Portal:Current events/December 2012

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Syrian jets bombard rebel positions in Damascus as a country-wide Internet and phone blackout enters a third day. Government officials announce the road to the airport in the capital has been secured, though rebels insist clashes are ongoing. (Reuters)
2012 East D.R. Congo conflict:
- M23 rebels begin their withdrawal from the city of Goma as part of a Uganda-brokered deal struck a week earlier. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Anastasiya Petryk from Ukraine wins the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with her song Nebo (Sky) which got 138 points. (Eurovision)

Disasters and accidents

A tour bus hits a bridge at Miami International Airport, USA, killing at least two people and injuring many more. (NBC News) (BBC) (The Miami Herald)
At least 8 people are killed and 36 injured when a passenger bus overturns on the highway between the cities of Sucre and Potosí in southern Bolivia. (RIA Novosti)

International relations

North Korea's state agency KCNA announces the country will launch a satellite sometime between December 10 and December 22. The launch will take place around the time of South Korea's presidential election on December 19 and close to the first anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong-il. South Korean officials, as well as the US, believe that the isolated state is testing long-range missile technology with the aim of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. (Reuters)
Foreign ministers of the Arab League meet in Istanbul, Turkey, to show their support for the Syrian opposition groups and Palestinians. (Fox News)

Law and crime

Notorious Macau gangster Broken Tooth Koi is released from prison after serving nearly 15 years. (BBC)
Jovan Belcher, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs American football team kills himself at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, after reportedly killing his girlfriend. (The Telegraph)

Politics and elections

Mexican inauguration:
- Enrique Peña Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party is sworn in as the President of Mexico as violent clashes occur outside. (Associated Press)
- Over 23 people are severely wounded outside the Camara de Diputados during the protests in Mexico City. (ElEconomista)
President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi announces that the country's new draft constitution will be put to a constitutional referendum on December 15. (BBC)
Voters in Kuwait go to the polls for a parliamentary election with the Opposition holding a boycott. The lowest voter turnout in the Kuwaiti election history is observed. (BBC) (The Guardian)

Science and technology

The USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is officially inactivated in ceremonies held at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, completing a 51-year career in the United States Navy. In a pre-recorded speech, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announces that the U.S. Navy's third Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN-80, will be named Enterprise. (Associated Press)

Sport

Ukrainian chess player Anna Ushenina wins the Women's World Chess Championship 2012 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, by defeating Antoaneta Stefanova from Bulgaria on rapid tie-breaks. (Chess News)
The draw for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup is held at the Anhembi Convention Center in São Paulo, Brazil. Title holders Brazil will face Japan, Mexico, Italy in Group A while World Champions Spain will play Uruguay, Tahiti and the 2013 African Champion in Group B. (FIFA)
Spanish football club Valencia fires Mauricio Pellegrino as coach after the 2–5 home loss to Real Sociedad in the 2012–13 La Liga. (Reuters via Eurosport)
The Los Angeles Galaxy defeat the Houston Dynamo 3–1 to win the 2012 Major League Soccer Cup. It is David Beckham's final game. (Houston Chronicle) (MLS Soccer)
In college football, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeat the Georgia Bulldogs 32–28 in the 2012 Southeastern Conference Championship Game, projecting Alabama to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. (ESPN)

December 2, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

The Taliban launches an attack on the NATO airstrip in the eastern Afghanistan city of Jalalabad resulting in seven Taliban deaths and at least five Afghans are killed. (Sky News Australia) (BBC) (AP)
Suspected Islamist fighters go on the rampage in Chibok, Nigeria, killing 10 Christians with guns and machetes and burning down their houses. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The 2012 Kennedy Center Honors are announced in the United States with American actor Dustin Hoffman, American television host David Letterman, British rock group Led Zeppelin, American blues musician Buddy Guy and ballerina Natalia Makarova inducted. (AP) (CNN)
A 200-year-old letter dated 20 October 1812 in which Napoleon Bonaparte vows to blow up the Moscow Kremlin fetches €187,500 (£151,000, $233,800) at a French auction in Fontainebleau. (Sky News) (ITV) (ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

A section of the Sasago Tunnel in Japan collapses trapping 30 vehicles; at least 9 people are dead. (BBC) (Sky News) (CBC News)
16 miners are trapped underground after a coal mine was flooded in northeast China's Heilongjiang province. (RIA Novosti)
The Philippines warns citizens about Typhoon Bopha expected to make landfall on Tuesday, December 4. (AP via Mercury News)

Law and crime

Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court defers a ruling on whether the Constituent Assembly is legal following pressure from supporters of President Mohamed Morsi. (AP)
Israel Keyes, a 34-year-old man suspected of killing Samantha Koenig and possibly as many as 7 others throughout the U.S., apparently kills himself while in custody. (AP/CBS News)

Politics and elections

Former Prime Minister Borut Pahor is elected President of Slovenia beating the incumbent President Danilo Türk in the second round of a presidential election after anti-austerity protests in the capital, Ljubljana, erupted in clashes that left 15 people injured. (BBC) (AP via Washington Post)
Voters in Italy go to the polls to select a centre-left candidate for Prime Minister with Pier Luigi Bersani winning. (BBC) (Reuters)

Science and technology

French very-high-resolution optical Earth-imaging satellite Pléiades-HR 1B is launched successfully via a Russian Soyuz STA rocket out of the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou, French Guiana. (Reuters)

Sport

Spanish racing team HRT F1 leave Formula One after they were unable to find a buyer before the deadline of 30 November. The team was subsequently omitted from the 2013 entry list. (Autosport)
The International Volleyball Federation confirms the structure of the 2013 FIVB Volleyball World League with the competition increasing from 16 to 18 teams split into three pools of six. (FIVB)
The Sambafoot Association announces their list of 30 contenders nominated as the 2012 Samba Gold, a football award given to the best Brazilian footballer in Europe. (Sambafoot)

December 3, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The United Nations suspends operations in Syria and withdraws non-essential staff as the Syrian civil war worsens. (AAP via News Limited)
- The Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi is reportedly fired or defects. (Al Jazeera)
2012 East D.R. Congo conflict:
- The Congolese government re-establishes control over Goma from M23 rebels. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announce they are expecting their first child. The baby could be third in line to the throne, after Prince Charles and Prince William. The Duchess is admitted to hospital with severe morning sickness. (BBC) (NBC News)
Elizabeth Price is awarded the 2012 Turner Prize for her 2012 twenty-minute video installation The Woolworths Choir of 1979. (BBC) (The Independent)

Business and economy

The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing former employees of General Motors to pursue a lawsuit against a unit of State Street Corp. over the alleged mismanagement of their retirement savings. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The Government of Japan orders an inspection of road tunnels across the country following the Sasago Tunnel collapse on Saturday, December 1. (BBC)
An EgyptAir pilot makes an emergency landing at Hurghada airport after a snake bites a Jordanian passenger. (eTN)

International relations

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reports that North Korea has installed an Unha rocket at its Dongchang-ri launch site. Japan is threatening to shoot down the rocket if it manages to stay airborne and threaten Japanese territory. (Yonhap) (ABC News)
Vietnam accuses China of cutting seismic survey cables from one of its ships in the South China Sea. (Maritime Executive)

Law and crime

Singapore charges five Chinese bus drivers and deports 29 others for holding the country's first strike in 26 years. (BBC)
Dutch linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen dies in hospital after he was kicked and punched by three teenage players of a club from Nieuw Sloten, Amsterdam, while officiating at a match on Sunday. (BBC) (The Telegraph)

Politics and elections

Mykola Azarov, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, and his government resign en masse following controversial elections. (Big Pond News)

Science and technology

NASA's Curiosity rover has detected several simple carbon-based organic compounds on Mars, but it remains unclear whether they were formed via Earthly contamination or whether they contain only elements indigenous to the planet. (Space.com) (CBS News) (NASA)
The Sea Launch consortium successfully launches its Zenit-3SL carrier rocket with the Eutelsat 70B satellite from the Odyssey Launch Platform in the Pacific Ocean. (RIA Novosti)
NASA announces that the Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, has nearly reached the edge of the solar system and is imminently to past through the heliosphere into interstellar space. (Reuters) (NASA)

Sport

Ernesto Valverde is appointed Valencia CF coach until the end of the season, replacing Mauricio Pellegrino, who was sacked two days ago. (ESPN)
Bundesliga football club Hoffenheim fires head coach Markus Babbel after the 1–4 loss to Werder Bremen in the 2012–13 season game. (Goal.com)
Argentine player Juan Ignacio Chela says he is retiring from professional tennis, leaving with six ATP singles titles and three in doubles. (Fox News)
The Scottish Premier League announces its expansion to 24 teams, split into two divisions of 12. (BBC) (The Telegraph) (RTE)
Jorge Sampaoli is appointed Chile national football team coach to replace Claudio Borghi, who was fired last month due to problems in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. (Fox News)
Spanish racing driver Maria de Villota is released from hospital following her latest operation at the end of November. She has had further surgery to rebuild her face after she lost an eye in a high-speed crash. (Autosport.com)

December 4, 2012 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The Syrian Army clashes with rebels close to Damascus. (AAP via News Limited)
- A mortar attack destroys a school in the small city of Bteeha, on the road to Homs north of the capital. According to the state news agency SANA at least 29 are killed, while activists report 9 deaths. (New York Times)
- NATO sends Patriot missiles to Turkey to help it protect its citizens in case the Civil War spills over the border. (CNN)
Belfast City Hall flag protests:
- In Northern Ireland, 15 police officers are injured during rioting at Belfast City Hall following a vote to change Belfast City Council's policy on flying the union flag. (BBC)

Business and economy

In a setback to the movement toward banking union in the EU, Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble says he will not allow a unitary system of supervision without changes in the underlying treaties. (Financial Times).

