Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- 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.
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)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- 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 COVAX initiative. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
- Prime Minister Hun Sen receives a dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine supplied by COVAX initiative. (The Washington Post)
- 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 available for general public. (The Hindu)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- 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 beginning from March 8 until March 22 (for non-essential shops) and April 7 (schools) amid the spread of COVID-19 infections in third wave. (Swiss Info)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
- Ukraine reports their first two cases of Lineage B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom from Ivano-Frankivsk region. (UNIAN)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho
- Lesotho receives the first batch consisting 36,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India through COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme. (SowetanLIVE)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe becomes the first country in Africa to approve India's first indigenous Covaxin vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech. (Hindustan Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Law and crime
- 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)
- Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
- The United States Capitol Police request that the National Guard remain at the Capitol for 60 days in response to a possible second attack on the building. (ABC News)
Politics and elections
- Phantom Films and Income Tax Department
- A raid by the Indian government's Income Tax Department has been going on for over 40 hours with regards to allegation of tax evasion by the founders of Phantom Films. The digital devices of all those being interrogated, which includes Anurag Kashyap, Taapsee Pannu, Vikas Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena have been seized for investigation. According to certain sources, the officials have uncovered huge amounts of tax evasion. (NDTV)
- This incident has kicked off a storm in the political circles, with the Maha Vikas Aghadi and Rahul Gandhi throwing their weight behind the filmstars 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 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest. (NDTV)
- The Troubles
- The Loyalist Communities Council and other loyalist groups in Northern Ireland tell Prime Minister Boris Johnson that they are withdrawing support for the Good Friday Agreement in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol. (DW)
- 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election
- Sadhan Pande has revealed that the All India Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee will be filing her nomination from the Nandigram seat on the auspicious day of Maha Shivaratri. (Indeed News)
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)
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)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Economy of Australia
- 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 vaccination in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announces the extension of the COVID-19 state of emergency in the Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, for the next two weeks as the number of new cases have not fallen sufficiently in order to lift the emergency. (Nikkei Asia)
- 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 India
- 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 Andorra
- 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
- 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 Rwanda
- 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 New Jersey
- 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)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- 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)
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)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan
- 2021 Afghanistan attacks
- Three female media workers are shot dead in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. A fourth woman is wounded. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack. (Reuters)
- 2021 Afghanistan attacks
- Zamfara kidnapping
- All 279 schoolgirls abducted from a boarding school in Zamfara State, Nigeria, are released by their armed kidnappers. (Reuters)
- Somali Civil War
- Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab publicly executes five people by firing squad for allegedly spying for the American and Somali intelligence agencies in Jilib, Middle Juba. Hundreds of people reportedly gathered to watch the execution. (Anadolu Agency)
- 2020–2021 Sudanese–Ethiopian clashes
- Fighting between Sudan and Ethiopian-backed forces continues in the last Ethiopian stronghold of Bereket in the disputed border region of Al-Fashaga. Sudan claims Eritrean forces are helping the Ethiopians. (Anadolu Agency)
Business and economy
- Anti-Irish sentiment
- The Equality and Human Rights Commission says that it has investigated Britannia Hotels-owned holiday park operator Pontins after a whistleblower revealed that Pontins had a blacklist of common Irish surnames to prevent Roma and Irish Travellers from booking at its parks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the discrimination is "completely unacceptable". (BBC)
Disasters and accidents
- Imperial County car crash
- Thirteen people are killed and eleven others are wounded in a traffic accident in Imperial County, California, US. A semi-truck and an SUV collide; 25 people were in the SUV at the time of the crash. (Los Angeles Times)
- Mount Sinabung in Sumatra, Indonesia erupts, spewing 16,000 feet of ash into the air. (CBS News)
- Seven students are killed in a railing collapse, sending people plummeting from a fourth-floor balcony on to an atrium floor during a student assembly at the Universidad Pública de El Alto, Bolivia. Three people are arrested. (Europa Press)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
- Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signs an executive order that lifts the statewide mask requirement except for K-12 schools and indoor arenas. Indoor arenas are required to limit their capacity to 50% and club areas and suits to 75%. Indoor and outdoor arenas are required to limit capacity to 25% and 50% respectively for K-12 extracurricular activities. (Sun Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon
- Oregon reports their first cases of the Lineage P.1 variant in two people from Douglas County who previously travelled to Brazil. (OregonLive)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott lifts the statewide mask requirement and allows businesses to open at 100% capacity beginning March 10. (The Hill)
