Portal:Current events/Sandbox

Topics in the news

Gukesh Dommaraju

• Gukesh Dommaraju (pictured) defeats Ding Liren to win the World Chess Championship.
• Syrian rebel forces capture Damascus following multiple offensives as overthrown president Bashar al-Assad flees to Russia.
• Notre-Dame de Paris reopens following reconstruction after the 2019 fire.
• The first round of the Romanian presidential election is annulled by the Constitutional Court following allegations of Russian electoral interference.

Ongoing:

• Israel–Hamas war
• Israeli invasion of Lebanon
• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • timeline
• Sudanese civil war
  • timeline

Recent deaths:

• David Bonderman
• Rachmadi Bambang Sumadhijo
• Eddie Stobart
• Dickie Rock
• Michael Ruetz
• Paolo Pillitteri

December 13, 2024 (2024-12-13) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Israel and the Syrian civil war
    • 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
      • Syrian sources report that Israeli forces met with village dignitaries in the Yarmouk Basin area of Daraa Governorate, instructing them to surrender all weapons in the villages and for villagers to comply with home searches. (Erem News) (Sada El-Balad)
• Israel-Hamas war
  • December 2024 Nuseirat refugee camp attack
    • The number of Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp rises to thirty-three, most of whom were relatives of the al-Sheikh Ali family. Eighty-four more are reported to be injured or missing. (Al Jazeera)
• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Moldova and the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • The Parliament of Moldova votes in favor of declaring a 60-day national state of emergency beginning on 16 December due to Ukraine not renewing its transit contract with Gazprom to deliver Russian gas to Moldova. (Reuters)
  • Ukrainian energy crisis
    • Russia launches one of its largest attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since the conflict's beginning, with about 290 fired missiles and drones striking multiple regions. (The Kyiv Independent)

December 12, 2024 (2024-12-12) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • Operation Dawn of Freedom
    • 2024 Manbij offensive
      • Large-scale protests occur in Manbij, Aleppo Governorate, Syria, against pro-Turkish Dawn of Freedom Operations Room revenge killings and crimes against civilians. (SOHR)
      • Pro-Turkish factions are filmed executing dozens of surrendered prisoners of the pro-Kurdish Manbij Military Council and Syrian Democratic Forces. (SOHR)
    • 2024 Kobani offensive
      • Turkish military forces and the pro-Turkish Dawn of Freedom Operations Room launch an attack with tanks and drones against the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates river, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warns could trigger a dam failure and a severe humanitarian crisis. (SOHR)
  • Israel and the Syrian civil war
    • 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
      • Syrian residents of the villages of Hader, Hamidiya, and Umm Batna in Quneitra Governorate are displaced from their homes after Israeli military forces enter the villages with military vehicles. (SOHR)
  • Fall of the Assad regime
    • At least six civilians are reported to have been killed by gunfire in celebration of the fall of the Assad regime. (SOHR)
  • Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war
    • Satellite images and MarineTraffic data confirm that the Russian Navy has abandoned its naval base in the port city of Tartus. (The Telegraph)
  • Syrian peace process
    • The Syrian transitional government announces that the constitution and parliament will be suspended during the three-month transitional period. (Al Arabiya)
• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Four police officers are injured in a drone attack on the barracks of a police regiment building in Grozny, Chechnya, Russia. (Kyiv Independent)
• Islamic State–Taliban conflict
  • The Islamic State – Khorasan Province claims responsibility for yesterday's suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, which killed acting Minister of Refugee and Repatriation Khalil Haqqani and several other people. (AP)

Arts and culture

• United States President-elect Donald Trump is named Person of the Year by Time magazine. (BBC News)
• Astro Bot wins Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024. (Polygon)

Disasters and accidents

• 2024–25 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
  • Tropical Cyclone Chido makes landfall over Agaléga, Mauritius. (Crisis24)

International relations

• Israel–Paraguay relations
  • Paraguay reopens its embassy in Jerusalem, Israel. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Federal pardons in the United States
  • U.S. President Joe Biden announces pardons for 39 people convicted of non-violent offenses, and commutes the sentences of 1,500 others who had been released from prison to house arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is considered the "largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history". (AP)
• A Danish court sentences British hedge fund trader Sanjay Shah to 12 years in prison for tax fraud. (The National)

