February 27, 2013 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan:
- Taliban insurgents kill 17 Afghan government-affiliated militia personnel in an overnight attack in Andar District of eastern Ghazni Province. (AP via ABC News)
Arts and culture
- American classical pianist Van Cliburn dies in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, at the age of 78. (Fox News)
Business and economy
- JPMorgan announces it plans to cut 17,000 jobs over the next two years, primarily from the company's mortgage unit. (Reuters)
- Reuters reports that the Treasury of the Republic of Italy is working on the terms of a bailout for the third-largest lender in the country, Monte dei Paschi. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- Severe Tropical Cyclone Rusty intensifies to Category 4 status before crossing the coast of Western Australia between Port Hedland and Pardoo. (ABC News Australia)
- 2013 Calcutta market fire: At least 20 people are killed when a fire breaks out at an illegal market in Calcutta, India. (BBC) (CNN) (The Telegraph)
Health and environment
- 2013 meat adulteration scandal: Gæðakokkar 30% meat pie on Iceland is found to not contain any meat at all. (CBC) (The Reykjavík Grapevine)
Law and crime
- 2013 Menznau shooting: Four people (including the perpetrator) are killed and six injured in a shooting at a factory in Menznau, Switzerland. (BBC) (CNN) (Reuters)
- In Russia, Leonid Khabarov is convicted for an alleged role in a coup plot. (RT) (RIA Novosti) (RAPSI)
- Former WBO heavyweight champion Herbie Hide is questioned by police in connection with the supply of illegal drugs after he voluntarily attended a police station. He denies the allegation by The Sun newspaper that he offered to throw a fight for £1 million. (BBC) (WBN)[permanent dead link] (The Sun)
Politics and elections
- Stéphane Hessel, influential French diplomat, writer, thinker and inspiration for multiple political movements, dies at age 95. (BBC)
- Chuck Hagel is sworn in as United States Secretary of Defense, replacing Leon Panetta. (CNN)
- The United States Senate confirms Jack Lew as the Secretary of the Treasury. (Fox Business)
- President Barack Obama dedicates a new statue of Rosa Parks in the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. (The New York Times)
Religion
- Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia is appointed apostolic administrator of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh following Monday's resignation of Cardinal Keith O'Brien. (BBC)
- Pope Benedict XVI gives his farewell address at the Vatican City. (ABC News)
Science and technology
- Inspiration Mars Foundation: First space tourist Dennis Tito announces a plan to send a married couple on the first human mission to Mars in January 2018 on a round-trip journey lasting 501 days. (Popular Mechanics) (The Telegraph) (The Guardian)
Sport
- Atlético Madrid advances to the 2012–13 Copa del Rey Final against city rivals Real Madrid after drawing 2–2 with a Sevilla in the semi-final second leg. (Soccerway) (Goal.com)