Disasters and accidents

Typhoon Bopha makes landfall on the Philippines island of Mindanao with reports of floods and landslides. Authorities confirm at least 81 deaths amid widespread property damage. (AFP via MSN Malaysia) (ABC News Australia) (Reuters) (Bangkok Post)
The cargo ship Volgo Balt 199 sinks in the Black Sea near Istanbul with an Ukrainian and Russian crew of 12. Four crew members are rescued and one is found dead, while the rest are missing. Two rescuers are killed and two others left missing after their boat hit rocks during the search operations. (Reuters)
A Chinese fighter jet Chengdu J-7 crashes in the city of Shantou, Guangdong province, China, sparking a fire that injures at least four people. (Bangkok Post) (AP via The Guardian)

International relations

The US Navy denies Iranian state media reports that a ScanEagle drone has been shot down over the Persian Gulf. (New York Times)
The International Olympic Committee suspends India's national Olympic committee because of government interference in its election process. India's athletes will be barred from competing in Olympic events under their national flag, although the IOC could allow them to do so under the Olympic flag. (AP via CBC)

Law and crime

Japanese police raid the headquarters of the Central Nippon Expressway Company, which operates the Sasago Tunnel that had collapsed over the weekend. (CBS News)

Politics and elections

All members of the Commonwealth of Nations which have the British Monarch as their head of state agree to a bill that will change the rules on royal succession rules which currently favour a male heir. (BBC)
The United States Senate fails to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with the motion failing to win the two-thirds majority. (Voice of America)
One hundred thousand people protest outside the President of Egypt's palace over proposed constitutional changes. (AP)

Science and technology

NASA announces new plans to launch another Curiosity-like robotic science rover to Mars in 2020. (Space.com) (NASA) (The New York Times)

Sport

Former Colombian goalkeeper from C.F. Pachuca, Miguel Calero, dies after suffering from cerebral thrombosis. (Chicago Tribune)
Polish boxer Mariusz Wach has failed a doping test after losing a world heavyweight title fight against Ukrainian Vladimir Klitschko on 10 November. Should the results of the B sample come back positive, he faces a one-year suspension. (Boxing.com)
Norwegian rally driver Petter Solberg, 2003 World Champion, announces his retirement from World Rally Championship. (Autosport.com)
The 2012 European Women's Handball Championship begins today in Serbia with 16 participating teams split into four groups. (EHF)
The second tournament of the FIDE Grand Prix 2012–2013 is ended in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with a 3-way tie for first place between Sergey Karjakin, Wang Hao and Alexander Morozevich. (Chess News)

December 5, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Hungary closes its embassy in Damascus and pulls out all personnel. (Reuters)
2011–2012 conflict in Lebanon:
- The death toll from two days of clashes in the city of Tripoli reaches six, with dozens reported injured. (Al Jazeera)
2012 terrorist attacks in Kenya:
- A remote-controlled bomb explodes in a predominantly Somali neighborhood in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, injuring nine people. (Reuters)
2012 Egyptian protests:
- Violent clashes occur in Cairo between supporters and opponents of the President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi. (ABC News)

Arts and culture

American jazz composer and pianist Dave Brubeck dies in Connecticut at the age of 91. (BBC)
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, best known for designing the main buildings of the capital Brasília, dies at the age of 104 in a Rio de Janeiro hospital. (ABC News)

Business and economy

American bank Citigroup announces plans to cut 11,000 jobs worldwide. (AP)
The European Commission fines Philips, LG Electronics, Samsung SDI, Panasonic, Toshiba and Technicolor a total of €1.47 bn for fixing prices of TV cathode-ray tubes. (The Economic Times)

Disasters and accidents

Rescue crews head to areas of the Philippines severely affected by Typhoon Bopha. At least 283 are now believed to have died as a result of the storm, with 339 injured, hundreds more missing and over 87,000 evacuated. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (The Weather Channel) (New York Times)
At least 8 people are killed and 12 others injured after a 5.6 earthquake strikes Iran's South Khorasan Province. (BBC) (Reuters)
Vehicle carrier Baltic Ace sinks in the North Sea after collision with a container ship with at least four people dead and seven missing. (Reuters) (AP via The Australian)

Law and crime

American businessman John McAfee is arrested in Guatemala following an alleged illegal entry after leaving Belize where he is wanted for questioning over the death of fellow American Gregory Faull. (Reuters)
Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation rules that a ban on same-sex marriage in Oaxaca state is illegal. (The Washington Post)

Media

London's King Edward VII's Hospital says it is reviewing telephone protocol after two disc jockeys from a Sydney-based radio station, 2Day FM made a prank call to the hospital in which they posed as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, and spoke with a member of nursing staff about the health of the Duchess of Cambridge. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The peace talks between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) resume in Havana, Cuba. (Chicago Tribune)

Sport

The New Orleans Hornets plan to change their nickname to the Pelicans (after the state bird of Louisiana) for the 2013–14 NBA season. (ESPN)
The draw for the elite qualification round of the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship is held by UEFA. Title holders Spain face Croatia, Poland and last season's runners-up Greece. (UEFA)
Lionel Messi is carried off on a stretcher with an apparent knee injury as FC Barcelona are held to 0–0 by Benfica at Camp Nou in the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League. (Fox Sports)

December 6, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2012 Egyptian protests:
- At least 7 people are killed and more than 770 are injured during clashes between supporters and opponents of the President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi in front of the Presidential Palace in Cairo. The Egyptian Army deploys several tanks and armoured troop carriers to secure the building. (Al Jazeera) (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- The chief of Afghanistan's intelligence service, Asadullah Khalid, is injured in an assassination attempt in the country's capital, Kabul. (Al Jazeera)
2011–2012 conflict in Lebanon:
- At least 5 people are shot dead on the third day of clashes between Alawites and Sunnis in Tripoli, Lebanon. The casualty toll of the three days is at least 10 killed and 73 injured. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

The Duchess of Cambridge leaves hospital following treatment for severe morning sickness. (BBC)

Business and economy

Google announces Google+ now has more than 500 million user accounts, 235 million of which actively use Google+ features. (VentureBeat)
Virgin Trains is awarded a 23-month franchise to run the UK's West Coast Main Line until 9 November 2014. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Three people are dead and 250 others forced to evacuate after wild weather including a tornado hits the city of Auckland in New Zealand. (Daily Telegraph) (AP via The Washington Post) (BBC)
The death toll from Typhoon Bopha rises to at least 418, with 383 still missing in southern Philippines. At least 179,000 others have been left homeless after the passage of the storm. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera) (BBC) (NDRRMC)

International relations

South Korea and the People's Republic of China hold discussions about measures in response to North Korea's plans to launch a Unha rocket later this month. (Yonhap)

Law and crime

Possession of marijuana for personal use of people aged over 21 becomes legal according to state law in the US state of Washington. (AP)
John Burbine, a level one sex offender from Wakefield, Massachusetts (USA) is charged with Sexual assault of 13 infants and young children under his care. (Boston Globe/AP)

Politics and elections

Republican Jim DeMint announces that he will resign from the Senate of the United States in January to lead the Heritage Foundation. (Washington Post)
In the Netherlands State Secretary for Economic Affairs Co Verdaas resigns following an expense-affair after only thirty-one days in office. (DutchNews)
The U.S. Senate votes to repeal the Jackson–Vanik amendment, a long-standing trade restriction with Russia. In its place, the Magnitsky bill is adopted instead. The law requires the United States to place financial and visa restrictions on a list of officials associated with the torture and death of Sergei Magnitsky three years ago. (BBC) (RT) (RIA Novosti)

Science and technology

NASA's twin GRAIL probes have revealed the surface of the Moon in unprecedented detail, showing unexpectedly-deep cracks, craters and tectonic structures. (Los Angeles Times) (BBC)
The extinct reptile Nyasasaurus is described as the possible oldest known dinosaur from 243-million-year old fossils discovered in Tanzania. (BBC) (Huffington Post) (Nature)

Sport

Four athletes who won medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens are disqualified for doping. Ukraine's Yuriy Bilonoh will lose his gold medal in the shot put, while Belarus hammer thrower Ivan Tsikhan must return his silver. Two Athens bronze medalists, Russian shot putter Svetlana Krivelyova and discus thrower Irina Yatchenko of Belarus, are also affected by the IOC decision. No decision was taken on reallocating the medals yet. (IOC) (BBC) (RT) (Fox News)
The 2012 FIFA Club World Cup begins today in Japan with a qualifying game between Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Auckland City FC. (FIFA)
American professional basketball player Kobe Bryant becomes the fifth player in NBA history to reach 30,000 points. (ESPN)
UEFA announces Olympiastadion in Berlin will host the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final while Milan's San Siro will host the 2016 final. (ESPN)
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is named the greatest Ibero-American athlete of last year. He receives the Ibero-American Community Trophy from Queen Sofía of Spain at the 2011 National Awards ceremony held at the Royal Palace of El Pardo near Madrid, Spain. (Daily Mail) (Real Madrid)
UEFA announces Euro 2020 final tournament will be staged across the continent in various major cities throughout Europe. (UEFA)

December 7, 2012 (Friday)

Business and economy

US Airways makes a formal merger proposal to the parent of American Airlines, one that values the combined entity at $8.5 billion. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurs off the coast of Japan near the city of Kamaishi, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami warning. 10 people are taken to hospital with injuries, no fatalities reported. (Dow Jones via Wall Street Journal) (ENS) (BBC) (Reuters)

Law and crime

The United States Supreme Court grants review of California's ban on same-sex marriage (Proposition 8, which has been challenged), and also agrees to finally determine the constitutionality of the federal DOMA law, which the Obama administration has said it will not continue defending. This is the Court's most significant foray into the issue yet, though an overruling of the DOMA act would only mean the federal government would have to recognize such marriages in areas where they are already legal. (NBC News)
The grandmother of murdered teen Tia Sharp will not face charges in the UK. (Sky News)
Brazilian police arrest Michael Misick, former Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, who is wanted to face corruption charges in relation to his administration of the British overseas territory in the United Kingdom. (BBC)
Abu-Zaid al Kuwaiti, a senior al-Qaida official and a potential successor to the group's present leader, Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, is killed in the morning in a Predator drone strike over Pakistan while eating breakfast (according to both U.S. officials and affiliated jihadists). (NBC News)
Jacintha Saldanha, a nurse at a London hospital, who took a hoax call from 2Day FM prankers about the Duchess of Cambridge, is found dead in a suspected suicide. (BBC) (The Independent) (Daily Mail)

Media

German business daily Financial Times Deutschland ceases publication after 12 years. (Reuters)
Google launches its new platform Google+ communities. (VentureBeat)
Irish state broadcaster RTÉ is to provide staff training on what subjects are appropriate for discussion on social media sites such as Twitter following several controversies involving tweets from its employees. (Evening Herald)

Politics and elections

At the 25th anniversary celebrations of Hamas in Gaza, Hamas leader in exile Khaled Mashal, who arrived in Gaza for the first time ever, declared in a speech he held at a mass rally that the Palestinian people will never compromise with Israel's existence and that the organization intends to gradually conquer the entire region which now includes both the State of Israel and the Palestinian territories, and would establish one Islamic state in that region. (The Guardian) (Washington Post')
Voters in Ghana go to the polls for a presidential and parliamentary election. (BBC) (The Washington Post)
Russia announces a tit-for-tat visa bar on Americans guilty of human rights violations, over the US Magnitsky bill. (BBC)

Sport

The promoters of Formula Two decide not to run the series in 2013 after completing just four years of their five-year contract with the FIA. (ESPN) (Motorsport)
UEFA announces they will organise a new under-19 club competition, the UEFA Youth League, first for the 2013–14 season. The 32 clubs which qualify for the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League group stage will also be given the opportunity to participate in the 2013–14 UEFA Youth League. (UEFA)

December 8, 2012 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Russia arms Syria with Iskander missiles in response to NATO's stationing of Patriot missile defense systems in Turkey. (WND)
- Fighting takes place in Damascus, as rebels declare that Damascus International Airport is a "legitimate target". (Al Jazeera)
2012 Egyptian protests:
- Tens of thousands of protesters continue to camp outside the Palace of the President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi. (BBC)
- Mohammed Morsi annuls the decree he issued expanding his powers but a proposed referendum on a new constitution will still go ahead. (AFP via The Australian)

Disasters and accidents

The President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino declares a state of national calamity in the country following Typhoon Bopha, which has claimed over 450 lives. (ABC via Weatherzone)
Eight people, including four children, are killed after fire rages through a popular night market in the Cambodian town of Siem Reap. (Sky News)

International relations

The President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai claims that a suicide bombing attack that injured his security chief was planned in the Pakistani city of Quetta. (Reuters)
A United Nations climate conference held in Doha, Qatar, agrees to extend the Kyoto Protocol until 2020. (AP via Yahoo News)

