Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran's top nuclear scientist, assassinated near Tehran

 

 Iran's most senior nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has been assassinated near the capital Tehran, the country's defence ministry has confirmed. Fakhrizadeh died in hospital after an attack in Absard, in Damavand county.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, has condemned the killing "as an act of state terror".
Western intelligence agencies believe Fakhrizadeh was behind a covert Iranian nuclear weapons programme.
"If Iran ever chose to weaponise (enrichment), Fakhrizadeh would be known as the father of the Iranian bomb," one Western diplomat told Reuters news agency in 2014.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes.

India enters first recession in 73 years

 

 India’s economy contracted 7.5 percent between July and September, performing the poorest among major advanced and emerging economies and entering a technical recession for the first time since independence, official data showed Friday.
Although the figures were an improvement on the record 23.9-percent contraction recorded last quarter, they indicate that Asia’s third-largest economy is in for a tough fight as it attempts to revive demand and create jobs even as coronavirus infections climb.
The two successive quarters of contraction mean that the country has now entered a “technical recession” for the first time since 1947.
After virus-led lockdowns ravaged the globe, the growth recorded by major economies including the United States, Japan and Germany during the quarter ending on September 30 raised expectations that India would also enjoy a revival, but they are yet to.

Man Utd boss Ole Gunnaer Solskjaer admits concerns over mental health of his players

 

Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spoken in favour of increased matchday squads, saying players mental health could be affected when they are not included in the match day squad.
Solskjaer's team will face Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday  November 24, and he can now make up to five substitutes, which cuts down the chances of players becoming fatigued.  He is also able to select a larger matchday squad than is allowed in the Premier League.
 Even though the increased number of matchday squads allowed in Europe give managers more options in tactics, Solskjaer believes that the players benefit mentally from being involved compared to if they stayed at home.

LaLiga: Zidane reacts as Real Madrid lose 2-1 to Alaves

 

Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, has said he has “no explanation” for their inconsistent form, after they lost 2-1 at home to Alaves on Saturday. The defeat makes it three games without a win in LaLiga. Lucas Perez scored an early penalty, before Joselu doubled Alaves’ advantage in the second half. Casemiro grabbed a late consolation goal for Los Blancos.
Zidane’s team were beaten 4-1 at Valencia and drew 1-1 at Villarreal earlier this month, but appeared to have bounced back after a 2-0 victory in the Champions League at Inter Milan in midweek.
“We played a bad game, above all at the start, and we couldn’t change it,” Zidane said.

William Barr says no evidence of widespread fraud in presidential election

 

Donald Trump's personal "fixer", William Barr has said there is no evidence of widespread fraud in the US presidential election as Trump claims.
 In an interview with the Associated Press published Tuesday, December 1, Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department hasn't found evidence to support allegations of widespread fraud that could have changed the result of last month's presidential election.
 The comments from Barr, who has been steadfast in his support of President Donald Trump during his tenure, represent the latest official rebuke from Republicans of the President's claims of widespread fraud in his loss to Joe Biden.

Rapper 21 Savage's brother, 27, is stabbed to death 'during argument with a friend' in London

 

 Rapper 21 Savage's British brother was stabbed to death "during an argument with a friend," on a south London estate. Terrell Davis, 27, was killed on the Blenheim Gardens estate in Brixton last night, November 23.
 Mr Davis, a drill rapper known as TM1way, had been taking some shopping to his grandmother when he got into an argument with an old friend, who suddenly lunged forward and stabbed him, a family source said.
 Mr Davis was found suffering from a stab wound just before 6pm last night. Police attended but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Stephanie Frappart set to make history as the first female referee to take charge of a men's Champions League

French referee, Stephanie Frappart will become the first-ever female official to referee a men's Champions League game when she oversees Juventus vs Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, December 2.
 The 36-year-old became the first woman to referee a major men's European match when she took charge of the UEFA Super Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea in Istanbul last year.
 She also officiated the 2019 Women's World Cup final between the United States and Holland and became the first female referee to take charge of a French Ligue 1 match when Amiens played Strasbourg in April last year.
 She oversaw her first Europa League game in October when Leicester City hosted Zorya Luhansk.
 Juventus, who have already qualified for the last-16, are second in Group G with nine points from four games, eight points clear of Dynamo Kiev, and three behind Barcelona, who face Ferencvaros on Wednesday.

