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  • Colombia defeats Dominican Republic to stay on path to World Cup 2026

    Colombia defeats Dominican Republic to stay on path to World Cup 2026

    SANTIAGO (Chile) – Colombia will play in the Qualifying Tournaments for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 after defeating the Dominican Republic 81-53 in the first classification game of the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2025. With the win, the South Americans guaranteed at least a sixth-place finish in the tournament held in Santiago, Chile.

    From the second quarter onward, Colombia paved the way for victory with high defensive intensity and solid shooting efficiency. The team will now play for fifth place against the winner of the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico matchup.

    Turning point

    The Colombian side put together a 16-0 run at the start of the second quarter to take a 19-point lead (36-17), and from there, it was smooth sailing. Head coach Luis Cuenca was able to rotate his lineup and give play time to 11 of the 12 players on the roster.

    TCL player of the game

    Center Yuliany Paz was the standout performer, recording a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. The Indeportes Antioquia player from the Colombian league shot 50 percent from the field and added four blocks. With that, she tied Miranda Ayim (Canada) as the all-time blocks leader in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup (since 2003), with 32, pending Kamilla Cardoso’s (Brazil) performance later in the day, as she sits at 30.

    It was Paz’s first career double-double in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, setting new personal highs for both points and rebounds. Her previous bests were 12 points and 11 boards.

    For the Dominican Republic, Cesarina Capellán stood out with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

    Stats don’t lie

    Colombia outrebounded the Dominicans 56-49 (a new team record for the Colombians in an AmeriCup game), dished out more assists (23-8), and delivered an all-around solid performance, shooting 41 percent from the field compared to just 26 percent for their opponents.

    Bottom line

    Colombia will head to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments, aiming to qualify for the second time in its history. The only previous appearance came in 1975 when the country hosted the event.

    With one more win in the classification stage, Colombia would match the fifth-place finish achieved in the last three editions of the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.

    They said

    Yuliany Paz emphasized that the team came in focused and determined to keep their World Cup dream alive.

    “We knew this was a very important game for us because playing in a World Cup would be a dream. Today, the team needed my points and my rebounds, and everything worked out well,” said the center at the postgame press conference.

    FIBA

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  • Chinese Astronauts Go To Space And Discover A Never-Before-Identified Pathogen » TwistedSifter

    Chinese Astronauts Go To Space And Discover A Never-Before-Identified Pathogen » TwistedSifter

    Blue gloved hands holding a petri dish

    Pexels

    When astronauts go to space, there’s no doctors to care for them if they get sick.

    That’s why astronauts are given significant first aid training, with an astronaut sustaining an injury able to receive sutures, for example, from one of their colleagues in space.

    It’s also the reason for the extreme cleanliness that is enforced on space stations, with astronauts expected to adhere to strict cleaning and hygiene protocols, to avoid any risk of contamination or infection while they’re situated 250 miles above ground.

    If the worst should come to the worst, a rescue mission is launched; but this to be avoided, since it’s a very costly process.

    A rocket launching into spaceA rocket launching into space

    Pexels

    It’s surprising then, given the extreme hygiene observed on space stations, that a new strain of bacteria has been identified on board China’s Tiangong Space Station.

    And what is even more surprising is that this bacterial strain has only ever been discovered onboard Tiangong.

    In an article recently published in the International Journal of Systematic Evolutionary Microbiology, scientists explain their discovery:

    “In this study, a Gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming, rod-shaped strain JL1B1071T was isolated from the surface of hardware on the China Space Station. This strain belongs to the genus Niallia, with its closest relative being Niallia circulans ATCC 4513T.”

    Freshly named Niallia Tiangongensis, this bacteria is not dissimilar to an earthly bacteria known as Nialla circulans, a human pathogen which can survive without oxygen and is found in sewage and human waste, food and soil.

    A person cleaning in a maskA person cleaning in a mask

    Pexels

    How did the pathogen get there?

    Well this is still up for debate, with scientists suggesting that it could have adapted from Niallia circulans that naturally occur onboard Tiangong as a result of the human activities of the taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) on board the space station.

    This is not uncommon practice for pathogens, which regularly mutate as a result of their evolutionary processes. In the conditions on board a space station – very different to the conditions on Earth – the pathogen could have adapted to better suit its new environment.

