Portal:Current events/2021 March 15

March 15, 2021 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2021 Myanmar protests
- Twenty anti-coup protesters are gunned down by soldiers. (Reuters)
- The military junta expands the provisions of Myanmar's martial law, which is perceived as an attempt to legitimize their violent pushback against anti-coup protesters. (AP)
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency, 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
- At least 15 civilians are killed during a mass stabbing in Beni, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The ADF is suspected to be behind the attack. (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

Catholic Church and gay marriage
- The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican body responsible for promulgating Catholic doctrine, rules that priests cannot bless same-sex unions or marriages, calling any such blessing "not licit". (The New York Times) (Vatican Press Office)

Business and economy

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- British chocolate maker Thorntons announces it will be permanently closing down all of its stores, with the loss of about 600 jobs, thereby ending its 110-year presence on the high street. The company says it has been massively hit by the pandemic lockdowns and adds that high street conditions are too severe to continue. The company will continue sales online and through supermarkets. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

Three people are killed and one injured when a small plane crashes in Pembroke Pines, Florida, U.S. (KGO-TV)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
    - The Andorran government announces the suspension of the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine as of March 16. (Andorra Difusió)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus
    - Cyprus suspends the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine until March 18 pending review from the European Medicines Agency following reports of possible serious side effects among vaccinated people in other EU countries. (Cyprus Mail)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Estonia
    - Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tests positive for COVID-19. (ERR)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - The Ministry of Health detects a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a cluster of eight cases in a hospital in Lannion, Brittany. Many of these cases can't be detected by PCR tests. (France 24)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
    - Nine of the 20 regions, as well as the autonomous province of Trentino, enter a strict state of lockdown, in the government's latest attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Two other regions are also currently in lockdown. (Euronews)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia
    - Latvian health authorities temporarily suspend the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution following reports of blood clot issues among vaccinated people. (Barron's)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
    - The Directorate-General of Health temporarily suspends the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution following reports of "rare, but severe" suspected side-effects among vaccinated people in other countries. (CNA)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
    - Slovenia suspends the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution following reports of cases of blood clots in vaccinated people in other countries. (MedicalXpress)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
    - Turkey reports 15,503 new cases in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total this year, and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,894,893. (U.S. News and World Report)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City
    - The Vatican Museums and the Palace of Castel Gandolfo's gardens closes for third time for the duration of the last lockdown decree of the Italian Government. (Vatican News)
  - Germany, Italy, France, and Spain suspend the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of blood clots. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
    - The Ministry of Health temporarily suspends the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine while awaiting a WHO review amidst reports of cases of blood clots in vaccinated people from several European countries. (Nikkei Asia)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
    - Jordan reports a record 9,417 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 486,470. (Roya News)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives
    - The Maldives Food and Drug Authority approves the emergency use of the Pfizer–BioNTech and the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccines. (Raajje)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
    - President Arif Alvi and First Lady Samina Alvi receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Tribune)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
  - Brazil signs a deal with Pfizer to purchase 100 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Somalia
  - Somalia receives their first shipment of 300,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (Anadolu Agency)

International relations

Brexit
- The European Union notifies the United Kingdom of its intent to start an infringement procedure. According to the EU, the UK breached the Northern Ireland Protocol by unilaterally extending the grace period related to trade on the island of Ireland beyond April 1. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Death of Brian Sicknick, aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
- Two men are arrested and charged by the United States Department of Justice for assaulting police officer Brian Sicknick during the storming of the United States Capitol. (CNN)
Legality of euthanasia
- Portugal's Constitutional Court rejects a bill legalizing assisted suicide for terminally ill patients as unconstitutional. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Cabinet of Joe Biden
- The United States Senate votes 51–40 to confirm U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, thereby making her the first Native American to head the department and the first to be confirmed to a Cabinet post. Haaland is an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo. (CNBC) (Indian Country Today)