Portal:Current events/March 2022

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Battle of Kyiv
      • Kyiv offensive
        • A Russian military convoy that is about 64 kilometers (40 miles) long continues to advance toward Kyiv, as the invasion enters its sixth day. (BBC News)
        • A senior U.S. defense official asserts that the convoy has "stalled" amid the Ukrainian military response and fuel and food shortages, but also warns that the Russian troops are "certain to regroup". (NBC News)
      • Russian forces strike the Kyiv TV Tower with a missile, causing a temporary disruption of TV and radio broadcasting. Five people are killed in the bombing, according to Ukrainian emergency services. A Russian missile also strikes the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. (APA) (CNN) (Ynetnews) (PBS)
      • The Russian Armed Forces warn Kyiv residents to leave the city as its armoured convoy approaches the city's outskirts. The Russians also warn people living around the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine to evacuate, with the stated purpose of "thwarting informational attacks against Russia". (Reuters) (TASS) (The Guardian)
      • The Ukrainian Armed Forces foil an assassination plot against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by killing a group of Chechen paramilitaries known as Kadyrovtsy, who were attempting to enter Kyiv on February 26, according to Ukrainian intelligence information. (Ukrayinska Pravda)
    • Belarusian involvement in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
      • Belarusian Ground Forces units enter northern Chernihiv Oblast, according to a senior Ukrainian territorial defence forces official. However, the Ukrainian presidential office says that there is no evidence that this has happened. Belarus previously said that it would not send its armed forces to Ukraine. (Ukrayinska Pravda) (Rzeczpospolita)
    • Battle of Okhtyrka
      • Ukraine confirms that more than 70 troops were killed in a Russian ballistic missile strike on a base in Okhtyrka, Sumy Oblast, yesterday. It is the largest loss of life for Ukrainian forces in a single attack since the invasion began. (The Guardian)
    • Battle of Kharkiv
      • A Russian missile strikes the Kharkiv Oblast state administration building on Freedom Square at 8 a.m. local time. Six people are injured in the strike, with the building being severely damaged. The Slovenian honorary consulate is also destroyed by a Russian missile. (Sky News) (Delo)
    • Siege of Mariupol
      • The head of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, says that separatist forces are being assembled to encircle the port city of Mariupol. (CNN)
    • The European Court of Human Rights orders an immediate cessation of bombarding and targeting of civilian targets in Ukraine. (Europeiska Pravda)
    • A senior U.S. defense official says that some Russian troop units have surrendered to Ukrainian forces "without a fight". (Business Insider)
• Syrian Civil War
  • Rojava conflict
    • A battle between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian soldiers kills two SDF fighters and two government soldiers. (France 24)

Business and economy

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Foreign relations of Andorra
      • Prime Minister Xavier Espot announces that he will enter urgently to parliamentary procedure on Wednesday so that the General Council can approve the normative framework to apply economic sanctions to Russia. This law will aim to freeze the bank assets of 700 people and 50 companies that the European Union considers to be linked to the invasion of Ukraine. It is the first time in the history of Andorra that sanctions have been applied to a foreign country. (Diari d'Andorra)
    • Foreign relations of San Marino
      • The Grand and General Council of San Marino authorizes the country's government to enact sanctions against Russia, although the council rejects that the measures have a military content. (San Marino TV)
• Nord Stream 2
  • Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary wholly owned by Gazprom that was supposed to operate the controversial gas pipeline in Europe, files for bankruptcy with the canton of Zug authorities after a range of sanctions was imposed on its parent company. (Radio Télévision Suisse)
• Russian President Vladimir Putin bans exporting currency abroad in excess of US$10,000. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• The cargo ship Felicity Ace, which was carrying cars from Germany to the United States, sinks in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, after catching fire and being evacuated on February 16. (AP)
• Eleven people die after a fire breaks out in a mall in Damascus, Syria. (CBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
      • Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tests positive for COVID-19. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, COVID-19 vaccination in New Zealand
      • New Zealand approves the usage of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 18 years. (Otago Daily Times)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain
      • Bahrain issues an emergency approval for the vaccine candidate developed by Valneva, becoming the first country to approve the usage of the vaccine candidate. (Medical Xpress)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea
      • North Korea informs the World Health Organization that it still has not reported any cases of COVID-19. (Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    • Queen Elizabeth II holds a virtual audience for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19. (NBC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • American health officials report that the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine protects children over the age of 5 years from hospitalizations and deaths due to the Omicron variant. (ABC News)
• Ozone depletion and climate change
  • Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that smoke from the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season has damaged the ozone layer, delaying its recovery by about a decade. (The Guardian)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • A second round of peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations will be held tomorrow in an effort to pursue a ceasefire. (The Hill)
  • China–Ukraine relations
    • Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asks China to help mediate a ceasefire. In response, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says that China is ready to help Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement and mediate a ceasefire. China has also expressed regret for the conflict. (Nikkei Asia) (Straits Times)
• Ukraine–European Union relations
  • The European Parliament formally accepts Ukraine's application for EU membership. (India TV News)