Law and crime

American football player Josh Brent of the Dallas Cowboys is arrested for driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter in relation to the death of teammate Jerry Brown. (USA Today)

Media

Bosses at Australian radio station 2Day FM suspend all advertising until Monday after several major advertisers withdrew their business in the wake of the death of Jacintha Saldanha. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The Ghanaian election is extended by one day as glitches in the electoral system cause extended delays in voting in some areas. (AFP via SBS)
The Government of Burma apologises to Buddhist monks injured in a protest outside a copper mine last month. (BBC)
Politics of Italy:
- Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti says he will resign after passing the 2013 budget. (Business Insider)
- Silvio Berlusconi announces that he will run for a fourth term as Prime Minister of Italy despite a conviction for tax fraud. (AP)
Hugo Chávez, the President of Venezuela, announces that he has cancer again. Preparing to travel to Havana, Cuba, for further cancer surgery, he named Vice President Nicolás Maduro to carry out his legacy if he is unable to remain in office. (AP via Huffington Post) (The New York Times) (BBC) (Reuters)

Sport

The European Olympic Committees during the General Assembly in Rome choose Baku, Azerbaijan, as the host city for the inaugural edition of the European Games in 2015. (EOC)
Reigning champions Brazil and host Portugal will play in the final of the 2012 Women's Futsal World Tournament after they beat Russia and Spain in the semifinals respectively. (FutsalPlanet)
Texas A&M University quarterback Johnny Manziel becomes the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding player in U.S. college football. (AP via ESPN)

December 9, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Violent clashes occur in Bangladesh as protesters stage a nationwide blockade of roads to press for an independent body to oversee the next general election. At least two people were killed and about 100 injured after police fire rubber bullets and tear gas. (Reuters) (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Former Typhoon Bopha is again forecast to make landfall in the Philippines this time on the northern island of Luzon as a tropical storm bringing the possibility of more floods and landslides. (Bangkok Post) (ABC/AFP)
The wreckage of a plane carrying Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera with two pilots and four other passengers is found in northern Mexico with no apparent survivors. (CNN) (AP via WVEC) (NY Daily News)
Thirteen people are killed and 10 are injured in Hsinchu County, Taiwan, when a bus with 23 people on board rolled off a cliff and tumbled over 100 meters. (Bangkok Post) (Focus Taiwan)
Six people are killed and 41 others injured on the spot when a bus skids off the road and plunges into a 30-meter deep gorge in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. (PrensaLibre) (EFE via El Tiempo)

International relations

Police in Vietnam break up anti-China protests over gas and oil claims in the South China Sea. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

A Tibetan monk is arrested by Chinese authorities, accused of inciting self-immolation protests against Chinese rule. (Hong Kong Standard)
Detectives from Scotland Yard contact police in Australia over the apparent suicide of Jacintha Saldanha. (BBC)
Hector Celaya, the suspect in the mass shooting at the Tule River Indian Reservation that resulted in four deaths and two people being wounded, dies. (Reuters) (Fox News)

Politics and elections

Ghana's main opposition party alleges fraud in the recent general election as incumbent President John Mahama is declared the winner. (Al Jazeera) (BBC)
Voters in Romania go to the polls for parliamentary elections with the governing Social Liberal Union led by Prime Minister Victor Ponta winning by a landslide majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. (BBC) (Reuters)

Science and technology

British astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore, presenter of The Sky at Night for over 55 years, dies aged 89. (BBC)
Khrunichev Center and International Launch Services report an anomaly during the launch of the Yamal-402 satellite on 8 December. Briz-M stage failure 4 minutes before scheduled shut down on its fourth burn. (ILS) (NASA Spaceflight)

Sport

Juan Manuel Márquez knocks out Manny Pacquiao in round six for the WBO Champion of the Decade belt and wins the fourth fight of their epic boxing rivalry. (ESPN) (BBC) (AFP via Google)
Manchester United win the Manchester derby, defeating reigning league champions Manchester City by a score of 3–2 in the 2012–13 Premier League. Robin van Persie scores a last-minute goal and Rio Ferdinand is injured after being hit by a coin. (ESPN) (Premier League) (BBC)
Brazil women's national futsal team wins its third consecutive world title after defeating the Portugal team in the final of the 2012 Women's Futsal World Tournament by a 3–0 score. (LPF) (FutsalPlanet) (FutsalGlobal)
Barcelona's star Lionel Messi scores twice against Real Betis, his 85th and 86th goals in a calendar year, breaking the record created by German legend Gerd Müller (85 goals) in 1972. (ESPN) (Goal.com) (BBC) (Reuters)
Slovenia national football team manager Slaviša Stojanovič is sacked after a poor start to the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign. (FIFA)

December 10, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Rebel forces seize parts of the Sheikh Suleiman army base near Aleppo after weeks of heavy fighting. Ground clashes continue in the suburbs of Damascus as the government carries out further air raids against opposition forces. (Al Jazeera)
- Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra is declared a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. (Washington Post)
War in Afghanistan:
- Mohammad Musa Rasouli, the police chief of Afghanistan's Nimroz Province, is killed by a roadside bomb while returning home from Herat Province. (AP via Yahoo! News)
- Unknown gunmen assassinate Nadia Sediqqi, head of the women's affairs department in Laghman Province, Afghanistan. She was shot as she was getting into her rickshaw on her way to work in the provincial capital Mehtar Lam, according to a provincial government spokesperson. (NBC News)

Business and economy

Google begins selling basic laptop computers for $99, meeting the $100 price point set out as a challenge by a prominent professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Nicholas Negroponte) eight years ago. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Bopha rises to 647 with 780 people still missing. (Al-Jazeera)
A New Zealand Royal Commission finds that the CTV Building that collapsed during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake killing 115 people was poorly designed and built and should not have received a building permit. (AP via Washington Post)
Eleven people are killed and 23 injured in Minquan County, Henan province, China, after a passenger bus swerves off the road and falls in a roadside pond. (China Daily) (RIA Novosti)
At least nine people are killed and at 32 others are wounded in Tolima department, Colombia, after a bus falls of a 300-meter cliff. (Colombia Reports) (Xinhua)

International relations

Japan goes on full alert as North Korea announces it has delayed its launch of a long range Unha rocket until 29 December. (AP) (AFP via Google News) (Al Jazeera)
Leaders of the European Union accept the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. (Bloomberg via Business Week)

Law and crime

John Hickenlooper, the Governor of the US state of Colorado, issues a proclamation allowing the personal use of marijuana following the passage of an amendment to the state constitution last month. (AP)
Baghdadi Mahmudi, a former Prime Minister of Libya, under Muammar Gaddafi, goes on trial in Tripoli charged with "acts that led to the unjust killing of Libyans". (AAP via SBS)
The two 2Day FM presenters who made a prank call to London's King Edward VII's Hospital give their first interviews to Australian television following the death of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who answered the call. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Former President of Bangladesh Iajuddin Ahmed dies at the age of 81. (The Times of India)
The President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez flies to Cuba for cancer surgery. (Reuters)
In a landslide victory, Prime Minister Victor Ponta's ruling Social Liberal Union wins nearly 60% of votes in Romania's parliamentary election, with a projected 66-67% of MP mandates. (Al Jazeera)
The government of Malta loses a budget vote, causing early elections to be called. (Time of Malta)

Science and technology

Specialists from Thales Alenia Space carry out some maneuvers to bring the Russian Yamal-402 satellite into its designated orbit after a premature separation from Briz-M, the upper stage of a Proton-M carrier rocket, during the launch on 8 December. (RIA Novosti)

Sport

Norwegian chess player Magnus Carlsen wins the 2012 London Chess Classic ahead of Vladimir Kramnik from Russia. His performance is enough to break the 13-year-old Elo rating record of Garry Kasparov. (Chess News) (ChessVibes) (ChessBase)
The NHL announces the cancellation of the 2012–13 regular-season schedule through 30 December due to the 2012 NHL lockout. (Reuters) (NHL)

December 11, 2012 (Tuesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- At least 125 people are killed and up to 200 injured in bombings in the Alawite village of Aqrab, Syria. (AAP) (Reuters) (BBC)
- Barack Obama, the President of the United States, recognises Syria's rebel opposition as the "legitimate representatives" of the Syrian people. (BBC)
War on Terror:
- A Yemeni Army offensive against al-Qaeda is reported as killing at least 24 people including 17 soldiers. (News Limited)
2012 Egyptian protests:
- Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, calls for talks on national unity as thousands of rival protesters are on the streets of Cairo and the International Monetary Fund delays a loan. (ABC Australia/Reuters)
Belfast City Hall flag protests:
- Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt calls for an end to street protests over Belfast City Council's decision to restrict the flying of the union flag after loyalists threw a petrol bomb into a police vehicle in which a female officer was sitting at the time. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Russian soprano opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya, wife of Mstislav Rostropovich, dies in Moscow at the age of 86. (The Guardian) (RIA Novosti) (RT)
Indian sitar virtuoso and classical composer Ravi Shankar dies in the U.S. city of San Diego at the age of 92. (BBC)
Schools in the United States plan to drop literature classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye from their curriculum; children there will instead learn from "informational texts" such as Recommended Levels of Insulation by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Invasive Plant Inventory by California's Invasive Plant Council in order to be better prepared for workplace reading material. (The Telegraph)
The UK government sets out proposals to legalise gay marriages in England and Wales. The Church of England and Church in Wales will be banned from conducting wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples, but other religious organisations will be allowed to conduct gay weddings if they wish. (BBC)

Business and economy

British-based bank HSBC will pay U.S. authorities $1.9 billion in a settlement over money laundering for drug cartels and countries under sanctions, the largest ever such penalty. (BBC) (The Telegraph)

Law and crime

Australia's 2Day FM says it will donate advertising profits to a fund for the family of King Edward VII's Hospital nurse Jacintha Saldanha. (BBC)
Jack McCullough receives a life sentence for the murder of Maria Ridulph in 1957, more than 55 years ago. (The New York Times)
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit overturns an Illinois law banning the carrying of concealed weapons. (Chicago Sun-Times)
A gunman opens fire in the Clackamas Town Center mall in the U.S. state of Oregon. Three people, including the suspected shooter, are killed and another is injured. (CNN)
McKeeva Bush, the Premier of the Cayman Islands, is arrested for fraud and importation of explosives as part of a corruption investigation. (BBC)
The European Parliament adopts a uniform patent system for members of the European Union. (New York Times)

Politics and elections

The Prime Minister of Mali Cheick Modibo Diarra resigns himself and his government on television after his arrest hours earlier by leaders of the recent Malian coup d'état. (AFP via The Telegraph) (BBC) (Reuters)
Michigan's state government passes right to work legislation, making Michigan the 24th state and the most highly unionized state in the US to have such laws. Thousands of union employees protest outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. (CNN)
Hugo Chávez, the President of Venezuela, undergoes cancer surgery in Cuba. (AP via Time)

Science and technology

The $3 million special Fundamental Physics Prize is awarded to Stephen Hawking, a British theoretical physicist. Seven scientists who led the Large Hadron Collider and discovered Higgs-like particle share another $3 million special prize which was founded by a Russian physicist and internet entrepreneur Yuri Milner. (The Guardian) (Fundamental Physics Prize)