    While on the surface the discovery of Niallia Tiangonensis could seem concerning, it is actually fascinating for our understanding of bacteria and its evolutions in space. This is vital information for future missions, and our understanding of our pathogens on Earth – though of course, as the authors state in their study, the prominent concern is the health of astronauts and taikonauts:

    “Understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-term space missions is essential for safeguarding the health of astronauts and maintaining the functionality of spacecraft.”

    As more people – and their respective pathogens – travel to space, it is likely that this is only the beginning.

    If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read a story that reveals Earth’s priciest precious metal isn’t gold or platinum and costs over $10,000 an ounce!

    Categories: NATURE/SPACE, SCI/TECH
    Tags: · astronauts, bacteria, evolution, new bacterial strain, pathogens, science, single topic, space, space station, space travel, taikonauts, Tiangong space station, top

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  • Alex Palou Steps Forward in Mid-Ohio Pre-Qualifying Practice

    Alex Palou Steps Forward in Mid-Ohio Pre-Qualifying Practice

    Alex Palou reminded the rest of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field that Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is his personal playground, leading pre-qualifying practice Saturday for The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport.

    Championship leader Palou, the winner of six of the first nine races this season, topped the one-hour session with a best lap of 1 minute, 5.3961 seconds in the No. 10 Open AI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou has finished on the podium in each of his last four starts at the 13-turn, 2.258-mile roller coaster of a road course, including a victory in 2023.

    SEE: Practice Results

    Palou will aim for his second straight Mid-Ohio pole and third pole this season in NTT P1 Award qualifying, which starts at 2:30 p.m. ET today (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). The 90-lap race starts at 1 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).

    Christian Lundgaard was second in practice today at 1:05.5529 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, followed by rookie Louis Foster at 1:05.5962 in the No. 45 Droplight Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

    Reigning Mid-Ohio winner Pato O’Ward put two Arrow McLaren cars in the top four with his best lap of 1:05.7280 in the team’s No. 5 Chevrolet. Felix Rosenqvist rallied from a mechanical problem in the first practice Friday to climb to fifth in this session at 1:05.7945 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian that features this weekend a special tribute livery to famed hard rock singer Ozzy Osbourne and his band Black Sabbath.

    Kyle Kirkwood, quickest Friday at 1:05.8272, ended up ninth today at 1:05.9352 in the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda featuring a special Honda livery this weekend.

    Once again, the tricky, undulating Mid-Ohio circuit caught out a handful of drivers, especially in Turn 4.

    Past Mid-Ohio winners Colton Herta and Scott McLaughlin had off-course excursions through the gravel trap in Turn 4, as did Kyffin Simpson. Nolan Siegel also nearly had a big crash in Turn 5 as his No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet wiggled on his final lap.

    Even Palou wasn’t immune to testing the limits of grip. He drove through the grass in Turn 11 on the lap immediately after his quickest trip around the track.

    The only red flag of the session came when 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson nosed into the tire barrier in Turn 13 in his No. 28 FOX INDYCAR Honda of Andretti Global, damaging its front wing and suspension. Ericsson, who was fourth quickest at the time of his crash, was unhurt.


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  • FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 Final pairing, schedule set

    FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 Final pairing, schedule set

    LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – The pairings and schedule for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 Final and bronze-medal game have been confirmed following the Semi-Finals games in Lausanne, Switzerland.

    Let us know what you think and vote:

    Who will be named FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 TISSOT MVP?

    Final and Third-Place Game

    New Zealand and Slovenia will face off in the third-place game, while USA and Germany clash in the final — both games set for Sunday, July 6 at Lausanne Arena.

    July 6

    New Zealand and Slovenia will look to finish their FIBA U19 World Cup on a high note and take home some hardware in the Third-Place Game. Neither team has ever reached the podium of this event.

    New Zealand will be looking to bounce back from their loss to United States in their first Semi-Finals while Slovenia fell to Germany in their first top four showing.

    The matchup so many were expecting is here after both teams remained undefeated in the tournament – USA beating New Zealand in the Semi-Finals and Germany knocking off Slovenia to advance to their first FIBA U19 World Cup Final.

