A gloating Donald Trump has unexpectedly reignited his feud with soccer star Megan Rapinoe after the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) crashed out of the Women’s World Cup with a shock defeat by Sweden. The reigning champions had not been at their best throughout the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, only narrowly escaping their group before losing 5-4 on penalties in a hard-fought battle against the Swedes on Sunday. Rapinoe, a late substitute, was one of three players to miss a crucial spotkick. The outcome was doubly cruel for the veteran winger as it came in what proved to be her final appearance for the USWNT, her glittering career on the world stage ending in bitter disappointment. The 38-year-old, a prominent LGBT+ rights activist and campaigner for equal pay in the women’s game, had previously announced her plan to retire at the end of the domestic season, where she plays for OL Reign in Seattle, Washington. Her misfortune was met with utter glee by the twice-impeached, thrice-indicted Mr Trump, who took a timeout from his myriad of legal problems to troll the team on Truth Social, suggesting their disappointing World Cup run was symptomatic of a broader national decline under President Joe Biden. “The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our [sic] once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump posted on Sunday evening. “Many of our players were openly hostile to America - No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.” Here’s a timeline of the war of the words between the Republican lawmaker and the soccer star: May 2019 Rapinoe first came to Trump’s attention just prior to the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France when she described herself in an interview with Yahoo! as a “walking protest against the Trump administration [because of] everything I stand for”. She continued: “I feel like it’s kind of defiance in and of itself to just be who I am and wear the jersey, and represent it. Because I’m as talented as I am, I get to be here, you don’t get to tell me if I can be here or not. “So it’s kind of a good ‘f*** you’ to any sort of inequality or bad sentiments that the [Trump] administration might have towards people who don’t look exactly like him. Which, God help us if we all looked like him. Scary. Really scary. Ahh, disturbing.” June 2019 What really piqued the then-president’s animosity towards the soccer star was a video interview Rapinoe gave to Eight by Eight magazine where she said she was “not going to the f***ing White House” in the event that the USWNT secured the World Cup win – an expression of the Californian’s deep-rooted disdain for the divisive policies of the Republican then occupying the Oval Office. The interview was recorded that January but resurfaced in June 2019, when the tournament was in full swing. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not going to the f***ing White House,” she said. “No. I’m not going to the White House, I don’t think we’ll be invited, I doubt it.” She also advised her teammates to “think hard” before accepting any honours from Mr Trump’s administration. The president – who had already expressed disapproval for her pointed silence during the national anthem before games – was left fuming by the clip. He fired back against Rapinoe on Twitter, writing: “I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! “Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear.” Rapinoe said at a subsequent press conference that she stood by her comments “with the exception of the expletive… My mom would be very upset about that”. July 2019 When the USWNT did indeed win the cup with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands – with Rapinoe herself scoring from the penalty spot and being named player of the match – the soccer star stood by her word. She did pay a visit to Washington – but only as a guest of progressive Democratic lawmakers Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, a calculated snub to the blustering commander-in-chief. In the immediate aftermath, she told Time magazine that she believed Mr Trump was secretly a fan of hers. “You know he was watching that game. You know he had his McDonald’s lined up. And he was probably like, ‘You know what, I love that.’ I always felt Trump loved me,” she said. Rapinoe also addressed him directly during an interview with CNN, telling him: “Your message is excluding people. You’re excluding me, you’re excluding people that look like me, you’re excluding people of colour, you’re excluding Americans that maybe support you. “You’re harking back to an era that was not great for everyone. It might have been great for a few people, and maybe America is great for a few people right now, but it’s not great for enough Americans in this world. “You have an incredible responsibility as the chief of this country to take care of every single person, and you need to do better for everyone.” She also joked about the prospect of running for the top job herself, commenting: “It’s an absolute honour to lead this team out on the field. There’s no other place I would rather be. Even in a presidential race. I’m busy, I’m sorry.” August 2019 Later reflecting on the spat with Mr Trump and the vicious comments she and her loved ones had been subjected to as a result, she told The Guardian: “It’s ridiculous and absurd. People were like: ‘That was so intense!’ And I’m like: ‘Honestly, he’s a f***ing joke, so it wasn’t intense, because this is ridiculous.’” Speaking for herself and her twin sister Rachel, also a former professional footballer, Rapinoe added: “I wouldn’t say that we’re anti-authority, but when there’s a person who is abusing their power or manipulating people, whether it’s a teacher when I was younger or Donald Trump now, there’s nothing that fires me up and grinds my gears more. I was just like: ‘No. That’s not happening.’” Intriguingly, she also said of her own father during that interview: “I think my dad voted for Trump and I’ll say: ‘I don’t get it. How are you simultaneously as proud as punch of me, and watching Fox News all the time [who are doing] takedowns of your daughter?’” Aftermath (2020-23) Since those glory days, Megan Rapinoe has continued to use her celebrity to campaign for social justice issues, endorsing Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren for president in December 2019 and hosting a panel event at the 2020 Democratic National Convention in support of frontline healthcare workers at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Following her snub of the Trump administration, Rapinoe did finally come to the White House at the invitation of President Biden in March 2021 to speak about wage equality. In July 2022, she was then awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Mr Biden – marking the highest possible civilian honour. Mr Trump, meanwhile, has spent the same period camped out at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, plotting his political return, deriding his enemies online and wrangling lawyers as the state and federal investigations into his past continue. August 2023 On 6 August 2023, the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup following a disappointing penalty shootout. While Rapinoe sobbed on pitch, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to gloat about the loss. “Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!!” he cruelly jabbed. Read More Trump has meltdown attacking Biden, Megan Rapinoe and ‘wokeness’ for US Women’s World Cup loss – latest news Trump goes on unhinged Truth Social rant blaming Biden and ‘wokeness’ for USWNT’s World Cup loss From Megan Rapinoe’s miss to VAR drama: How the USA and Sweden’s penalty shoot-out unfolded Ofcom investigates GB News programmes over due impartiality rules Trump lawyer says his legal team is bracing for imminent Georgia indictment Trump insists he isn’t a ‘scared puppy’ in defiant attack on Nancy Pelosi