Science and technology

• Edith Heard, biologist specialist of epigenetics and director-general of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, is awarded the CNRS Gold Medal, France's highest research award. (CNRS - Le Journal)

Sports

• World Chess Championship 2024
  • Gukesh Dommaraju defeats Ding Liren to win the World Chess Championship 7½-6½, becoming the youngest ever chess champion at the age of 18 years. (Sportstar)

December 11, 2024 (2024-12-11) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • Constitutional crisis in Somalia
    • 2024 Jubaland presidential election
      • Battle of Ras Kamboni
        • Somali forces launch a failed attack on Jubaland regional forces, with Jubaland capturing hundreds of Somali soldiers and claiming to have fully taken over Ras Kamboni, Lower Juba, Somalia. (Reuters) (Idil News) (Garowe Online)
• Israel–Hamas war
  • Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
    • Siege of North Gaza
      • At least 29 people are killed in Israeli airstrikes on civilian areas in Beit Lahia, North Gaza Governorate, Gaza. (Al Jazeera)
  • An Israeli boy is killed and three others are injured by a Palestinian gunman attack on a bus in Al-Khader, West Bank. (The Times of Israel)
• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • United States and the Russian invasion of Ukraine
      • The United States Department of State approves a $266.4 million sale of F-16 maintenance equipment to Ukraine. (Ukrainska Pravda) (DSCA) (Newsweek)
    • The Parliament of Canada approves the allocation of CA$764 million (US$587 million) in military aid to Ukraine. (Ukrainska Pravda)
• Syrian civil war
  • Fall of the Assad regime
    • Armed men raid and set fire to the tomb of former president Hafez al-Assad and also conduct attacks on other tombs and graves in Qardaha District, Latakia Governorate, Syria. (SOHR)
  • Sectarianism and minorities in the Syrian civil war
    • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights urges Syria's military leadership to prevent ongoing sectarian riots, looting, and assaults on civilians from armed groups. (SOHR)
  • The Federal Foreign Office of Germany announces an additional €8 million (US$8.4 million) in humanitarian aid to Syria following the fall of the Assad regime. (APA)
• Haitian crisis
  • Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, reopens after it was closed in November when a Spirit Airlines aircraft was struck by gunfire. (DW)
• Islamic State–Taliban conflict
  • Afghanistan's acting Minister of Refugee and Repatriation Khalil Haqqani and five other people are killed in a suicide bombing at the Ministry's headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Reuters)
• Israel–Hezbollah conflict
  • Five civilians are killed in Israeli airstrikes in Ainata, Bint Jbeil, and Beit Lif, Lebanon, despite the agreed ceasefire with Hezbollah. (Al Jazeera)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Amnesty International reports that Sudan is currently facing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with over 30 million people at risk or in need of humanitarian aid. (DW)

Business and economy

• Proposed acquisition of Albertsons by Kroger
  • American grocery store company Albertsons of Boise, Idaho backs out of a $24.6 billion merger deal between Cincinnati-based grocer Kroger and files a lawsuit against them that includes a $600 million termination fee. (ABC News)

Disasters and accidents

• One person is killed in a fire and explosion at a residential high-rise apartment building in Shenzhen, China. (Reuters)
• Fourty-four people are presumed dead from drowning when a boat carrying refugees from Sierra Leone capsizes on its way from Sfax, Tunisia, to Europe. (DW)

Health and environment

• Environmental issues in Iran
  • Iran announces that all government offices, universities, and schools in Tehran province will be closed for two days due to severe air pollution. (AP)

Politics and elections

• 2024 South Korean martial law
  • A special investigations team conducts a raid on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's office, the National Police Agency headquarters, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency headquarters, and the office of the National Assembly's security service, as part of an investigation into Yoon's failed attempt at imposing martial law last week. (DW)
  • Jailed former national defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly helped President Yoon Suk Yeol impose martial law, attempts suicide while in custody. (BBC News)
• 2024 United Kingdom farmers' protests
  • Hundreds of tractors block Whitehall in protest of Labour government changes to agricultural inheritance tax. (The Independent)

Sports

• 2034 FIFA World Cup
  • FIFA announces that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. (Khaleej Times)