- U.S. President Joe Biden announces that Merck & Co. will produce single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to help his administration goal for vaccinating every adult by the end of May. (The Washington Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba
- Manitoba reports their first two cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in Winnipeg. (CBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- Indonesia reports their first two cases of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. (Liputan6.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
- Iraq receives 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccines donated by China as the country officially begins its vaccination campaign. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
- Mongolia surpasses 3,000 cases of COVID-19. (Montsame)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysia grants conditional approval for the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sinovac CoronaVac vaccines. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The Philippines reports their first six cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (GMA News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hajj
- Saudi Minister of Health Tawfig Al-Rabiah announces that all pilgrims must be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to do the Hajj to Mecca. (Arab News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in United Arab Emirates
- Spanish media reports that emeritus King of Spain Juan Carlos I was vaccinated in Abu Dhabi, where he is in self-exile. Two of his daughters Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina also received vaccines when they took advantage of a visit to their father on February 6 and 7. (El Confidencial)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Angola
- Angola receives 624,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing Initiative. (VOA Portuguese)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
- Kenya receives 1.02 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing Initiative. (UNICEF)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
- Nigeria receives 3.94 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India through the COVAX Initiative, which is the largest delivery so far by the initiative. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
- Tunisia reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Angola
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
- Greece reports 2,353 new cases in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total this year, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 194,582. (Greek City Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Prime Minister Mario Draghi signs a decree that orders the closure of all schools in the worst-hit regions due to the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. The decree will be in effective from March 6 until April 6. (Eurozone)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova, COVID-19 vaccine
- Moldova begins their vaccination campaign, with first-line medical staff being administered first. (Xinhua News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- President Aleksandar Vučić delivers 10,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to the Bosniak and Croat-dominated federation entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Balkan Insight)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyi receives his first dose of Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- Brazil reports a record 1,641 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 257,361. (DW in Brazilian Portuguese)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
- Venezuela receives 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine donated by China. (EFE)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
Law and crime
- 2020–2021 Belarusian protests
- Tut.By journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich is sentenced to a half-year in prison for reporting personal data on the death of Raman Bandarenka during protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. (AP)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021 Armenian coup d'état attempt, 2020−2021 Armenian protests
- Protesters storm a government building in Yerevan, Armenia, to demand Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation. (Al Jazeera)
- War in Donbass
- Tigray War
- Operation Madago Raya
- A gunfight erupt between Indonesian Army and East Indonesia Mujahideen in the Andole Mountain area, Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi, resulting in the death of a soldier and two militants. (Kaili Post)
- War in Afghanistan
- The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction releases a report accusing the United States of wasting a billion of dollars in Afghanistan on buildings and vehicles that were either abandoned or destroyed. The agency said that only $343.2 million of vehicles and buildings were in good condition. (VOA)
Disasters and accidents
- Three members of the Panamanian diplomatic corps in Colombia are killed after the overflow of the Río Frío drags the vehicle they were traveling in. (Infobae)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives his first dose of the Bharat Biotech Covaxin vaccine. (Hindustan Times)
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- The Philippines begins its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine donated by China, with the first doses administered to healthcare workers in Metro Manila. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
- Jordan approves the emergency use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (Roya News English)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
- The Czech Republic begins a stricter nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš last week with more police officers and soldiers deployed to enforce the restrictions. (U.S. News and World Report)
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- France raises age limit for those who receive Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to those aged below 75. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
- Finland declares a state of emergency amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Sanna Marin says that the emergency controls will allow the government to close schools and restaurants and limit movement between regions. (Euro Weekly News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
- Slovakia receives the first shipment consisting 200,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as it signed an agreement to secure two million doses. (Euronews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
- President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and their spouses receive their first doses of the vaccine from the COVAX initiative as Ghana begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19. (BBC Pidgin)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ivory Coast
