack method
Each campaign typically begins with phishing emails, often sent from accounts that have already been compromised, containing links to a fraudulent OAuth consent page. Users are encouraged to permit what appear to be routine permissions for a familiar application. Whether permissions are accepted or declined, users are redirected to a fabricated Microsoft login page, frequently incorporating the target organisation’s Entra ID branding.
The fake login page harvests credentials and intercepts MFA tokens using AiTM techniques, giving attackers full access to Microsoft 365 accounts. “The attack flow typically begins with phishing emails, often sent from compromised accounts, containing links to a malicious OAuth consent page. Users are prompted to ‘accept’ seemingly benign permissions for the fake application. Regardless of whether permissions are accepted or canceled, the user is redirected to a counterfeit Microsoft login page, often branded with their organization’s Entra ID. This page then harvests credentials and intercepts MFA tokens via AiTM techniques, granting attackers access to Microsoft 365 accounts.”
Use of Tycoon platform
Much of the observed malicious activity has links to the Tycoon Phishing-as-a-Service platform. Tycoon is designed to intercept credentials and session cookies in real-time, enabling threat actors to bypass MFA restrictions. Proofpoint’s research indicates a shift in operational infrastructure by these groups, moving from Russian proxy services to US-based data centre hosts, in a probable effort to avoid detection. “Much of this activity is linked to the Tycoon Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) platform. Tycoon is widely available to cybercriminals and is designed to intercept credentials and session cookies in real-time, effectively bypassing MFA. Proofpoint also noted a recent shift in the campaign’s operational infrastructure, moving from Russia-based proxy services to a U.S.-based data center hosting service, potentially an effort to evade detection.”
Defensive measures
Threat actors are creating increasingly innovative attack chains in an attempt to bypass detections and obtain access to organisations globally. Proofpoint anticipates threat actors will increasingly target users’ identity, with AiTM credential phishing becoming the criminal industry standard.
Recommendations for mitigation include monitoring and blocking malicious email threats, identifying account takeover attempts and unauthorised resource access, employing solutions that provide rapid detection of account compromise, and using auto-remediation features to limit the time attackers have in a system. Web session isolation and ongoing user education, particularly around recognising suspicious Microsoft 365-related requests, are also important. Proofpoint advises, “Email security: Block and monitor malicious email threats targeting your users. Effective BEC-prevention solutions can greatly minimise practical attack surfaces. Cloud security: Identify account takeover (ATO) and unauthorized access to sensitive resources within your cloud environment. These solutions should provide accurate and timely detection of both the initial account compromise and post-compromise activities, including visibility into abused services and applications. Employ auto-remediation capabilities to reduce attackers’ dwell time and potential damages. Web security: Isolate potentially malicious sessions initiated by links embedded in email messages. Security awareness: Educate users to be aware of these risks when using Microsoft 365. FIDO: Consider adopting FIDO-based physical security keys.”
Anticipated impacts
Proofpoint notes that upcoming Microsoft updates for Microsoft 365, scheduled for deployment from July to August 2025, are expected to affect these attack techniques significantly. These changes will block legacy authentication protocols and require administrative consent for third-party app access.
Proofpoint stated, “Proofpoint anticipates a positive impact from Microsoft’s recent updates to default settings for Microsoft 365. Rolling out from July to August 2025, these changes will block legacy authentication protocols and require admin consent for third-party app access, which are expected to significantly disrupt these attack methods.”
Adjuvant cemiplimab therapy reduced the risk for disease recurrence or death by 68% compared with placebo in patients with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma after surgery and radiotherapy. The 24-month disease-free survival rate was 87.1% vs 64.1% with cemiplimab vs placebo.
METHODOLOGY:
The primary treatment, surgery with curative intent, achieves a cure in approximately 95% of patients. Previous trials helped identify patient subpopulations at highest risk for recurrence, but the benefit of systemic adjuvant therapy options has not been well established in clinical trials.
A phase 3, randomized trial enrolled 415 patients with local or regional cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who completed surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, with 209 receiving cemiplimab and 206 receiving placebo.
Participants received cemiplimab (350 mg) or placebo intravenously every 3 weeks for 12 weeks, followed by 700 mg every 6 weeks for up to 36 weeks (≤ 48 weeks total).
