A police officer stands guard at the site of car bomb attack in Baghdad's Sadr City, March 19, 2013.Qahtan al-Sudani/Reuters
A summary of what you need to know today, compiled by The Globe's news desk on March 19, 2013.
Wave of attacks on Iraq invasion anniversary
A wave of car bombs killed at least 56 people in Baghdad today on the tenth anniversary of the start of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, The Associated Press reports. More than 200 people were injured.
Tourist jumps off Indian balcony to flee attacker
A British woman was injured when she jumped off her third-floor hotel room balcony today to flee a sexual assault, The Associated Press reports. The woman fractured her leg after a man forced his way into her room in Agra. The attack comes a few days after a Swiss woman was gang-raped while camping in central India.
Pope Francis installed as new Catholic leader
Pope Francis was officially installed as the new leader of the Catholic Church today in Rome in a ceremony attended by more than 130 official delegations from around the world, including Canada, which was represented by Governor-General David Johnston. In his installation Mass, Francis said the pope's role is to protect all of humanity, "especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important," according to The Associated Press.
Cyprus tries to limit pain on banking measures
Government officials in Cyprus are seeking today to stem the pain for small savers in their controversial plan to raid bank deposits, The Associated Press reports. The attempts to spare deposits below about $26,000 from a levy comes hours ahead of an expected vote in the country's parliament.
Syrian rebels accused of using chemical weapons
Syria's state news agency is accusing rebels of using chemical weapons in an attack it claims killed 15 people, Reuters reports. Today's accusation comes as Western countries have warned Damascus against any use of chemical weapons – President Bashar al-Assad is widely believed to have a chemical arsenal – while expressing concerns about stockpiles falling into the hands of militant groups.
Jill Mahoney