Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic

• In Zamfara, Nigeria, 279 girls who had been kidnapped from a secondary school by armed bandits are released.
• In tennis, Naomi Osaka wins the women's singles and Novak Djokovic wins the men's singles at the Australian Open (both winners pictured).
• Porfirije is enthroned as the 46th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
• NASA's Perseverance rover, carrying the Ingenuity helicopter, successfully lands on Mars.

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• Myanmar protests

Recent deaths:

• Rheal Cormier
• Kind
• Bill C. Davis
• Benedict J. Fernandez
• Walter Gretzky
• Phil Chisnall

Current events of March 9, 2021 (2021-03-09) (Tuesday)

Disasters and accidents

• At least 39 people are dead while 165 others are rescued when two boats sank off Tunisia while trying to reach Lampedusa, Italy. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Prime Minister Hun Sen orders temporary closure of the country's civil institutions and reduce its on-site employees by 90% for at least a week, with exception of military and health workers amid rise of COVID-19 cases. (The Straits Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority approves the emergency use of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines surpasses 600,000 total COVID-19 cases. (ABS-CBN News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    • Ukraine grants the approval of Coronavac vaccine developed by Sinovac. (Reuters)

International relations

• United States–Venezuela relations, Immigration policy of the Joe Biden administration
  • The Biden administration grants temporary protected status (TPS) to Venezuelans living in the United States. The decision will allow thousands of Venezuelan migrants to stay and work legally in the U.S., and will remain in effect for 18 months. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• 2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis
  • The European Parliament votes to strip Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí's parliamentary immunity, allowing Spanish prosecutors to extradite them to Spain and prosecute them for sedition and embezzlement. (The Guardian)
• Spanish Núria Calduch becomes the first female Secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission named by Pope Francis. (Catalunya Religió)

Current events of March 8, 2021 (2021-03-08) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Two people are killed and three more are wounded in Myitkyina after being shot in the head, as security forces open fire on people protesting against the coup d'état in Myanmar. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Myanmar's State Administration Council revokes the licence of five media companies namely Myanmar Now, Khit Thit Media, Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), Mizzima, and 7Day amid the crackdown on press outlets covering anti-coup protests. (Voice of America)

Business and economy

• EuroAsia Interconnector
  • Cyprus, Greece and Israel sign an agreement to build the world's largest and deepest submarine power cable that will connect the three Mediterranean countries' power grids at a cost of about $900 million. The project is expected to be completed by 2024. (Ekathimerini)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Bata explosions
  • The death toll from yesterday's explosions in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, rises to 98 people. More than 615 others are wounded. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
        • Millions of students across England return to primary and secondary schools after two months studying at home during the third lockdown as a first step towards a return to normality. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the second country in Europe to reach the milestone after the United Kingdom. (France 24)
      • The region of Campania enters a lockdown which is expected to end on March 21. (Nuova Irpinia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria reports their first case of the Lineage P.2 variant first detected in Brazil in a person from Salzburg state. (Kurier)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports their youngest death from COVID-19 in a 37-day-old infant. (The Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • Prime Minister Mark Rutte extends the country's strict lockdown until the end of the month and advises against foreign travel until April 15. The curfew from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. will remain in place through the election on March 17, but those working or visiting a voting booth will not be fined for breaching it. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in East Timor
      • East Timor imposes a "sanitary fence and mandatory confinement" in the capital Dili for the next seven days beginning at midnight. This is the country's first lockdown since the beginning of the pandemic. (The Canberra Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia receives their first shipment of 1.1 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (detikHealth)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia reports a record 108 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,336. (Montsame)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
      • President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad both test positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from the presidential office. They are both reported to be in good health with "minor symptoms". (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 starting with health workers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Duong Province using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. (Vietnam Plus)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
      • Hawaii reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa in a person from Oahu with no known travel history. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      • Michigan reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa in a child from Jackson County. (WOOD-TV)
    • The U.S. surpasses 29 million cases of COVID-19. (KIRO-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • The government announces a deal with Pfizer to receive 14 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by June, and a total of 99 million doses by the end of the year. (InfoMoney)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that the New Zealand Government has secured 8.5 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, and that they have now secured enough vaccines to vaccinate the entire population of New Zealand. (New Zealand Herald)

