February 22, 2013 (Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war:
- Northern Mali conflict:
- 2013 Bangladesh protests:
- At least four people are dead in Bangladesh following clashes between the Islamists and the police. (CNN)
Business and economy
- For the first time ever, Moody's Investors Service downgrades the United Kingdom's bond credit rating from AAA to AA1. (The Wall Street Journal) (BBC)
Disasters and accidents
- Several hours of heavy rain and thunderstorms in the Greek capital Athens flood roads, houses, and causes disruption to train and tram networks. (BBC)
Health and environment
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves Kadcyla, a new drug manufactured by Roche, for treating late-stage breast cancer. (Reuters)
International relations
- Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, meets with the President of the United States Barack Obama at the White House to discuss trade, economic, and security issues including North Korea and the Senkaku Islands dispute with China. (USA Today) (Reuters)
- North Korea announces plans to allow foreign residents mobile access to the Internet. (AP via ABC News Australia)
- Japan vows to continue its whale hunting despite pressure from environmentalist group Sea Shepherd. (Japan Today)
Law and crime
- The United States Justice Department joins a lawsuit against cyclist Lance Armstrong for allegedly defrauding the United States Postal Service by using money from it to buy performance-enhancing drugs. (The Washington Post)
- Six people are stabbed and wounded in downtown Los Angeles, California. Two suspects are arrested. (AP via The Sacramento Bee)[permanent dead link]
- Paralympian Oscar Pistorius is released on 1 million rand bail, pending trial for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. (Reuters) (The Guardian) (The Telegraph)
Politics and elections
- UK Independence Party MEP Marta Andreasen announces she is leaving the party to join the Conservatives. (BBC)
Science and technology
- Plans are announced to attempt to intercept 65803 Didymos, a non-threatening near-Earth asteroid, in 2022 using AIDA. (Space.com)
- Koryo Tours and Nosotek release the first North Korean video game, titled Pyongyang Racer. (Fox News)
Sport
- In boxing, on the "B" sample of the doping tests for his November 2012 fight with Wladimir Klitschko, Mariusz Wach also tested positive for anabolic steroids. (Boxing Scene)