- Ivory Coast begins its mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine delivered by the COVAX initiative. Health workers, teachers, and members of the armed forces are the first to receive the vaccine. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
- President Emmerson Mnangagwa announces a slight easing of the lockdown in Zimbabwe amid a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. Inter-city travel is resumed and small and large businesses have been allowed to reopen. (EWN)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
- Florida reports their first case of 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (Clickorlando.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
- COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
- Venezuela approves the emergency use of Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (El Comercio)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Law and crime
- Aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, 2021 Myanmar protests
- Ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court to hear two more charges against her. The charges are a colonial-era penal code prohibiting publication of information that may "cause fear or alarm", and a telecommunications law stipulating licenses for equipment. Meanwhile, police disperse protesters with tear gas and stun grenades. (Reuters)
- Onești stabbing
- Nicolas Sarkozy corruption trial
- Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is sentenced to three years in jail for corruption, after being found guilty of trying to offer a job to a magistrate in return for information about a criminal inquiry into his political party. (BBC)
- Barçagate
- Former president of FC Barcelona Josep Maria Bartomeu is arrested while Mossos d'Esquadra search the FC Barcelona offices. Three other senior staff members are also arrested. (The Guardian)
- 2021 Texas power crisis
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton files a lawsuit against Griddy, accusing them of charging Texans "outrageous amounts" after the winter storm that resulted in power outages for millions in the state. (Newsweek)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021 Myanmar protests
- Myanmar security forces begin violently dispersing anti-coup protesters and clearing makeshift road blocks, killing a total of 18 protesters in several cities. More than 30 others are wounded by live rounds, and several have been arrested. (Al Jazeera)
- Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- Ten civilians are killed, of whom eight are decapitated and two shot, in two ADF overnight attacks in Boyo and Kainama, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)
- Chadian security forces raid the home of opposition leader Yaya Dillo Djérou in N'Djamena, killing five of his relatives, including his mother and son. A government statement states that the raid was an operation to arrest Dillo. Two other people are also killed and five are wounded in the ensuing fight. (Al Jazeera)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- The Philippines receives its first shipment of 600,000 doses of the Sinovac CoronaVac donated by China. (AP)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
- Iran surpasses 60,000 deaths from COVID-19, the highest death toll of a Middle Eastern country. (Al-Arabiya English)
- Iran receives their first shipment of 250,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (Tasnim News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysia surpasses 300,000 cases of COVID-19. (New Straits Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
- Thailand begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine. Government ministers and health workers are among the first to receive doses of the vaccine. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
- The number of people who have received their first dose of the vaccine in the United Kingdom reaches 20 million, making it the fastest vaccination program in Europe. (The Independent)
- The United Kingdom reports their first cases of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Manaus, Brazil in three people from England and three people from Scotland. (BBC)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán receives the first dose of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (AFP via Barron's)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
- Australia receives their first shipment of 300,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (ABC Australia)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- Auckland enters alert level 3 lockdown for seven days, with the rest of the country entering alert level 2. This comes after a new COVID-19 case of unknown origin was detected. (NZ Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
- President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that South Africa's alert level will be lowered to level one effective midnight following a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases. (Timeslive)
- South Africa signs an agreement with Johnson & Johnson to secure 11 million doses of their vaccine. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine for people over the age of 18, a day after the Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of the vaccine. (CBS News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Law and crime
- Hong Kong national security law
- Police charge 47 out of the 55 arrested last month during a mass raid with "subversion". Those charged include Professor Benny Tai, former legislator James To, activist and district councillor Lester Shum and League of Social Democrats politicians and activists Leung Kwok-hung and Jimmy Sham, who was particularly defiant in court. (BBC)
Politics and elections
- 2020–2021 Thai protests
- Sixteen protesters are wounded after police use tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets on pro-democracy protesters near the residence of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in Bangkok. (Al Jazeera)
- Police in Kazakhstan arrest 50 protesters who were calling for the release of political prisoners in line with a resolution passed by the European Parliament. (Al Jazeera)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021 Myanmar protests
- Police launch the most extensive crackdown since the protests began, critically wounding a woman and detaining hundreds of people across the country. (Reuters)
- The junta leaders fire Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun after he called for their removal in a UN General Assembly meeting on Friday. (BBC)
- Kagara kidnapping
- All 42 people, including 27 students, who were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kagara, Niger State, Nigeria, on February 17, are released by their captors. (Al Jazeera)
- Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict; Yemeni Civil War