The primary endpoint was disease-free survival, with secondary endpoints including freedom from locoregional recurrence, freedom from distant recurrence, and safety.
Researchers recruited patients from 107 sites across 16 countries, with a median follow-up of 24 months.
TAKEAWAY:
Cemiplimab vs placebo demonstrated superior disease-free survival with 24 vs 65 events (hazard ratio [HR], 0.32; 95% CI, 0.20-0.51; P < .001).
Treatment with cemiplimab led to lower risks for locoregional recurrence (9 vs 40 events; HR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.09-0.40) and distant recurrence (10 vs 26 events; HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17-0.72).
Adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 23.9% of cemiplimab patients vs 14.2% of placebo patients, with discontinuation rates of 9.8% and 1.5%, respectively.
Overall survival at 2 years was 94.8% (95% CI, 89.6-97.4) with cemiplimab vs 92.3% (95% CI, 86.5-95.7) with placebo (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.39-1.90).
IN PRACTICE:
“Adjuvant cemiplimab therapy led to longer disease-free survival than placebo among patients at high risk for recurrence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Because anti-PD-1 therapy provides durable responses in less than 50% of patients in the context of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, the ability of adjuvant cemiplimab to reduce the risk of recurrence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is clinically meaningful for patients at high risk for recurrence,” wrote the authors of the study.
SOURCE:
The study was led by Danny Rischin, MD, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. It was published online on May 31 in The New England Journal of Medicine.
LIMITATIONS:
According to the authors, the trial was not designed to formally investigate differences in efficacy and safety between the two dose regimens. Additionally, at the time of primary analysis, with only 25 deaths observed, a convincing benefit regarding overall survival has not been demonstrated, although follow-up is ongoing.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi. Rischin received support from a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant. Additional disclosures are noted in the original article.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
August 19, 2025 (MLN): The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has officially launched its upgraded payment and settlement system, Pakistan’s new Real-Time Interbank Settlement Mechanism Plus (PRISM+) System, with the event being streamed live via Facebook.
Governor SBP, Mr. Jameel Ahmad, formally inaugurated the PRISM+ system, marking a major milestone in the modernization of the country’s financial market infrastructure.
The launch ceremony, held at the National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF), Karachi, was attended by CEOs of banks, microfinance institutions, Payment System Operators (PSOs), Payment Service Providers (PSPs), senior SBP officials, and other key stakeholders.
In his keynote address, Governor SBP, Mr. Jameel Ahmad, stated
that PRISM+ reflects SBP’s commitment to strengthening digital financial
infrastructure in line with its Vision 2028.
With PRISM+, Pakistan has become
one of the few countries to adopt the ISO 20022 global messaging standard for
both retail and large-value payment systems.
Built on the state-of-the-art standard, PRISM+ offers enhanced
functionality, including structured financial messaging, improved
interoperability, and greater transparency.
It also introduces advanced
features such as real-time liquidity management tools, transaction queuing and
prioritization, future-dated payments, and seamless integration with the
Central Securities Depository (CSD) for auctions, repos, and monetary
operations.
The Governor emphasized the strategic importance of large-value
payment systems in financial markets.
He added that PRISM processed
transactions worth over Rs1,043 trillion in FY24, equivalent to ten times
Pakistan’s GDP.
With PRISM+, we are
enhancing the system’s capacity and efficiency to support growing financial
market needs, he noted.
Mr. Ahmad highlighted Pakistan’s broader digital transformation,
pointing to the rising use of digital channels.
He shared that Pakistan now has
over 225 million bank and digital wallet accounts, with 96 million unique
users.
There are 28 million registered users of banking apps, 71 million
branchless banking users, and 17 million internet banking users, reflecting a
strong shift in consumer preferences toward digital financial services.
The Governor reaffirmed SBP’s strong focus on the security and
resilience of payment systems.
As we expand Pakistan’s digital infrastructure,
SBP has mandated strict cybersecurity, anti-money laundering (AML) and fraud
management & controls frameworks to ensure trust and transparency in the
financial system, he emphasized.
Governor Ahmad acknowledged the World Bank Group’s technical and
financial support under the Financial Inclusion and Infrastructure Project and appreciated
the efforts of key experts and SBP teams who led the project to completion.