World's top surgical glove maker shuts factories due to coronavirus

A Malaysian company that is the world's biggest manufacturer of surgical gloves will close over half of its factories after a surge in coronavirus cases among workers, authorities said Monday. Top Glove has seen a huge jump in demand since the start of the pandemic as countries scrambled to stock up on protective equipment, pushing up both its profits and share price. But there has been a cluster of virus outbreaks among Top Glove employees—many of whom are low-paid migrant workers—at factories in an industrial area near the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
More than 1,000 cases were recorded Monday, prompting the government to order the plants to close.

Lewis Hamilton to miss Sakhir Grand Prix this weekend after testing positive for Covid-19

 

Formula One racing icon, Lewis Hamilton will not be involved in this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain after testing positive for Covid-19. Hamilton, who has already been crowned Formula one world champion for the season, won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday and it has now been announced that Hamilton woke up on Monday with mild symptoms after testing positive.
 Formula One also announced that the Sports company will be tracking a contact Hamilton made prior to Hamilton’s arrival in Bahrain.

Football fan killed in Kenya after allegedly mocking Arsenal supporters for losing to Wolves

 

 
A football fan in Kenya has lost his life after allegedly mocking Arsenal fans following their 2-1 loss at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers FC last weekend, according to reports. According to the Standard Newspaper report, the sad event occurred at Kinamba Centre along the Naivasha-Kirima Road in Kenya as the group of friends argued over the premier league match.
 "The middle-aged man was hit on the head with a stone when he started mocking supporters of [Arsenal after the loss]," The Standard Newspaper reported.

'Rapists to be chemically castrated in Pakistan under new laws' approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan

 

Pakistan's Prime Minister, Imran Khan has reportedly approved in principle a law on chemical castration of rapists. Local reports said Mr. Khan approved the law which would also fast track sexual assault cases during a federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday, November 24th. But Pakistan's government is yet to make an official announcement. The decision was made after the law ministry presented a draft of the anti-rape ordinance at the meeting.
 According to GeoTV, Kahn said in the meeting: 'We need to ensure a safe environment for our citizens.'
 He reportedly said the legislation would be clear and transparent with strict enforcement by officials.

Assassinated Iranian chief nuclear scientist was shot with remote-controlled machine gun- New report says

 

 
The Iranian chief nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, assassinated last week Friday, November 27, 2020, in Tehran, was shot by a remote-controlled machine gun operating out of another car, Iran's Fars News Agency has stated. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, dubbed by Israel as the father of Iran’s nuclear program, died on Friday after being seriously wounded when assailants targeted his car and engaged in a gunfight with his bodyguards outside Tehran.
 The assassination comes less than two months before US president-elect Joe Biden is due to take office, after four years of hawkish foreign policy in the Middle East under Donald Trump.

Dozens feared dead in Zimbabwe mine collapse as rescue efforts continue

 

Dozens are feared dead and others still trapped underground after an abandoned goldmine collapsed in Zimbabwe. Six men have so far emerged alive from the mine at Bindura, about 70km north of the capital Harare after the disaster on Wednesday. According to officials, nearly 30 miners remain unaccounted for.
Rescue efforts failed to start until Friday, after the generator used to drain the 100-metre long mine shaft jammed and another had to be found, authorities say.
“On Thursday the rescue team tried to pump out the water but the generator failed. They started again today. The hardest thing is that the shaft is 100 metres deep,” Christine Munyoro of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) told the Guardian. “We also do not know what level there are at. They may be trapped in the mud.’”