- 2021 missile attacks in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia intercepts a ballistic missile attack over its capital Riyadh and bomb-laden drones targeting the southern province of Jizan, both of which were launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels backed by Iran. (ABC News)
- 2021 missile attacks in Saudi Arabia
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
- First Minister Mark Drakeford announces that Wales will ease their COVID-19 restrictions to allow households with an infant below the age of one to form a bubble with one other household. (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Wales
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- The government tightens restrictions in five regions in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. For the first time since January, Basilicata and Molise are moved into the strictest red zone, while Lombardy, Piedmont and Marche are moved to the red zone. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Romania, COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova
- Romania donates 21,600 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to Moldova for use in their vaccination program which will begin next week with frontline health workers. (U.S. News and World Report)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong receives a shipment of 585,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (South China Morning Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysia receives their first shipment of 300,000 doses of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine. (New Straits Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine
- The Palestinian National Authority announces new lockdown restrictions in the West Bank for the next 12 days, which include the closure of universities, a ban on gatherings for weddings and funerals and nighttime restrictions on travel and non-essential commerce. (The New York Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The government extends the General Community Quarantine in Metro Manila, Davao City, and eight other areas until the end of March due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (ABS-CBN News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska
- Nebraska reports their first case of California's B.1.429 variant in a man in his 60s in Lancaster County. (Lincoln Journal Star)
- The Food and Drug Administration approves the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use in the United States. (The Guardian)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19-related restrictions in Victoria are eased in line with the rest of Australia after a recent outbreak was contained. Private gatherings of up to 30 people and public gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed, masks will only be mandated in shopping centres and on public transport, and offices are allowed to return up to 75% of their workforce. (7 News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
- South Africa receives their second shipment of more than 80,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (News24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
Law and crime
- Corruption in Indonesia
- Indonesia's anti-corruption agency arrests South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah and several other people for alleged corruption in Makassar. Abdullah's arrest came as a surprise to many with his track record as an anti-corruption champion. (Jakarta Globe)
- Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan Province has reported internet outages in the past week, following a series of violent clashes between protestors and the police. (Voice of America)
- Cuba approves its first animal welfare law after pressure from animal rights movement groups. The decree will regulate scientific experiments on animals, the handling of stray cats and dogs, and veterinarian practices in the country. Some civil society groups say the decree doesn't go far enough, as it doesn't outlaw animal sacrifice or cockfighting. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- 2021 Armenian coup d'état attempt, 2020−2021 Armenian protests
- President Armen Sarksyan refuses an order from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to dismiss the military's Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan, saying parts of the decree were in violation of the constitution. More than 15,000 protest in the capital Yerevan calling for Pashinyan to resign. (ABC News)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
- Iran–Israel proxy conflict
- An explosion hits the Israeli-owned cargo ship MV Helios Ray in the Gulf of Oman. No injuries are reported among the ship's 28 crew members. Israeli media reports, citing unnamed Israeli government officials, that Iran was likely behind the blast. (Bloomberg)
- Iran–Israel proxy conflict
- Zamfara kidnapping
- At least 317 girls are kidnapped by armed bandits raiding a secondary school hostel in the Nigerian state of Zamfara. (Al Jazeera)
- 2019–2021 Iraqi protests
- Security forces open fire against a crowd of demonstrators during anti-government protests in Nasiriyah, Iraq, killing 3 people and wounding 47 others. Two other protestors have also been killed in the past few days. (Al Jazeera)
- War in Donbass
- Batwa–Luba clashes
- An NGO vice-president met with 70 members of the Twa and Bantu in Nyunzu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, to ensure lasting peace in the Nyunzu Territory. (Radio Okapi)
- Ituri conflict
- Claude Ibalanky, the coordinator of the National Monitoring Mechanism of the Addis Ababa Agreement (MNS) revealed at a workshop organized by the MNS and MONUSCO in Kinshasa, that there are people in Kinshasa taking advantage of the instability in eastern Congo. (Radio Okapi)
- Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) kill three civilians in an ambush on the Beni-Kasindi road. Congolese and MONUSCO troops positioned nearby then clashed with the ADF, forcing them to retreat. (Radio Okapi)
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 House of Representatives votes 219-212 to pass U.S. President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief package, which would provide $1,400 in direct payments. The bill will head to the Senate for a vote. (CNET)
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
- Aftermath of the GameStop short squeeze
- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily halts the trading of 15 stocks, most of which are penny stocks, out of concern that online users were coordinating to artificially raise their value. (Bloomberg)
Disasters and accidents
- A small plane crashes in Gainesville, Georgia, U.S., killing three people. (Yahoo! News)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- The Indian government announces that people can choose their COVID-19 vaccination centres when the vaccination campaign expands next week. This will allow people to choose whether they want to receive the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine or the Bharat Biotech vaccine. (Zee News)