    USA will be looking to add a record ninth title, while Germany have already secured their first Youth World Cup podium — even before knowing which step they’ll stand on.

    The complete FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 Final Phrase bracket can be found here.

    Let us know what you think and vote:

    Who will be crowned U19 World Cup 2025 champions?

    FIBA

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  • Carlberg edging Pérez for Junior ERC joy

    Carlberg edging Pérez for Junior ERC joy

    While it was Pérez who came out on top of the Tarmac-based season-opener in Spain, Carlberg tops the order heading into Sunday’s leg of the second sealed-surface round of the Junior ERC season.

    Sergi Pérez is placed second overall

    © At World

    After Tuukka Kauppinen set the pace in the Hankook-equipped category through the Friday evening super special stage in Rome aboard his Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF, Carlberg went on a Saturday morning charge. The Opel Corsa Rally4 driver completed the opening loop leading Pérez by 11.3sec after the championship-topping Swede went quickest on all three stages.

    “It was hot like expected but really good, I’ve been really happy about the first loop,” Carlberg said at the midday halt in Fiuggi. “We played the strategy quite well with the tyres, the pacenotes have been good and Jørgen [Eriksen, co-driver] has been doing a good job. The Hankook tyres really kept up and were really good across the stages.”

    Carlberg was quickest again on SS5 but lost vital seconds on SS6 when he was slowed by a driver running ahead on the road encountering mechanical issues.

    “We did what we could but unfortunately we caught a Rally3 car on stage six,” Carlberg explained. “Normally you don’t struggle with the dust on a Tarmac rally but in the forest with all the cuts it felt like a gravel rally and we struggled to see and lost quite a bit of time. We took that as motivation to put in a good time on the last one and we’re still in the lead.”

    “Normally you don’t struggle with the dust on a Tarmac rally but in the forest with all the cuts it felt like a gravel rally and we struggled to see and lost quite a bit of time.”

    Pérez, driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4, reckoned he could have been closer to Carlberg had it not been for a brief off on SS4. “Calle is pushing hard, but on SS4 I had a little problem when I went off the road and lost a little bit [of time]. The corner, a left corner, was so dirty and in the exit I go on the throttle too early and go out of the road. Tomorrow we have two long stages and of course we will try to the end.”

    Lancia-driving Jaspar Vaher was third after four stages but slipped to fourth behind Craig Rahill (Peugeot) on SS6 when he spun. He lost more time when he completed SS7 with the left-rear wheel missing from his car following an off into a ditch.

    “I was probably pushing too much but near there end there was much gravel, the corner tightened, we ran wide into the ditch and in the ditch there was some concrete that we hit with the rim and the rim broke,” Vaher said. “On the second to last stage we had a spin on a right corner towards the end. It was quite strange because I’ve never had a spin in a front-wheel-drive car. We lost too much time, it was not easy.”

    There were no such problems for Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Rahill, who is in the podium battle for the second event running. “It’s been tough but I’m happy enough,” he said. “We need to keep it steady but it’s a new experience trying to manage the tyres and brakes. And I’ve never done stages so long.”

    Craig Rahill moved into third position in Junior ERC by the completion of Saturday

    Craig Rahill is perfectly placed for a podium finish on Sunday

    © At-World

    Ioan Lloyd is fifth after a brake issue nearing the finish of SS7. ACI Team Italia-supported Francesco Dei Ceci is sixth on his home Junior ERC counter with Swiss rookie Yohan Suroca impressing in seventh place followed by Kauppinen, Keelan Grogan, Leevi Lassila and Aoife Raftery, who was slowed by an overheating issue on SS4.

    Making his return from injury, Kavin Saraiva holds 12th place overnight, but it proved to be a frustrating day for Kevin Lempu and Luca Pröglhöf, who both retired. While Lempu is expected to restart on Sunday, Pröglhöf will go no further after he rolled on SS4, albeit without injury to he nor co-driver Christina Ettel.

    All Junior ERC drivers are eligible for ERC4 points with the category featuring several competitors from the Trofeo Lancia for the first time. While the top four classification mirrors the Junior ERC order, Gianandrea Pisani holds fifth place with Andrea Mazzocchi and Giorgio Cogni ninth and 11th respectively.