He
noted that the achievement would have not been possible without the close
coordination & collaboration between SBP and stakeholders including
commercial banks, consultants, and technology partners etc.
In his concluding remarks, the Governor described PRISM+ as a
strategic asset that will enable Pakistan’s payment systems to meet future
demands, support innovation, and enhance financial stability.
SBP remains
committed to strengthening the financial infrastructure and building a
digitally empowered and inclusive economy.
PRISM+ marks a major advancement in Pakistan’s financial infrastructure, offering faster, more secure, and more efficient settlement of large-value transactions.
The system is built on the global ISO 20022 messaging standard, aligning Pakistan’s payment ecosystem with international best practices.
🔴 Watch Live Launch of PRISM+ at https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/ref=watch_permalink&v=1748653859351843
ISLAMABAD – Fitch Ratings on Monday said that Pakistan’s real GDP growth to accelerate to 3.5 percent by 2027 from 2.5 percent in 2024.
It stated that Pakistan’s economic recovery comes after a period of significant turmoil and high inflation. The rating agency expects the country’s real GDP growth to accelerate to 3.5 percent by 2027 from 2.5 percent in 2024. Consumer price inflation eased to 4.1 percent in July 2025 from its peak of 38 percent in May 2023, and we expect it to average around 5 percent in 2025. The halving of the policy rate since May 2024 to 11 percent and a stabilising external position, evident in lower currency volatility and current account surpluses, should support this recovery. Pakistan’s banks are set to benefit from better opportunities to generate business volumes due to improving operating conditions amid receding macroeconomic headwinds.
The rating agency said that this view is reinforced by Pakistan’s improved sovereign credit profile, as reflected in Fitch’s upgrade of Pakistan’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘B-’/Stable from ‘CCC+’ in April 2025, underpinned by ongoing economic recovery, reforms and improving fiscal performance.
Fitch expects the combination of lower interest rates and an improving macroeconomic environment to stimulate private credit demand, supporting steadier loan and deposit growth, and banks’ financial performance. Continued fiscal and economic reforms could enable banks to deploy more credit to the private sector, which reached a cyclical low of 9.7 percent of GDP in 2024, and reduce banks’ dependence on public-sector lending.
Nevertheless, there are risks associated with Pakistan’s improving, albeit still weak, operating environment and its low sovereign credit rating. The banks’ intrinsic creditworthiness will likely remain closely linked to the sovereign and the pace of economic reform in the near term given their significant holdings of sovereign securities and loan exposures to state-linked entities.
Pakistani banks have demonstrated resilient financial performance despite challenging conditions in recent years. The sector’s impaired loan ratio improved to 7.1 percent by March 2025 from 7.6 percent at end-2023, driven by strong loan growth of 26 percent amid high inflation. We expect the pace of further improvement to slow as loan growth decelerates, but asset-quality pressures should remain manageable as lower interest rates enhance borrowers’ repayment capacity.
Return on average equity has also normalised to 20 percent in 1Q25, from around 27% in 2023, as net interest margins narrowed and operating costs were driven higher by inflation but offset by higher non-interest income. We expect margin pressure to continue as interest rates adjust, but loan growth and treasury income should support the sector’s earnings.
The system capital adequacy ratio continued to increase, to a decade-high of 21% by March 2025, reflecting sound internal capital generation. The ratio could moderate if higher risk-weighted private-sector credit increases in the overall mix but will remain well above the 11.5 percent regulatory minimum.
The sector’s funding and liquidity position and low balance-sheet leverage are a relative credit strength that enabled banks to withstand volatile funding conditions in 2023 and 2024. This stems from low loan-to-deposit ratios (38 percent at end-June 2025), customer deposits making up 65% of total funding, and low deposit dollarisation of about 7 percent. We expect these factors to remain supportive of the sector’s growth in the medium term, it added.
Erin Kunz holds a microelectrode array in the Clark Center, Stanford University, on Thursday, August 8, 2025, in Stanford, Calif. The array is implanted in the brain to collect data. (Photo by Jim Gensheimer)
Stanford researchers have created a brain-computer interface that translates imagined speech into text, enabling communication for individuals with severe paralysis
Stanford researchers have developed a groundbreaking brain-computer interface that decodes inner speech, silent, imagined words into text. This advancement holds the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with severe paralysis, offering them a means of communication without the need for physical movement.