Sport

In road bicycle racing, world number one Joaquim Rodríguez's Team Katusha is facing 2013 without guaranteed entries for the biggest races on the calendar after the UCI surprisingly relegated them from the 2013 UCI World Tour. (Cycling News) (Reuters via SBS)

December 12, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- A car bomb and two other explosions go off outside the Interior Ministry and Palace of Justice in Damascus. (Al Jazeera)
- Government forces reportedly fire Scud-type missiles at rebels in the north of the country. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Musicians and entertainers including the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Bruce Springsteen perform a benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (AP)
Pope Benedict XVI sends his first Twitter message with an assist using his personal account (Pope Benedict XVI on Twitter). (BBC) (The Guardian) (The New York Times) (The Australian)

Business and economy

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve announces explicit ties between Fed policy on interest rates and economic goals, especially unemployment. (Reuters)

International relations

North Korea successfully launches a long-range Unha rocket to put its first satellite into space, the aim of what critics say is a disguised ballistic missile test. The United Nations condemns the action. (Reuters) (BBC)

Law and crime

Murder of Pat Finucane:
- Sir Desmond de Silva's report into the 1989 murder of Northern Ireland solicitor Pat Finucane is published, detailing "shocking state collusion" but, it says, absence of an "overarching conspiracy". (BBC) (RTÉ)
- The Finucane family renew their call for a public inquiry and describe the report as a "sham" and a "whitewash", "a report into which we have had no input." Finucane's wife says, "The British government has engineered a suppression of the truth behind the murder of my husband." (The Guardian) (Irish Independent)
- Speaking in the House of Commons, UK prime minister David Cameron says he is "deeply sorry" over British involvement in Finucane's murder but opposes a public inquiry into the killing. (Irish Independent)
American businessman John McAfee is deported from Guatemala to the United States despite being wanted for questioning in Belize. (The Telegraph)
Ecuador's National Court of Justice issues an international arrest warrant for former President Jamil Mahuad on embezzlement charges and orders that all of his assets in Ecuador be seized. (AAP via News Limited)

Politics and elections

Irish politician Joan Collins names crime journalist Paul Williams and sports star Ronan O'Gara under Dáil privilege as being among those to benefit from having their penalty points for traffic offences cancelled by the Garda Síochána. Justice Minister Alan Shatter calls Collins's action a "total disgrace" and she is reported to a Leinster House watchdog called the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges. (Irish Independent) (Irish Independent)
Malian interim President Dioncounda Traoré appoints Django Sissoko to be a new Acting Prime Minister, after his predecessor Cheick Modibo Diarra was forced to resign by leaders of the 2012 coup d'état. (BBC)
A sexual harassment case against former Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Peter Slipper is dismissed. (Courier-Mail)
10 Downing Street denies that British Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman Craig Oliver warned The Daily Telegraph against running a critical story on MPs expenses claimed by Culture Secretary Maria Miller because of her role in enacting proposals in the Leveson report. (BBC)
Nicolás Maduro, the Vice President of Venezuela, warns that President Hugo Chávez faces a "difficult" recovery from cancer surgery in Cuba. (Reuters)
Michael Palmer resigns as the Speaker of the House in the Parliament of Singapore due to an extra-marital affair. (AAP via News Limited)

Science and technology

4179 Toutatis, an asteroid about 3 miles wide, passes within 4.3 million miles or 18 lunar distances of the Earth. (Fox News)
A British research team launches a long-awaited project to hunt for life in Lake Ellsworth hidden beneath the ice-sheet in Antarctica. (BBC)

Sport

In swimming, the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships in a short course (25m) pool begins today in Turkey's Istanbul, 2012 European Capital of Sport. (Swimming World)
Former Brazil manager Dunga is named as new coach of Internacional, returning to the club where he began and ended his career. (ESPN) (Goal.com)

December 13, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov confirms his country is working on mobilization plans to evacuate its citizens from Syria. In the statement, the Foreign Ministry acknowledges for the first time that the rebels might win as the Syrian government is losing control of more and more territory. (Reuters)
- At least 16 people are killed and 25 others injured after a car bomb strikes the city of Qatana, 25 km southwest of the capital Damascus. The attack follows a similar blast in front of the Interior Ministry building a day earlier that killed at least five. (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict:
- Five people are injured in the West Bank ahead of the funeral of a deaf teenager shot dead by Israeli forces. (Al Jazeera) (The Times of Israel)
- Thousands of Palestinians demonstrate in the West Bank city of Nablus. (BBC)
Senkaku Islands dispute:
- Japan scrambles fighter jets in response to a Chinese plane seen near the disputed Senkaku Islands, marking the first time aircraft are involved in the dispute. (CNN) (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

The Tallow Candle, an early work by Hans Christian Andersen, is found at the bottom of a box in Denmark. (BBC)
Włodzimierz Umaniec, who daubed a Mark Rothko painting with black paint in the name of yellowism, is jailed for two years in the UK. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

Finance Ministers from the European Union agree to giving the European Central Bank new powers to supervise euro zone banks. (Reuters)
Ireland's Labour Party chairman Colm Keaveney votes against the Social Welfare Bill, part of Ireland's latest austerity budget. As a result he is expelled from the parliamentary party, which is part of the governing coalition. (RTÉ) (Irish Independent)
Prosecutors ask a judge of the Manhattan federal district court to sentence Peter Madoff, brother and co-conspirator of infamous scammer Bernard Madoff, to a sentence of ten years. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Tropical Cyclone Evan makes landfall near the Samoan capital Apia causing at least two deaths and the declaration of a state of disaster. (ABC Australia via Yahoo!) (AFP via SBS)
The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Bopha rises over 900 with hundreds still unaccounted for. (AAP via News Limited)

Law and crime

The European Court of Human Rights rules that Khalid El-Masri, a German citizen, was an innocent victim of extraordinary rendition by the Central Intelligence Agency and orders Macedonia to pay him €60,000 after it arrested him and sent him to the CIA. CIA agents then transferred him to a detention facility in Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian) (ECHR)
Millions of assets belonging to the former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak are located, including Marbella beach properties and luxury cars. (Al Jazeera)
2012 royal hoax call incident:
- An inquest into the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha hears that she died as a result of self-inflicted hanging. (The Independent)
- The media regulatory body Australian Communications and Media Authority launches an investigation into the prank call made by 2Day FM. (The Australian)
A worker at the chief clerk's office (making reference to a will) at the Hugo Black U.S. Federal Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama shoots himself in the head. (CNN)
Israel's Justice Ministry announces that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, while he will not face more serious money laundering and witness tampering corruption charges, will be charged with breach of trust and fraud in connection with illegally obtaining funds from shell companies which occurred prior to his Ministry service. (Al Jazeera)
Former Bosnian intelligence chief Zdravko Tolimir, believed to be a top aide to Ratko Mladić, is sentenced to life imprisonment by ICTY for his role in the Srebrenica massacre. (CNN)

Politics and elections

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice withdraws her name from consideration to be nominated U.S. Secretary of State, following increasing opposition to her nomination by Republican members of the Senate. (MSNBC) (Al Jazeera)
The Bangladeshi Opposition calls a general strike over restoration of a caretaker administration with reports of explosions and clashes between police and protesters in the capital Dhaka. (AP via Washington Post)
Britain's Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards launches an investigation into expenses claimed by British Culture Secretary Maria Miller. (BBC) (The Guardian)
The British government pays £2.23 million to the family of Sami al-Saadi, who with his wife and young children, was abducted with the help of MI-6, forced onto a plane and secretly flown to Tripoli, where he was tortured for years by the security police of the former dictator Muammar Gaddafi. (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

North Korea's first satellite successfully put into orbit, Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2, appears to be spinning out of control, according to U.S. officials. South Korean sources later deny the report, saying the satellite appears to be orbiting Earth normally. (NBC News)
U.S. space agency NASA admits it posted online a photograph taken from the International Space Station of an Indian mountain Saser Muztagh, claiming it as Mount Everest. With Nepalese netizens left puzzled by this, it took a Nepalese expert to point out the agency's inaccuracy. (BBC)

Sport

English football club Chelsea to face Brazil's Corinthians in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup final on 16 December, after 3–1 win over Mexican club Monterrey in the semifinal. (FIFA) (ESPN) (The Guardian)
São Paulo FC are crowned champions of the 2012 Copa Sudamericana after Argentine club Tigre refused to take to the field for the second half of the second leg in Brazil, claiming they were threatened at gunpoint by security officials at the Estádio do Morumbi, which was overlooked as a host stadium for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. (ESPN) (BBC) (CONMEBOL)
Maurice Herzog, the French mountaineer, who was the first person to climb a mountain above 8000 metres when he climbed Annapurna with Louis Lachenal in 1950, dies at the age of 93. (CNN)

December 14, 2012 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- American admiral James G. Stavridis, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe claims that Scud missiles fired by Syria at rebel forces have landed "fairly close" to the border with Turkey. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Kenneth Kendall, who became the BBC's first in-vision television newsreader in 1955, dies aged 88. (BBC)
Gene Wolfe wins the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award for "lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy". (The Guardian) (SFWA)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Evan heads towards Fiji after causing at least three deaths and widespread damage in Samoa. (ABC Australia via Weatherzone) (TVNZ)
Thirteen areas of south-west England and Wales have been warned of possible floods as the United Kingdom prepares for heavy rain. (ITV News)

Law and crime

A shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, leaves 28 people dead, including 20 children, the shooter, and his mother. (BBC) (Reuters) (CNN) (WABC) (The Boston Channel) (The Wall Street Journal) (The Washington Post)
A 36-year-old man identified as Min Yingjun attacks an elderly woman with her own knife at her home, then stabs 22 children outside the nearby Chenpeng Village Primary School in Xinyang, Guangshan County, Henan, China. The attack on the children occurred as they were arriving for classes, and most of the victims are thought to be 6–11 years old. (Xinhua) (CBC News) (Sky News) (The Indian Express)
The Crown Prosecution Service decides that computer hacker Gary McKinnon will face no charges in the United Kingdom over his activities. (BBC)
Former British Labour Party MP Margaret Moran is given a two year supervision and treatment order after falsely claiming £53,000 in expenses. A judge had earlier ruled she was unfit to stand trial because of mental health issues. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans celebrate the successful launch of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 satellite in Pyongyang's Kim Il-Sung Square. (AFP via SBS News)
Avigdor Lieberman resigns as the Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister and as Deputy Prime Minister following an indictment for fraud. (BBC)

Sport

FIFA announces Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium will stage both the opening match and the final at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Also FIFA chooses four cities for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup that will take place in the Russian cities of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi. (Reuters via Yahoo!) (RIA Novosti)
The 2014 Tour de France will start in the northeastern English county of Yorkshire. A third stage will be held in southern England with a finish in London before the race moves into France. (ESPN) (AFP via Google) (Cycling News)
Lionel Messi wins World Soccer's 2012 Player of the Year award ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Andrés Iniesta. Vicente del Bosque is chosen as the Manager of the Year. (World Soccer) (Marca)
Australian surfer Joel Parkinson wins the 2012 ASP World Tour at the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courier Mail)

December 15, 2012 (Saturday)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Evan is expected to hit northern parts of Tonga before turning south towards Fiji. (Sky News Australia)
At least 18 asylum seekers drown in the Aegean Sea while trying to reach Greece from Turkey. (The New York Times)
Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, the Governor of Nigeria's Kaduna state dies in a helicopter crash in Bayelsa state, together with former national security adviser General Owoye Andrew Azazi and other senior officials. (BBC)

