Our Top Stories for the Week of December 23, 2022

Updated December 30, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

It’s been a busy week, from political strain to natural disasters. Who has time to keep track of it all? That’s why we’ve boiled it all down to our top stories of the week.

International News

Photo Source: G etty Images

Gunman Opens Fire In Central Paris: On Friday, December 23, 2022, A shooter opened fire in downtown Paris, killing three people and injuring many more. The perpetrator appears to have targeted a Kurdish Cultural Centre, where he shot local community members. The Kurdish Democratic Council (CDF-K), which ran the center, issued a brief statement condemning the attack and promising to pay respect to those slain during a memorial on Friday evening. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo stated that she suspected a far-right extremist did the murder.^[1]
Cities In China Reporting Up To Half Million Cases Daily: On Saturday, December 24, 2022, the health official stated that the eastern city of Qingdao had between 490,000 and 530,000 new Covid cases daily. On Friday, China's National Health Commission reported only 4,103 new cases across the country, with no deaths reported. Only 31 instances were documented in Shandong, the province that includes Qingdao. China halted its zero-Covid plan earlier this month.^[2]
Spanish Bus Crash With Six Fatalities: On Sunday, December 25, 2022, Six persons were killed, and two more were injured after a passenger bus plunged into a river in northwestern Spain. According to a police official, the driver's alcohol and drug test results were negative. It is unknown what led the bus to swerve off a straight track on the bridge into the lake at approximately 9:30 p.m. local time, falling at least 131 feet.^[3]
Drones Attack Russian Bomber Base: On Monday, December 26, 2022, Moscow said three people died in southern Russia due to a drone strike by Ukraine on bombers. According to the defense ministry, the drones were shot down using air defenses, but three technical staff members were killed by falling debris. The Ukrainian military, however, has not formally admitted to the new strike. According to a representative for the Ukrainian Air Force, satellite photography of the airfield will soon disclose the entire extent of the damage from the strike.^[4]
Taiwan Increases Mandatory Military Service: On Tuesday, December 27, 2022, the Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wen, said during a press conference that the required military service duration for all eligible men had been increased from four months to one year. The extension comes amid an increase in Chinese threats. In addition, their monthly income will be increased from $195 to $650. The new mandate is expected to start with the new conscription laws and apply to men born after 2005.^[5]

Sources: [1] BBC [2] The Guardian [3] Reuters [4] BBC [5] CNN

United States News

Photo Source: Sean Thew/Pool via AP

J6 Committee Submits Recommendation: On Friday, December 23, 2022, The House Select Committee on Intelligence recommended that Donald Trump be disqualified from running for public office again. The 845-page report was said to be based on more than 1,000 interviews, acquired documents, emails, text messages, and phone records, and a year-and-a-half investigation. They also have evidence of potential conspiracy charges to hurt or obstruct an officer and seditious conspiracy.^[1]
US Congress Sends Funding Bill To The President: On Saturday, December 24, 2022, The United States House of Representatives approved a $1.66 trillion federal budget package. The vote marked the end of the 117th Congress, which saw Biden win several key triumphs over the last two years. The measure authorizes unprecedented military spending and offers emergency help to Ukraine. Several conservative Congressmen in the House and the Senate opposed the Bill. ^[2]
Supreme Court Rules To Retain Border Restriction: On Wednesday, December 28, 2022, The Supreme court voted in support of a policy that provides US State officials the autonomy to deport migrants at the US-Mexico border. The motion by Republican state attorneys general was allowed by the court on a 5-4 decision. President of the United States, Joe Biden, stated that the order would have to be enforced until the dispute was addressed, although he believes it is long overdue.^[3]
Winter Storm Causes Fatalities: On Tuesday, December 27, 2022, New York City experienced a snowstorm that led to the death of 28 people, bringing the overall number of individuals killed in weather-related incidents in the United States this winter to 62. According to official statistics, up to 20,000 people were also without electricity during the storm, which has now been restored. President Biden has committed emergency assistance to the state of New York to assist local efforts to tackle the problem.^[4]
New Test To Detect Alzheimer’s: On Wednesday, December 28, 2022, Researchers created a novel blood serum clinical inquiry that may aid in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. This will likely decrease the requirement for costly imaging procedures and delicate lumber punctures. The newly developed test may identify aberrant accumulations of specific amyloid and tau proteins as indicators for disease confirmation; however, detecting the signal for progressing neurodegeneration through blood testing is more challenging.^[5]