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Peng Shuai resurfaces after disappearance
Three weeks after disappearing from the public eye, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai claimed she was safe and well in a video call on Sunday, said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in a statement. Shuai mysteriously went silent after she posted a sexual harassment allegation on WeChat against Zhang Gaoli, a senior Chinese minister. The IOC statement included an image of the athlete smiling on camera during the video call, and it said she is living at her home in Beijing.
Two of 17 kidnapped missionaries in Haiti returned
Two of the 17 American and Canadian missionaries who were kidnapped by a street gang in Haiti in mid-October were released on Sunday. Christian Aid Ministries, the organization that supported their outreach efforts, said that only limited information can be provided but added that the two missionaries “are safe, in good spirits, and being cared for.” The group of 17 were abducted while returning from an orphanage visit in Port-au-Prince.
COVID-19 boosters available for all American adults
All American adults became eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 booster shots on Friday after the final set of federal approvals came in. The journey to booster greenlighting was marked by confusion and controversy, with many health officials calling it unnecessary at the moment because scores of people from several poor nations hadn’t received even their first dose yet. But others are urging for boosters because of the uptick in infection rates in the U.S. that are expected to surge during the holiday season.
Palestinian shooter opens fire in Jerusalem
A Palestinian man opened fire on a group of Israelis near a holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday, underscoring tensions between the two nations. Israeli security forces said he killed one person and injured four others, and police added that they shot him to death within 32 seconds of the attack.
Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted on all charges
Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed three people at a protest in Wisconsin when he was 17, was acquitted on all counts on Friday after deliberating for nearly three and a half days. His August 2020 shootings in Kenosha made a polarizing case, which was also controversial for the presiding judge’s conduct that involved anti-Asian remarks. Rittenhouse, 18, was acquitted on the basis of self-defense, adding fuel to the nation’s debate on gun rights.
Howard University students protest against dorm conditions
Howard University is under public scrutiny as dozens of its students are sleeping outdoors on campus grounds in tent encampments. The students said they’re doing so to protest the “unlivable” and “poor” conditions in the college dormitories, which included mold, leaky ceilings, floodings, and even insect and rodent infestations.
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Latin Grammy winners
Thursday’s Latin Grammys saw Rubén Blades and Caetano Veloso (with his son Tom) win Album and Record of the Year, respectively – the ceremony’s top two categories. Other winners were “Patria y Vida,” the Cuban protest anthem for Song of the Year; Camilo for Best Pop Vocal Album for “Mis Manos,” and helped win Producer of the Year for Edgar Barrera. Colombian songwriter Juliana Velásquez won Best New Artist. Mon Laferte won the Best Singer-Songwriter Album for Seis in a category almost always dominated by men.
5SUV plowing through Wisconsin Christmas parade injures more than 20 people
A driver in a red SUV sped through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, leaving more than 20 pedestrians injured and killing multiple people. Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said the police recovered the suspect’s vehicle, and has taken one person into custody. Thompson did not reveal the possible motive of the driver, and he said some of the victims included children.