    Meanwhile, ERC4 regulars Catherine Rǎdulescu and Ciprian Lupu are 26th and 27th respectively. Rǎdulescu was hampered by an overheating issue while Lupu lost time with an overshoot early on.

    Rally di Roma Capitale’s deciding leg tomorrow (Sunday) consists of six stages over a competitive distance of 98.34 kilometres and begins with the 11.58-kilometre Guarcino – Altipiani stage from 08:25 local time.

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  • One win away: USA cruise past New Zealand into Final

    One win away: USA cruise past New Zealand into Final

    LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – United States moved one victory from their mission of reclaiming the title by rolling past New Zealand to reach the Final of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 and a date with Germany.

    Let us know what you think and vote:

    Who will be named FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 TISSOT MVP?

    The record eight-time U19 world champions had no trouble with New Zealand, who were making their maiden appearance in the Semi-Finals in the competition. USA ended up winning 120-61 – setting a new scoring record.

    The 120 points eclipsed the previous mark for the most scored in a FIBA U19 World Cup Semi-Finals. The Americans beat Lithuania 100-60 in the 2013 Semis and then walloped Lithuania 102-67 in the 2019 Semi-Finals.

    Caleb Holt was USA’s leading scorer with 20 points as six USA players hit in double figures, including Mikel Brown tallying 11 points and 6 assists.

    United States did not waste any time and built an 18-point lead after the first quarter against New Zealand. The Junior Tall Blacks never could get any kind of rhythm going, trailing 55-26 at halftime. And the second half was mostly one-way traffic for the Americans.

    New Zealand still have a chance to make history with a matchup against Slovenia in the Third Place Game. A victory on the final day would mean the Oceania’s best-ever finish in a FIBA competition.

    The only team standing in USA’s way now is Germany in the Final.

    USA have only played Germany twice at the youth level – both of them in this competition. The first game was an 88-87 overtime victory for Germany in the Semi-Final group stage in 1983. The Americans beat Germany 81-59 in the Quarter-Finals of the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup.

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    The best photos from the game

    United States have now averaged 115.5 points in the tournament and are on track to become the highest scoring team in FIBA U19 World Cup history. They would also be just fifth team to score at least 100 points per game in the tournament.

    The top spot all-time belongs to the legendary Yugoslavia team from 1987, which included the likes of Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja, Vlade Divac and Sasa Djordjevic and poured in 108.9 points per game.

    All-time best team scoring averages at the U19 World Cup

     

    Team

    Year

    Scoring average

    Final Standings

    1.

    Yugoslavia

    1987

    108.9

    Champion

    2.

    Soviet Union

    1991

    105.6

    9th

    3.

    USA

    1979

    104.7

    Champion

    4.

    USA

    2019

    100.9

    Champion

    Let us know what you think and vote:

    Who will be crowned U19 World Cup 2025 champions?

    FIBA

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  • Reinventing women’s football in my country

    Reinventing women’s football in my country

    Inspiring the Swiss spirit for the future

    While it’s clear Wälti is in love with her native country and its unique beauty, there is a sense that the star footballer is trying to achieve something bigger than simply being a tour guide.

    By partnering with brands and tourism boards to show off Switzerland, the captain believes a lasting connection can form between the hosts and women’s football.

    “I hope that the Euros will give us that extra push for people to see that this game actually has a lot of potential, even in Switzerland,” the experienced midfielder told ESPN about her aspirations for the event, “and that they want to push and invest and give the girls a chance … the same chance as the boys basically.

    “Probably [it] never will be like in England [previous women’s Euros hosts], because men’s football is not like in England either. So we have to respect that, but it can at least be equal; that you have the same opportunities, same facilities, same conditions, and same possibilities as well.”

    Wälti’s ambitions so far seem to be coming to fruition, with there being plenty of examples of Swiss spirit during their opening game against Norway.

    Despite the sweltering heat, 34,063 fans turned up in Basel to watch their women’s team kick off their tournament, and though they might have fallen 2-1 to their opponents, the display of local support has set the tone for the occasion and has certainly inspired the captain.

    “Tears in my eyes. What a feeling. A dream come true. Our fans. Our home. Unforgettable,” Wälti wrote on social media the day after the game.