Law and crime

Two incidents of shootings happened in the U.S. state of Alabama. A 38-year-old man opens fire at a hospital in Birmingham, wounding a police officer and two employees before he is fatally shot by police. In another unrelated incident, a man suspected of the fatal shooting of three people in a mobile home in Cleburne County, is shot to death near Birmingham by police after brandishing an AK-47. (CBC)
A man stood in the parking lot of the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach, California, and fired 50 gunshots in the air, inducing a mass of panic from the shoppers and employees. No one was hit by the bullets, but one person was injured while trying to flee. A 42-year-old man was arrested for the shooting, and additional ammunition was found in his car. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Egyptian constitutional referendum, 2012:
- Voters in Egypt go to the polls for a highly charged referendum on a new constitution with violent clashes reported in Alexandria the evening before. (BBC) (Sky News)
- The polls close four hours later than planned due to heavy turnout. (RIA Novosti)
A census of population and housing begins today in Turkmenistan. (Trend)
Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, successfully undergoes surgery to remove gallstones from his gallbladder. (BBC) (The Telegraph)
United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sustained a concussion after fainting from dehydration at her home. (CNN) (The Washington Post)
Russian police arrest prominent opposition leaders at a rally against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. (BBC)

Science and technology

Yamal-402, the Russian communications satellite, is taken to its planned geostationary orbit following a series of four adjustment operations. (RIA Novosti) (The Voice of Russia)

Sport

Team Germany's Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel win a sixth consecutive Race of Champions Nations Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. (Motorsport) (Autosport)
In curling, Sweden men's team and Russian women's team win the 2012 European Curling Championships in Karlstad, Sweden. (ECC2012) (UPI)
The body of the much-decorated Kerry Gaelic footballer Páidí Ó Sé is found at his home, shocking the world of Gaelic games. (RTÉ Sport) (JOE) (BBC)

December 16, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- A Palestinian refugee camp in the capital of Damascus is reported to be attacked by Syrian war planes. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least eight deaths. (BBC)
- Islamist rebels claim to have captured a Syrian Army infantry base in Aleppo. (AP via CBS News)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- Taliban militants launch a coordinated raid on Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing at least four civilians and injuring more than 40 others. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Evan bears down on Fiji, disrupting international flights after leaving at least 4 people dead in Samoa with 8 others missing. (AAP via SBS News) (AFP via Yahoo News)
Philippine authorities announce the death toll from Typhoon Bopha has reached 1,020. Another 844 are still missing, most of them fishermen lost on boats out at sea. More than two weeks after the passage of the storm, nearly 27,000 people remain in emergency shelters. (AFP via Yahoo News)
Heavy snow hits Scandinavia disrupting transport in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. (Sky News)
Ecuador issues a volcano alert for Tungurahua covering nearby Tungurahua and Chimborazo provinces. (AAP via News Limited)

Law and crime

Two police officers are fatally shot outside a supermarket in Topeka, Kansas, USA. A 22-year-old man wanted in connection with crime, David Edward Tiscareno, is at large. (Reuters via Yahoo!)

Politics and elections

Japanese general election, 2012:
- Japanese voters go to the polls for a general election, with the opposition Liberal Democratic Party led by former Prime Minister Shinzō Abe poised to win a majority. (BBC) (ABC News America)
- Outgoing Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihiko Noda resigns as the head of the Democratic Party of Japan. (CNN)
- Shinzō Abe is elected Prime Minister of Japan as the Liberal Democratic Party win an absolute majority in the House of Representatives. (BBC) (Los Angeles Times)
Counting continues in the first round of the Egyptian constitutional referendum with unofficial results indicating majority support so far. (Ahram Online)
Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, leads thousands of officials in a memorial service for his father Kim Jong-il, the former leader, who died on 17 December 2011. (AAP via News Limited)
South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress, starts a 5-day conference where President Jacob Zuma faces a challenge from Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. (BBC)
Voters in Venezuela go to the polls for gubernatorial elections with Hugo Chávez's Socialist Party winning in at least 19 of 23 states. (The Telegraph)

Science and technology

Scientists report Chinese deep-space probe Chang'e 2 successfully took a series of images of the asteroid 4179 Toutatis during flyby on 13 December. (The Planetary Society) (NBC News) (Xinhua) (The Guardian Express)

Sport

Brazil football club Corinthians wins the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, after a 1–0 win over Chelsea in the final. Paolo Guerrero scored the only goal of the game in Yokohama, Japan. Brazilian player Cássio Ramos is named as MVP of the tournament. (ESPN) (FIFA)
Bundesliga football club Schalke 04 sacks coach Huub Stevens following their 1–3 loss to Freiburg in the 2012–2013 season game. (FIFA) (ESPN)
French racing driver Romain Grosjean wins the 2012 Race of Champions with a 2–0 victory over Tom Kristensen in the final in Bangkok, Thailand. (Motorsport) (Autosport)
In handball, Montenegro beats Norway 34–31 after double overtime in a thriller final of the 2012 European Women's Handball Championship in Belgrade, Serbia. (EHF) (THN)
In ice hockey, Russia wins the 2012 Channel One Cup, the Moscow stage of Euro Hockey Tour, ahead of Sweden, Finland and Czech Republic. (RT) (RIA Novosti)
In swimming, American swimmer Ryan Lochte with eight medals (six gold, one silver, one bronze) and two world records becomes the main hero of the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in a short course that ended in Turkey's Istanbul. (Eurosport) (Swimming World)
British professional racing cyclist Bradley Wiggins wins the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ahead of track and field athlete Jessica Ennis and tennis player Andy Murray. (BBC)

December 17, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Rebel forces take over the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, where at least 25 were killed by airstrikes the day before. Syrian troops and tanks, as well as a number of PFLP-GC fighters, gather outside the northern edge of the area. (Reuters)
- Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki makes a surprise visit to Aleppo, pledging more than $4 million in aid. This constitutes the first trip by a senior figure in the government of President Bashar al-Assad in months. (Reuters)
- An Italian and two other foreign citizens are kidnapped from a steel plant in Tartous. (Reuters)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- A blast at a market in Pakistan's Khyber Agency kills 17 and injures 70 others. (Reuters) (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- A suicide bomber kills 2 and injures 15 others at the offices of a US security company in Kabul. (Reuters)
- An unexploded mine kills 10 girls collecting firewood in the east of Afghanistan. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

Famous actor Gérard Depardieu decides to give up his French citizenship and move to Belgium for a permanent residence to avoid taxes. (BBC) (The Washington Post) (The Telegraph)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Evan hits Fiji with winds as high as 230 km/h, amid reports of flooding and structural damage at resorts and private homes. More than 8,000 people spend the storm in emergency shelters, including many foreign tourists. (Reuters) (AAP via SBS)
At least 18 people drown after an overloaded boat sinks north of Benin's commercial capital Cotonou. (Reuters)
At least 4 people are killed and 8 others injured as a gas explosion ripped through a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Xinhua)

International relations

The Parliament of Libya orders the closure of Libya's southern borders with Chad, Sudan, Algeria and Niger while declaring seven southern regions restricted military areas to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and goods. (BBC)

Law and crime

Funerals begin for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in the American town of Newtown, Connecticut. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

North Korea commemorates the one-year anniversary of the death of former Leader Kim Jong-il. (AFP via Google News)
Reproductive Health Bill:
- The Senate of the Philippines passes its version of the measure by 13–8. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
- The House of Representatives of the Philippines passes its version of the measure by 133–79. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
- Both chambers will go to a bicameral conference immediately to consolidate the two bills. (Rappler)
Voters in the Indian state of Gujarat go to the polls for a state election. (BBC)
The upper house of the Indian parliament Rajya Sabha passes a bill providing reservations for Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes in government job promotions. (The Economic Times)
The President of Romania nominates current Prime Minister Victor Ponta of the Social Liberal Union to form a new government after the parliamentary election held earlier this month. (Cotidianul)
US politics:
- Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, appoints Tim Scott to replace outgoing US Senator Jim DeMint. (Time)
- Daniel Inouye, the senior Senator from Hawaii and the President pro tempore, dies in Honolulu at the age of 88. (Washington Post)

Religion

Ephraim Mirvis is announced as the next Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, replacing Dr. Jonathan Sacks who will step down from the role in 2013. (BBC)

Science and technology

NASA's twin GRAIL spacecrafts crash into a mile-high cliff near the Lunar North Pole to close out a successful mission to map the Moon's gravity field with unprecedented precision. (Reuters)
The Large Hadron Collider completes the first proton run and stops today for renovation until 2015. (CERN) (Science Daily)

Sport

Tennis player Roger Federer and triathlete Nicola Spirig are awarded the 2012 Swiss Sports Personality of the Year. (CDT.ch) (Suisse Sports Awards)
Discus thrower Robert Harting and retired biathlete Magdalena Neuner are named as 2012 German Sportspersonality of the Year. (SportNews.de) (Bild)
Mourners attend the home of Gaelic football legend Páidí Ó Sé who died suddenly. (Irish Independent)
In Serie A, Siena appoints former Sampdoria boss Giuseppe Iachini as their new coach after dismissing Serse Cosmi. Also Sampdoria sacks coach Ciro Ferrara after five months in charge on and replaces him with former Lazio and Palermo boss Delio Rossi. (ESPN) (UEFA)
Brazil opens Castelão in Fortaleza, the first of 12 stadiums being built or extensively renovated to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup. (BBC) (FIFA)

December 18, 2012 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and his production team are freed after 5 days of captivity in northern Syria. They were captured by what Engel claims were members of the shabiha, a plainclothes militia loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Rebel forces at a checkpoint freed the men after a firefight that killed 2 of the captors. (NBC News)
2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- A coalition of rebel groups called Seleka take over the Central African Republic mining town of Bria, killing at least 15 government soldiers. The group is spearheaded by UFDR forces and has already taken five towns in its two-week offensive, which it claims is because of a lack of progress after a peace deal ended the 2004–2007 Bush War. Following an appeal for help from President François Bozizé, the President of Chad Idriss Déby sends 20 vehicles of heavily armed troops to help quell the rebellion. (ABC News) (AFP) (Reuters)
Taliban insurgency:
- Gunmen kill six health workers engaged in a polio vaccination drive in Pakistan, highlighting resistance to a program opposed by the Taliban. (AFP via SBS)

Arts and culture

The premiere of Quentin Tarantino's new movie Django Unchained is cancelled as a response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. (USA Today)

Disasters and accidents

Four people are killed and seven injured after an apartment block collapses in the center of Palermo in Italy. (Reuters)
A large, 33.5-ton aquarium bursts in a busy shopping center on the Nanjing Road pedestrian mall in Shanghai, China, injuring 15 people, including customers and shop staff. (East Day) (The Inquisitr) (RT)

