Iran’s Revolutionary Court has sentenced a protester to death and handed down jail terms to five others.

The ruling likely marks the first death sentence in the trials of those arrested for participating in protests that have swept Iran over the past weeks demanding an end to clerical rule.

Anti-government demonstrations have been going on for weeks in Iran and were sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained after allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women.

Thousands of peaceful protesters have been arrested since 16 September, including many women, children and youth, lawyers, human rights defenders and activists.

Judicial authorities have announced charges against more than 2,000 people in Iran. Some have been accused of “corruption on earth” and “war against God,” offenses that carry the death penalty.

Eight people were charged on 29 October by the Islamic Revolution Court, in Tehran province.

Two days later, the Tehran prosecutor announced that some 1,000 indictments had been issued in connection with recent protests in Tehran province alone and that trials were scheduled in the Islamic Revolutionary Court for cases against a number of individuals. Public trials would take place “in the coming days”, the prosecutor said.

On 6 November, in blatant violation of the separation of powers, 227 members of Parliament called on the judiciary to act decisively against people arrested during the protests and to carry out punishment carrying the death penalty, experts said. On Sunday, Nov. 13, the first death sentence was handed down to a protester.

The accused, who has not been named, was sentenced in a Tehran court to death for the crime of “setting fire to a government building, disturbing public order, conspiracy to commit a crime against national security, waging war against God and corruption on earth”, one of the most serious offences under Iranian law, the judiciary’s Mizan Online website reported.

Former UFC light-heavyweight title contender, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson has passed away at the age of 38 after a lengthy battles with an unspecified illness.

The ex-fighter was due to fight for the Bellator light-heavyweight title in September of last year but pulled out due to a health issue that persisted over the past year.

The American, who joined Bellator last year, explained how sick he was during a social media post, which read:

“Really wish I could go into detail about how ill I truly am. Just know I need as many prayers as I can get and I’ll see you in 2022 God willing. Never been this afraid of anything in my life but I’ve remained strong with the support of friends and family.”

His manager Ali Abdelaziz had asked fans last month to “pray” for the fighter before it was confirmed last night that he lost his battle with illness.

“Rumble, he’s going through some health problems right now. It’s very sad,” Abdelaziz said during an ESPN interview in October.

“I think, I want everybody to pray for him. Pray for Anthony. It’s not going well. He’s very strong, spiritually. But pray for him.”

Confirming his death on Sunday, November 13, Bellator said: “It is with great sadness we acknowledge the passing of Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson.

“The Bellator family is devastated by his untimely passing and we send our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

Johnson competed in the UFC at welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight, and was known as one of the most feared punchers in the sport.

He was 3-0 when he debuted in the UFC on June 12, 2007, knocking out Chad Reiner in just 13 seconds in Hollywood, Florida. He scored 17 of his 23 MMA wins by knockout, and as he massively bulked up in his career, he kept his power with him.

He twice challenged for the UFC light heavyweight title, losing to Daniel Cormier both times by rear naked choke. Cormier defeated Johnson first at UFC 187 on May 23, 2015, for the vacant title that had been stripped from Jon Jones.

Three children have been confirmed among 21 people killed after a bus fell into a canal in Egypt’s Nile River Delta region on Saturday November 12, the country’s Health Ministry said.

Dr. Sherif Makeen, a health ministry official, said three children were among the dead.

In a statement, the ministry said the accident happened in Dakahlia province, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the capital of Cairo.

Other injured passengers were transported to a local hospital.

Although there is no official confirmation on the exact details of what caused the crash, the incident was said to have been linked to a steering wheel malfunction

The head of police investigations in the province, Brig. Mohamed Abdel Hadi, said the driver may have lost control of the vehicle’s steering wheel.

In July, a passenger bus slammed into a parked trailer truck on a highway in the southern province of Minya, killing 23 people and injuring 30.

In October, a truck slammed into a minibus in Dakahlia, killing at least 10 people, authorities said.

8 Americans of Nigerian origin, who ran in the midterm election of the United States of America on Tuesday November 8, 2022 have come out victorious.

The Nigerians namely Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, Phil Olaleye, Carol Kazeem, Oye Owolewa and Esther Agbaje contested in the Georgia House of Representatives elections.

The chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, shared the news on her Twitter handle on Wednesday November 9, and congratulated the winners.