Law and crime

• Killing of George Floyd
  • The trial of former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin begins in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin's trial is the first time that a judge in Minnesota has authorized cameras to show a full criminal trial. (The Independent)
• Operation Car Wash
  • Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Edson Fachin rules that all convictions of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva must be nullified. This ruling restores Lula's political rights and thus clears the way for his presidential candidacy in 2022. (France 24)
• A judge in Senegal releases opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on bail, after days of protests as a result of his arrest. Eight people died during the protests. (BBC)

Politics and elections

• 2019–2021 Lebanese protests
  • Protesters block all major roads leading to the capital Beirut amid continued unrest over the crash of the pound, increase in consumer goods prices, mass unemployment and delay of the formation of a new government. (The Independent)
• Libyan Crisis, Libyan peace process
  • The Parliament of Libya meets in the central city of Sirte to vote on the approval of the interim Government of National Unity, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Voting is expected to take place tomorrow. (Al Jazeera)

Current events of March 7, 2021 (2021-03-07) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Gaza–Israel conflict
  • Three Palestinian fishermen are killed in an explosion off the coast of Gaza. The blast is caused by an unknown weapon, suspected to be a rocket. (Al Jazeera English)
• 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • Khin Maung Latt, a campaign manager from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, dies in police custody after being arrested yesterday. (South China Morning Post)
• Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • In retaliation for yesterday's drone attacks against the kingdom, the Saudi-led coalition conducts airstrikes against the Houthis in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. There have been no reports of any immediate casualties. (Reuters)
• 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
  • U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says that the United States will continue to defend troops and interests. He also says that those who carried out the rocket attack in Iraq will be held accountable. (CNBC)
• Nine activists are killed in police raids in the northern Philippines two days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered government forces to kill communists in the country. (Al Jazeera English)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Bata explosions
  • A series of explosions kill 20 people and injure more than 600 others in Bata, Equatorial Guinea. The cause is suspected to be negligence related to use of dynamite at a local military base. Almost all buildings in the city are heavily damaged. (Al Jazeera English)
• A fire occurs at a detention center for migrants in Sanaa, Yemen, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 170 others. (ABC News)
• At least one person is killed and 40 others are injured when a train derails in Sindh, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera English)
• A Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil crashes in Normandy, France, killing National Assembly member and businessman Olivier Dassault and the aircraft's pilot. (The Guardian)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
        • Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and current Health Minister Greg Hunt receive their first doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Nine News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia
      • New Caledonia orders a strict lockdown for two weeks beginning at midnight tomorrow following the detection of nine COVID-19 cases among non-quarantined travellers arriving from Wallis and Futuna. (Radio France Internationale)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
      • Auckland is downgraded to alert level 2 while the rest of New Zealand moves to alert level 1 following confirmation that there are no more community cases. (Stuff)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Israel reopens restaurants, bars, and other entertainment venues for those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Middle-school students return to school in some areas and university classes also resume for those who have been vaccinated. Israeli citizens are also allowed to return to Israel without any special permissions. (Haaretz)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • At age 95, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad becomes the oldest person in Malaysia to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Langkawi, Kedah. (Malaysiakini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
      • Nepal receives 348,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (The Kathmandu Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka receives their first shipment of 264,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (The New Indian Express)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria suspends vaccinations using the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution while investigating the death of one person after receiving the vaccine. (The Irish Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia
      • North Macedonia grants emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Yahoo! Finance)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • Slovakia reports their first seven cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (The Slovak Spectacular)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
      • Ohio reports their first cases of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil. (The Cincinnati Enquirer)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia
    • Ethiopia receives their first shipment of 2.2 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India supplied through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (Barron's)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Swiss referendums
  • Swiss voters approve a ban on full-facial coverings in public, known popularly as a so-called "burqa ban", and a free trade agreement with Indonesia, while rejecting a government proposal to introduce nationwide electronic IDs, which would be required to open a bank account or request official documents. (NPR)

Sports

• 2020–21 Scottish Premiership
  • Rangers wins the Scottish Premiership, the top-flight league in Scottish football, for the first time since 2011 after their rivals Celtic failed to win against Dundee United. It is Rangers manager and former England captain Steven Gerrard's first trophy as a manager, and the win also denies Celtic a record 10th consecutive Premiership title. (BBC Sport)
• 2021 FC Barcelona presidential election
  • Former FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta wins the club's 14th presidential election with 54.2% of the votes. (Sky Sports)