December 10, 2024 (2024-12-10) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
    • Operation Dawn of Freedom
      • 2024 Manbij offensive
        • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports that pro-Turkish factions have begun revenge operations involving the identity-based killings of at least three Kurdish civilians in Manbij, Aleppo Governorate, Syria, as well as burning and looting civilian homes. (SOHR)
        • Pro-Turkish factions impose a siege on several neighborhoods in Manbij, prompting humanitarian concerns of potential massacres and kidnappings. (SOHR)
        • The SOHR reports that the Free Syrian Army-affiliated Dawn of Freedom Brigades performed a field execution of dozens of injured pro-Kurdish Manbij Military Council soldiers who had been receiving hospital treatment. (SOHR)
      • Deir ez-Zor offensive
        • The Military Operations Command says that its forces have taken full control of Deir ez-Zor following days of clashes with the Syrian Democratic Forces. (Trend News Agency)
    • Israel and the Syrian civil war
      • 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
        • Regional security sources report that Israeli troops have reached the city of Qatana in Rif Dimashq Governorate, 10 km into Syrian territory and 25 km southwest of Damascus. (Reuters)
        • The Israeli Navy attacks and destroys most of the Syrian Navy's fleet at anchor in the Port of Latakia, including Osa-class missile boats and minesweepers. (MSN) (Naval News)
        • Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia condemn Israel's actions in Syria and the United Nations special envoy for Syria calls on Israel to stop its military movements and bombardments inside Syria. (The Times of Israel)
  • Eastern Syria insurgency
    • The Islamic State summarily executes 54 Syrian Army soldiers captured near Al-Sukhnah, Homs Governorate. (SOHR)
• Israel–Hamas war
  • Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip
    • The United Nations reports that humanitarian aid has been blocked from entering the Gaza Strip for at least 66 days, leaving at least 65,000 Palestinians without food, water, electricity, and healthcare. (AP)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Battle of Khartoum
    • At least 65 people are killed and hundreds of others are injured in Rapid Support Forces artillery shelling on a market in Karary District, Khartoum State, Sudan. (Anadolu Agency) (Sudan Tribune)
  • Darfur campaign
    • At least 100 people are killed and 37 others are injured in a Sudanese Air Force airstrike on Kabkabiya District, North Darfur, Sudan. (Business Recorder) (Sudan War Monitor) (BBC News)
• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Southern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • A Russian missile strike on a private clinic in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, kills four civilians and injures 20 others. (Interfax Ukraine) (Al Arabiya)
• Insurgency in Balochistan
  • One Pakistani soldier and 15 separatist militants are killed in an operation in Zhob District, Balochistan, Pakistan (Arab News)

Arts and culture

• Filipino singer Sofronio Vasquez wins the 26th season of The Voice, becoming the first Filipino and Asian contestant to win a season of the show. (MSN)

Business and economy

• Proposed acquisition of Albertsons by Kroger
  • U.S. federal judge Adrienne Nelson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon blocks a $24.6 billion bid by Kroger to acquire stores from Albertsons. (Bloomberg Law)

Disasters and accidents

• 2024 California wildfires
  • In Malibu, California, United States, the Franklin Fire spreads to more than 2,800 acres, prompting over 20,000 people to evacuate. (KABC-TV)

International relations

• Switzerland–Syria relations
  • Refugees of the Syrian civil war
    • Switzerland suspends all new and pending asylum requests and announces that they will review their asylum policy following the fall of the Assad regime. (The Economic Times)
• Belarus–Russia relations, Nuclear risk during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirms the presence of nuclear weapons in his country, including Russia's Oreshnik missile system. (AP)

Law and crime

• The Russian Federal Security Service arrests a German-Russian man for allegedly planning to sabotage a rail line in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, on behalf of the Security Service of Ukraine. (DW)

Politics and elections

• Kenya Police fire tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Nairobi, Kenya, protesting against gender-based violence and femicide. Protests also took place in Mombasa and Lodwar, with at least three people arrested. (Al Jazeera) (Africanews)

