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Kentucky football player Nic Smith dead at 20, no foul play indicated

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Nic Smith, a defensive lineman for Kentucky, has died, the program announced. He was 20.

Smith spent last season as a redshirt freshman with the Wildcats. “Today our hearts are broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nic’s family, friends, teammates and everyone who knew and loved him,” Kentucky coach Will Stein wrote Monday on X.

According to a university spokesperson, campus police were called to an on-campus residence hall after receiving a report of a possible body. Later that day, the university announced Smith’s death.

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Kentucky Wildcats helmet on the field during a football game.

A Kentucky Wildcats helmet is shown during the game against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri on Oct. 27, 2018. Oct. 27, 2018. Kentucky won 15-14. (Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports)

The school official added that the University of Kentucky Police Department was working with the Lexington-Fayette County Coroner, and an initial investigation did not indicate that foul play was involved.

“This is a tremendous loss for our program and university community. We will continue to support one another and honor his memory,” Stein’s statement continued.

Smith was a sophomore in the community leadership and development program in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

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Kentucky football player Nic Smith poses during a photo shoot.

Kentucky defensive lineman Nic Smith (55) in a football stance during a photo shoot. (Photo courtesy: University of Kentucky Athletics)

His nicknames were “Happy” and “Big Happ,” according to his biography page on the Kentucky athletic department’s website.

Kentucky football player Nic Smith poses during a photo shoot.

Kentucky defensive lineman Nic Smith (55) poses during a photo shoot. (Photo courtesy of University of Kentucky Athletics)

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He played football and basketball at Walnut Grove High School in Loganville, Georgia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Cold Brew’s latest win earns thunderous ovation in 2026

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Dark brown racehorse wearing blue saddlecloth with number 3, ridden by a light-blue silks jockey, sprinting on a grass track with a trailing horse close behind.

The Richard and Will Freedman-trained gelding, Cold Brew, was the focus of a vociferous group of owners who made their presence felt throughout and after the race, as their charge continued his impressive run of form.

Top jockey Chad Schofield, the rider of Cold Brew, acknowledged the boisterous ownership group with his whip as he returned the horse to the winner’s stall.

“I could hear the crowd at the 400m,” Schofield said. “But that’s great for racing, they are cheering for their horse so good on them.

“He wasn’t hanging today and as soon as he swapped his lead (leg) he went straight. It was a very impressive win.”

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Cold Brew ($4.80), while still displaying some inconsistencies in his racing, possesses abundant talent, as seen in his strong finish to win by half a length from The Creator ($10). Seven’s ($4.60 favourite) finished closely in third.

Will Freedman was holding court with the media post-race and had to pause his interview momentarily when his owners broke out in a loud “Cold Brew, Cold Brew” chant.

“This is what racing is all about,” Freedman said. “They have all got a small slice of Cold Brew and now he has won two in a row for them.

“To the horse’s credit, he keeps getting better and better, he just wins.

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“I said to the owners before the race if he can win today, on the back of winning a (benchmark) 72 Midway and then coming to a 78, then you have a pretty good horse.”

A son of the former champion Pierro, Cold Brew recorded three successive victories last winter but required an extended break due to injury. His ownership changed hands during this period, and he has returned with two wins from his three starts this campaign.

“I think he might be up to low grade stakes level but there is a (benchmark) 88 before we get there,” Freedman said.

“He will keep getting better as he is very inexperienced but I think he will get 2000m in time.

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“He has won five of his last six starts, not many horses can do that, so it is exciting for everyone involved.”

Betting markets are already forming for the next big race, check out Australian betting sites.

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Pro warns of tough conditions at Open Championship: ‘It is FIRM’

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Big changes in Chess World Cup! FIDE approves new format for Open and Women’s events from 2027 | Chess News

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Big changes in Chess World Cup! FIDE approves new format for Open and Women's events from 2027
FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 Divya Deshmukh and FIDE World Cup 2025 winner Javokhir Sindarov (PTI Photos)

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has approved a major overhaul of the World Cup and Women’s World Cup formats from 2027, aiming to make the tournaments shorter, more inclusive and more rewarding for players.The biggest change is that both events will now last 19 days instead of 27. Rather than going straight into a knockout, players will first compete in a Swiss-system qualification stage before the traditional knockout rounds begin. The opening stage will see players divided into separate Swiss pools, where everyone gets to play multiple games. The revamped format begins with Swiss-system qualifiers using a 45-minute clock and a 30-second increment per move. The top performers from each pool will then advance to a 16-player knockout stage, which will continue with the familiar format using classical time controls.FIDE has also expanded the size of both tournaments. The Open World Cup will grow from 206 to 224 players, while the Women’s World Cup will increase from 103 to 128 players.New qualification routes have also been introduced. Along with continental qualification spots, players can now qualify through the FIDE Grand Swiss, FIDE Circuit, the Total Chess World Championship and as the highest-rated senior player. Continental representation has also been boosted, with more qualification places for every region.

