Portal:Current events/2012 December 28

December 28, 2012 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2012 Central African Republic rebellion:
- The government of the Central African Republic and a rebel coalition agree to hold talks after weeks of unrest. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Disasters and accidents

A bus has veers off a mountain road and plunges into a river near Dasarathpur village in western Nepal, killing at least 13 people and leaving 19 others critically injured. (AP via The Washington Post)

International relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the Dima Yakovlev Law banning US citizens from adopting Russian children. (The Voice of Russia) (CNN) (RIA Novosti) (Reuters)
South Sudan’s ambassador to Moscow says the UN helicopter with Russian crew that was downed in South Sudan last week was probably mistaken for one of the Sudanese aircraft. (RIA Novosti)

Politics and elections

US President Barack Obama says he is "modestly optimistic" that a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff is possible, after a last-ditch White House meeting. (BBC) (Reuters)
Italy's outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti is to lead a coalition of centre parties going into a parliamentary election in February 2013. (BBC) (Reuters)
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III signs into law the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, informally known as the RH Law. (Rappler)
Massive Sunni-led demonstrations erupt across Iraq demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. (The Star)

Law and crime

A 17-year-old girl and Indian rape victim commits suicide after local police pressure her to marry her attacker. It echos with recent outcry over Indian police tolerance over rape in India. (DemocracyNow.org)

Sport