Canadian province Alberta bans indoor gatherings to curb COVID-19 spread

 

The Canadian province of Alberta said on Tuesday it would ban indoor social gatherings, halt classes for some students and reduce retail store capacities to slow the spread of COVID-19. Premier Jason Kenney also capped attendance at worship services and said in-person dining at restaurants would be limited to members of the same household eating together.
“These measures are tough but necessary,” Kenney said, adding that social gatherings have been the biggest spreaders of the virus. “They are needed to keep our health care system from being overwhelmed.”

Boeing's 737 Max cleared to fly in the US after crashes

 

US safety regulators have cleared Boeing's 737 Max plane to fly again, lifting grounding orders put in place in March 2019 after two deadly crashes. It marks a milestone for Boeing which was thrust into crisis by the tragedies and investigations that blamed company failures for the accidents.
Its financial woes deepened this year as air travel slowed due to the virus.
Existing aircraft will need to be modified before going back into service, with changes to their design.
Safety regulator, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said the clearance would not allow the plane to "return immediately" to the skies.
Alongside the software and wiring changes, pilots will also need training.

Federal judge dismisses Trump campaign Pennsylvania lawsuit

 

 A federal judge dealt a death blow to the Trump campaign's effort to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's win of the presidency on Saturday, by dismissing a closely watched lawsuit that sought to invalidate millions of Pennsylvania votes.
"It is not in the power of this Court to violate the Constitution," Judge Matthew Brann of the US District Court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania wrote on Saturday in a withering decision, hours after the final round of filings in the case came in. The judge wholeheartedly rejected the Trump campaign's attempt to throw out the Pennsylvania vote, noting that Biden has won the state and results will be certified by state officials on Monday. Biden has a margin of more than 81,000 votes in the state.

DRC declares end of Ebola epidemic

 

 
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has declared an end to the latest Ebola outbreak, 50 days after the last case was confirmed in the country. A declaration issued by Congolese Health Minister, Dr Eteni Longodo, said the country’s 11th epidemic in 44 years is over, but warned against complacency given previous history where new cases sprouted just weeks after an epidemic was declared over.
The latest outbreak, mainly in Equateur Provice, had killed 55 people out of 138 cases reported, a fatality rate of 42 per cent, Dr Longodo told journalists in Mbandaka.

Three allegedly drown during church baptism in South Africa

 

Three people who were undergoing church baptism in Bethlehem, Eastern Free State Province of South Africa have allegedly drowned.
Police disclosed the news saying that two males, 24 and 25 and a 24-year-old lady who were part of Botshabelo congregation drowned at Liebenbergvlei dam near Bethlehem.
The Police added that the bodies of the two men haven’t been found yet due to the heavy current flow, however the lady’s corpse has been recovered.
Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, the Provincial Commissioner of the Free State has advised community members to isolate themselves from unsupervised dams and rivers especially after heavy rains.

Japanese students submit petition to raise age of sexual consent from 13 to 16

 

A group of university students in Japan have submitted a petition to the Japanese Justice Ministry, requesting that the age of consent be raised from the current age of 13 to 16 years.
Unlike the West, in Japan, anyone caught having sex with a person under 13 can be arrested for statutory rape under the Criminal Law, but charging someone with sex crimes for having intercourse with a person over the age of 13 requires proof of violent action or threats.
 Moreover, the victim must explain the extent to which they resisted in order to bring a charge of sexual assault. In Japan once you are over 13 you are seen as an adult who is aware of his or her sexual capabilities.

Twitter to hand control of US president's official account to Joe Biden on January 20 even if Donald Trump doesn't leave the White House

 

 Twitter will hand control of the US president's official account to Joe Biden on January 20 regardless of whether Donald Trump has left the White House or not, it has been revealed.  President Donald Trump is yet to concede defeat in the 2020 president election, alleging high-level voter fraud after Biden was announced as the winner, but the POTUS Twitter account will be handed to Democrat anyway, according to Twitter.
 'Twitter is actively preparing to support the transition of White House institutional Twitter accounts on January 20th, 2021,' Twitter spokesperson Nick Pacilio told Politico.  

