Faizan Zaki Wins 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee with "Éclaircissement"
Faizan is a 7th-grade student at C.M. Rice Middle School. This was his fourth time in the bee. He was second place last year, but this year he became the champion. Only four other students in history have done the same.
His prizes include:
$50,000 and a winner's trophy
$2,500 and books from Merriam-Webster
Books and tools from Britannica
$1,000 for a school of his choice from Scholastic
A 5-year news app for his school from News-O-Matic
The event took place in Maryland, and Faizan was sponsored by the Dallas Sports Commission.
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Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Indian Express
Donald Trump jokes about passing executive order to relabel ‘soccer' to ‘football' in USA; Soccer is an Oxford University British coinage
It's not exactly a real war, settling which can get anyone a peace prize. But US President joked he would try. As the Club World Cup wound up, DAZN reporter Emily Austin on Sunday (13 July) following Trump's presence on the pitch after Chelsea's win at the MetLife stadium, drew Trump into a discussion over difference between the British (football) and American (soccer) terms for the popular game. 'They call it football, we call it soccer. I'm not sure if that change can be made very easily,' Trump told her first up. After Ms Austin wondered if he could issue an executive order instead so only the word football is used, the US president guffawed and replied: 'I think we could do that.' USA has a few slightly more urgent matters to attend to, so 'soccer' might yet survive. But it drew attention to the serendipitous route the words have taken – always influenced by the presence of a more popular rival sport. Encyclopedia Britannica notes that the term 'soccer' originated in England as a slang abbreviation of 'association football.' After the formation of the Football Association in late 1800s, the rules of football, were slotted in stone by 'Association Football.' However, not the most interesting variety of kicking the ball with the foot, it faced jostles from other football codes, like rugby. That's when Oxford University students coined the term 'soccer' as a casual, shortened version, using the 'soc' from 'association' and adding the '-er' suffix common in Oxford campus slang. So, soccer set itself apart from rugger. Britannica writes, 'Although football-type games have been around for centuries, the sport we know today is often said to have begun in 1863, when England's newly formed Football Association wrote down a set of rules. At the time, it was the most widely played game of its kind in the country, but it wasn't the only one. Rugby football, named after an English boarding school, was a rebellious variation that allowed players to carry and run with the ball to advance it toward the goal.' So, the football of Pirlo, Canavaro, Gigi Buffon, Big Brazilian Ronaldo, Gatusso, del Piero, Gerrard, Raul Gonzalez Blanco, Miroslav Klose and the great Juan Roman Riquelme was called by the Football Association's as association football. Britannica further mentions that linguistically creative students at the University of Oxford in the 1880s distinguished between the sports of 'rugger' (rugby football) and 'assoccer' (association football). 'The latter term was further shortened to 'soccer' (sometimes spelled 'socker'), and the name quickly spread beyond the campus. However, 'soccer' never became much more than a nickname in Great Britain. By the 20th century, rugby football was more commonly called rugby, while association football had earned the right to be known as just plain football.' Onto the United States where the womens team salvages ineptness of the men, and actually wins World Cups. Another sport, Britannica says, emerged in the late 19th century that borrowed elements of both rugby and association football. 'Before long, it had proved more popular than either of them. In full, it was known as gridiron football, but most people never bothered with the first word.' So Anerican football came into being. Cornered by yet another mire popular sport, American association-football players defiantly adopted soccer to refer to their sport. 'The United States Football Association, which had formed in the 1910s as the official organizing body of American soccer, changed its name to the United States Soccer Football Association in 1945, and it later dispensed with the 'Football' altogether. No longer just a nickname, soccer had stuck,' Britannica writes. Football, of the Buffon kinds, also faced competition from gridiron football in Canada, Gaelic football in Ireland and Australian rules football (which is derived from rugby). 'In places where football can be ambiguous, soccer is usefully precise,' Britannica writes. Thus was sulkingly born soccer. Which might need a presidential decree to lose its British slang name in the lead up to next year's World Cup. The real issues facing football in US however are quality of playing turf, humid hot temperatures and American general disinterest.