Current events of March 6, 2021 (2021-03-06) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Ma'rib Campaign
    • Fighting between Houthi forces and pro-government troops in Maʼrib Governorate, Yemen, kills 58 and 32 respectively in the past 24 hours, according to unnamed military sources. (The Hindu)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
    • The United States Senate votes 50–49 to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package after 24 hours of debate and vote-a-rama sessions on the bill. The amended legislation will head back to the United States House of Representatives for a final vote. (CBS News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
        • Moderna signs a supply deal with the government to supply 13 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine from mid-2021. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei
      • The government announces that it will ease their social distancing measures when Brunei enters a "New Normal" phase on March 8 as the country has reported no community cases in the last 300 days. (The Scoop)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia confirms that it will ease COVID-19-related restrictions in entertainment and events and will reopen cinemas, gyms and sport centres beginning on March 7. (Gulf News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Republic of Ireland
        • Ireland reaches a milestone of 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered. (The Irish Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • French authorities extend their weekend lockdown to the northern region of Pas-de-Calais, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to stay at home on Saturdays and Sundays due to the spread of COVID-19. (RFI)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi
      • Malawi receives their first shipment of 360,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (VOA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (BBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
    • Fiji receives their first shipment of 12,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (FBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
    • President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores receive their first doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (France 24)
• China confirms an outbreak of the African swine fever in the key pork-producing provinces of Hubei and Sichuan. (The Straits Times)

Politics and elections

• Prime Minister Imran Khan wins a vote of confidence in the National Assembly of Pakistan amid boycotts from the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement. (The Hindu)

Current events of March 5, 2021 (2021-03-05) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • 2021 Mogadishu suicide car bombing
    • At least 20 people are killed and 30 others are wounded by a suicide car bombing outside a restaurant near the port in Mogadishu. (Al Jazeera)
  • At least seven soldiers are killed after al-Shabaab militants storm a jail in Bosaso, Puntland, Somalia. More than 400 prisoners are freed during the assault, the majority of whom are Al-Shabaab fighters. (Reuters)
• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • A female doctor is killed and a child is wounded in Jalalabad, Nangarhar, when a bomb attached to the doctor's rickshaw explodes, while seven workers at a Hazara plaster factory are shot dead in Surkh-Rōd District, Nangarhar. ISIL is suspected to be behind the attacks. (Al Jazeera)
• Aftermath of the assassination of Luca Attanasio
  • Mwilanya Asani William, the attorney who was investigating the murder of Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio and two other people in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, is murdered by unknown gunmen during an ambush. (Il Mattino)
• Syrian civil war
  • One person is killed and 11 others are wounded when rockets strike oil refineries near al-Bab and Jarablus, Syria. (Al Jazeera)
• 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
  • The number of farmers who died during the protests, which began in August 2020, increases to 248. (Al Jazeera)
• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • A man is killed after police open fire against a group of protesters in Mandalay. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on The Walt Disney Company, COVID-19 pandemic in California
  • California health officials say that stadiums, Disneyland, and other theme parks can reopen beginning on April 1 with limited capacity. (CNBC)
• The German government reaches an agreement with energy providers to compensate them up to €2.4 billion for loss in income attributed to the phase-out of nuclear power, ending years of litigation. (DW)
• The United States Senate, in a 58–42 vote, rejects an amendment introduced by Vermont senator Bernie Sanders that would raise the minimum wage to $15 after he made efforts to include it in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package. (The Independent)