VANCOUVER, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 5, 2023--

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Scientists have resurrected a parasite which has been dormant in the frozen permafrost of Siberia for 46,000 years. The microscopic creatures were first uncovered as part of a remarkable discovery back in 2018. At the time, researchers led by Anastasia Shatilovich found two of the worms in sub-zero temperatures in the soil. At first, it was previously thought that the creatures could stay in their slumber for just 40 years. However, it was later revealed that they could stay inactive for tens of thousands of years. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The creatures tend to shut down their systems when they are in unfavourable conditions. This means they won’t move or reproduce, and their metabolism stops. Carbon analysis has revealed that the worms – also known as nematodes – came from a prehistoric era. The developments could change the way experts approach bringing back other extinct species, too. During an analysis, the research team discovered the worms were Panagrolaimus kolymaensis - a species that was previously thought to be extinct. The scientists wrote in their paper: “Previously, we had shown that nematodes from the Siberian permafrost with morphologies consistent with the genera Panagrolaimus and Plectus could be reanimated thousands of years after they had been frozen. “Several viable nematode individuals were found in two of the more than 300 studied samples of permafrost deposits spanning different ages and genesis.” It’s not the only thing that scientists have recovered from permafrost, either. It was announced earlier this year that scientists are busy working on reviving 'zombie viruses’ that have been lying dormant for tens of thousands of years in Arctic conditions, and while it sounds absolutely terrifying, it could be important when it comes to protecting us all in the future. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

In the pope’s homeland of Argentina, Catholics have been renouncing the faith and joining the growing ranks of the religiously unaffiliated