Decoding inner speech
Neurosurgery Assistant Professor Frank Willett, PhD, and his fellow researchers have used brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to help people with paralysis speak again, using brain signals and inner speech.
The researchers meticulously explored whether a BCI could function based solely on neural activity evoked by ‘inner monologues’. Their previous demonstrations have shown that a BCI can accurately detect brain signals when people with paralysis attempt to speak or write by hand, converting these signals into words.
The brain’s motor cortex contains regions that control movement, including the muscular movements that produce speech. The researchers surgically implanted a BCI, a technique that uses tiny arrays of microelectrodes, to record neural activity patterns directly from the brain. A cable hookup then feeds these signals to a computer algorithm that translates them into actions such as speech.
The researchers then used a machine learning tool to decode the neural activity picked up by the arrays into words the patient wanted to say. They trained the computer to recognise repeatable patterns of neural activity associated with each “phoneme” – the tiniest units of speech – then stitch the phonemes into sentences.
Did the BCIs decode inner speech for patients with paralysis?
The researchers studied four people with severe speech and motor impairments who had BCIs placed in motor areas of their brains. They found that inner speech evoked clear and robust patterns of activity in these brain regions. The patterns were similar, but smaller, to the activity patterns evoked by attempted speech.
The researchers found that they could decode these signals well enough to demonstrate a proof of principle, giving hope that future systems could provide fluent, rapid, and comfortable speech to people with paralysis via inner speech alone. This is important as people with paralysis often find that attempting to speak can be fatiguing and frustrating. The potential impact of this research is immense, as it could significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with severe paralysis, enabling them to communicate more effectively and independently.
One privacy concern is that BCIs could end up decoding something that the user intended only to think, not say out loud. While this could introduce errors in current BCI systems aimed at decoding attempted speech, these systems still lack the resolution and fidelity required to accurately interpret rapid, unconstrained inner speech, which may lead to garbled output. However, the researchers are working to address the possibility of accidental inner speech decoding and have promising solutions.
For current BCIs decoding attempted speech, the researchers developed a training method that helps the system ignore inner speech. This method involves training the system to recognise specific brain signals associated with intended speech, thereby reducing the likelihood of unintended speech being captured. For next-generation BCIs designed to decode inner speech directly, we implemented a password-protection system that only decodes inner speech after the user imagines a unique password. This system ensures that the BCI only interprets inner speech when the user consciously intends to communicate, enhancing privacy and user control.
iiTzTimmy is a name that’s become synonymous with skill and entertainment in the gaming world. Timothy ‘iiTzTimmy’ An’s impressive career continues to inspire seasoned gamers and newcomers alike. With a flair for the dramatic and a knack for turning the tide of any game, the Apex Legends esports champion and streamer has garnered a massive following and left an indelible mark on the community.
For iiTzTimmy, success is all about learning to be a better player, no matter how high his star rises. “A lot of my journey has been trying to grow as a player; improving my aiming and decision-making,” he says.
iiTzTimmy began his gaming journey like many others, but his unique skills quickly set him apart. He first caught the public’s eye in the summer of 2019 and rapidly became known for his impeccable gameplay in Apex Legends, where his strategic mind and quick reflexes shone brightly.
His early successes laid a solid foundation for iiTzTimmy’s rise to fame in the gaming world. This clip from The Jumpmaster Saga gives fans a small glimpse of his early quest for gaming greatness.
iiTzTimmy’s road to Red Bull and the Jumpstart saga.
iiTzTimmy’s competitive debut at TwitchCon San Diego in 2019 marked an early, but memorable, highlight. Later that year, after placing in TwitchCon’s top three as part of one of the open teams, he was signed by the Golden Guardians. The esports organisation brought him on to team-up with fellow gamers Deston ‘Bronzey’ Nguyen and Devon ‘pfitter’ Self. They competed in the 2020 Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS), qualifying for the first major.
iiTzTimmy went solo at the end of 2020 to focus on streaming and content creation, but he still competed in tournaments alongside Jack ‘NiceWigg’ Martin and Anthony ‘Apryze’ Andrade under the team name SHEEEEEEESH. They placed fifth in the GLL Masters Spring, appeared in the ALGS Preseason Qualifiers and played at the Challenger Circuits. The team even made the top 10 for the first-ever Pro League split in North America.