December 9, 2024 (2024-12-09) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
    • Operation Dawn of Freedom
      • 2024 Al-Mustariha massacre
        • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that a Turkish drone strike on the village of Al-Mustariha in Raqqa Governorate, Syria, kills eleven family members, including six children. (SOHR)
      • 2024 Manbij offensive
        • The opposition Syrian National Army takes control of the city of Manbij, with 50 people killed in fighting between the Syrian National Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces. (LiveUA) (The Jerusalem Post) (SOHR)
    • Fall of Damascus
      • Fall of the Assad regime
        • Lieutenant General Ali Mahmoud, Maher al-Assad's office manager and leader of several Syrian civil war campaigns, is found dead in his office in a suburb of Damascus. (SOHR) (Naharnet)
      • The White Helmets civil defense organization announces they have freed over 20,000 prisoners from Sednaya Prison, with over 10,000 others unaccounted for. They report that there are areas of the prison hidden underground that they do not have access codes to, but can see prisoners on security cameras. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
  • Israel and the Syrian civil war
    • 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
      • Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz orders the Israeli Defense Forces to quickly occupy the entire Syrian buffer zone and to establish a new security zone further into southern Syria free of all insurgent infrastructure and heavy weapons. (Israel Hayom)
      • The Israeli Air Force launches several airstrikes on the city of Daraa and also carries out a series of airstrikes on Syrian Air Force bases, destroying the Syrian Air Force's entire fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets. (Erem News) (VIN News)
• Israel–Hamas war
  • Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Blockade of the Gaza Strip
    • At least 50 Palestinians are killed and 84 others are injured in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, including ten at a flour distribution zone in Rafah. (Al Jazeera)
  • Israeli–Palestinian peace process
    • The Hamas delegation holds another round of ceasefire talks in Cairo, Egypt, with General Intelligence Service chief Hassan Mahmoud Rashad. (APA)
• Haitian crisis
  • At least 110 elderly people are killed in Cité Soleil, Haiti, following accusations by a gang leader that the people practiced witchcraft against the gang leader's child. (France24)
• Myanmar civil war
  • The Arakan Army announces their capture of Maungdaw, Rakhine State, giving them full control over the Bangladesh–Myanmar border. (AP News)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Twenty-eight people are killed and 37 others are injured in a bombing on a petrol station in Mayo, Khartoum, Sudan. (The Peninsula) (Ommcom News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2024 Kanlaon eruption
  • PHIVOLCS raises the alert level of the Kanlaon Volcano in the Philippines to Level 3 after an explosive eruption occurred at the summit vent. (Rappler)
• 2024 The Hague explosion
  • The rescue operation at the scene of an explosion at several apartments in The Hague, Netherlands, two days ago, officially ends, with the final toll being six people killed and five others injured. (Euronews)
• Five people are killed and 26 others are injured after an explosion at an Eni factory in Calenzano, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy. (Rai News)
• Ten people are killed and two others are missing in floods and landslides in Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. (AP)
• A fishing boat collides with a sand barge near Gyeongju, South Korea, killing seven people with another person missing. (AP)
• Two military helicopters collide during a training flight in Isparta, Turkey, killing six soldiers. (Daily Sabah) (AP)
• At least seven people are killed and 42 others are injured when a bus rams into several vehicles and pedestrians in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The bus driver is detained by local police. (DW) (The Indian Express)

International relations

• Austria–Syria relations, Germany–Syria relations
  • Refugees of the Syrian civil war
    • Austria and Germany announce that they will freeze all new and ongoing asylum applications by Syrians and will review previous asylum claims by Syrians following the fall of the Assad regime. (Euronews)
• Australia–Nauru relations
  • Australia and Nauru announce a joint security treaty that will see Australia sending Nauru AU$100 million (US$64 million) in direct support over five years in exchange for Nauru consulting Australia before signing any bilateral agreements with other countries. (DW) (Nikkei Asia)

Law and crime

• Killing of Brian Thompson
  • A suspect is arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, United States, for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (CNN)
• China launches an investigation into American chip manufacturer Nvidia over suspected violations of China's anti-monopoly law. (CNA)
• 2024 Indian bomb hoaxes
  • At least 40 schools in New Delhi, India, receive bomb threats and a $30,000 ransom demand via e-mail on the same day. No evidence of explosives are found. (DW) (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2024 Azad Kashmir protests
  • The local government of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, repeals an executive order that banned protests following four days of shutter-down demonstrations in May. (Al Jazeera) (Daily Express)
• 2024 South Korean martial law
  • The South Korean Corruption Investigation Office imposes a blanket travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol for his failed attempt at imposing martial law last week. (Al Jazeera) (Kyodo News)
• Syrian peace process
  • Syrian opposition leader Mohammed al-Bashir is appointed Prime Minister of the Syrian transitional government. (Al Jazeera)
• Prime Minister of Tonga Siaosi Sovaleni resigns ahead of a vote of no confidence. (Reuters)