    She will be hoping for more special Swiss support – on and off the field of play – when they go again for their next game against Iceland on Sunday, 6 July in Bern.


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  • Animesh Kujur sets new 100m national record at Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting 2025 in Greece

    Animesh Kujur sets new 100m national record at Dromia International Sprint and Relays Meeting 2025 in Greece

    Animesh Kujur already holds the men’s 200m Indian national record of 20.32 seconds, which earned him a bronze medal at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in Gumi, the Republic of Korea, earlier this year.

    The Odisha-born runner was also a part of the national record-setting Indian men’s 4x100m quartet, alongside Gurindervir, Manikanta Hoblidhar and Amlan Borgohain, at the National Relay Carnival 2025. They clocked 38.69 in Chandigarh.

    In the 100m men’s Final A, Indian athlete Lalu Bhoi finished fourth with a wind-assisted 10.42, followed by Mrutyam Jayaram Dondapati with 10.47.

    Animesh Kujur also ran in the men’s 200m race in Greece and logged a modest 20.73 to finish seventh. Manikanta Hoblidhar crossed the finish line in 21.28 to finish in 11th position.

    Animesh Kujur, Lalu Bhoi, Jayaram Dondapati and Gurindervir Singh also teamed up for the men’s 4x100m relay event in Greece and clocked 39.99 seconds to finish behind Turkiye.

    Moumita Mondal, meanwhile, logged a new personal best of 13.24 to win the women’s 100m hurdles event at the Vari meet. Jyothi Yarraji holds the national record in the event – 12.78.

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  • Pakistan, Poland review entire spectrum of bilateral ties – ARY News

    1. Pakistan, Poland review entire spectrum of bilateral ties  ARY News
    2. Islamabad, Warsaw set to deepen ties across key sectors  The Express Tribune
    3. Poland, Pakistan Hold 9th Round of Political Consultations  وكالة الأنباء القطرية
    4. Pakistan, Poland agree to deepen defence, trade ties  Pakistan Today
    5. Pakistan, Poland hold 9th bilateral political consultations in Warsaw  nation.com.pk

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  • This $11.5M Startup Backed By Niklas Zennström Wants To Help You Launch A Million-Dollar AI Business From Your Sofa

    This $11.5M Startup Backed By Niklas Zennström Wants To Help You Launch A Million-Dollar AI Business From Your Sofa

    Henrik Werdelin, co-founder of BarkBox and longtime startup advisor, has launched a new venture named Audos, which recently raised $11.5 million in seed funding led by True Ventures. Other investors include Offline Ventures, Bungalow Capital, and notable angel investors Niklas Zennström and Mario Schlosser, TechCrunch reports.

    Based in New York, Audos offers AI tools and startup-building support to everyday people who want to launch small businesses without any technical background. Unlike accelerators or traditional venture models, TechCrunch says that Audos charges a 15% perpetual revenue share instead of taking equity from founders.

    Don’t Miss:

    Werdelin, who previously built startup studio Prehype, told TechCrunch that Audos combines years of startup-building expertise into an accessible platform anyone can use to launch a digital product.

    “What we’re trying to do is to figure out how you make a million companies that do a million dollars [in annual revenue],” Werdelin said. That goal, if realized, would create what he calls a trillion-dollar turnover business, a term that sets a new benchmark for bottom-up innovation.

    The company uses social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to reach potential founders and identify whether their business ideas can generate customers at a sustainable cost. According to TechCrunch, Audos’s AI agent interacts with users directly, helping them clarify their offer and go to market quickly using natural language inputs.

    Trending: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara’s Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — And You Can Invest At Just $6.37/Share

    So far, Audos has supported the launch of what Werdelin calls “low hundreds” of businesses in its beta phase, TechCrunch reports. These include ventures like a virtual golf swing coach, an AI nutritionist, a mechanic offering quote evaluations, and even an “after-death logistics” consultant.

    Each founder received up to $25,000 in funding, access to Audos’s proprietary tools, and support in distributing their offer through paid social ads. According to TechCrunch, Werdelin refers to these micro-businesses as “donkeycorns,” signaling modest yet profitable ventures that aim to support personal freedom rather than billion-dollar exits.

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