Two years after playing without any representation, iiTzTimmy signed on with 100 Thieves in November 2022 as a content creator and from here, iiTzTimmy only grew in popularity and skill.
03
Major achievements and records
iiTzTimmy and DSG team-mates at the APEX Legends Season 4 Split 1 Playoffs
For the 2025 season, iiTzTimmy signed with NRG and competed in the Apex Legends Global Series 2025 Open. They were one of 160 teams competing for a $1,000,000 prize pool, ultimately placing 12th.
He also competed with NRG during the Apex Legends Global Series 2025: Split 1 Pro League – Americas and finished fourth to qualify for the 2025 Midseason Playoffs, held during the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. iiTzTimmy and his team competed amongst 40 other teams in a bid to take the Playoffs trophy at the Esports World Cup, along with grabbing a slice of the $2,000,000 prize pool. NRG were eliminated during the opening Pool Play stage, heading home in 21st place.
Heading into the Playoffs, iiTzTimmy announced that he would be retiring from competitive Apex Legends, marking this tournament as his last.
ALGS (Apex Legends Global Series): 2024 Split 1 Playoffs: iiTzTimmy placed eighth with his team Disguised, qualifying for the Series Finals.
Oversight Pros Series: International Edition – Split 2: iiTzTimmy placed fourth with his team Disguised.
Nessie Cup – Invitational #3: iiTzTimmy took second place and won $2,200.
ALGS: 2024 Split 1 Pro League – North America: iiTzTimmy and his team Disguised landed in fifth place out of 30 teams.
iiTzTimmy organised his third tournament, Timmy’s Scrimmies: Random Royale, after a quick break from the competitor’s seat. The tournament included a total prize pool of $4,500, awarding $450 to the winners of each round, plus an additional $600 to the top three overall best players.
Of course, iiTzTimmy couldn’t stay away from competing himself, featuring in 18 tournaments throughout the year and receiving a total of $65,242 in prizes. Most notably that year, his team The Dojo placed fourth in ALGS: 2023 Championship. While he placed first only in the ALGS: 2023 Last Chance Qualifier – North America, iiTzTimmy was in the top 10 for 12 of the tournaments.
iiTzTimmy has been around the world to compete in tournaments
One of the biggest challenges was to make myself known. After that, I was like, ‘What do I do now?’ That’s why I set up these challenges
In 2022, iiTzTimmy hosted his first two tournaments, iiTzTimmy Random Royale Day 1 and Day 2. With his competitive spirit, though, the gamer couldn’t be expected to just sit on the sidelines. He competed in the second day’s event, where he placed third. On top of being an organiser, iiTzTimmy competed in 17 tournaments that year, including two wins and nine additional top 10s.
iiTzTimmy does more than just compete in tournaments – he sets world records. In February 2021, he beat the world record for most damage in one game of Apex Legends. Most players reach 2,000, which in that alone is impressive and offers a reward within the game. But iiTzTimmy pushed the boundaries of what’s possible, reaching 9,069 damage, getting 24 kills and securing the victory for his team.
“It’s absolutely insane that a single player has managed to rack up over 9,000 damage in just one Apex match. There are only so many players in a game, so hitting those numbers is not only dependent on your skill, but a lot of luck,” said Alex Garton, a former writer for Dexerto, specializing in Call of Duty and Apex Legends.
iiTzTimmy’s 2021 schedule also included 18 tournaments, placing in the top 10 for 15 of those contests.
iiTzTimmy’s rise in the gaming community kicked-off with two tournaments in 2019, followed by 12 tournaments in 2020.
04
Iconic streams and plays
Timothy ‘iiTzTimmy’ An entertains fans in San Diego
The top streams by iiTzTimmy represent his growing fanbase and overall ascension in the gaming world. He did a 54-hour-long Apex Legends stream in 2021 that reached 147,000 viewers, taking the Apex Legends account from Bronze to Predator during his gameplay. This gaming milestone journey involved no sleep, brief restroom breaks and going from the first stage to a level only the top 750 players have reached.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, iiTzTimmy completed a non-stop 65-hour solo queue VALORANT challenge the same year. His most epic play covered more than 90 matches, taking him from the lowest ranking in VALORANT to the highest. He followed up this streaming marathon with a recap post of all his best plays on his YouTube channel, racking up more than six million views.
