December 22, 2016 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian Civil War, Battle of Aleppo (2012–16)
- The Syrian Army says it is now in full control of the city of Aleppo following the evacuation of the last group of rebels to the Idlib Governorate. (BBC)
- Yemeni Civil War
- Seven Pakistani crew members on Iranian cargo ship MV Joya, sailing from Egypt to Dubai, UAE, are killed in a rocket attack off Yemen's coast. (The News) (ARY News tv)
Business and economy
- Residents of the economically struggling town of Pinos Puente in Granada, Spain, win the El Gordo lottery. (BBC)
Health
- A vaccine for the ebola virus is discovered to be 99.78%–99.87% effective. (NPR)
International relations
- U.S. president-elect Donald Trump calls President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, who then agrees to postpone a United Nations resolution regarding Israel. (al-Jazeera)
Law and crime
- As many as 80 inmates take over a section of HM Prison Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. (BBC)
- Philippine Drug War
- The Commission on Human Rights launches an investigation into alleged murders committed by current Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte. (BBC)
- Claremont murders
- A man is charged in Australia for allegedly committing the 20-year old crimes. (The Australian)
- U.S. president Barack Obama scraps the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), a registration system for Muslim immigrants. (The Washington Post)
Politics and elections
- Presidential transition of Donald Trump
- President-elect Donald Trump names his former presidential campaign manager Kellyanne Conway as his Counselor to the President. (The Guardian)
- President-elect Donald Trump names RNC Communications director Sean Spicer as White House Press Secretary, and Jason Miller as the White House Communications Director. (CNN)
- South Korean presidential election, 2017
- United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and liberal candidate Moon Jae-in plan to contest the position vacated by Park Geun-hye. (Reuters) (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Science and technology
- It is discovered that the Limusaurus dinosaur shed its teeth as it matured. (The Guardian)