Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports The Cleveland Browns announce that they will close their facility and delay their flight to New Jersey for an upcoming matchup with the New York Jets after a player on the team tested positive for COVID-19.
2021 Ethiopian general election The government sets June 5 as the date for the 2021 parliamentary elections. The elections were delayed to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the delay being a cause of the ongoing Tigray conflict.
Don Carter Lanes shooting Three people are killed, and three others are injured, during a mass shooting at a bowling alley in Rockford, Illinois. Police believe the suspect, in custody, identified as a soldier from Florida, randomly selected his victims.
Crime in China China lowers the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old for "abominable" crimes such as murder or causing injury that leads to death or severe disabilities by extremely cruel means. The measure was passed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee.
Crime in Germany Four men are seriously injured in a mass shooting in Kreuzberg, Berlin. The city's attorney said that rival gangs may have been responsible for the shooting.
Breonna Taylor protests A statue of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by police during a raid at her home in March 2020, has been smashed and destroyed during a racist assault. The statue was erected two weeks ago in Oakland, California.
2020 Nashville bombing Authorities announce that they suspect the incident was a suicide bombing, following the discovery of human remains at the blast site.
Federal investigators identify a person of interest in yesterday's bombing in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, and join local police in raiding his home.
COVID-19 pandemic Malaysia reports a record 2,335 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 103,900.
Iran extends a nighttime traffic curfew that runs from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. local time to 330 lower-risk "yellow" cities in an effort to sustain a recent decrease in the numbers of new cases and deaths.
Indonesia reports a record 6,389 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 576,693.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry will ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering Japan from December 28 until the end of January after several cases of a more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2 were reported in the country. Japanese citizens and foreign residents will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days when they enter the country.
Tokyo reports a record 949 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 55,851.
One out of every 1,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to a comparison of census and death toll estimates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues guidelines stating that people with underlying health conditions can receive the vaccine.
Ontario reports its first two cases of a new SARS-COV-2 variant in a couple from Durham Region with no known travel history, exposure, or high-risk contacts. Ontario is the first province in Canada to identify a case of this new variant.
Sweden reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 after a traveller from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19.
Russia surpasses three million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fourth country to do so after the United States, India, and Brazil.
Hungary begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. The first vaccinations are being delivered at two hospitals in Budapest.
The German state of Saxony-Anhalt begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, which also began nationwide. A 101-year-old woman in a nursing home become one of first people in the country to get vaccinated.
Two men jailed for protesting against President Alexander Lukashenko say they tested positive for COVID-19, after developing symptoms in jail and not receiving treatment.
Northern Ireland enters a six-week lockdown in an effort to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections. All "non-essential" shops and businesses will be closed, while "essential" shops must close each day by 20:00 GMT during the first week of the lockdown. No gatherings will be allowed between 20:00 and 6:00 each day, and anyone travelling to Northern Ireland must self-isolate for at least 10 days.
Spain receives its first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran in Guadalajara, a day before the country begins its vaccination programme.
Intensive care unit A fire inside an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Obour, Egypt, kills seven people and injures five others.
Tehran Twelve climbers die during avalanches and blizzards on mountains north of Tehran, Iran. Fourteen others went missing but are rescued alive.
Kashmir conflict India arrests 75 Kashmiri political leaders and activists for "preventive custody" due to recent violence following local elections.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli military (IDF) carries out several airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, in response to overnight rocket attacks in Israel. IDF says it targeted a rocket manufacturing site, underground infrastructure and a military post. Two minor injuries are reported. The attacks caused power outages in the eastern part of the strip. Hamas claims the strikes damaged a children's hospital, a centre for disabled people, and damaged the windows of several residential buildings. IDF claims that the damage was due to detonations of ground munitions.