Disasters and accidents

• An 8.1 magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of New Zealand's North Island, initially prompting a tsunami warning. The earthquake was preceded by a 7.4 magnitude foreshock and followed by a 6.1 magnitude aftershock. (Stuff.co.nz)
• A minibus and a trailer-truck collide on a highway near Atfih, Middle Egypt, killing 18 people and injuring five others. The truck driver has been arrested. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois
        • Illinois reports their first case of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil in a person from Chicago. (WMAQ-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee
        • Tennessee reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (WSMV-TV)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin
        • Wisconsin reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (WEAU-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba
        • Manitoba reports its first confirmed case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in a person from Winnipeg. (Global News)
      • Health Canada approves the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • India administers 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the last 24 hours, which is the highest number of daily vaccinations since the program began on January 16. (Livemint)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • The government extends the COVID-19 state of emergency in the Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, for the next two weeks until March 21 as the number of new cases have not fallen sufficiently in order to lift the emergency. (The Mainichi Shimbun)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports their first two cases of the B.1.525 variant in two people who travelled from Dubai. (CodeBlue)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
      • The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan grants emergency use authorisation of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine for people over 60 years of age. (DAWN)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approves the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine following separate evaluations of the vaccine's safety and efficacy. (Yonhap News Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses three million cases of COVID-19. (ANSA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova
      • Moldova becomes the first country in Europe to receive a COVAX initiative shipment of 14,400 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania reports its first two cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in people from Bucharest and Pitești. (Europa FM)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
      • The fatality count from COVID-19 surpasses 200,000. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • Nigeria officially launches a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with a doctor who has spent the past year treating COVID-19 patients becoming the first person to be vaccinated. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
      • Rwanda begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using 392,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca and Pfizer–BioNTech vaccines. (The East African)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
      • Uganda receives their first shipment of 864,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX initiative. (The Independent Uganda)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that Auckland will move to alert level 2 and rest of the country to alert level one beginning March 7 at 6:00 pm NZT after no new community cases have been reported. (The Guardian)

International relations

• Australia–China relations
  • Australia's Special Broadcasting Service suspends China Global Television Network and China Central Television from broadcasting in the country following a human rights complaint from pan-Asian human rights organization Safeguard Defenders. (The Straits Times)
• Myanmar–United States relations, 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
  • The Biden administration sanctions Myanmar's Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs in response to the coup and the military junta's crackdown on protesters. (Reuters)
• Pastoral visits of Pope Francis
  • Pope Francis arrives in Baghdad in the first ever Papal visit to Iraq. (Washington Post)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • A former U.S. State Department official during the Trump administration is arrested and charged for assault and other crimes in relation to the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, thereby making him the first known Trump administration official to be tried in relation to the events of January 6. (CNN)
• Protests continues in Senegal against the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, with three more people confirmed dead, bringing the death toll to 4. (BBC)
• A call for a specific law against honour killings begins in India, after a father in Uttar Pradesh beheaded his daughter two days ago, after opposing her relationship with a man. (Al Jazeera)
• The Cologne administrative court temporarily bars the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) from placing the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) under surveillance, ruling that BfV's announcement two days ago that it was surveilling the party violated an agreement to keep the surveillance classified. The court said that the BfV will have to wait until a lawsuit brought by the AfD on the matter is settled before it can proceed. (DW)

Science and technology

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • YouTube suspends channels run by Myanmar's military and removes junta propaganda videos for "violating its community guidelines and terms of service". (AP)

