Man who burned LGBTQ flag is jailed for 16 years

A man has been imprisoned for burning an LGBTQ flag that was flying at a church in central Iowa. Adolfo Martinez, 30, of Ames, was sentenced to 15 years for the hate crime of arson.
He was also given a year for reckless use of explosives or fire and 30 days for harassment. The sentences are to be served consecutively, Story County court records said.

Fallon Sherrock makes history as first woman to win World Darts Championship match

Darts player Fallon Sherrock entered the history books Tuesday when she became the first woman to beat a man in a world championship match. Sherrock battled back from two sets to one down to seal a victory over Ted Evetts at the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) event at Alexandra Palace in London, sending the crowd wild.
"I'm absolutely over the moon," said Sherrock in a post-match interview. "I can't believe I've just made history."
The PDC men's World Championship features 96 players each year, and there are two spots for women.
"We just need more opportunities to prove ourselves," she said of the decision to allow mixed competition.

Pakistan earthquake: Scary tremor shakes buildings across Indian subcontinent

A powerful earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.4 has shaken buildings in Pakistan, Afghanistan and northern parts of India. The tremor was felt in cities including Delhi, Lahore, Islamabad and Kabul, and caused objects to fall off walls and shelves. Residents rushed out of their homes and began praying in the street.
Twitter was flooded with posts from people who were left terrified after buildings shook when the tremor hit around 4.40pm local time on Friday.
One person tweeted: "That was a scary tremor (Earthquake). Hope everyone in other parts of Pakistan are fine."
Another wrote: "It literally shook everything around. That was scary."

Pelosi withhold impeachment articles against Trump, delays Senate trial

Hours after President Donald Trump was impeached by the US Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has hinted on temporarily withholding the articles of impeachment from the Senate - a decision she suggested could depend on how the other chamber chooses to conduct its trial on Trump's removal.
 Though the House adopted two articles of impeachment charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of congressional investigations, it must pass a second resolution formally naming impeachment managers to present the case in the Senate.

Principal gets 10-year jail term for raping student

The former principal of Habaswein Mixed Secondary School, Idle Abdi Haret, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping a KCSE candidate in 2018. The teacher was convicted of raping the 18-year-old girl after he gave her a lift in his car on November 3, 2018, in Habaswein town.
The sentence was handed out on Thursday, December 19, 2019 , by Wajir Resident Magistrate Mugendi Nyaga.
The girl told police that she lost consciousness after she accepted the lift and later found herself dumped near a borehole within the township.
Haret was arraigned and charged at Wajir Law Courts before Senior Resident Magistrate Amos Makoros.

18 inmates killed in gang violence at Honduras prison

At least 18 inmates were killed and 16 injured in an outbreak of gang violence at a prison in Honduras on Friday. The fight at a prison in the northern port city of Tela was one of the worst recent outbreaks in the country. It follows a wave of prison violence in the country, where prisons are notoriously overcrowded.
The government had declared a state of emergency in the prison system on Wednesday, transferring control to security forces. A military official told Reuters that they had not formally taken control of the prison in Tela before the violence erupted.

Sierra Leone grants Idris Elba and his wife honorary citizenship

Idris Elba and his Canadian wife Sabrina Dhowre have been granted honorary Sierra Leone citizenship and a diplomatic passport.  The ceremony happened after Elba and his wife visited Sierra Leone (his father’s native country) for the first time. Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio conferred the passport to Elba and Dhowre at an emotional private ceremony at his colonial-era residence in the capital Freetown.
“I’m humbled and thankful for the opportunity to become a citizen of my father’s country, it’s an honour for our family,” Elba said. 

Liverpool confirm signing of RB Salzburg star Minamino for £7.25m

Liverpool Football club of England have confirmed the signing of Japan international Takumi Minamino from Red Bull Salzburg for £7.25m on a four-and-a-half-year contract . Minamino , an attacker who has been on Liverpool's radar for a while, successfully passed a medical on Merseyside on Wednesday after Jurgen Klopp's side triggered his very cheap release clause.
Minamino, on his unveiling said; “It has been a dream, my dream to become a Liverpool player. And I’m so excited that the moment has come true.

YouTube’s top earners: 8-year-old tops list with $26m

8-year-old Ryan Kaji is the highest paid YouTube star in 2019 after raking in $26 million from his YouTube channel, Ryan's World.  Ryan who started un-boxing toys on camera when he was just three years old and has since expanded his YouTube empire to include experiments and educational toys, earned $26m (£20m) in 2019, up from $22m in 2018, according to an annual top-10 ranking by Forbes which is based on estimated earnings between June 2018 and June 2019.

Superman's first movie cape auctioned for nearly $200,000

Superman's very first movie cape was sold for nearly $200,000 Monday alongside a collection of rare Hollywood memorabilia, the auction house said.
The prop from Christopher Reeve's "Superman", which went for $193,750, headlined Monday's sale of about 400 cinephile items at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles. Only six capes in total were used while shooting the film, which came out in 1978.