Law and crime

Following the recent death of Savita Halappanavar the Irish government is to introduce legislation to clarify the Republic of Ireland's abortion laws, giving doctors clear guidelines on procedures where the mother's life is at risk. (BBC)
The High Court of England and Wales rules that a seven-year-old boy with a brain tumour should undergo surgery against his mother's wishes. (BBC)
The bodies of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, the murderers who were the subject of Truman Capote's non-fiction novel In Cold Blood, are exhumed in the US state of Kansas to help solve a cold case in Florida from December 1959. (AP via The Australian)
A police officer's claim that he witnessed a conflict outside Downing Street involving former British Conservative Party chief whip Andrew Mitchell is being probed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. CCTV footage of the incident also emerges, casting doubt on whether any witnesses were present at the time. (BBC) (Channel 4 News)
At the High Court of England and Wales, the BBC and ITV apologise to Lord McAlpine for "disastrously" and falsely linking him to allegations of child sex abuse. (The Guardian)
Former Congolese militia leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui is acquitted by the International Criminal Court of war crimes and crimes against humanity. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom attends a Cabinet meeting for the first time to receive a gift in honour of her Diamond Jubilee, including having an area of the British Antarctic Territory named for her. It is believed to be the first time that a British monarch has attended a Cabinet meeting in peace-time since Queen Victoria's reign. (BBC) (The Guardian) (Sky News)
Incumbent President of South Africa Jacob Zuma wins a landslide victory in the African National Congress leadership contest opening the way for likely reelection in 2014. (Sky News Australia)
The President of Iraq Jalal Talabani has a stroke with his condition reported as stable. (NBC News)
Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is sworn in as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate, making him third in the United States presidential line of succession. (The Hill)

Sport

Italian football club Napoli is penalised a two-point deduction in the 2012–13 Serie A due to involvement to the 2011–12 Italian football scandal. (Goal.com)
The funeral of Irish Gaelic football player Páidí Ó Sé is to take place. (The Star)

December 19, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

2012 terrorist attacks in Kenya:
- Two people are injured in two blasts outside al-Amin mosque in the Somali-dominated Eastleigh district of Nairobi during the evening rush hour. (Al Jazeera)
2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- Chad sends troops to the Central African Republic to help defend the town of Bria from the Seleka rebel coalition. (BBC)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- British Prime Minister David Cameron tells the House of Commons that 3,800 British troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2013. The figure represents half the current British deployment in that country. (BBC)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict:
- Israel presses on with the construction of thousands of new homes in West Bank and East Jerusalem, despite worldwide criticism and suggestions that officials in Palestine may go to the International Criminal Court. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

Banking giant UBS is fined $1.5 billion for attempting to manipulate the Libor interbank lending rate, becoming the second international bank, after Barclays, to be fined over the Libor scandal. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

A 35-year-old Australian man tries to headbutt a pilot over the Atlantic Ocean, causing the diversion of a British Airways transatlantic flight from New York's JFK airport to London City Airport. (RTÉ News)
A multiple-vehicle collision on the Long Island Expressway in Shirley, Suffolk County, New York, United States leaves one person dead and at least 32 injured. (AP via ABC News)

International relations

Following the Magnitsky bill, the U.S. sanctions designed to punish Russia for its rights record, Russia is to ban Americans from adopting their children. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

The gang rape of a woman on a bus in India leads to nationwide outrage; three of the four accused confess in court. (Al Jazeera) (The Guardian)
Robert Bork, a former federal judge and conservative legal theorist, best known for his losing nomination battle for the Supreme Court of the United States, dies at 85 in Arlington, Virginia. (The New York Times)
The High Court of England and Wales quashes the original inquest verdicts returned on 96 Liverpool football fans who died as a result of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. (The Independent)

Media

U.S. news magazine Time selects U.S. President Barack Obama as its 2012 Person of the Year, following on from his 2008 award, and those of his predecessors George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1998, George H. W. Bush in 1990, Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1983, Jimmy Carter in 1976, Richard Nixon in 1971 and 1972 and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and 1967. (Time) (The Daily Telegraph)
Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal:
- The Pollard report into practices at the BBC is published, and finds there was a “complete inability” to deal with the Jimmy Savile crisis. (The Independent)
- Despite being criticised, the BBC Director of News Helen Boaden will return to her post in the wake of the report's publication, but her Deputy, Stephen Mitchell resigns. Peter Rippon is moved aside from his Newsnight post, with the programme having a new senior editorial team. Controller of BBC Radio Five Live Adrian Van Klaveren also resigns. (The Independent) (Radio Today)

Politics and elections

South Korean presidential election, 2012:
- Voters in South Korea go to the polls with exit polls showing a very close race expected between Park Geun-hye of the conservative Saenuri Party and Moon Jae-in of the left-of-centre Democratic United Party. (Reuters via the Malaysian Insider) (BBC)
- The South Korean electoral commission declares Park Geun-hye the winner of the presidential election with 84% of the votes counted and will become South Korea's first female president. Moon Jae-in has conceded. (Yonhap) (BBC)

Science and technology

The Russian Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying Roman Romanenko, Chris Hadfield and Thomas Marshburn for the ISS Expedition 34 and 35 crews. (CNet) (NASA Spaceflight) (Reuters)

Sport

FC Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova will have surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy over the next six weeks, after the relapse of a cancer in the salivary gland. Assistant manager Jordi Roura will lead FC Barcelona in the head manager’s stead. (UEFA) (FC Barcelona)

December 20, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says there is no prospect of an end to the conflict in Syria. (Al Jazeera)
2012 Northern Mali conflict:
- The United Nations Security Council authorises African-led military intervention in northern Mali to oust Islamists and help reunify the country. (France 24)

Business and economy

The New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the United States and the world, is sold to Atlanta-based IntercontinentalExchange. (The Guardian)
U.S. patent authorities reject an important Apple Inc. patent concerning pinch-to-zoom gestures on a mobile device screen. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The midwestern United States is hit by a massive storm causing major disruption to traffic. (AP via Time)
The UN refugee agency reports at least 55 people have drowned after an overcrowded boat capsizes off the coast of Somalia on 18 December. (Reuters) (BBC) (CNN) (Al Jazeera)

International relations

Julian Assange issues a statement to supporters from a balcony of London's Ecuadorean embassy, in which he refers to the U.S. Pentagon's recent description of the existence of WikiLeaks as an "ongoing crime" and suggests it is the intention of WikiLeaks to release a million more documents in 2013. (BBC)
ASEAN members and India conclude free trade agreements in services and investment. (Bangkok Post)

Law and crime

Police in China arrest almost 1,000 people belonging to the doomsday Almighty God Christian cult for spreading rumours about the end of the world. (BBC)
Dozens of Michigan schools close early for holidays, sending home 80,000 students, due to rumors related to the Mayan doomsday and the Connecticut shooting. (Detroit News) (NY Times)
A U.S. soldier who urinated on the corpse of a dead Afghan combatant is sentenced to 30 days in jail after admitting his action at a court martial. Reports suggest he will not be sent to jail because of a plea deal reached with military prosecutors. (BBC)
Laos denies knowledge as to the fate of missing activist Sombath Somphone, who disappeared last week in the capital Vientiane. (AFP via Google News)
Former Rwandan minister Augustin Ngirabatware is sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for his role during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. (CNN)

Sport

UEFA announces the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw. Barcelona will face Milan while Real Madrid will play Manchester United. (UEFA)
The 2012–13 UEFA Europa League Round of 32 and Round of 16 draw is held in Nyon, Switzerland. Europa League title holders Atlético Madrid will play Rubin Kazan while Champions League title holders Chelsea will face Sparta Prague. (UEFA)
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré is named African Footballer of the Year for the second year running ahead of Didier Drogba and Alex Song. Also Hervé Renard emerged the 2012 Coach of the Year at the annual CAF awards staged in Accra, Ghana. (BBC) (MTN Football)

December 21, 2012 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2012 Egyptian protests:
- Clashes break out in Alexandria, Egypt, on the evening of the second leg of voting in the constitutional referendum. (BBC)
2012 terrorist attacks in Kenya:
- At least 39 people are killed in clashes between rival communities in Kenya. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
United Nations Flight 544 shootdown:
- A Russian Mi-8 helicopter working for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is shot down and crashes near Likuangole in the South Sudanese state of Jonglei. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (RT)

Arts and culture

The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar reaches the date 13.0.0.0.0, associated with various doomsday myths. (The Guardian) (Al Jazeera)
"Gangnam Style" by South Korean singer PSY becomes the first video to reach one billion views on YouTube. (BBC) (USA Today) (The Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

A severe cold spell kills at least 83 people in Ukraine. Across Russia, the deep freeze killed at least 45 people over the last week. (BBC) (NBC News)
Five people are killed and one injured in Zeebrugge, Belgium, when a bus rolled off into the water. (Deredactie.be)

International relations

A British court rejects an attempt by the son of a man killed in U.S. drone strike in Pakistan to force the UK government to reveal if it provided intelligence to assist US action. (BBC)
The UK Ministry of Defence confirms it has spent $22.7 million settling claims from 205 Iraqis alleging abuse by British troops following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

A shooting at a highway in Blair County, Pennsylvania kills three people and wounds three others. The gunman was killed in a shootout with police, and among the casualties were state troopers. (Yahoo! News)
Steve Jobs' £85m high-tech yacht Venus is impounded at the Port of Amsterdam after designer Philippe Starck claims he is still owed money. (BBC)

Politics and elections

U.S. President Barack Obama nominates John Kerry to succeed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. (CNN) (BBC)
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher undergoes surgery for a growth in her bladder. (BBC)
After seven months in office and a decisive victory in the elections, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta and his cabinet receive the vote of confidence from Parliament with 402 votes in favor and 120 against. (Fox News)
Technocrat Mario Monti resigns as Prime Minister of Italy after the parliamentary passing of Italy's latest austerity budget. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
Ireland's Fine Gael food and farming minister Shane McEntee kills himself 2 days after his 56th birthday, triggering a by-election in Meath East. (RTÉ News)
In the Netherlands, former Deputy Prime Minister Els Borst and former Vice President of the Council of State Herman Tjeenk Willink are granted the rare honorary title of Minister of State. (Rijksoverheid)

Science and technology

After detailed study of the Sutter's Mill meteorite found in California on 22 April 2012, scientists report it contains some of the oldest material in the Solar System. (Science News) (Nature) (Business Insider)
Expedition 34 Flight Engineers Tom Marshburn, Roman Romanenko and Chris Hadfield dock their Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft to the International Space Station’s Rassvet module. (NASA)
MIT researchers discover that Herbertsmithite exhibits a quantum spin liquid behavior, a new kind of magnetism. (Extreme Tech) (Red Orbit) (The Register)

Sport

The NHL announces the cancellation of the 2012–13 regular-season schedule through 14 January due to the 2012 NHL lockout bringing the total to 625 games, more than 50 percent of the entire schedule. (USA Today) (ESPN) (NHL)
Ice hockey player Anže Kopitar and judoka Urška Žolnir are named as 2012 Slovenian Sportsperson of the Year. (NBC Sports) (RTV Slovenija)
Raul Rusescu is named as 2012 Romanian Footballer of the Year while Mircea Lucescu becomes the 2012 Romania Coach of the Year. (Reuters) (Gazeta Sporturilor)
Professional shooter Sergei Martynov and tennis star Victoria Azarenka are named the 2012 Belarus Sportpersons of the Year. (Sport Panorama) (Grodno News)
UEFA announces that Málaga, Hajduk Split, Osijek, Rapid București, Dinamo București and Partizan are banned from competing in the next UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League competition they qualify for after failing to meet financial obligations. (UEFA)
The Italian Olympic Committee requests a four-year doping ban for former race walk Olympic champion Alex Schwazer. He was excluded from the 2012 London Olympics after testing positive for EPO before the games. (ESPN)
Michael Phelps and Gabrielle Douglas are named as 2012 Associated Press Athletes of the Year. (Los Angeles Times) (BoxScore)