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Rob Page hopes the presence of Aaron Ramsey can help Wales realise their Euro 2024 dream after the injured captain joined them on their long trek to Armenia. Midfielder Ramsey has not played since mid-September after damaging a knee tendon, missing last month’s stunning victory over World Cup semi-finalists Croatia that has left automatic qualification in Wales’ own hands entering the final two games. The 32-year-old, however, has taken the unusual step of an injured player being present for Wales’ 4,600-round mile trip to Yerevan, one of European football’s most remote outposts. “Rambo’s travelled with the lads, which is brilliant,” Page said ahead of Saturday’s penultimate qualifier at the Republican Stadium, the scene of their only previous visit to this corner of Eastern Europe in 2001 – a game the manager played in. “It’s the presence around the changing room. I used to say it with Gareth Bale. Aaron falls into the same category for me. “The wealth of experience he’s got. Just being around young JJ (Jordan James), who can pick his brains on just about anything. He’s the captain and he’s been wanting to travel. He’s been with the group all week. “He’s done his little bits of work that he’s needed to for Cardiff. He’s got a plan and gone off and done his own bits. “We’ve had to find a training ground for him, but he wants to be around the boys and I think that speaks volumes about what we’ve got as a group.” Wales know two closing victories – already-qualified Turkey are the visitors to Cardiff on Tuesday – will see them secure qualification for a fourth tournament out of five. Dropped points will leave them relying on favourable results elsewhere and the prospect of avoiding the play-offs in March where the likes of Norway, Poland and Ukraine could be lurking. “The camp has been great all week. The positivity has been incredible,” said Page, who has a difficult selection call to make with Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson available after missing the Croatia win through injury. “There’s enough experience in that changing room of big games, when you need big players to step up for big games – and this is a big game for us. “Our full focus is on this game. We’re not even talking about Tuesday’s game. We’ve got enough experience to cope with this. “We haven’t got anything where you need that siege mentality (like Wales did in October) but we’re coming off the back of one of the best performances we’ve ever had, certainly of my tenure. “We can’t be complacent, we need consistency when it comes to that level of performance. If we do that the result will look after itself.” Ben Davies, as he did against Croatia, will lead Wales in the absence of Ramsey and playing at Euro 2024 would represent the Tottenham defender’s fourth major tournament – three European Championships and the 2022 World Cup. Davies said: “This is the dream for us and it doesn’t matter if you’ve done it once or three or four times. “We’re confident as a group that on the day we can beat anybody. We’ve done that in the last two and we want to show that again. “We’re a good group, a tight-knit group, and it’s nice to see the same faces every time you come. “You end up playing as a family and I think that where our success has been gained, being a band of brothers out there.”

Anthony Edwards will miss Minnesota’s game against the Utah Jazz on Thursday night with a right hip pointer

Popular streamer IShowSpeed – real name Darren Watkins – is playing next week’s Sidemen charity match, the YouTube group has confirmed, amid fears he would have to pull out to recover from a recent hospitalisation. Watkins, who has more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube, claimed he “almost died” when he suffered a sinus infection in July which caused “deadly” cluster headaches, sharing updates in which he could be seen with one eye closed and the other severely swollen. In a stream last month, Speed told viewers: “I literally had the worst-ever sinus infection. It got super, super bad, and the sinus infection was causing cluster headaches. “I went through so much. I’m still healing.” He added that doctors were telling him “a whole different story right now” about whether he would be well enough to take part in the football match, which takes place on Saturday at the London Stadium. Fears he would have to withdraw from the kickabout only intensified when the 18-year-old accidentally showed his penis on camera, and the Sidemen’s official Twitter/X account mysteriously deleted the tweet announcing him as a player. He was previously confirmed to play in the match after being challenged to do 20 keepie uppies by Sidemen member and rapper KSI, and succeeding. However, after the tweet was deleted, fellow Sidemen member Simon “Miniminter” Minter told fans on a stream that Speed was “still playing” the charity match, subject to medical checks. He said: “As long as he’s OK with the medical stuff he had before. He is still playing, yes. “The reason [the tweet] got deleted is because there was some question on whether he would be able to fly.” Now it seems Speed is all good with the “medical stuff”, as the Sidemen tweeted a video on Thursday adding: “It’s official, he’s back. Welcome back to the charity match [Speed].” Responding to the news, KSI – real name Olajide “JJ” Olatunji - begged the streamer not to “slide tackle me” because of his upcoming match against Tommy Fury in Manchester in October. KSI is joined in the Sidemen by Minter, Tobi “TBJZL” Brown, Harry “WroetoShaw” Lewis, Josh “Zerkaa” Bradley, Ethan “Behzinga” Payne and Vikram “Vikkstar123” Barn. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.