Bigger prize fund, shorter tournament

FIDE has increased the combined prize fund for the two events from USD 2.67 million in 2025 to USD 3.3 million in 2027. Prize money will continue to be distributed to every participant, with players finishing lower in the standings receiving higher payouts than before, while the winner’s prize remains unchanged.Explaining the changes, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said, “The new format has been designed to preserve the unique identity of the FIDE World Cup while adapting it to the evolving needs of modern chess. We believe that the combination of Swiss qualification and knockout finals will offer a more engaging experience for both players and fans.”ALSO READ: India gets its 98th GM! Both parents chess coaches, 10th board exam forced a break: The making of Aswath SHe added, “At the same time, we are making the FIDE World Cups more inclusive than ever before… With these changes, the FIDE World Cup and FIDE Women’s World Cup will remain among the most watched competitions in international chess while continuing to serve as key gateways to the World Championship cycle for players from every corner of the world.”

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Dates, groups, format, and how to watch

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The Group Stage of the Free Fire Esports World Cup 2026 will take place in Paris, France, over two days, July 15 and 16, 2026. A total of 24 teams have been seeded into two groups for the Group Stage. The four best performers from each group will advance to the Grand Finals, while the fifth-to-10th-ranked teams from each group will play in the Survival Stage.

The bottom two teams from each group, i.e., a total of four teams, will be eliminated from the World Cup 2026 during the initial stage. 12 teams from the Group Stage will battle against each other in the Survival Stage on July 17, with the best four moving to the Grand Finals and the bottom eight being eliminated from the event.

The Grand Finals of the Free Fire World Cup 2026 will be played on July 18, featuring eight teams from the Group Stage and four teams from the Survival Stage. This international event is part of the Esports World Cup 2026 and will feature a huge $1 million prize pool.


Groups for Free Fire Esports World Cup 2026

Here are the two groups for the Group Stage of the World Cup 2026:

Group A

  1. Team Apex (India)
  2. EVOS Divine (Indonesia)
  3. All Gamers International (Thailand)
  4. Aurora Gaming (Malaysia)
  5. Buriram United Esports (Thailand)
  6. Team Falcons (Thailand)
  7. LOUD (Brazil)
  8. GunDynasty (LATHAM)
  9. Titan Esports Club (Bangladesh)
  10. Demons Pride (Pakistan)
  11. DRS Gaming (Nepal)
  12. ParadoX Gaming (Africa)

Group B

  1. Total Gaming Esports (India)
  2. Straw Hats (Bangladesh)
  3. Twisted Minds (Thailand)
  4. Team Secret WAG (Vietnam)
  5. S8UL Esports (India)
  6. MIBR LOS (Brazil)
  7. MÍA Corp (USA)
  8. RRQ Kazu (Indonesia)
  9. LYON (LATHAM)
  10. Fluxo W7M (Brazil)
  11. Team Vitality (Indonesia)
  12. Al Ahli Esports (Saudi Arabia)

How to watch

All World Cup matches will be broadcast live on Free Fire Max Esports India Official’s YouTube channel from 3:00 pm IST onwards.

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Team Apex Gaming, S8UL, and Total Gaming Esports will represent India in the Free Fire World Cup 2026. These squads were in the top three in the FFMIC 2026 Spring, held earlier this year. Their main goal will be to showcase some phenomenal performances on the global stage and earn a podium finish.

Team Secret from Vietnam won the Free Fire World Series 2026 SEA Spring. All Gamers and Twisted Minds were second and third, respectively. Aurora, Buriram, RRQ, Vitality, and Falcons also performed well and made it to the World Cup 2026.

Defending champion Indonesia’s Evos Divine has received a special invite to the event. LOUD, LOS, and Fluxo played impressively in the FFWS Brazil 2026 Split 1 to crack the Free Fire World Cup 2026.

Nepal’s DRS and Pakistan’s Demons Pride have qualified for the World Cup by delivering strong performances in their regional events. Bangladeshi teams Straw Hats and Titan Esports have also secured spots in this international tournament.

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