United Kingdom A British research team launches a long-awaited project to hunt for life in Lake Ellsworth hidden beneath the ice-sheet in Antarctica.
4179 Toutatis 4179 Toutatis, an asteroid about 3 miles wide, passes within 4.3 million miles or 18 lunar distances of the Earth.
Michael Palmer Michael Palmer resigns as the Speaker of the House in the Parliament of Singapore due to an extra-marital affair.
Nicolás Maduro Nicolás Maduro, the Vice President of Venezuela, warns that President Hugo Chávez faces a "difficult" recovery from cancer surgery in Cuba.
10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street denies that British Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman Craig Oliver warned "The Daily Telegraph" against running a critical story on MPs expenses claimed by Culture Secretary Maria Miller because of her role in enacting proposals in the Leveson report.
Sexual harassment A sexual harassment case against former Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Peter Slipper is dismissed.
Mali Malian interim President Dioncounda Traoré appoints Django Sissoko to be a new Acting Prime Minister, after his predecessor Cheick Modibo Diarra was forced to resign by leaders of the 2012 coup d'état.
Ireland Irish politician Joan Collins names crime journalist Paul Williams and sports star Ronan O'Gara under Dáil privilege as being among those to benefit from having their penalty points for traffic offences cancelled by the Garda Síochána. Justice Minister Alan Shatter calls Collins's action a "total disgrace" and she is reported to a Leinster House watchdog called the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
Ecuador Ecuador's National Court of Justice issues an international arrest warrant for former President Jamil Mahuad on embezzlement charges and orders that all of his assets in Ecuador be seized.
John McAfee American businessman John McAfee is deported from Guatemala to the United States despite being wanted for questioning in Belize.
Sir Desmond de Silva Sir Desmond de Silva's report into the 1989 murder of Northern Ireland solicitor Pat Finucane is published, detailing "shocking state collusion" but, it says, absence of an "overarching conspiracy".
North Korea North Korea successfully launches a long-range Unha rocket to put its first satellite into space, the aim of what critics say is a disguised ballistic missile test. The United Nations condemns the action.
Ben Bernanke Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve announces explicit ties between Fed policy on interest rates and economic goals, especially unemployment.
Pope Pope Benedict XVI sends his first Twitter message with an assist using his personal account (pontifex Benedict XVI).
Rolling Stones Musicians and entertainers including the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Bruce Springsteen perform a benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Syrian civil war Government forces reportedly fire Scud-type missiles at rebels in the north of the country.
A car bomb and two other explosions go off outside the Interior Ministry and Palace of Justice in Damascus.