December 22, 2012 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- In Damascus, a car bomb kills six people, and a gunman assassinates a state television journalist. (Los Angeles Times)
2012 Delhi gang rape case:
- People rallying against last weekend's gang rape of a female student are showered in tear gas and water cannons in New Delhi, India. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- A suicide bomber kills at least eight people at a political rally in Peshawar, Pakistan. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Hundreds of people in the Republic of Ireland queue before dawn for Christmas food parcels. (Irish Independent)

Law and crime

The Police Service of Northern Ireland says that an incident at the home of one of its officers in Bangor, County Down, on Wednesday night was an attempt to murder him. (BBC)
Pope Benedict XVI pardons his former butler Paolo Gabriele following his recent conviction for stealing confidential documents. (BBC)
The UK's Police Federation launches a review into issues raised by its handling of the Andrew Mitchell "plebgate" row. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Mahmoud Mekki resigns as Vice President of Egypt as the country completes its referendum on a new constitution. (BBC)
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano dissolves the Parliament after the resignation of the Prime Minister Mario Monti (The Washington Post)
Further details emerge on the suicide yesterday of Irish government minister Shane McEntee; he breakfasted with his family, took his dogs for a walk and was later found dead. Friends blame the pressure he was put under by his party to vote in favour of the country's latest austerity budget. (The Irish Times) (Irish Independent)
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher recovers in hospital after having a growth removed from her bladder and is likely to remain in hospital over the Christmas period. (Al Jazeera) (BBC)

Sport

Brazil opens the 62,160 capacity Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, the second stadium for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. (Reuters via Ahram Online)
Bundesliga club Wolfsburg appoint former Nuremberg boss Dieter Hecking as their new head coach. (FIFA) (ESPN)
Lionel Messi scores his 91st, and final, goal of a record breaking year as Barcelona win 3–1 against Real Valladolid in the 2012–13 La Liga. (ESPN) (Daily Mail)
Spanish footballer Isco who plays for Málaga CF is named as 2012 Golden Boy running ahead of Stephan El Shaarawy and Thibaut Courtois. (Goal.com) (Marca)
In boxing, Tomasz Adamek outpoints Steve Cunningham in a split decision in their IBF heavyweight title eliminator at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA. (The Washington Post)

December 23, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Up to 200 civilians are killed by Syrian government warplanes in the town of Helfaya, Hama province. (Reuters) (BBC) (Al Arabiya)
Piracy in Somalia:
- Troops in Somalia's region of Puntland free 22 hostages seized by pirates nearly three years ago. (BBC)
2012 Northern Mali conflict:
- Islamists in Mali are reported to have resumed a campaign to destroy mausoleums that they consider idolatrous in the historic city of Timbuktu. (BBC)
2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- The Seleka rebel coalition takes over Bambari, the country's third largest town, after a string of similar successes in recent weeks. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

The governments of Chile and Argentina issue volcanic activity alerts in areas close to the Copahue volcano after it started spewing ash. (BBC) (AFP via Google) (Al Jazeera)
A plane en route from Winnipeg to Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, crashes with nine people aboard, killing a six-month-old child. (CBC News) (The Globe and Mail)
Emergency services are dealing with major flooding in the Aberdeenshire town of Stonehaven in Scotland. (BBC)
A train derails in the Swiss Alps after ramming into mounds of snow from an avalanche blocking the tracks with no injuries. (The New Age)
At least 600 shops are destroyed as a fire sweeps through a market and money exchange in Kabul, Afghanistan. (BBC)

International relations

The South Korean defence ministry says the launch of a satellite into space by North Korea was a disguised test of a 10,000 km range missile. (BBC) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe says his force will launch "a ruthless search for the truth" in the Andrew Mitchell "plebgate" controversy. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Egyptian constitutional referendum, 2012:
- A Draft constitution by the Constitutuent Assembly is approved by a majority of Egyptians in a referendum on 15 and 22 December. (BBC) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
- Egypt's main opposition demands an investigation into the referendum on the Draft constitution, citing "fraud and violations" in the voting. (BBC) (AP)

Sport

2014 FIFA World Cup host Brazil will play Italy in a friendly game in Geneva, Switzerland, on 21 March 2013 ahead of their 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup match on 22 June 2013 in Salvador, Bahia. (Goal.com) (ESPN)
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie is "lucky to be alive", according to his manager Sir Alex Ferguson, after a nasty incident during a Premier League game in Wales which ended in a 1–1 draw. (Goal.com) (BBC) (CNN) (ESPN) (New Straits Times)
Chelsea miss numerous chances, including a penalty, though still manage an 8–0 Premier League victory over Aston Villa, the team's worst defeat in their 138-year history. (The Guardian) (ESPN) (The Daily Telegraph)
Aykut Kocaman resigns as Fenerbahçe coach after pressure from fans mounted following defeat to Karabükspor in the 2012–13 Süper Lig. (Goal.com)

December 24, 2012 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Seven Syrian rebel fighters are killed and a number of others injured at their base in Homs by toxic gas inhalation. (NBC) (RT)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- A NATO adviser is shot dead by a woman in police uniform in Kabul, and at least five Afghan policemen are killed by another officer in northern Afghanistan. (BBC)

Arts and culture

U.S. actor Jack Klugman, who starred in the 1970s hit TV series The Odd Couple and Quincy, M.E., dies at the age of 90. (BBC)
American actor Charles Durning, the two-time Oscar award nominee, dies at the age 89 in New York City. (Los Angeles Times)

Disasters and accidents

A band of rain sweeping the United Kingdom brings fresh flooding and disrupted rail services to south-west England and Scotland. (BBC)
A minivan carrying 15 children to kindergarten plunges into a roadside pond in a rural area of eastern China, killing 11 children. (AP)

International relations

The Government of Pakistan decides to accord recognition to the Republic of Kosovo. (The Express Tribune) (The Times of India)

Law and crime

Two firefighters are shot and killed and two others are injured while responding to a fire in Webster, New York, United States. (CNN) (Reuters)
Steve Jobs' £85m high-tech yacht Venus is freed from the Port of Amsterdam after his estate paid off the last of its bills. (TechnoBuffalo)

Science and technology

SpaceX releases video of the latest test of their Grasshopper rocket with vertical takeoff and vertical landing, where it rose 40 meters (131 feet), hovered and landed safely on the pad on 17 December. (Universe Today) (Daily Breeze) (Wacotrib.com) (Today Online)

Sport

RCD Mallorca football club's president Jaume Cladera resigns from his post with the La Liga club. (ESPN Star)
Oleksandr Yaroslavsky resigns as president of Metalist Kharkiv and transfer the obligations regarding its financing to another investor. (Ukrainian News)
Former FC Barcelona coach Radomir Antić appointed as new manager of China's football club Shandong Luneng. (RTBF)

December 25, 2012 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war:
- Rebels take over the city of Harem in Idlib Governorate on the border with Turkey, about 55 kms west of Aleppo. (Al Jazeera)
- Pope Benedict XVI calls for a political solution to the conflict in Syria during his Christmas message, delivered to thousands of pilgrims in Vatican City. (BBC) (The Guardian) (Reuters)
Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen:
- Six AQAP militants and two Yemeni soldiers are killed after clashes near a damaged oil pipeline in Ma'rib Governorate. Separately, gunmen target military officials and the home of the transport minister in the capital Sana'a, killing a brigadier general and injuring four others. (Reuters)
Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Suspected members of Boko Haram attack a church in northeastern Nigeria, killing six people. (Reuters)
2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- The Seleka rebel coalition captures Kaga-Bandoro, the fourth major city to fall since the return to hostilities on December 10. Meanwhile, President François Bozizé meets with military advisors in the capital Bangui. (France 24)

Arts and culture

Pope Benedict XVI delivers the annual Christmas message at Saint Peter's Square and holds the traditional Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. (BBC) (Sky News) (Herald Net)

Elizabeth II addresses her Commonwealth subjects in her annual Royal Christmas Message, referring to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the "humbling" experience of her diamond jubilee celebrations. Her speech – the first to be broadcast in 3D – does not include mention the recently-announced pregnancy of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, wife of her eldest grandson. (The Guardian) (Independent)

Disasters and accidents

An Antonov An-72 plane carrying senior Kazakh border officials crashes close to the city of Shymkent, killing all 27 on board. (BBC)
An Air Bagan plane carrying more than 60 passengers, including many foreigners, from the city of Yangon to Heho Airport in Shan State, Burma, makes an emergency landing, killing a passenger and a motorcyclist and injuring 11 others. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
An alert is issued after the Copahue stratovolcano, located on the border between Argentina and Chile, begins spewing ash. (Al Jazeera)
Five people are killed when a Mi-8 helicopter of Ukraine's internal troops crashes in Oleksandriia, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukraine. (RIA Novosti)
Two young brothers and a woman are killed motor car accident on the northbound carriageway of the M6 motorway in Staffordshire, England. (BBC) (The Guardian)
At least eight people have died and thousands been left homeless in the Philippines after two fires struck Manila on Christmas Day. A fire has sparked violent clashes between residents and firefighters. (SkyNews) (AFP/Reuters via ABC Australia) (BBC)

International relations

Iran rebuffs a Stuxnet-style computer worm attack on a power plant in southern Iran. Tehran accuses Israel and the United States of planting the malware. (BBC)

Law and crime

A man rams his car into a group of schoolchildren in Hebei, China, with at least 13 casualties reported. (BBC) (South China Morning Post) (RTHK) (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

Egypt announces the ratification of a new Constitution adopted in constitutional referendum. (The Washington Post)
Recently re-elected Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez starts walking and exercising again following a recent cancer operation. (BBC)
Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, criticises the UK government's plans for gay marriage as a "shambles", saying they do not have a mandate to introduce the policy. (BBC) (The Guardian)
Israel greenlights the fast-track development of another 1,200 housing units around Jerusalem, including East 1. This week's total now stands at 5,500, the largest in some time. (The Guardian) (The Jerusalem Post)
In his Christmas Day message, Seán Brady, the controversial head of Ireland's Catholic hierarchy, calls upon his flock to continue their opposition to abortion. In the wake of the death of Savita Halappanavar, the Indian dentist recently denied an abortion of her dying foetus by Ireland's conservative laws, the country's government is once again to attempt to legislate for the 1992 X Case in the coming year, with Ireland the only remaining EU state to outlaw the procedure. (Daily Mail) (RTÉ News) (The Irish Times)

Sport

In tennis, Rafael Nadal's long-awaited comeback from a knee injury has had to be postponed because of illness. He is out of an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi, UAE. (BBC) (Reuters)

December 26, 2012 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
- A suicide bomber kills himself and three Afghans (a guard and two civilians) outside the perimeter of Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost, Afghanistan, the scene of an earlier attack in December 2009. (AP via MSN)

Arts and culture

The death is announced of Irish poet, essayist, critic and editor Dennis O'Driscoll at the age of 58. (RTÉ News)
Gerry Anderson, pioneer of "supermarionation" and creator of classic television series such as Thunderbirds and Stingray, dies aged 83. (BBC)

Business and economy

CBB International, a financial analytics concern, releases a survey of executives indicating that China's retail sector is growing, leading a broader upswing in that nation's economy. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