December 8, 2024 (2024-12-08) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
    • Fall of Damascus
      • Fall of the Assad regime
        • Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leaves the country on a flight from Damascus International Airport to Moscow, Russia. (BBC News) (Al Jazeera)
        • Russian state media reports that Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow, and that he and his family have been granted asylum by the Russian government. (Euronews) (Sky News)
        • Senior Syrian government officials are reportedly in talks with the Syrian opposition and are preparing to defect. (CNN)
        • Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali says that he is not leaving Syria and will commit to a peaceful transition of power to the Syrian opposition. Al-Jalali also calls on rebel forces to not damage state institutions in Damascus or to harm civilians. (Axios)
        • The Syrian Army says that Bashar al-Assad's rule has ended and orders all of its troops to lay down arms and stop fighting. (Reuters)
        • Syrian rebels seize state television and announce to the nation that Bashar al-Assad has been toppled and that a new government will be formed. (Xinhua)
        • Rebel forces seize the Presidential Palace in Damascus, which is later looted by armed soldiers and civilians. (The Guardian) (Al Arabiya)
      • Rebel forces take control of Sednaya Prison and begin releasing thousands of prisoners, including many political prisoners. (Barron's)
      • Thousands of Damascus residents gather in Umayyad Square to celebrate the collapse of the Assad regime. (BBC News)
      • A video posted to X shows Syrians tearing down posters of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani at the Iranian embassy in Damascus. Statues of former president Hafez al-Assad are also toppled across the city. (Al Bawaba) (Madhyama Online)
      • Syrians abroad celebrate the collapse of the Assad regime, with rallies being held in cities across Europe. (France24) (The Guardian)
    • 2024 Manbij offensive, Operation Dawn of Freedom
      • Turkish security sources claim that 80% of Kurdish-held positions in the city of Manbij in Aleppo Governorate have been taken by the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army. (Türkiye Today)
      • Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan threatens "appropriate measures" against Kurdistan Workers' Party-aligned rebel groups, and states that Turkey will never allow these groups control over any part of Syria or its government. (Shafaq)
    • Deir ez-Zor offensive
      • Syrian regime forces reportedly surrender Deir ez-Zor to opposition forces, according to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. (BBC News)
  • Israel and the Syrian civil war
    • 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
      • Israeli tanks and troops enter Syria's Quneitra Governorate to reportedly establish a buffer zone, marking Israel's first crossing of the ceasefire line in 50 years. (The Times of Israel) (Al Jazeera)
      • Israeli forces take control of the towns of Madinat al-Baath and Khan Arnabah in Quneitra Governorate and also capture the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in Rif Dimashq Governorate. (Factjo) (The Times of Israel)
      • The Israeli Air Force launches targeted airstrikes on ammunition and equipment depots at Mezzeh Air Base in Damascus and Khalkhalah air base in Suwayda Governorate. An Israeli airstrike also targets the Scientific Research Center in Damascus's security zone, which oversees chemical weapons and ballistic missile programs. (Reuters) (Sada El-Balad) (Al Jazeera)
      • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria has "collapsed" and orders the Israel Defense Forces to occupy the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. (New Arab)
  • US intervention in the Syrian civil war
    • War against the Islamic State
      • The United States launches airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime. (The Telegraph)
    • U.S. President Joe Biden praises the end of the Ba'athist Syria regime and announces that the U.S. will support Syria and its neighbors during Syria's political transition. (CNBC)
  • Turkish forces bombard positions in Syrian Democratic Forces-controlled areas in Al-Hasakah. (SOHR)
  • The Syrian opposition takes control of the city of Jableh in Latakia Governorate. (Al Jazeera)
• Israel–Hamas war
  • Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
    • At least 16 Palestinians are killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, including in Deir al-Balah and the Bureij refugee camp. (Al Jazeera)
• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and that 370,000 soldiers have been injured, while estimating the number of Russian casualties at 198,000 soldiers killed and more than 550,000 soldiers injured. (Politico)