Current events of March 4, 2021 (2021-03-04) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Tigray War
  • The United Nations calls on Ethiopia to grant them access to the Tigray region to investigate reports of mass murders and sexual violence that may amount to war crimes. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 TAF AS532 crash
  • An army helicopter crashes in Bitlis, Turkey, killing 11 military personnel and injuring two others. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
      • The Robert Koch Institute's Standing Committee on Vaccination officially approves the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged over 65. (BBC)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
      • The government orders all schools and non-essential shops in Hungary to close from March 8 until March 22 (for non-essential shops) and April 7 (for schools) due to a third wave of COVID-19 infections. (Swiss Info)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
      • Prime Minister Robert Abela announces that the government will limit indoor gatherings to four households and will ban mass gatherings other than weddings and religious activities beginning tomorrow due to a record increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The government will also restrict the operation of restaurants and snack bars to only offer takeaway services. (Times of Malta)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • Ukraine reports their first cases of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom in two people from Ivano-Frankivsk. (UNIAN)
    • European Commission–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine dispute, COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy invokes the European Union powers to block shipment of 250,700 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia amid escalations between the bloc and AstraZeneca. The European Commission endorses the move. (CNN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
      • Prime Minister Hun Sen receives a dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied by the COVAX initiative. (The Washington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait
      • Kuwait's Cabinet decides to impose a curfew from 5:00 pm to 5:00 am local time for the next month but will allow salons, gyms, and other commercial activities to reopen on March 7 subject to operating restrictions. (Gulf News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
      • The Philippines receives its first shipment of 487,200 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied by the COVAX initiative. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
      • Sri Lanka's National Medicines Regulatory Authority approves the use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, becoming the second vaccine to be made available for the general public. (The Hindu)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho
      • Lesotho receives their first shipment of 36,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (SowetanLIVE)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • Zimbabwe becomes the first country in Africa to approve India's Covaxin vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech. (Hindustan Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in California
      • Nine great apes in San Diego Zoo becomes the first non-human primates to receive an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. (Los Angeles Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Maine
      • Maine reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa. (WCSH-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil reports a record 1,910 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 259,271. (Business Standard)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • The United States Capitol Police requests that the National Guard remain at the Capitol for 60 days in response to a possible second attack on the building. (ABC News)
• Police in Bignona, Senegal open fire against a group of people demonstrating against the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, killing a protester. (Al Jazeera)
• Twenty people are killed and others are feared dead after smugglers intentionally throw 80 migrants overboard during a voyage from Djibouti to Yemen. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• The Troubles, Brexit and the Irish border
  • The Loyalist Communities Council and other loyalist groups in Northern Ireland inform Prime Minister Boris Johnson that they are withdrawing support for the Good Friday Agreement in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol. (DW)
• The Indian government's Income Tax Department raids the residences of the founders of Phantom Films due to allegations of tax evasion. Those being interrogated include Anurag Kashyap, Taapsee Pannu, Vikas Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena. The incident prompts the Maha Vikas Aghadi party and Rahul Gandhi to support the film stars who are being interrogated, stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party is using all the arms of the government to stifle the voices of those who support the Indian farmers' protest. (NDTV) (NDTV)
• Italian Democratic Party secretary Nicola Zingaretti resigns, citing infighting over government posts. (Reuters)
• The North Dakota House of Representatives votes to expel State Representative Luke Simons (R) following allegations that he threatened and sexually harassed women going back to 2017, when he first took office. This is the first time that either chamber of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly has passed such a vote. (AP)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, 2021 Pakistan Super League
  • Pakistan suspends its Twenty20 cricket competition in the Pakistan Super League after seven players tested positive for COVID-19. (RFI)

Current events of March 3, 2021 (2021-03-03) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Thirty-eight protesters are shot dead and 30 more are wounded by the military and police as protests against the February 1 coup continue across the country. A meeting of ASEAN nations called for restraint of the security forces but failed to unanimously call for the release of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (BBC)
• Vetlanda stabbing attack
  • Seven people are wounded, three of whom critically, after being attacked by a man with an axe in Vetlanda, Sweden. Authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. The perpetrator, a man in his 20s, is shot by police and arrested. (Euronews)
• Colombian conflict
  • Ten FARC dissidents are killed and three others are wounded when the Colombian Army bombs a base housing them in Calamar, Guaviare. (Al Jazeera)
• Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Suspected ADF militants kill 8 civilians during a shooting attack at a market in Mambelenga, Democratic Republic of the Congo. ADF attacks have increased, with more than 140 people killed by the group since the beginning of the year. (Reuters)
• Second Libyan Civil War
  • The bodies of four Filipinos, an Austrian, and a Czech, all oil workers who were kidnapped and then murdered in Libya in 2015 by Islamic State terrorists, are found at a cemetery. (Arab News)
• Aftermath of the Zamfara kidnapping
  • A reunion of students, kidnapped in Zamfara a week ago, and their parents in Jangebe, Nigeria turns violent after the armed forces open fire, as the parents protests about what happened to their daughters. Three people are shot. (BBC)
• 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
  • Ten rockets hit the al Asad Airbase hosting US-led coalition forces in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. No one is directly killed or wounded by the strikes, but an American civilian contractor dies of a heart attack during the impact. (BBC)
• Tigray War
  • Following pressure from the international community, Ethiopia releases three reporters working for the BBC, AFP and Financial Times, alongside two local news reporter and two translators without charge. No reason was given for their arrest, and it is still unclear if four other journalists have been released. (BBC)