A moderate severe weather outbreak pounds several southern U.S. states on Christmas Day, including Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. More than 30 tornadoes are reported as the storms leave at least six people dead. The system is expected to move northeast and affect the East Coast with high winds and heavy snowfall. (ABC News) (Reuters) (AP) (CNN)

International relations

Russia's parliament approves a law banning Americans from adopting Russian children as response to a U.S. Magnitsky bill. (AP via ABC News) (The Wall Street Journal)

Law and crime

A total of nine unidentified individuals are shot to death in Sinaloa state, Mexico. (Rantburg)

Politics and election

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzō Abe unveils his cabinet line-up as he begins the task of economic revitalisation. (BBC) (AP)
Former South African President and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, 94, in still-fragile health, is released from the hospital in Pretoria, South Africa to receive continuing at-home care. He had had his longest period of hospitalization (more than 2 weeks) there since his 1990 release from prison, as the result of a gallstone removal operation and a lung infection. (MSN)
Former U.S. President, 88-year-old George H. W. Bush, still receiving visitors, remains hospitalized (since 23 November) at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, where he resides during the winter, with a receding bronchitis-like cough but with a now-rising and long-lasting fever, and has been put in intensive care on a liquids-only diet for unspecified reasons. (AP via Huffington Post)
Hawaii's Democratic Governor Neil Abercrombie appoints Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz (a former state legislator and nonprofit group executive) to fill the term of the recently-deceased longtime Democratic U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye until 2014, when a special election will be called to fill the slot until 2016. His was one of three names known to have been submitted by the state party's central committee, along with an unnamed person and U.S. Democrat Colleen Hanabusa, whom Inouye had stated as his preferred successor hours before his death. (CNN)

Science and technology

China officially opens the world's longest high-speed rail route, which links Beijing and Guangzhou. (BBC)

Sport

In ice hockey, the 2013 IIHF World U20 Championship begins today in Ufa, Russia with 10 teams split into two groups of five. (IIHF)
Mykhaylo Fomenko is appointed the Ukraine national football team coach by the Football Federation of Ukraine. Serhiy Kovalets will lead the Ukraine national under-21 football team. (Kyiv Post) (Bigmir.Net)
NBA postpones regular season game between Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers due to snowstorm that hit the Indianapolis area. (NBA) (NBC Sports)

December 27, 2012 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- The president of the Central African Republic, François Bozizé, asks for international assistance as rebels advance on the capital Bangui. (Al Jazeera)
- The United States Embassy in Bangui suspends operations due to rising rebel attacks. (CNN) (Reuters)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- In Pakistan, at least 22 paramilitary policemen are reported to have been kidnapped by militants. (BBC)

Business and economy

Toyota Motor Corporation, moving to put years of legal problems behind it, has agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle dozens of lawsuits relating to sudden acceleration. (AP via The Washington Post) (Los Angeles Times)
A New York state appeals court dismissed a lawsuit brought by several hedge funds against Porsche Automobil Holding, in a controversy that dates to the volatility of the stock price of Volkswagen in October 2008. (ThomsonReuters)

Disasters and accidents

Japan's Coast Guard sends a rescue team to the Russian fishing trawler "Alanet" with 24 fishermen on board which is in distress off Japanese Hokkaido Island. (The Voice of Russia) (ITAR-TASS)

Law and crime

Private investigator Paul Huebl claims Whitney Houston was killed by drug dealers in February 2012 after clocking up a $1.5 million debt. (The Sun) (RT) (Radar Online)

Politics and elections

Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi, the only female minister ever appointed in the Islamic Republic of Iran, is sacked after a dispute with President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (BBC) (Reuters)
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of Pakistan's murdered ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, promises to fight militancy and maintain democracy, in his first major political speech marking five years since his mother's death. (BBC)
Catholic figurehead Seán Brady's intervention in Ireland's abortion debate draws harsh criticism from legislators and more calls for the Church to transfer the rest of the compensation it promised for those abused by priests, but has not yet paid. (Irish Independent)
Harry Reid, the Democratic US Senate leader, says the U.S. appears to be heading over the fiscal cliff, with tax raises and spending cuts imminent. (BBC) (Reuters)
Retired General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., commander of the combined coalition forces during the Gulf War, dies from pneumonia complications at age 78. (AP) (The New York Times)

Science and technology

NASA scientists are planning to capture a 500 ton near-Earth asteroid, relocate it and turn it into a space station for astronauts on their route to Mars after 2025. (Daily Mail) (The Times of India) (Caltech Report)
Team members from the British Antarctic Survey temporarily abandon a project to drill through two miles of Antarctica's ice sheet to reach Lake Ellsworth due to problems linking boreholes in the ice. (BBC) (Nature) (ITV News)

Sport

In the Football League Championship, Norwegian manager Henning Berg is sacked as coach of Blackburn Rovers after only 57 days in the job. Also, Sean O'Driscoll is sacked as Nottingham Forest manager after five months in charge. (ESPN) (BBC) (Daily Mail)
Roland Duchâtelet, owner of Standard Liège, warns that club will breakaway from the Belgian Pro League and join France's Ligue 1 if a new Belgian–Dutch league is not created. (The International News)
Colombian football player Radamel Falcao is awarded the 2012 Globe Soccer Awards. (Marca) (Futbol Red)
Canada soccer international forward Christine Sinclair wins the 2012 Bobbie Rosenfeld Award given to the country's female athlete of the year. (The Globe and Mail)

December 28, 2012 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- The government of the Central African Republic and a rebel coalition agree to hold talks after weeks of unrest. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Jiroemon Kimura of Japan becomes the world's oldest verified man ever. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

A bus has veers off a mountain road and plunges into a river near Dasarathpur village in western Nepal, killing at least 13 people and leaving 19 others critically injured. (AP via The Washington Post)

International relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the Dima Yakovlev Law banning US citizens from adopting Russian children. (The Voice of Russia) (CNN) (RIA Novosti) (Reuters)
South Sudan’s ambassador to Moscow says the UN helicopter with Russian crew that was downed in South Sudan last week was probably mistaken for one of the Sudanese aircraft. (RIA Novosti)

Politics and elections

US President Barack Obama says he is "modestly optimistic" that a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff is possible, after a last-ditch White House meeting. (BBC) (Reuters)
Italy's outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti is to lead a coalition of centre parties going into a parliamentary election in February 2013. (BBC) (Reuters)
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III signs into law the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, informally known as the RH Law. (Rappler)
Massive Sunni-led demonstrations erupt across Iraq demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. (The Star)

Law and crime

A 17-year-old girl and Indian rape victim commits suicide after local police pressure her to marry her attacker. It echos with recent outcry over Indian police tolerance over rape in India. (DemocracyNow.org)

Sport

Real Madrid's coach José Mourinho is awarded the 2012 Best Coach at the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony in Dubai, UAE. (Goal.com)
Former Romania midfielder Dorinel Munteanu is named as coach of Mordovia Saransk, the Russian Premier League club from the Volga Region. (Reuters via Yahoo!) (R-Sport)
Former Czech Republic and Aston Villa defender Václav Drobný dies at the age of 32 in bobsleigh accident. (Eurosport) (Tyden.cz)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is named as 2012 Ukrainian Premier League Footballer of the Year running ahead of Willian and Yevhen Konoplyanka. (NB News)

December 29, 2012 (Saturday)

Armed attacks and conflicts

Syrian civil war:
- The LCC report that up to 400 people have been killed across Syria on Saturday, including about 200 reported executed by the Syrian Army in the Deir Ballba neighborhood of Homs. (CNN)
2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- Rebels in the Central African Republic have made fresh gains and are now in control of a key central city. (BBC)
War in North-West Pakistan:
- Fighters of the Pakistani Taliban kill 21 kidnapped security personnel near Peshawar. (BBC) (Xinhua)

Disasters and accidents

A Tupolev Tu-204 airliner with eight people on board crashes in a ditch between the airport fence and the M3 highway after overshooting a runway at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, killing five people and leaving three others critically injured. (BBC) (RIA Novosti) (Xinhua) (RT)

Law and crime

A 23-year-old Indian woman who was gang-raped on a bus in Delhi on December 16 dies of her injuries at a hospital in Singapore. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher leaves hospital after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour. (BBC)
US Senate passes H.R. 5949, FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act, which extends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008 five more years until December 31, 2017. The US House of Representatives also voted for the extension earlier this month. (Govtrack)
France’s Constitutional Council strikes down the government’s plan to impose a 75 percent marginal income tax rate on the wealthy. (The New York Times) (The Guardian) (BBC)

Sport

Bradley Wiggins and Dave Brailsford are awarded knighthoods in the 2013 New Year Honours list, while Sarah Storey becomes a Dame, the female equivalent of a knight. (The Guardian) (The Daily Telegraph) (Road.cc)
In Premier League's Boxing Day, Theo Walcott hits a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Newcastle United 7–3 while Manchester City cling on for a thrilling 4–3 victory over Norwich City at Carrow Road. (ESPN) (BBC) (Eurosport)
In the Russian Premier League, former Volga Nizhny Novgorod manager Gadzhi Gadzhiyev is named as new coach of Krylia Sovetov Samara. (RIA Novosti)

December 30, 2012 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan:
- A suicide bomber kills 19 in an attack on Shiites in Balochistan province. (AP via USA Today) (BBC) (Reuters)
2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- Central African Republic leader François Bozizé promises a national unity government, as rebels advance to within 75 km of the capital Bangui. (BBC) (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Guatemalan Congresswoman Catarina Castor dies in the crash of a private plane in the northwestern Guatemalan province of Quiché, which also killed the pilot and injured the Governor Quiché Department, Heber Cabrera. (Fox News)
A tour bus crashes off Interstate 84 in northeastern Oregon in the United States, leaving 9 of its passengers dead and 26 injured. (AP via ABC News)

Law and crime

Mexican marines kill 4 gunmen who tried to steal the body of Angel Enrique Uscanga, a drug boss, in Gulf coast state of Veracruz. (Fox News) (AP via The Guardian)

Politics and election

U.S. President Barack Obama puts pressure on Republicans to accept a deal aimed at avoiding a tax and spending "fiscal cliff", as the end-of-year deadline looms. (BBC) (Reuters)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is hospitalized after doctors discover a blood clot related to the concussion she suffered earlier this month. (CNN)

Science and technology

The confirmation of the existence of a subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson is named as 2012 Breakthrough of the Year by the Science magazine. (Science) (Voice of America) (CNN)
Italian neurologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, the 1986 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, dies at the age of 103. (ANSA.it) (BBC) (Bloomberg)
The Beijing Subway expands to 442 km with the opening of Line 6, making it the longest metro network in the world. (Railway Gazette) (Businessweek)

Sport

The Egyptian Football Association says the launch 2012–13 Egyptian Premier League is postponed for a third time, this time until 1 February. The first round of matches will be played behind closed doors following the Port Said Stadium disaster. (Reuters via Yahoo!)
Bayern Munich's striker Mario Mandžukić is named as 2012 Croatian Footballer of the Year. (HRSport.net) (Goal.com)
Deportivo de La Coruña announces that manager José Luis Oltra has been sacked due to a poor start to the 2012–13 La Liga season. (ESPN) (FIFA) (Fox News)

December 31, 2012 (Monday)