Arts and culture

• Reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris
  • The Notre-Dame cathedral in Île de la Cité, Paris, France, reopens and holds its first public mass five years after a structural fire damaged the building and destroyed its spire. French President Emmanuel Macron and dozens of world leaders attend the reopening ceremony. (Irish Independent) (RTHK)

Law and crime

• 2024 South Korean martial law
  • South Korean National Police arrest former national defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and raid his home, alleging that Kim helped President Yoon Suk Yeol institute martial law. (DW) (Anadolu Agency)

Politics and elections

• 2024 Ghanaian general election
  • Former Ghanaian President and National Democratic Congress candidate John Mahama wins the presidential election as incumbent vice president and New Patriotic Party candidate Mahamudu Bawumia concedes defeat. (DW) (BBC News)

Sports

• 2024 Formula One World Championship
  • In auto racing, McLaren wins the World Constructors' Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, its first title since 1998. (NBC News)
• In professional baseball, the New York Mets sign Dominican outfielder Juan Soto to a $765 million, 15-year contract, the largest contract in Major League Baseball history. (Reuters)

December 7, 2024 (2024-12-07) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war
  • 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
    • Operation Dawn of Freedom
      • 2024 Manbij offensive
        • Turkish-backed Syrian National Army forces conduct extensive drone strikes and artillery shelling on villages near U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces positions in the city of Manbij in Aleppo Governorate, Syria. (Motabaat) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • Fall of Damascus
      • The Military Operations Command coalition led by Tahrir al-Sham says that a military operation to capture Damascus is underway with rebels reportedly advancing on the capital on several fronts. (The Jerusalem Post)
      • Rebel forces capture the cities of Al-Dumayr and Yabroud and the town of Sa'sa' in Rif Dimashq Governorate as the Syrian Defense Ministry denies reports that its troops are abandoning positions in the Damascus countryside. (Al Arabiya) (SOHR)
      • Syrian security officials and Arab officials say that First Lady of Syria Asma al-Assad fled with her three children to Russia last week. However, amid conflicting reports, Syrian state television says that President Bashar al-Assad remains in Damascus. (The Telegraph via Yahoo! News) (BBC News)
      • United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Otto Pedersen calls for an "orderly political transition" from the collapsing Syrian government to the Syrian opposition in order to end the conflict. (AP) (Barron's)
      • A statue of former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad is toppled in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana. (NBC News) (Barron's)
    • Southern Syria offensive
      • The Syrian Armed Forces announce a complete withdrawal from the Daraa and Suwayda Governorates in order to reinforce Damascus. (AP)
      • Rebel forces capture the city of Al-Sanamayn in Daraa Governorate and also capture the city of Quneitra. (First Post) (The Hindustan Times) (Al Arabiya)
    • 2024 Homs offensive
      • Rebel forces enter the city of Homs, eventually capturing the city after hours of urban warfare to oust Assad loyalists. Rebels also capture Homs Central Prison and release around 3,500 prisoners. (Reuters) (Times Now) (Cedar News) (Barron's)
    • Deir ez-Zor offensive
      • More than 1,000 Syrian soldiers seeking refuge cross into Iraq through the Al-Qa'im border crossing according to Iraqi authorities. (Iraqi News Agency)
    • Palmyra offensive
      • The U.S.-backed Revolutionary Commando Army takes control of the city of Palmyra in Homs Governorate following heavy fighting with pro-government forces. Rebels also capture the towns of Al-Sukhnah and Al-Qaryatayn in Homs Governorate. (Yeni Safak)
    • The Syrian Army withdraws from the cities of Al-Hasakah and Qamishli in Al-Hasakah Governorate, transferring control of the Kurdish-majority cities to the Syrian Democratic Forces. (Anadolu Agency) (Yeni Safak)
  • Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war
    • Iran begins to evacuate military personnel, diplomatic staff, and civilians from Syria amid rebel advances. (The New York Times)
  • Refugees of the Syrian civil war
    • The UN World Food Programme reports that the renewed conflict in Syria is estimated to displace around 1.5 million Syrians. (Al Jazeera)
• Israel–Hamas war
  • Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
    • Refugee camp airstrikes in the Israel–Hamas war
      • At least 20 people, including six children, are killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza. (Al Jazeera)
  • Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani says at the Doha Forum that his country is seeing a momentum build up for a ceasefire to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Six Pakistan Army soldiers and 22 Tehreek-e-Taliban militants are killed in clashes near the Afghan border. (Reuters)
  • Six soldiers are killed and seven are injured after a mass shooting at a military checkpoint in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