US Department of Justice's top election crimes prosecutor quits after Attorney General Barr orders federal attorneys to probe allegations of voter fraud

 

The US Department Of Justice's top election crimes prosecutor has quit his job in protest after US Attorney General Bill Barr directed federal attorneys to probe allegations of voter fraud leveled by Trump and the Republican party in the just concluded presidential elections .
 Joe Biden beat Trump by getting over 270 electoral votes in the just concluded elections but Trump has refused to concede alleging voter fraud and irregularities.
 While some world leaders have moved to congratulate Biden, other world leaders like Vladmir Putin , Turkey's Erdogan, Brazil's Bolsanaro, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping say they won't congratulate Biden until the election results are certified as Trump battles the results in court.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic gifts every single AC Milan squad player the new PS5 after scoring eight goals in just five Serie A matches

 

 
AC Milan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is certainly in a good mood off the pitch as he is on the pitch, as he gifted his club teammates the new Sony PlayStation 5 which has just been released. The 39-year-old is defying critics as he has scored eight goals in just five Serie A appearances this season taking Milan to the top of the table after an unbeaten start from their first seven league games.
 Three of Ibrahimovic’s teammates, Mateo Musacchio, Samu Castillejo and Rafael Leao, took to Instagram to show off their new toys after getting their hands on the most sought-after console in the world which officially hit shelves on Thursday.

Michael B. Jordan Is PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive 2020

 

 
In 2013, then-26-year-old actor Michael B. Jordan was featured in PEOPLE's first annual Ones to Watch portfolio for his critically acclaimed performance in that year’s film Fruitvale Station. Now he's been crowned 2020's Sexiest Man Alive.
"It's a cool feeling," he tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story. "You know, everybody always made that joke, like, ‘Mike, this is the one thing you’re probably not going to get.' But it’s a good club to be a part of."
From chiseling his body to carry on the boxing legacy of Apollo Creed as his son, Adonis, in 2015’s Creed to portraying Black Panther’s ruthless villain Erik Killmonger in 2018, Jordan, now 33, continues to make his mark in Hollywood — and the world.

FIFA bans CAF chief Ahmad for 5 years for corruption

 

 African soccer confederation (CAF) and FIFA vice president Ahmad Ahmad was banned from all football-related activity on Monday due to financial misconduct. The sport's governing body issued the ban amid the Madagascan official's campaign to be re-elected for a second four-year term as the head of his continent's confederation.
But that ambition now lies in tatters after the FIFA ethics committee found "Ahmad had breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President."
In addition to his ban, the 60-year-old was fined €185,000 ($220,000) for "the organization and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement in CAF's dealings with the sports equipment company and other activities."  

Parents who abandoned their baby in a field to die because they have no emotional connection with her are jailed

 

A mother and father abandoned their baby in a field to die after forging 'no emotional connection' with her. Two month old Jalissa Adams-Frison's body has never been found but a judge in Kenosha, US, has ruled that her parents were responsible for her suspected tragic end. Jalissa's father Hezile Frison, 37, was jailed for two-and-a-half years with five years' extended supervision last week.
Her mother, Monica Adams, 22, was previously sentenced to nine months' jail with four years' probation.
Investigators told a judge Frison searched online for ‘what type of animals are found in Kenosha’ and ‘what is the only way a parent can not go to jail if a baby dies’ before his daughter vanished in July 2019.

Psychic 'who predicted Coronavirus and Trump's defeat' warns pandemic 'will last until 2022'

 

A self-proclaimed psychic and regression therapist has warned that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic could last throughout the next year after turning his powers to predicting the future.
Nicolas Aujula has claimed he foresaw the devastating Covid-19 virus pandemic which crippled the world in 2020 – and has offered a mixed prediction for the next year over the continued fight against the virus.
The 35-year-old from London claims he receives his predictions from visions that are at times "very literal", while on other occasions can be "symbolic", and dreamlike and more open to interpretation.
Nicolas claims he foresaw global protests, an ‘influenza’ disaster, and even the fall of Donald Trump from office as US President before 2020 began.

Footballer Darnell Fisher faces FA probe after he was caught on camera grabbing his fellow player by the balls on the pitch (video)

 

 
Preston defender, Darnell Fisher faces an FA probe for grabbing Sheffield striker Callum Paterson’s by the balls twice during their 1-0 win on Sataurday, November 21.
The FA will look into an incident from the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday which appeared to show Darnell Fisher twice grabbing Callum Paterson's genitals during a cornerkick in the second half.  The governing body will decide its course of action after receiving referee David Webb’s report.
The incident comes after England rugby star Joe Marler was handed a ten week ban for touching Alun Wyn Jones’ penis during the Six Nations earlier this year.