Most recently, iiTzTimmy completed 126 games of Apex Legends in a 34-hour single stream, skyrocketing from Rookie to Predator. He took 12 hours to rise from Rookie to Diamond and 22 hours to conquer the Diamond-ranked games on six hours of sleep.
05
Challenges and overcoming adversities
iiTzTimmy’s first big obstacle was making a name for himself in the gaming universe. Thanks to his breakout debut moment at TwitchCon San Diego in 2019, recognition came quickly. From there, he was determined to showcase his skills. He dove head-first into new tournaments and created gaming challenges to defeat, specifically with his 54, 65 and 34-hour streams.
“One of the biggest challenges was to make myself known, and after that I was like, ‘What do I do now?’ That’s why I set up these challenges,” he said.
iiTzTimmy in action at Red Bull Home Ground in Tokyo
Yet, as one out-of-game obstacle is conquered, another one appears. During his time with the Golden Guardians, he faced anxiety and depression as he adjusted to the cyclical competitive schedule. With so many external factors weighing on his mental health, iTzTimmy says he now looks inward to feel his best.
“A lot of the mental health challenges come from the chat, but personally, I never took offense to somebody calling me weird or cringe. That never hit me,” says iiTzTimmy. “For me, it’s more about how you find yourself comparing your career to others. ‘Why are my numbers not that good? Why don’t I have as many views?’ Obviously, you’re happy for your peers, but you also want to be happy internally. And that can get tough when it feels like you’re not moving in any direction.”
06
Current status and future prospects
Since 2024, iiTzTimmy has been a dominant force in the gaming world. His recent ventures include visiting campuses, participating in major esports tournaments and shaking up those tournaments he’s in.
In 2023, iiTzTimmy traveled along the coast of Southern California and Arizona to play VALORANT with some of the best college gamers in the Southwest. iiTzTimmy’s Hot Drop lets gamers from three colleges visit the Red Bull Gaming Hub and take their shot to queue up against iiTzTimmy.
iiTzTimmy has a global fanbase thanks to his streams
He also announced his departure from his DSG team in June 2024 to sign with Moist Esports for the remainder of the Split Two Pro League. Yet this transfer was just the beginning, as iiTzTimmy played alongside Apex Legends veterans.
During the 2025 season, iiTzTimmy signed with NRG and competed in the Apex Legends Global Series 2025 Open, bringing his aggressive playstyle and positive attitude to the team in a bid to take a slice of the $1,000,000 prize pool. He and his team-mates ultimately placed in 12th, an impressive feat considering 160 teams entered the competition.
NRG also competed in the Apex Legends Global Series 2025: Split 1 Pro League – Americas, where a fourth place finish after two months of competition secured a fourth place finish to qualify for the 2025 Midseason Playoffs.
Heading into the Playoffs, iiTzTimmy announced that he would be retiring from competitive Apex Legends, marking this tournament as his last. It was here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that iiTzTimmy and NRG competed against 39 other teams for glory, along with grabbing a slice of the $2,000,000 prize pool. NRG were eliminated during the opening Pool Play stage, heading home in 21st place and marking the end of iiTzTimmy’s competitive Apex Legends career.
His influence continues to grow however and he shows no signs of slowing down. iiTzTimmy’s future prospects remain bright.
What’s next for iiTzTimmy after his retirement from tournaments?
iiTzTimmy’s journey from a passionate gamer to a celebrated esports icon is a testament to his dedication, skill, and unwavering love for the game. His career is filled with highlights, achievements, and moments that have left an indelible mark on the gaming community. Although he is no longer actively competing competitively in Apex Legends, he’ll no doubt continue to push boundaries and inspire others, there is no doubt that iiTzTimmy will remain a central figure in the world of esports.
Part of this story
Timmy ‘iiTzTimmy’ An
From tactical shooters to the world of streaming, American Timothy ‘iiTzTimmy’ An proves he can put in the work to be the best.
The head of Syria’s commission for missing persons said Monday the number of people who went missing during decades of Assad family rule and the civil war may have exceeded 300,000.
Mohammed Reda Jalkhi, head of the commission created in May, said the body’s mandate ranged from 1970, the year Hafez al-Assad took power, to the present day and had no timeframe for completing its work.
