Portal:Current events/2013 July 25

Current events of July 25, 2013 (2013-07-25) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• The United Nations states that the death toll of the ongoing Syrian civil war has exceeded 100,000. (CNN)

Arts and culture

• The Oxford English Dictionary confirms that it will change the definition of the word "marriage" to include the LGBT community. (Daily Mail)

Business and economy

• China begins a major effort to boost its economic growth with business tax breaks and export liberalization, amid an increasing industrial slowdown. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

• Santiago de Compostela derailment:
  • Mariano Rajoy, the Prime Minister of Spain, declares three days of national mourning for the 78 people killed in the derailment, Spain's worst train accident since 1944. (RTE)
  • The driver of the Alvia high-speed train involved in the accident is arrested, as investigations show that the train was travelling at more than double the local speed limit at the time of the crash. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Mohamed Brahmi, the leader of the Tunisian People's Movement, is fatally shot outside his house in Tunis, sparking clashes between police and protesters. (BBC)
• Disgraced Chinese Communist Party official Bo Xilai is charged with corruption and abuse of office, in the culmination of one of China's most significant political scandals in recent years. (Financial Times)
• A New Jersey attorney announces the largest alleged commercial hacking and data breach scheme ever prosecuted in the United States. (AP via Fox News)

Politics and elections

• Voters in Togo go to the polls for a parliamentary election, which was delayed from October 2012 due to mass protests. (BBC)

Science

• British scientists discover the mechanism which causes human allergy to cats, and state that a general cure for the condition could become available within five years. (Daily Mail)