• 2024–25 European windstorm season
  • Storm Darragh
    • Two people are killed by falling trees in England and more than 1.5 million people experience power outages in Ireland and the United Kingdom as Storm Darragh hits the British Isles. (BBC News) (Sky News)
• 2024 The Hague explosion
  • Five people are killed, four others are injured, and several others are missing in an explosion that destroyed several apartments in The Hague, Netherlands. (BBC News) (Euronews)

Law and crime

• Cross-strait relations, Chinese intelligence activity abroad
  • Prosecutors in Taiwan charge four soldiers with espionage, accusing the soldiers of passing photographs of Taiwan's military capability to Chinese agents in exchange for money between 2022 and 2024. (DW) (The Standard)

Politics and elections

• 2024 South Korean martial law
  • Attempted impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol
    • A vote to impeach South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol fails in the National Assembly due to a boycott of the vote by members of Yoon's People Power Party. (AP)
  • President Yoon Suk Yeol apologizes to the South Korean population, promising that he will not avoid legal sanctions or institute martial law a second time. (The Guardian)
• 2024 Indian farmers' protest
  • Over 100 Indian farmers march from Punjab to the capital city New Delhi to demand for the legal assurance of a minimum support price for all crops as well as loan forgiveness for farmers. (DW)
  • Punjab Police set up barricades and fire tear gas at the marching farmers as they enter Haryana, causing them to turn around and return to Shambhu, Punjab. (Hindustan Times) (Anadolu Agency)
• 2024 Ghanaian general election
  • Ghanaians vote to elect the President and the 275 members of the Parliament. (France24)
• 2025 Singaporean general election
  • Former Workers' Party Secretary-General and longest-serving opposition Member of the Parliament of Singapore Low Thia Khiang announced retirement in politics ahead of the election. (The Straits Times) (CNA)
• Interim President and military junta leader of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traoré dismisses Prime Minister Apollinaire J. Kyélem de Tambèla and dissolves the government. (DW) (Irish Examiner)

Science and technology

• The Iranian Space Agency successfully launches the Simorgh rocket carrying two satellites and the Saman-1 space tug from the Imam Khomeini Space Launch Terminal in Semnan, Iran, the heaviest payload ever launched in Iran. (DW)

Sports

• MLS Cup 2024
  • In association football, the Los Angeles Galaxy defeat the New York Red Bulls 2–1 to win a record 6th championship. (AP)

Time: 10:29 UTC|Day: 13 December

December 2024

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

Ongoing events

Disasters

• Gaza humanitarian crisis
• Haitian crisis
• India–Pakistan smog
• Kwango province disease outbreak
• United States opioid epidemic

Economics

• Chinese property sector crisis
• German economic crisis
• United Kingdom cost-of-living crisis
• Video game industry layoffs

Politics

• French political crisis
• Mexico–United States border crisis
• South China Sea territorial disputes
• Venezuelan political crisis

Protests and strikes

• Georgian post-election protests
• Israel–Hamas war protests
• South Korean protests
• United Kingdom farmers' protests

Elections and referendums

Recent

• November

• 29: Ireland, Dáil Éireann
• 30: Iceland, Althing

• December

• 01: Liechtenstein, Referendum
• 01: Romania, Senate, Chamber of Deputies
• 06: Mauritius, President (indirect)
• 06: Aruba, Parliament
• 07: Ghana, President, Parliament

Upcoming

• 14: Georgia, President (indirect)

Trials

Ongoing

• France:0Dominique Pélicot
• Kosovo:0Specialist Chambers
• ICC:0Ali Kushayb  •  Mahamat Said Abdel Kani

Sports

• American football

• 2024 NFL season
• 2024 NCAA Division I FBS season

• Association football

• 2024–25 UEFA Champions League
• 2024–25 UEFA Europa League
• 2024–25 UEFA Conference League
• 2024–25 UEFA Women's Champions League
• 2024–25 Premier League
• 2024–25 Serie A
• 2024–25 La Liga
• 2024–25 Bundesliga
• 2024–25 Ligue 1

