Portal:Current events/2012 December 20

Current events of December 20, 2012 (2012-12-20) (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. (AP)
• 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)