Businesses and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Economy of Australia
    • The Australian GDP contracted 1.1% in 2020 amid restrictions related to the pandemic. (The Guardian)
  • Economy of Brazil
    • The Brazilian GDP contracts 4.1% in 2020 amid disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the country's third worst economic performance after 1981 (-4.25%) and 1990 (-4.35%). (France 24)
• 2021 United Kingdom budget
  • Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak delivers the 2021 Spring budget to the House of Commons, announcing the government's tax and spending plans for the year ahead, as well as further COVID-19 support measures, including extending the furlough until the end of September and increasing the minimum wage beginning in April. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

• Ten people are killed in a plane crash in Jonglei State, South Sudan. (Al Jazeera)
• A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes central Greece and is felt in neighbouring countries. Most of the damage is reported in the Greek region of Thessaly. (AP News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • President Ram Nath Kovind receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan
      • Taiwan receives their first shipment of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (Focus Taiwan)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Uzbekistan
      • Uzbekistan surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19. (AKIPress)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
      • The government announces that they will receive 3,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from France. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
      • Denmark reports their first case of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil in a person from the Capital Region. (CPH Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro
      • Montenegro receives 30,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine donated by China. (See News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
      • Polish biotechnology company Mabion S.A. signs an agreement with Novavax to begin commercial-scale production trials for Novavax's future vaccine. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • Slovakia imposes an overnight curfew from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am local time, in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The curfew will last until at least March 19. (MedicalXpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • The Government of Catalonia announces that 79,000 vaccinated persons were mistakenly recorded as COVID-19 cases. (El Periódico)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
      • Rwanda receives their first shipment of 240,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (New Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal
      • Senegal receives 324,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (Reuters)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Sudan
      • Sudan receives over 800,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative, becoming the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to receive it. (UNICEF)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey
      • New Jersey reports their first two cases of Lineage P.1 variant in Hudson County and 34 cases of New York variant of SARS-CoV-2 in northeastern part of the state. (Nj.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • São Paulo governor João Doria announces that the entire state will revert to "red phase" restrictions, which means that all malls and non-essential businesses will be closed for two weeks beginning March 6 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (The Rio Times)
• China confirms an outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs being illegally transported through Funing County in Yunnan province. (The Straits Times)

Law and crime

• 2021 Australian Parliament rape scandals
  • Attorney-General, House Leader and Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter comes forward as the minister accused of raping a woman in 1988 who has since committed suicide, in an anonymous letter sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week. Porter denies the allegations and announces that he will be taking a mental health leave. (ABC Australia)
• Toronto van attack
  • Alek Minassian is found guilty of murdering 10 people, and attempting to kill 16 more, in a vehicle-ramming attack. (Reuters)
• Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
  • The United States Capitol Police announces that it has obtained intelligence on a "possible plot" by an identified militia group to breach the United States Capitol building on the following day, March 4, which has recently been the subject of QAnon conspiracy theories. In response to the intelligence, the United States House of Representatives announces that it has ended its work for the week. (AP)
• A pipe bomb explodes outside a COVID-19 test centre in Bovenkarspel, Netherlands, causing minor damage. No one is wounded in the explosion. (Al Jazeera)
• France bans far-right Identitarian nationalist group Génération Identitaire. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin says the movement incites "discrimination, hatred and violence". (France 24)
• German intelligence agency Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution formally places far-right oppositional party Alternative for Germany under surveillance, accusing it of aiming to subvert the constitution. It is the first time that a major political party has been placed under surveillance since the end of World War II. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

• Freedom House, in its annual Freedom in the World report, downgrades India from "free" to "partially free". The report cites the rise in mob violence against Muslims, increased government interference in the judiciary, increased intimidation against journalists and activists, and the government's heavy-handed approach to COVID-19 lockdowns that left millions of migrants stranded as the main reasons for the downgrade. (France 24) (BBC)
• Hungary's ruling party Fidesz withdraws from the conservative European Parliament bloc European People's Party (EPP), after the EPP changed its rules to allow it to expel a party's entire delegation. Fidesz's membership had been suspended since 2019 after it accused then-European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and philanthropist George Soros of conspiring to "flood" Europe with migrants during a national campaign. (DW)