“Our estimates of the number of missing range between 120,000 and 300,000 people, and it could be more,” he told state news agency SANA.
Tens of thousands of people were detained or disappeared during the Syrian civil war alone, which erupted in 2011 after a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests by former president Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December.
During the war, all sides were accused of atrocities including the Islamic State jihadist group, which seized large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq, enforcing a strict interpretation of Islamic law and committing widespread abuses including executions.
Bashar al-Assad ruled with an iron fist, like his predecessor, his father Hafez, who took power in a bloodless military coup.
The family’s rule was among the most brutal in the region and its prison system, including feared sites such as Saydnaya, was notorious for disappearing people without a trace.
“We have a map that includes more than 63 documented mass graves in Syria,” he said, without providing details on where they were located, who dug them or who was thought to be buried there.
He said work was underway to establish a data bank for missing persons.
Syria’s new authorities have pledged justice for victims of atrocities committed under Assad’s rule.
In January, the president of the International Committee for the Red Cross said determining the fate of those who went missing during the war would be a massive task likely to take years.
Jalkhi said his commission’s work was “essential to the process of transitional justice and civil peace,” calling the issue of missing persons “one of the most complicated and painful in Syria”.
I must admit: I write this piece while starving – too hungry to think clearly, too weak to sit upright for long. I do not feel ashamed because my starvation is deliberate. I refuse my hunger even as it decays me. I can survive no other way.
Since 2 March 2025, Israel has imposed a full blockade on Gaza. Little aid – food, medicine, fuel – is getting in or being distributed. The markets are empty and bakeries, community kitchens and fuel stations are shuttered.
On 27 July, the World Health Organization confirmed 74 deaths from “malnutrition” in Gaza this year – 63 of them in July. Among the dead are 24 children under the age of five and one older child. Starvation is avalanching, nearly unstoppable.
A trickle of aid was dropped. The humanitarian agency Médecins Sans Frontières has called these airdrops “notoriously ineffective and dangerous”. The distribution points of US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have been denounced as “death traps”, the UN warning that the system violates humanitarian principles and has cost more lives than it has saved.
Famine is no longer a threat – it is here. Some days, my stomach cramps as I try to revise a single paragraph. My fingers feel dry and achy, parched from lack of fluids. Hunger is loud. I read, but hunger is shouting in my ear. I write, but the maw snaps with every keystroke.
A man holds humanitarian aid supplies dropped by parachute near Gaza City. Médecins Sans Frontières has called the airdrops ‘ineffective and dangerous’. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty
And when I try to still myself, to think in the meagre pleasures of drone-infused quiet, my mind floats: what rabbit hole could I be down if I were in a library? Oh, for a coffee in between articles. A sandwich in between sentences. A snack alongside a lazy perusal of the latest issue of TESOL Quarterly.
I wonder: how can I keep my mind sharp when my body has gone so thin and dehydrated?
The hunger starts with a rumble, and it spreads so quickly. My legs barely carry me to the nearest internet cafe. There, I try to keep up with work and commitments, charge my devices, and catch a brief connection to the outside world. But with a heavy laptop bag on my shoulder, the journey feels less like a short walk and more like crossing a desert.
Some days, survival comes down to a single sachet of Plumpy’Nut, a peanut-based nutrient paste usually distributed for free in famine zones, but here sold for about $3.50, a price many can no longer afford. If you are more fortunate, you might buy a few overpriced fortified biscuits.
But the problem is not just paying for food. It is about accessing money in the first place. With every bank in Gaza damaged and not a single functioning ATM left, cash has become both scarce and essential. Online transactions, or Eftpos, are not common here – almost all purchases depend on cash.
After nearly two years of war, banknotes are torn and worn, and often rejected in shops. Getting money from your own account can be exploitative: withdrawing through an informal money exchange outside standard bank processes can cost up to 50% in commission.
Old and worn-out banknotes have to be repaired as Gaza runs out of hard currency. Photograph: Saeed MMT Jaras/Getty Images
This deeply contradicts the spirit of Gaza – known for its generosity, where neighbours always looked after one another, and where, for as long as many of us can remember, no one went to bed hungry if someone else had food to share.