• Basketball

• 2024–25 NBA season
• 2024–25 EuroLeague

• International cricket

• 2023–25 ICC World Test Championship

• Ice hockey

• 2024–25 NHL season
• 2024–25 PWHL season

• Tennis

• 2024 ATP Tour

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

December

• 11: David Bonderman
• 10: Rocky Colavito
• 10: Michael Cole
• 10: Kreskin
• 09: Nikki Giovanni
• 06: Miho Nakayama
• 06: Maggie Tabberer
• 04: Princess Birgitta
• 04: Brian Thompson
• 04: Chiung Yao
• 02: Neale Fraser
• 02: Debbie Mathers
• 02: Israel Vázquez
• 01: Terry Griffiths

November

• 30: Lou Carnesecca
• 29: Marshall Brickman
• 29: Wayne Northrop
• 28: Silvia Pinal
• 28: Prince Johnson
• 28: Ananda Krishnan
• 27: Mary McGee
• 26: Jim Abrahams
• 26: Bob Bryar
• 25: Earl Holliman
• 25: Hal Lindsey
• 24: Barbara Taylor Bradford
• 24: Breyten Breytenbach
• 24: Helen Gallagher
• 23: Rico Carty
• 23: Fred R. Harris
• 23: Chuck Woolery
• 21: Alice Brock
• 20: Ursula Haverbeck
• 20: Andy Paley
• 20: John Prescott
• 19: Tony Campolo
• 18: Arthur Frommer
• 18: Bob Love
• 18: Colin Petersen
• 16: Vladimir Shklyarov
• 15: Celeste Caeiro
• 15: Béla Károlyi
• 15: Jon Kenny
• 15: Yuriko, Princess Mikasa
• 14: Vic Flick
• 14: Peter Sinfield
• 13: Theodore Olson
• 13: Shel Talmy
• 13: Daim Zainuddin
• 12: Roy Haynes
• 12: John Horgan
• 12: Thomas E. Kurtz
• 12: Timothy West
• 12: Song Jae-rim

Ongoing conflicts

Global

• War against the Islamic State

Africa

• Cameroon

• Anglophone Crisis

• Central African Republic

• Civil war

• Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Kivu conflict

• Ethiopia

• Amhara conflict

• Mozambique

• Insurgency in Cabo Delgado

• Nigeria

• Boko Haram insurgency

• Sahel insurgency

• Mali War

• Burkina Faso
• Niger

• Somalia

• Civil war

• Sudan

• Civil war

Americas

• Mexico

• Mexican drug war

Asia−Pacific

• Afghanistan

• Islamic State–Taliban conflict
• Republican insurgency

• India

• Naxalite–Maoist insurgency

• Indonesia

• Papua conflict

• Myanmar

• Civil war

• Pakistan

• Insurgency in Balochistan
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

• Philippines

• NPA rebellion

Europe

• Russia and Ukraine

• Russian invasion of Ukraine

Middle East

• Iraq

• Islamic State insurgency

• Israel

• Israel–Hezbollah conflict

• Israel–Hamas war

• Syria

• Israeli invasion

• Turkey

• PKK insurgency

• Yemen

• Red Sea crisis

See also – List of ongoing proxy wars

2024 events and developments by topic

Arts

• Animation (Anime)
• Architecture
• Comics
• Film (Horror, Science fiction)
• Literature (Poetry)
• Music (Classical, Country, Hip hop, Jazz, Latin, Metal, Rock, UK, US, Korea)
• Radio
• Television (Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK, Scotland, US)
• Video games

Politics and government

• Elections
• International leaders
• Sovereign states
• Sovereign state leaders
• Territorial governors

Science and technology

• Archaeology
• Biotechnology
• Computing
• Palaeontology
• Quantum computing and communication
• Senescence research
• Space/Astronomy
• Spaceflight
• Sustainable energy research

Environment and environmental sciences

• Climate change
• Weather (Heat waves
• Tornadoes
• Wildfires)

Transportation

• Aviation
• Rail transport
• Transportation technology

Establishments and disestablishments categories

• Establishments
• Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

• Works
• Introductions
• Works entering the public domain

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