Time: 18:34 UTC|Day: 9 March

	March 2021
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession

Disasters

• COVID-19 pandemic
• 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season
• 2020–21 European windstorm season
• 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
• 2021 Pacific typhoon season
• 2020–21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
• Yemeni famine

Politics

• Afghan peace process
• Armenian protests
• Belarusian protests
• Bulgarian protests
• East Mediterranean crisis
• Indian farmers' protests
• Indonesia omnibus law protests
• Libyan peace process
• Myanmar protests
• Nicaraguan protests
• Nigerian protests
• Persian Gulf crisis
• Russian protests
• Second Arab Spring
• Sudanese protests
• Tigrayan peace process
• Thai protests
• United States racial unrest
• Venezuelan presidential crisis
• Yellow vests movement

Elections and referendums

Recent

• February
  • 28: El Salvador, Legislative Assembly
• March
  • 2: Federated States of Micronesia, Congress
  • 6: Ivory Coast, National Assembly
  • 7: Switzerland, referendums

Upcoming

• March
  • 14: Central African Republic, National Assembly (1st/2nd)
  • 17: Netherlands, House of Representatives
  • 19: Curaçao, Estates
  • 21: Republic of Congo, President
  • 23: Israel, Knesset

Trials

Recently concluded

• France: Charlie Hebdo shooting, Nicolas Sarkozy
• Switzerland: Beny Steinmetz
• United States: Impeachment of Donald Trump

Ongoing

• Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
• Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
• Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
• India: Disha Ravi
• Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
• Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
• Malta: Yorgen Fenech
• South Africa: Jacob Zuma
• Spain: 2017 Catalonia attacks, Bárcenas affair, Barçagate
• Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
• United States: Derek Chauvin
• International: The Gambia v. Myanmar

Upcoming

• Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Juliari Batubara, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, Nurdin Abdullah
• Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli
• Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane
• Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
• United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell
• Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo

Sport

• Association football
  • 2020–21 Premier League
  • 2020-21 La Liga
  • 2020-21 Serie A
  • 2020–21 Bundesliga
  • 2020–21 UEFA Champions League knockout phase
  • 2020–21 UEFA Europa League knockout phase
  • 2021 Copa Libertadores qualifying stages
  • 2020–21 UEFA Nations League
• Women's association football
  • 2020–21 Champions League
  • 2020–21 Division 1 Féminine
  • 2020–21 FA WSL
  • 2020 Copa Libertadores Femenina
• American football
  • 2021 Spring NCAA Division I FCS
• Baseball
  • 2021 MLB season
• Basketball
  • 2020–21 NBA season
  • 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
  • 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season
• Golf
  • 2020–21 PGA Tour
• Ice hockey
  • 2020–21 KHL season
  • 2020–21 NHL season
• Rugby union
  • 2020–21 Premiership Rugby
  • 2020–21 Pro14
  • 2019–20 Top 14
• Other sports seasons
  • 2020–21 international cricket season
  • 2020–21 snooker season
  • 2020–21 curling season

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

March

• 8: Leon Gast
• 7: Khin Maung Latt
• 6: Joaquin Bernas
• 6: Carla Wallenda
• 5: Michael Stanley
• 4: Jim Crockett Jr.
• 4: Walter Gretzky
• 4: Tony Hendra
• 3: Joe Altobelli
• 3: Nicola Pagett
• 2: Chris Barber
• 2: Àlex Casademunt
• 2: Bunny Wailer
• 1: Michael Gudinski
• 1: Vernon Jordan
• 1: Zlatko Kranjčar
• 1: Ian St John