Watch the video after the cut

Naya Rivera drowning: wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of Glee actor's son

 

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed over the drowning of Glee actor Naya Rivera, who died in July while boating with her four-year-old son on a lake in California.
The suit was filed on Tuesday against Ventura County and managers of Lake Piru over her accidental death on 8 July at the lake north-west of Los Angeles. It was filed on behalf of her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, by Ryan Dorsey — Rivera’s ex-husband and the boy’s father and guardian — and also on behalf of her estate.
Rivera, 33, had rented a pontoon boat on the lake. Her son was found sleeping and alone on the drifting boat later that afternoon. Rivera’s body was found floating in a 30ft-deep area of the lake five days later. The Ventura County sheriff’s office said Rivera’s body was most likely trapped in thick vegetation underwater for several days before floating to the top.

Rapper Lil Wayne charged with weapons possession, risks 10 years in jail

 

American rapper Lil Wayne has been charged with possession of firearms, a charge arising from a late December 2019 plane search in Florida.
According to TMZ, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida has charged Weezy with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon
If convicted, the sentence could be as high as 10 years.
A court appearance is slated for December.
In 2009, Weezy, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, whose served eight months in jail on a similar charge.
Weezy’s attorney Howard Srebnick explained on Tuesday that his client has been charged for “possessing a gold-plated handgun” in his luggage while travelling on the plane.
Srebnick also highlighted the fact that there is “no allegation that he is a dangerous person.”
Wayne was not the owner of the private plane.

Oscar Pistorius desperate for forgiveness from Steenkamp family

Oscar Pistorius has reportedly said he wishes for forgiveness from the family of his victim Reeva Steenkamp. The killer paralympian athlete, who was jailed for 15 years for shooting girlfriend Reeva dead, told a friend he is desperate for her family to accept his apology.
He reportedly said 'I want to tell them I'm sorry'.
Bill Schroder, 76, claimed Pistorius had turned to God and is more concerned about getting forgiveness than parole.
Bill has visited him four times in jail.
He told The Sun on Sunday : "What he really, really wants is forgiveness.

Mouthwash 'kills Covid-19 in seconds and could be added to hand wash routine,' study says

 

Mouthwash can kill coronavirus within 30 seconds of being exposed to it in a laboratory, a scientific study has found. The preliminary result comes ahead of a clinical trial into whether using over-the-counter mouthwash has the potential to reduce the levels of Covid-19 in a patient's saliva.
The Cardiff University report said mouthwashes containing at least 0.07 per cent cetypyridinium chloride (CPC) showed "promising signs" of being able to combat the virus.
The report is yet to be reviewed but supports another study published last week that found CPC-based mouthwashes are effective in reducing Covid-19's viral load.
The latest test was carried out by scientists at the university's laboratory and mimicked the conditions of a person's throat using mouthwash brands including Dentyl.

America's coronavirus cases hit 11 million with 1 million cases recorded last week alone

 

The US has hit another grim milestone in the fight against coronavirus as 11 million Americans have now been infected by the deadly disease - and one million of those in the last week alone.
Infection rates are soaring and the country's death toll - by far the worst in the world - is approaching 250,000.
The sobering figures come amid an ongoing political crisis, with President Donald Trump still refusing to concede victory to presidential election winner Joe Biden.
Instead he's sticking to his beloved golf course - where he was pictured again on Sunday - and tweeting baseless conspiracy theories about how the election was "stolen" from him.

Teen with male genitalia raised as a boy pregnant after discovering ovaries 'by chance'

 

 
A trans teen born with male genitalia and raised as a boy has become pregnant after finding out that she has female reproductive parts.  Mikey Chanel, who is in her second trimester at four months, was only diagnosed with Persistent Müllerian duct syndrome (PMDS), a rare condition in which a person has male external genitals, with female reproductive organs internally, last year.
 But 18-year-old Mikey says that she always knew she was a girl. ‘It was obvious to everyone that I was different right from the start,’ said the events coordinator fromfrom Boston, Massachusetts.
‘I never felt like a boy. I was quite effeminate and I never really went through a whole “boy puberty” thing. ‘I only have a tiny bit of facial hair. I’ve always had a feminine-shaped body.’