February 26, 2013 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict:
- A rocket is fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, marking the first such attack since a ceasefire was signed in November 2012. (The New York Times)
- Mexican Drug War:
- Gunmen break into a prison in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, and liberate 12 inmates. (KRGV)[permanent dead link]
- Nigerian Sharia conflict:
- Gunmen kill seven guards guarding a marketplace in Yobe State, Nigeria. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- Low-lying parts of the Western Australian town of Port Hedland are evacuated with Severe Tropical Cyclone Rusty expected to reach the coast tomorrow. (AAP via SBS News) (ABC News Australia)
- 2013 Luxor hot air balloon crash: A hot air balloon crashes near the Egyptian town of Luxor killing 19 Asian and European tourists. (BBC) (Reuters) (CNN) (USA Today)
- February 2013 Great Plains blizzard: A 71-year-old man is killed in Woodward, Oklahoma, United States, when his roof collapses after a powerful winter storm affecting much of the central United States. (Koco.com)[permanent dead link] (Huffington Post)
Health and environment
- A study finds that sleep loss can alter gene behavior, which may explain why it often precedes medical problems such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. (Bloomberg)
- Pediatric clinical trials of Amgen's Sensipar, used to treat various hyperparathyroidism problems which result in abnormal levels of serum calcium, are halted in the United States after a 14-year-old patient dies. (MedPage Today)
International relations
- Representatives of six major world powers – China, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia and the United States – meet with Iranian officials to discuss the nation's nuclear program. (JTA)
Law and crime
- Mexican teachers' union leader Elba Esther Gordillo is arrested on corruption charges. (BBC)
- 2013 Santa Cruz shooting: Two police officers are fatally shot in Santa Cruz, California, United States. The suspect is shot and killed. (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Politics and elections
- The National Salvation Front, Egypt's main opposition party, announces it will boycott the upcoming parliamentary election. (Xinhua)
- Chuck Hagel is confirmed by the Senate as the United States Secretary of Defense. (The New York Times)
Science and technology
- United States researchers announce a flexible battery that can be charged wirelessly and will continue to work when folded, twisted, or stretched. (UPI)
Sport
- El Clásico: Real Madrid defeat rivals FC Barcelona 3–1 to complete a 4–2 aggregate win in the 2012–13 Copa del Rey semifinal. (The Guardian) (BBC)
- The group stage of the 2013 AFC Champions League officially starts. Tractor Sazi defeats Al Jazira 3–1 at their first match played in the history of AFC Champions League. (AFC)
- In team handball, the draw for the 2012–13 EHF Champions League Round of 16 is held in Vienna, Austria. Defending champions THW Kiel will play Chekhovskiye Medvedi. (EHF CL)