Portal:Current events/2012 December 23
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:
- 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)[permanent dead link]
- 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)
Deaths
- Capital STEEZ was an upcoming rapper from Flatbush, NY who committed suicide at 23:59 that night.