Good morning, it's Monday, November 22. Here's what you need to get going today.
One thing to know right now: The International Olympic Committee has spoken to Peng Shuai
Here's the lowdown:
- There have been concerns about the welfare of the Chinese tennis player after she accused a senior Chinese politician of sexually assaulting her;
- Her allegation was quickly deleted from social media and she disappeared from the public eye for almost three weeks, triggering widespread concern and calls to boycott next year's Winter Olympics in China;
- Last week, the foreign arm of China's state TV issued a statement in English attributed to Peng that retracted her accusations, with many questioning its legitimacy.
Yesterday Peng had a 30-minute video call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, athletes commission chair Emma Terho and IOC member Li Lingwei, a former vice president of the Chinese Tennis Association from Beijing.
An IOC statement said:
"She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time. That is why she prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now."
Ms Terho said Peng "appeared to be relaxed". "I offered her our support and to stay in touch at any time of her convenience, which she obviously appreciated."
One thing you’ll be hearing about today: The Northern Territory's COVID-19 cluster
Here's where things stand after the weekend, and what we're expecting today:
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The remote communities of Binjari and nearby Rockhole were plunged into a hard lockdown after nine new COVID-19 cases were recorded;
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The Territory's cluster is currently sitting at 35 cases but Deputy Chief Health Officer Charles Pain says he is bracing for even more cases as testing efforts are ramped up;
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Yesterday, the territory's Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the "threat to lives is extreme";
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To complicate things, the Territory is bracing for heatwave temperatures north of 40 degrees, which could send residents into overcrowded homes — some left without power for days now — as they try to escape the heat;
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Meanwhile, unvaccinated travellers are effectively banned from entering the NT from today, with only a few exemptions for returning residents, essential workers and those who can't receive the vaccine.
News while you snoozed
Let's get you up to speed.
- South Australia's Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman will step down from her ministerial roles, pending the outcome of an ombudsman's inquiry into her decision to knock back a seaport on Kangaroo Island
- Israeli police have shot dead a Palestinian man who opened fire inside Jerusalem's Old City, killing a civilian and injuring four others. Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennet put Israeli security forces in Jerusalem on heightened alert
- Millions of Venezuelan voters casting ballots in an election being observed by more than 130 international monitors, satisfying a longstanding demand of the opponents of President Nicolas Maduro. It's the first time in four years the main opposition parties are participating in an election
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Sudan's Prime Minister Abdulla Hamdok has been reinstated after reaching an agreement with the country's military a month after he was ousted in a coup
The news Australia is searching for
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Adele: The British singer's TV special One Night Only aired in Australia overnight. But she's got people talking around the world after asking Spotify to remove the shuffle button as a default on her new album 30 so the tracks play in the order she intended:
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Bluey: Season 3 of Bluey is dropping this week. You can watch new episodes today on ABC Kids at 8am and 6:20pm, but they'll also be available to watch at any time on ABC iview. There are 25 episodes in season three of Bluey, plus the special Perfect that aired for Father's Day on September 5.
Bandit, Bluey, Bingo and Chilli Heeler are back for a third season. (Supplied: ABC) - The Queen: Queen Elizabeth II has attended the christening of two of her great-grandchildren, which was the 95-year-old's first public appearance since she was recently forced to miss a number of events on medical advice. She watched the baptisms of August, son of Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, and Lucas Philip, son of Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall
One more thing: Prepare yourself for a 'mosquito explosion'
Spring has been wetter than usual around much of the country, which means there's a lot of stagnant water lying around — and that's where mozzies lay their eggs.
And with temperatures warming up, David Bock from the Australia Museum says conditions are ripe for an "explosion" of mozzies.
"When you get a lot of standing water and the warmer weather, you will get mosquito numbers exploding," Mr Bock said. "Mosquitoes are a species that can breed up very quickly."
Brace yourselves, the mozzies are coming.
That's it for now
We'll be back later on with more of the good stuff.
ABC/wires