South African court dismisses Henry Okah’s lawsuit challenging his conviction for terrorism

A lawsuit filed by the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Henry Okah, challenging his 2013 conviction and sentencing to 24 years in South African prison for the 2010 bombings in Abuja and Warri which left about three people dead, has been dismissed by a Pretoria High Court.
 Justice Moses Mavundla who presided over Okah's lawsuit which challenged his trial and conviction on 13 counts of terrorism-related activities, pointed out that the MEND leader has already appealed his conviction at the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.

Arsenal announce Mikel Arteta as new head coach

Arsenal have appointed Mikel Arteta as their new head coach with a contract that runs until 2023. The Spaniard takes over from former manager Unai Emery, who was sacked at the end of November having not won a home game since October 6. Arteta leaves his role as Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager at Manchester City.
In a statement the former Arsenal and Everton midfielder said that his aim with the club is to win trophies, but indicated that the process of being competitive again at the top level will take time.

Ex-Chelsea striker, Neil Shipperley sentenced for public masturbation

A former Premier League striker who masturbated in front of a mother and her 16-year-old daughter has been given a 12-month community order. Ex-Crystal Palace star Neil Shipperley, 45, exposed his genitals from inside his van, in Hillingdon, west London, on 17 September. The mother said she was "disgusted" by the sight.
Shipperley must complete 20-days of rehabilitation as part of the order given at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.

Adidas, Beyonce to launch gender-neutral collection

Adidas will start selling a new collection designed with singer Beyonce on Jan. 18 in a relaunch of her Ivy Park brand that includes shoes, clothes and accessories, mostly in maroon, orange and cream.
Adidas described the collection, which features on the cover of January’s Elle magazine, as gender neutral. It includes jumpsuits, cargo pants, hoodies and cycling shorts, mostly featuring signature Adidas triple-stripes.
The German sportswear brand announced it was teaming up with the singer in April to relaunch the Ivy Park brand Beyonce started in 2016 together with British fashion chain Topshop. The company did not give financial details.

Groundbreaking model, Mama Cax dies at 30

Mama Cax, a groundbreaking model and activist, has died at the age of 30. The Haitian-American model, whose full name was Cacsmy Brutus, died on Monday after falling ill on a trip to London, her family wrote in an Instagram post.
Cax had lost her leg to lung and bone cancer as a teenager, and was a powerful advocate for women of colour and disabled women in fashion.
"To say that Cax was a fighter would be an understatement," her family's statement said.
"As a cancer survivor, she had grown accustomed to taking on life's several challenges head on and successfully. It is with that same grit... that she fought her last days on earth," the statement said.

19-year old arrested for $1m cryptocurrency fraud after hacking 75 phones

A 19-year old man has been indicted for identity theft as part of an alleged $1m cryptocurrency heist affecting at least 75 victims in the United States. A news release published on Dec. 18 by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance alleged that Yousef Selassie, 19, conducted a complex “SIM-swapping” scheme targeting residents across 20 different states.

The Queen's Christmas gift to all Buckingham Palace staff

The Queen is reportedly giving all 1,500 members of her staff the same festive gift - a Christmas pudding. The Queen's grandfather George V is said to have started the bizarre tradition before the war.
In the past Palace staff have received luxurious puddings from brands including Harrods or Fortnum & Mason. But according to Hello magazine the Queen has saved money this year by downgrading to Tesco.
Staff are expected to each receive a Tesco's Finest Matured Christmas Pudding, which has an RRP of £6. They will also be given a card from the Queen and Prince Philip themselves.
Long-standing workers are also being handed shopping vouchers, which range in value up to £35.
All of the gifts are paid for personally by the Queen.

Two Carnival cruise ships collided in Cozumel, Mexico

The Carnival Glory and Carnival Legend collided Friday morning while at port in Cozumel, Mexico, leaving one passenger injured. Eyewitness video of the aftermath shows a portion of the Carnival Glory's deck was left crushed.
"We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship," Carnival Cruises' told CNN in a statement.
The company said six guests with minor injuries went to the Carnival Glory medical center for evaluation.

Somalis fight locust invasion by eating them

Somalia is facing its worst invasion of locusts in 25 years, but some people are turning the desert insects into delicious meals. Local media reports show residents of Adado town, in central Somalia, frying the locusts and eating them with rice and pasta. One man said they are tastier than fish.
Another man told Universal Somali TV that he believes the insects have medicinal properties and he eats them in the hope of reducing his back pain and blood pressure.
Some residents are urging local restaurants to introduce locust dishes.
The infestation, affecting parts of Somalia and Ethiopia, has destroyed crops and threatens food security in the region, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has said.

Initiation schools shut after circumcision deaths

The authorities in South Africa have suspended several initiation schools where boys have died in recent weeks whilst taking part in circumcision ceremonies. The country's religious and cultural commission said the schools in different areas of the Eastern Cape would be suspended for a year.
It called on the police to arrest those responsible for at least 20 recent deaths.
The initiation, which is common among the Xhosa and Ndebele community, involves spending weeks in mountainous areas in harsh conditions.
Some of the deaths have been due to botched circumcisions by bogus surgeons.
Source: CNN