That spirit has not vanished. People still share what little they have. But the scale of deprivation has grown so severe that even the most generous hands are now often empty. Families go to bed hungry and wake up hungry.
One day in particular, I had been working nonstop, pushing through dizziness and exhaustion. By the time I reached the stairs to my apartment, my legs were barely holding me up. My blood sugar had crashed. I collapsed just as I reached my bedroom. I was rushed to the nearest GP, where I was given an IV [intravenous fluids] to stabilise me.
The next morning, I was back at work. Not because I had recovered, but because I felt I could not afford to stop. There were interviews to conduct and transcribe, students to support, messages that needed to be sent. The urgency to bear witness outweighed the need to rest.
This is not about ego. It is about refusing to disappear. About resisting the slow erasure that comes with war and famine. About insisting that our thoughts and our work continue, even when it must be done in the ruins. In Gaza, to be an academic today is to refuse to be reduced to a statistic.
There are days when continuing feels impossible. The body simply gives out. Reading leaves me light-headed. Concentration slips away. Teaching becomes a battle to remain coherent.
And beyond the physical toll, there is another erosion – of identity. As scholars, we are meant to cultivate emancipatory and liberatory thinking among our students. But when our daily realities are hunger, grief and displacement, we begin to question whether we are still fulfilling that role.
Living conditions are harsh and ever worsening in Gaza City. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty
What does it mean to be a scholar when the conditions needed to think, teach and create are stripped away? What does academic freedom mean when intellectual, political and pedagogical freedom is restricted by siege? What does it mean to mentor youth towards critical inquiry when we ourselves are battling to stay upright? These questions linger, not as abstract concerns but as lived tensions. Still, we carry on. Because to stop would be to relinquish one of the last remnants of our agency.
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I often find myself caught between two difficult choices in the classroom: either avoid discussing the crisis, fearing retraumatising my students; or confront it directly, opening space for collective reflection. Both paths are fraught, yet driven by the same hope – to use education not only to inform, but to liberate in helping students believe their voices still matter.
The work goes on. Research calls. Project check-ins. Webinars. Recorded lectures. Training sessions, though they must often pause. This is our reality. Still, we show up: attending classes, writing proposals, giving talks, joining conferences, publishing. Not because we are strong or brave, but because we believe in the transformative power of education. And because to stop would be to give in to silence.
Yet, the most basic truth remains difficult to say aloud: we are hungry. Not by accident, but by design. When did naming that become taboo? For days, split lentils have been my only meal. Finding flour is a scavenger hunt.
And when we do manage to gather ingredients, baking over an open fire is exhausting, physically and emotionally. We burn wood from broken furniture to make bread. Used notebooks and scrap paper become fuel; otherwise, we must buy wood just to finish the job. This is not just about hunger. It is about being forced to fight for survival in silence.
Lighting a fire is a daunting challenge. Matches have run out. Lighters are nearly impossible to replace – and when one is available, it can be prohibitively expensive.
Those who still have a working lighter refill it cautiously with small amounts of gas. In many cases, families or neighbours share a single flame, passing it from household to household – another quiet act of solidarity and enduring spirit.
A handful of spilled lentils in dirt can be all someone has to eat as food shortages intensify in Deir al-Balah. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty
So we keep documenting. Not out of heroism, but to remain present. Because behind every report, every footnote, every lecture lies a deeper truth: knowledge is still being produced in Gaza. Even now. Especially now.
What does solidarity mean when some of us must think, teach and work while starving? What does inclusion mean when access to food, water and safety determines who gets to take part?
This is not a call for charity. It is a call to face an uncomfortable truth: solidarity is meaningless if it does not name – and challenge – the systems that keep people excluded while they struggle to survive under siege, occupation and deliberate deprivation.
True solidarity means asking hard questions: Who gets to speak? Who is heard? Who can keep learning and imagining a future when bombs fall and hunger bites?
Solidarity means changing the way the world works with those in crisis: adapting deadlines, waiving fees, opening access to books and journals, and making space for voices from Gaza and beyond – not as victims but as equal partners. It means understanding that grief, hunger and destroyed infrastructure are not “disruptions” to work – they are our current conditions of life.
To generate knowledge in the context of hunger is to think through pain. To teach students who have not eaten and still tell them their voices matter. To insist, against all odds, that Gaza still thinks, still questions, still creates.