February

• 28: Milan Bandić
• 28: Johnny Briggs
• 28: Irv Cross
• 28: Roger Kibbe
• 28: Jorge Oñate
• 28: Glenn Roeder
• 27: Juan Antonio Bolea
• 26: Michael Somare
• 26: Hannu Mikkola
• 25: John Geddert
• 25: Peter Gotti
• 24: Alan Robert Murray
• 24: Ronald Pickup
• 23: Fausto Gresini
• 23: Ahmed Zaki Yamani
• 22: Luca Attanasio
• 22: Lawrence Ferlinghetti
• 21: Zlatko Saračević
• 20: Gerald Cardinale
• 20: Stan Williams
• 19: Đorđe Balašević
• 19: Arturo Di Modica
• 19: Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing
• 19: Clotilde Niragira
• 19: Dianna Ortiz
• 19: Balanchine
• 18: Vittore Bocchetta
• 18: Frank Lupo
• 18: Juan Pizarro
• 18: Prince Markie Dee
• 18: Bill Ramseyer
• 18: Chris Vincent
• 17: Raffaele Cutolo
• 17: Seif Sharif Hamad
• 17: Rush Limbaugh
• 16: Carman
• 16: Gustavo Noboa
• 16: Joan Margarit
• 15: Arne Sorenson
• 15: Steuart Bedford
• 15: Johnny Pacheco
• 14: William Macpherson
• 14: Carlos Menem
• 14: Ion Mihai Pacepa
• 13: Alberto Oliart
• 12: Frederick K. C. Price
• 12: Lynn Stalmaster
• 11: Leslie E. Robertson
• 10: Larry Flynt
• 10: Pachín
• 9: Chick Corea
• 9: Ivan Izquierdo
• 9: Franco Marini
• 8: Jean-Claude Carrière
• 8: Shlomo Hillel
• 8: Marty Schottenheimer
• 8: Mary Wilson
• 7: Pedro Gomez
• 7: Giuseppe Rotunno
• 7: Ron Wright

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

• Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
  • Maghreb insurgency
• Cameroon
  • Anglophone Crisis
• Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
  • Boko Haram insurgency
• Central African Republic
  • Civil War
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Kivu conflict
  • Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
  • Ituri conflict
  • Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
• Ethiopia
  • Tigray War (spillover)
• Ethiopia and Sudan
  • Sudanese–Ethiopian clashes
• Ghana
  • Western Togoland Rebellion
• Mali
  • Mali War
• Mozambique
  • Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
• Nigeria
  • Communal conflicts in Nigeria
• Somalia
  • Civil war
• Sudan
  • War in Darfur
  • South Kordofan conflict
  • Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
• Western Sahara
  • Western Sahara conflict
    • 2020–2021 Western Saharan clashes

Americas

• Colombia
  • Colombian conflict
• Mexico
  • Mexican War on Drugs
• Peru
  • Internal conflict in Peru

Asia-Pacific

• Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan War
• China
  • Xinjiang conflict
• India
  • Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
  • Insurgency in Northeast India
• India and Pakistan
  • Kashmir conflict
• Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
  • Moro conflict
    • Cross border attacks in Sabah
• Indonesia
  • Papua conflict
• Myanmar
  • Internal conflict in Myanmar
    • Kachin conflict
    • Karen conflict
    • Rohingya conflict
• Pakistan
  • Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Insurgency in Balochistan
• Philippines
  • Communist rebellion in the Philippines
  • Philippine Drug War
• Thailand
  • South Thailand insurgency

Europe

• Armenia and Azerbaijan
  • Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
• Ukraine
  • War in Donbass
    • Russo-Ukrainian War

Global

• War on terror

Middle East

• Egypt
  • Sinai insurgency
• Iran and the Persian Gulf
  • Iran–Israel proxy conflict
  • Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
• Iraq
  • American-led intervention in Iraq
  • Iranian intervention in Iraq
• Iraq and Syria (map)
  • International military intervention against ISIL
• Israel and Gaza
• Israel and Syria
  • Israeli-Syrian border conflict
• Syria
  • American-led intervention in Syria
  • Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
  • Turkish occupation of northern Syria
    • SDF insurgency
• Turkey
  • Kurdish–Turkish conflict
• Yemen and Saudi Arabia
  • Yemeni Civil War
  • Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • Second Saudi–Yemeni War

Further information: List of ongoing armed conflicts

2021 events and developments by topic

Arts

Architecture – Comics – Film – Home video – Literature – Music (Country, Rock, Metal, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US) – Video games

Politics and government

Elections – International leaders – Sovereign states – Sovereign state leaders – Territorial governors

Science and technology

Archaeology – Biotechnology – Computing – Palaeontology – Quantum computing and communication – Space/Astronomy – Spaceflight

Environment and environmental sciences

Birding/Ornithology – Climate change

Transportation

Aviation – Rail transport

Establishments and disestablishments categories

Establishments – Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain