Australia ratifies the Kyoto Protocol agreement, which former Prime Minister John Howard declined to sign due to claims that it would harm Australia's economy. (BBC News)
A suicide bomber rams a car into a minibus containing Afghan soldiers on a highway south of Kabul. Thirteen, including six Afghan soldiers, are killed in the incident. (AP via Google News)[permanent dead link]
Percy Schmeiser and Louise Schmeiser for their courage in defending biodiversity and farmers' rights, and challenging the environmental and moral perversity of current interpretations of patent laws. (The Right Livlihood Award.org)
Grameen Shakti wins the Right Livelihood Award for bringing sustainable light and power to thousands of Bangladeshi villages, promoting health, education and productivity. (Daily News)
The United StatesSupreme Court decides that federal district judges have broad discretion to impose what they think are reasonable sentences, even if federal guidelines call for different sentences. The case that they ruled on involved crack cocaine. (The New York Times)
Congressman Ron Paul raises a record 6 million dollars for his presidential campaign in a single day "Money Bomb" internet fundraiser to commemorate the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. This event is widely credited as being the first modern day Tea Party, thus creating the Tea Party movement.(Politico)
Iraq War: U.S. troops kill 11 members of a Mahdi Army splinter group. The military also announces that it has detained two more suspects in the capture of three U.S. soldiers earlier this year. (AP via Yahoo! News)
2007 Zoé's Ark controversy - Six Frenchaid workers, sentenced to eight years at hard labor by a Chadian court for allegedly attempting to rescue over 100 Chadian children, are flown to France, where they will appear before a French court which will decide how they will serve their sentences. (Reuters)
NASA astronomers refine the trajectory of new asteroid 2007 WD5, giving it a 1-in-25 (4%) chance of striking Mars on January 30, 2008. The object, estimated to be 50 meters wide, could impact Mars with the force of about three megatons of TNT. The potential strike area is close to the location of the Opportunity rover. (NASA)
Kenyan presidential election, 2007: Vote counting is delayed for a day with the opposition, led by Raila Odinga, holding a 40,000 vote lead with 90% of votes counted. Violence and looting ensue, especially in the capital Nairobi, with "several" fatalities amidst claims of election fraud from both camps. (BBC News)
The New England Patriots are the first team in the NFL to ever finish the regular season with a record of 16-0, the first perfect regular season in the league since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. (ESPN)
Tom Brady sets the NFL record for Most Touchdown Passes in a season with 50.
Randy Moss sets the NFL record for the Most Touchdown Receptions in a season with 23.