She tweeted,

“These Nigerian Americans won their elections in Georgia last night. A hearty congrats to them all.”

They include Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, Phil Olaleye, Carol Kazeem, Oye Owolewa and Esther Agbaje.

Italian archaeologists have unearthed 24 beautifully preserved bronze statues in Tuscany, Italy believed to date back to 2300 years ago in ancient Roma.

The statues were discovered under the muddy ruins of an ancient bathhouse in San Casciano dei Bagni, a hilltop town in the Siena province, about 160km (100 miles) north of the capital Rome.The statues depict Hygieia, Apollo and other Greco-Roman gods.

Most of the statues – which were found submerged beneath the baths alongside around 6,000 bronze, silver and gold coins – date to between the 2nd Century BC and the 1st Century AD.

The era marked a period of “great transformation in ancient Tuscany” as the area transitioned from Etruscan to Roman rule, the Italian culture ministry said.

Jacopo Tabolli, an assistant professor from the University for Foreigners in Siena who helped in the discovery, suggested that the statues had been immersed in thermal waters in a sort of ritual.

“You give to the water because you hope that the water gives something back to you,” he observed.

The statues, which were preserved by the water, will be taken to a restoration laboratory in nearby Grosseto, before eventually being put on display in a new museum in San Casciano, the Italian culture ministry said.

Massimo Osanna, director general of Italy’s state museums, said the discovery was the most important since the Riace Bronzes and “certainly one of the most significant bronze finds ever made in the history of the ancient Mediterranean”.

The Riace Bronzes – discovered in 1972 – depict a pair of ancient warriors. They are believed to date back to around 460-450 BC.

American politician and Democrat, Wes Moore has been elected Maryland’s first Black governor after defeating Republican Dan Cox in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1.

According to AP News, votes on Tuesday October 8, show that Moore defeated Republican Dan Cox, meaning he is now the first Black governor of Maryland.

Wes Moore, a charismatic best-selling author and former head of the anti-poverty organization Robin Hood, is also now the third Black elected governor in American history.

During his victory, Moore spoke about his “leave no one behind,” slogan and said, “When I was an Army captain and led soldiers into combat in Afghanistan, we lived by a simple principle: Leave no one behind … Real patriotism means bringing people together. It means lifting each other up and improving each other’s lives.”

Moore’s running mate, Aruna Miller, also made history as by becoming the first immigrant to win the lieutenant governor’s office in Maryland.

Moore’s win puts the governorship back in Democrats’ hands after two terms of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, one of the country’s most popular governors.

He now joins only Douglas Wilder of Virginia and Deval Patrick as the only Black governors elected in the country’s 246-year history.

A United States District Court for the Central District of California has finally sentenced Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abass Olorunwa, popularly known as Hushpuppi, to 11 years and three months in prison for fraud.

The 40-year-old was sentenced on Monday, November 7, by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered Abbas to pay $1,732,841 in restitution to two fraud victims.

The judge said Hushpuppi conspired to launder tens of millions of dollars through online scams and flaunted his luxurious, crime-funded lifestyle on social media.

He pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 10 months after he was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in June 2020.

Hushpuppi has remained in US federal custody since his expulsion from the UAE. A statement released by the US court read:

“Abbas bragged on social media about his lavish lifestyle – a lifestyle funded by his involvement in transnational fraud and money laundering conspiracies targeting victims around the world,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.

“Money laundering and business email compromise scams are a massive international crime problem, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement and international partners to identify and prosecute those involved, wherever they may be.”

“Ramon Abbas, a.k.a. ‘Hushpuppi,’ targeted both American and international victims, becoming one of the most prolific money launderers in the world,” said Don Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

“Abbas leveraged his social media platforms – where he amassed a considerable following – to gain notoriety and to brag about the immense wealth he acquired by conducting business email compromise scams, online bank heists and other cyber-enabled fraud that financially ruined scores of victims and provided assistance to the North Korean regime.

“This significant sentence is the result of years’ worth of collaboration among law enforcement in multiple countries and should send a clear warning to international fraudsters that the FBI will seek justice for victims, regardless of whether criminals operate within or outside United States borders.”

Abbas apologised for his crimes to Judge Otis D Wright in a handwritten note, saying he would use his personal funds to pay back his victims. He also said he had only made $300,000 from the crime he was being tried for.