Fans in UK to be allowed into stadiums from December 2

 

 Sports fans will finally be allowed back into stadiums as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to reveal the new three-tier system that will come into force in England after lockdown ends on December 2nd. This comes a week after the Department for Culture Media and Sport submitted proposals to the Cabinet Office for the return of fans to grounds in December for the first time since the first lockdown back in March.
 Under the new rules, spectator sports outdoors will be allowed in Tier 1 and Tier 2 areas to watch Premier League games and other sporting events after the lockdown ends.
 Under the softest measures in Tier 1 areas, there will be a maximum crowd size of either 50 percent stadium occupancy or 4,000 spectators. In Tier 2 areas, the stadium rules will be 50 percent of overall capacity or 2,000, according to British Media.
 However, for those in the Tier 3 measures, fans will still not be able to attend sporting events.

Hacker demands millions of pounds after hacking Manchester United system

 

Manchester United are reportedly being held to ransom for millions of pounds by cyberhackers who still have control of the club's computer systems. Manchester United's network has allegedly been infected by a computer virus, and the club face having sensitive information leaked unless they pay a ransom. AP is reporting that Manchester United staff members still have no access to email, and other functions are also unavailable.
United remain confident, however, that there has been no breach of fan or customer data.
It is not known who the criminals are, or exactly how much money is being demanded.

Egypt detains photographer after dancer shoot at pyramid

 

Egyptian police have detained a photographer for disrespect after he shot images of a dancer in ancient costume at the Pyramid of Djoser outside Cairo, a security source has confirmed. Rumours had circulated on social media that the model, Salma al-Shimi, had been arrested after Monday’s shoot at the Saqqara necropolis, 20 miles south of Cairo, but the source said police detained the photographer on Monday.
“A photographer has been arrested after a private shoot with dancer Salma al-Shimi in the archaeological zone,” the source said, adding that his case had been referred to the courts.

Fears for a million livelihoods in Kenya and Tanzania as Mara River fish die out

 

 Fish are being driven to extinction in the Mara River basin, putting the livelihoods of more than a million people in Kenya and Tanzania in jeopardy, according to WWF. A report by the wildlife NGO details how farming, deforestation, mining, illegal fishing and invasive species could sound a death knell for the transboundary river.
The first stocktake of biodiversity in the river basin identified 473 native freshwater species including four mammals, 88 waterbirds, 126 freshwater associated birds, four reptiles, 20 amphibians, 40 fishes, 50 invertebrate species and 141 vascular plants.

Papa Bouba Diop, Senegal's World Cup hero and FA Cup winner, dies aged 42

 

Papa Bouba Diop, the former Senegal midfielder who scored the first goal of the 2002 World Cup against France, has died at the age of 42. World football’s governing body posted a tribute to Diop on Twitter. “Fifa is saddened to learn of the passing of Senegal legend Papa Bouba Diop,” Sunday’s statement read. “Once a World Cup hero, always a World Cup hero.”
Italians mourn death of Diego Maradona, the 'naughty rascal' of Naples
Diop began his European career in Switzerland, winning the title with Grasshoppers before moving to the French club Lens in January 2002. His most famous moment came four months later in the World Cup’s opening match, when his goal earned Senegal a shock win over defending champions France in Seoul.

Lewis Hamilton named GQ’s game-changer of the year

 

Lewis Hamilton has been named GQ's Game Changer Of The Year. The Formula One racing star will be honoured at GQ’s Men of the Year Awards which is set to take place virtually on Thursday, December 3rd, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hamilton will mark his award win in GQ’s upcoming January/February issue.
The honour comes days after he won his seventh world championship earlier this month, which saw him equalling Michael Schumacher’s F1 record.
 The 35-year-old British sportsman, who has been an active voice in the fight against racism, opened up about his own experience with racism.

The Covid-19 pandemic is driving a spike in suicides in Japan

 

 In October 2020, more people died by suicide in Japan than were killed by the novel coronavirus in 10 months. Experts say this alarming spike is being partially driven by women, who often work in industries most affected by the pandemic. CNN's Selina Wang speaks to a Japanese woman who attempted suicide when she was struggling to make ends meet.
Source: CNN