Pink Villa
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Who is Anthony Edwards' family? Meet the people who raised and inspired the Timberwolves star
Anthony Edwards's impressive career in the NBA is only part of his story. Behind the slam dunks and explosive playoff performances is a 23-year-old who has experienced profound loss, unwavering sibling support, and a deep sense of responsibility to those who raised him. Born in Atlanta and drafted No. 1 overall in 2020, Edwards credits his journey not just to talent, but to the family ties that shaped him—and to the grief that drives him. Where Edwards' story really began Edwards was born to Chrisha Yvette Edwards and an absentee father on August 5, 2001, per Britannica. His childhood mostly revolved around two women: his mother and maternal grandmother, Shirley Edwards. They were his loudest cheerleaders and his daily foundation. But in 2015, both women passed away from cancer within eight months of each other—an event that changed everything for 14-year-old Anthony. He described the impact to ESPN: 'There are only two people who are going to get my all, but that's over with.' From then on, he played for their memory. As per The Basketball Network, Edwards wears No. 5 to honor the days they passed, a tribute visible every time he steps on the court. Siblings who became parents With them no more, Edwards's older siblings—Antoine, Antoinette, and Bubba—took over as guardians. Antoine and Antoinette raised him through his high school years, keeping his life grounded. As per The Athletic, Anthony has said his sister 'kept everything together,' calling her the 'staple' of the family. Bubba, an aspiring rapper known as 'bdifferent,' inspired Anthony to pick up a basketball. 'If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be up here,' Anthony told the publication. Their relationship remains strong. Bubba has even performed during Timberwolves games, with Anthony backing his music career publicly. Anthony Edwards: Father of three Off the court, Anthony is a father of three confirmed children with three women, including his daughter Aislynn, born in March 2024 with longtime girlfriend Shannon Jackson. The birth, documented on Netflix's Starting 5, showed a new side of the rising star. While Edwards was not sure about fatherhood as a whole after the child's birth, at the time he stated 'As of right now, it's just the best feeling…in the world for sure. That's my little girl,' he said. 'I've got to pick her up and hold her and talk to her.'
Pink Villa
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All about Prince of Kolkata Sourav Ganguly's career in cricket, marriage and alleged affair
Sourav Ganguly's rise is the stuff of legend. Born on July 8, 1972, in Kolkata, he developed from a provincial left-handed batsman into one of India's fiercest captains. Under his leadership, India won a Test series overseas for the first time and has nurtured several future greats as well. Off the field, he built a life with classical dancer and educator Dona Ganguly and raised daughter Sana. Today, as he eyes coaching over politics, his story is set to hit the big screen. Early life and cricketing breakthrough According to Britannica, Ganguly originally debuted in first-class cricket for Bengal in 1989-90, contributing to the Ranji Trophy triumph. His entry into the sport was encouraged by Snehasish Ganguly, who was a left-handed batsman at the time. Sourav Ganguly reportedly began batting left-handed because he had to use his brother's equipment. He earned his Test call-up in 1996 at Lord's, scoring a neat 131 on debut alongside Rahul Dravid's 95. Promoted to open in ODIs in 1997, he created a deadly partnership with Sachin Tendulkar. His swashbuckling 124 off 138 balls in the 1998 Independence Cup final against Pakistan powered India to what was then the highest successful run chase in ODI history: 315 in 48 overs. The match helped redefine what was considered an 'impossible target' in that era. Ganguly's captaincy and impact today In the wake of match-fixing scandals, Ganguly succeeded Sachin Tendulkar as captain. He guided India to the 2002 Champions Trophy and the NatWest final victory at Lord's. As reported by the publication, he backed some of the big names of today, including Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, and Mohammad Kaif. Under his stewardship, India won 11 Tests abroad, clinched its first series in Pakistan in 2004, and reached the 2003 World Cup final. His tenure as captain ended with 21 total Test wins in 49 matches. His many achievements have led Ganguly to be dubbed as 'Dada,' 'Maharaja,' and 'Prince of Kolkata.' Who is Sourav Ganguly's wife? Outside cricket, Ganguly's anchor has been Odissi dancer Dona Ganguly. Born on August 22, 1977, in Kolkata, Dona trained under Amala Shankar and Kelucharan Mohapatra. As detailed by Financial Express, she later earned a PhD in International Relations and headed dance departments at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Sourav and Dona's romance was not without trials, as the couple faced a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque feud between their families. However, unlike the Shakespearean epic, the cricketer-dancer duo successfully eloped in February 1997. They were later blessed with their daughter, Sana, in 2001. Reportedly, Sourav was seeing actor Nagma in the early 2000s, and they are said to have parted ways after a few years. Their relationship was never made official, though Ganguly's alleged extramarital affair was the talk of the town at the time. The supposed relationship was often blamed for his bad performance on the field. Ganguly's life after retirement and future plans After retiring in 2008, Ganguly turned commentator, led the Cricket Association of Bengal and served as BCCI president in 2019. He also served as Team Director at Delhi Capitals from 2018-19, and then again from 2022-24. In a recent June 2025 podcast with Press Trust of India, he ruled out politics, clearly stating: 'I am not interested.' Instead, he reportedly expressed openness to coaching Team India. Upcoming biopic and Rajkummar Rao's role Fans can soon see Ganguly's journey dramatized on the silver screen, as National Award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao has officially signed on to play him. In an interview with NDTV news, Rao stated: 'I am nervous… It's a huge responsibility, but it's going to be a lot of fun.' He also noted that he was honing a Bengali accent with help from his wife, Patralekhaa. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and produced by Luv Films, the film's shooting begins in January 2026. The release has been slated for December that year, sure to bring Dada's story to life.