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin issues a new regulation that authorises a mutual assistance vaccine programme so that private companies can buy state-approved vaccines in order to vaccinate their staff. (Tempo.co)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, with the first doses administered to residents at about 200 nursing homes across the country. (Nikkei Asia)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska
- Nebraska reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant in a person from Douglas County. (Lincoln Journal Star)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- Health Canada authorizes the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine and a related vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India. (CTV News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
- Belgium announces that easing of major COVID-19-related restrictions will be put on hold for another week due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections and the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
- The Chamber of Deputies passes a new pandemic law that allows the health ministry and local authorities to shut down trade, production facilities, and events. In turn, the government announces the new state of emergency from February 27 until March 28. (Politico.eu)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
- Authorities in Greater Helsinki order the closure of public and private facilities, such as gyms, indoor sports venues, saunas, playgrounds and swimming pools for two weeks beginning March 1 as part of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (Yle)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
- President Janos Ader receives his first dose of Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (Budapest Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia
- Slovenia reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in a person from Maribor who recently travelled to Africa. (STA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
- The Spanish health ministry announces that people under 55 who have already been infected with COVID-19 will be given just a single dose of the vaccine, six months after their infection. (The Local Spain)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
- COVID-19 pandemic in South America
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- Argentinian Health Minister Carla Vizzotti tests positive for COVID-19. (El Día)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- Brasília enters a 24-hour lockdown for all non-essential services due to an increase in COVID-19 cases that has pushed the city's intensive care units to near full capacity with more than 80% of beds already occupied. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ivory Coast
- Ivory Coast becomes the second country to receive coronavirus vaccines via the COVAX initiative, with 500,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India arriving in the country. (Africanews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
- Papua New Guinea reports a record 89 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,228. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
International relations
- 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
- Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun addresses the UN in New York, calling for the international community to take the "strongest possible action" to remove the military junta from power. (France 24)
- Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia–United States relations
- The Biden administration releases a previously classified intelligence report on the assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, confirming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had approved of the assassination. (The New York Times)
Law and crime
- Begum v Home Secretary
- The UK Supreme Court rules that ISIL supporter Shamima Begum is forbidden from returning to the United Kingdom to appeal the revocation of her citizenship. This overturns the decision by the Court of Appeal, citing four errors in their ruling. (CNN)
- Aftermath of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reportedly identified a suspect in connection to the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the storming of the U.S. Capitol last month. (CNN)
- 2021 Croix-des-Bouquets jailbreak
- Arnel Joseph, a powerful Haitian gang leader, is killed in a gun battle with police in L'Estère a day after escaping from prison during a riot. The death toll from the incident rise to a total of 25 people, including many civilians killed by the inmates after randomly opening fire in the streets. The prison's director, six inmates and police officers are among the dead. Sixty more prisoners who escaped are captured and arrested, while more than 200 others are still on the run. (BBC)
Sports
- The Belarus Olympic Committee elects Viktor Lukashenko, son of President Alexander Lukashenko, as its new President. Lukashenko is currently suspended from the International Olympic Committee meaning Belarusian athletes will likely be forced to compete as an independent team in the upcoming Tokyo Games. (CTV News)
March 2021 | ||||||
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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
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
- Thai protests
- United States election protests
- United States racial unrest
- Venezuelan presidential crisis
- Yellow vests movement
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
- 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
- Association football
- Women's association football
- American football
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Rugby union
- Other sports seasons
March
- 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: 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: Johnny Rogan
- 7: Giuseppe Rotunno
- 7: Ron Wright
- 6: Ruth Dayan
- 6: Santiago García
- 6: George Shultz
- 5: Christopher Plummer
- 5: Butch Reed
- 5: Leon Spinks
Africa
- Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
- Cameroon
- Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Somalia
- Sudan
- War in Darfur
- South Kordofan conflict
- Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
- Western Sahara
Americas
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Peru
Asia-Pacific
- Afghanistan
- China
- India
- India and Pakistan
- Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Thailand
Europe
- Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Ukraine
Middle East
- Egypt
- Iran and the Persian Gulf
- Iraq
- Iraq and Syria (map)
- Israel and Gaza
- Israel and Syria
- Syria
- Turkey
- Yemen and Saudi Arabia
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
Establishments and disestablishments categories
Establishments – Disestablishments
Works and introductions categories
Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain

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