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)