Hero
Irina Gladkaya, the female arm wrestler who has gone viral by annihilating male opponents on South Beach in Miami this week. The epitome of girl power, the 5ft 6in Russian lawyer, known as Black Diamond, has been crowned arm wrestling world champion 13 times.
Villains
The Taliban, which has banned Uighurs from its ranks as it woos Chinese investment in Afghanistan. “We care about the oppression of Muslims, be it in Palestine, in Myanmar, or in China,” a Taliban official told the Wall Street Journal. But not enough to “interfere in China’s internal affairs”.
Villain
Giorgio Chiellini, captain of the Italian football team, who uttered the curse “Kiricocho” just before Bukayo Saka missed his penalty on Sunday, according to Eurosport.com. The curse was invented by famed Argentina coach Carlos Bilardo who noticed that a fan called Kiricocho was always present at training sessions when players were injured.
Hero
Finger sweat, which will recharge your phone battery given the right push. Scientists in California have cooked up clever little sticking plasters, worn on fingertips, which generate enough juice in 10 hours to power a wristwatch for 24 hours. They’re coated with enzymes that react harmlessly with chemicals in your sweat, creating energy.
Villain
Jackie Chan, the Chinese martial arts superstar, who wants to join the Communist Party. “I am very jealous that you all are members,” he told a gathering organised by the China Film Association. “I just think the Chinese Communist Party is really so magnificent.” He has spent most of his life in Hong Kong, the once free territory Beijing now wants to control, accumulating $350m. Which he himself no doubt wants to control.
Villain
The moon. Coastal cities are facing an increased risk of flooding in the coming decade due to a combination of rising sea levels and the moon’s natural “wobble”, Nasa has warned. The moon’s angle relative to the Earth’s equator undulates over an 18.6-year lunar cycle and its gravitational pull will be strongest in the 2030s, quadrupling the chances of high-tide floods.