A Recap On World Events Occurring On Saturday, 22nd December, 2012

 Shane McEntee;

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian civil war:
  • In Damascus, a car bomb kills six people, and a gunman assassinates a state television journalist. (Los Angeles Times)
• 2012 Delhi gang rape case:
  • People rallying against last weekend's gang rape of a female student are showered in tear gas and water cannons in New Delhi, India.(BBC) (Al Jazeera)
• War in North-West Pakistan:
  • A suicide bomber kills at least eight people at a political rally in Peshawar, Pakistan. (BBC)

Arts and culture

• Hundreds of people in the Republic of Ireland queue before dawn for Christmas food parcels. (Irish Independent)

Law and crime

• The Police Service of Northern Ireland says that an incident at the home of one of its officers in Bangor, County Down, on Wednesday night was an attempt to murder him. (BBC)
• Pope Benedict XVI pardons his former butler Paolo Gabriele following his recent conviction for stealing confidential documents. (BBC)
• The UK's Police Federation launches a review into issues raised by its handling of the Andrew Mitchell "plebgate" row. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• Mahmoud Mekki resigns as Vice President of Egypt as the country completes its referendum on a new constitution. (BBC)
• Italian President Giorgio Napolitano dissolves the Parliament after the resignation of the Prime Minister Mario Monti (The Washington Post)
• Further details emerge on the suicide yesterday of Irish government minister Shane McEntee; he breakfasted with his family, took his dogs for a walk and was later found dead. Friends blame the pressure he was put under by his party to vote in favour of the country's latest austeritybudget. (The Irish Times) (Irish Independent)
• Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher recovers in hospital after having a growth removed from her bladder and is likely to remain in hospital over the Christmas period. (Al Jazeera) (BBC)

Sport

• Brazil opens the 62,160 capacity Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, the second stadium for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. (Reuters via Ahram Online)
• Bundesliga club Wolfsburg appoint former Nuremberg boss Dieter Hecking as their new head coach. (FIFA) (ESPN)
• Lionel Messi scores his 91st, and final, goal of a record breaking year as Barcelona win 3–1 against Real Valladolid in the 2012–13 La Liga.(ESPN) (Daily Mail)
• Spanish footballer Isco who plays for Málaga CF is named as 2012 Golden Boy running ahead of Stephan El Shaarawy and Thibaut Courtois.(Goal.com) (Marca)
• In boxing, Tomasz Adamek outpoints Steve Cunningham in a split decision in their IBF heavyweight title eliminator at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA. (The Washington Post)