Portal:Current events/2013 March 25

March 25, 2013 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2012–13 Central African Republic conflict:
- Seleka chief Michel Djotodia declares himself President of the Central African Republic and promises to retain power-sharing government as part of peace deal and put end to looting. (Al Jazeera)
- South Africa's President Jacob Zuma says that thirteen of the country's soldiers were killed in the Central African Republic as rebels seized the capital, Bangui. (BBC)
Syrian civil war:
- Rebel Free Syrian Army chief Colonel Riad al-Asaad is injured after a blast targets his car. (CNN)
- Arab League officials say the Syrian opposition, the National Coalition, will represent the country in the upcoming summit in Doha, Qatar. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

2012–2013 Cypriot financial crisis:
- Cyprus reportedly reaches an outline bank bailout deal with international lenders including the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. (Reuters via The Sydney Morning Herald)
- Eurozone finance ministers approve the deal, which includes a radical downsizing of the island's Russian-fueled financial sector. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Thousands of homes in Scotland and Northern Ireland are without electricity and many roads are closed after snowfall and strong winds hit over the weekend. (BBC)
Six sleeping workers are killed by a fire in a car seat factory outside Bangalore, India. (BBC)

Health and environment

Around 1,000 dead ducks are pulled from Sichuan River in southwest China, sparking health and environmental concerns among residents. Also, more than 16,000 dead pigs have been pulled from Shanghai's Huangpu River over the past two weeks. (BBC)

International relations

The United States agrees to hand over Bagram Jail, its main detention facility in Afghanistan, to the country's government. (Al Jazeera)
South Korea signs a new military plan with the United States to counter a possible incursion or a limited attack from North Korea. (BBC)
China's President Xi Jinping vows to intensify ties with Africa, as he addresses leaders in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on his first trip to the continent. (AFP via GlobalPost)
The European Union suspends sanctions against 81 officials and eight firms in Zimbabwe, but those against President Robert Mugabe and his top aides remain in place. (BBC)
United States Secretary of State John Kerry meets with the President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai to talk about the two countries' strained relations. (The Wall Street Journal)
The European Union and Japan say that they will begin talks to restart free trade between the two entities beginning in April. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

Hundreds of people gather outside Daily Mail headquarters to hold a vigil after the possible hounding to death of a primary school teacher Lucy Meadows by the British media. (The Guardian)
Six people are wounded during a stabbing attack at a Target store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. A 41-year-old homeless man was arrested. (The Huffington Post) (AP via Fox News)
The bodies of seven men, all shot in the head as if executed, are found dumped in plastic chairs placed along the side of a street in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico. (Al Jazeera)
The former President of Zambia Rupiah Banda is arrested for alleged corruption and abuse of authority. (AP via Fox News)
Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal rules that foreign domestic workers are not allowed to become Hong Kong permanent residents. (BBC) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)

Sport