Law and crime

• Palestinian displacement in East Jerusalem
  • The Israeli Supreme Court rules that four Palestinian families in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood that were expected to be evicted can remain in their homes for the time being. (AP)
• Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez is charged with attempted murder and held in Santa Clara County Jail following a shooting yesterday. (Wrestling Observer)

Politics and elections

• Aftermath of the 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état
  • Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the ruling junta leader of Burkina Faso, signs a plan to begin a three-year transition to democracy. (France 24)

Science and technology

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Media freedom in Russia
  • Russian authorities take down liberal Echo of Moscow radio station as well as an independent TV channel, Dozhd, both often critical of the government, for alleged deliberate falsehoods against the Russian military and incitement to extremism. (The Moscow Times)

Sports

• 2022 Major League Baseball season
  • 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout
    • The MLBPA rejects an offer and final proposal by the Major League Baseball, thereby postponing spring training to March 12 and opening day to April 7. (MLB.com) (NBC Sports)
• 2022 Winter Paralympics
  • Ukraine at the 2022 Winter Paralympics
    • The International Paralympic Committee announces that Ukraine will send a delegation of 20 athletes to the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing. (CNN)
• International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball withdraws Russia's hosting rights of the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship scheduled for August and September in response to the invasion. (AFP via Inquirer Sports)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Battle of Kyiv
        • The Ukrainian Air Force says that it has destroyed two Russian warplanes in a dogfight over Kyiv. A Ukrainian MiG-29 is also shot down during the air battle. (Sky News)
    • Kherson offensive
      • Battle of Kherson
        • Russian Ground Forces say that they have captured the Black Sea port of Kherson. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense denies this claim, stating that the battle is ongoing. (CNN)
        • The mayor of Kherson says that the city has fallen to the invading Russian forces. (The New York Times)
      • Siege of Mariupol
        • The mayor of Mariupol reports mass casualties and a water outage from "non-stop" Russian bombardments. (Reuters)
    • Horlivka offensive
      • Ukrainian forces begin an offensive towards Horlivka. (Ukrinform)
    • Siege of Chernihiv
      • Two Kalibr cruise missiles strike a hospital in Chernihiv after Russian troops were forced to retreat. (TIME) (CBC)
    • Battle of Kharkiv
      • Russian forces launch airstrikes on Kharkiv National University and a local police department. (CNN)
    • Siege of Enerhodar
      • Russia says that its troops have captured the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Russia had communicated that the plant was under their control and that personnel at the plant were continuing to perform their normal duties. (The Drive)
    • A missile strikes the Bangladeshi-flagged cargo ship Banglar Samriddhi docked at the Port of Olvia in Mykolaiv Oblast, killing a Bangladeshi engineer. (The Daily Star)
    • An emergency special session of the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution calling for Russia to end the invasion. (The Washington Post) (The Guardian)
    • In an unprecedented move, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) suspends all judicial proceedings against Ukraine pending before the ECHR. (Europeiska Pravda)
    • The Ukrainian Armed Forces say that Ukraine has retaken the city of Makariv from Russia. (Jerusalem Post) (Ukrinform)
• Papua conflict
  • Telkomsel shooting
    • Members of the Free Papua Movement gun down eight people at a Telkomsel telecommunications tower in Puncak Regency, West Papua. (U.S. News & World Report)
• Anglophone crisis
  • Anglophone rebels bomb a car in the Ekondo-Titi commune of Southwest Cameroon, killing seven people, including the mayor and a lieutenant. (VOA)

Business and economy

• 2022 Russian financial crisis
  • The European Union removes seven Russian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system, including VTB Bank, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Rossiya Bank, Sovcombank and VEB.RF. (Reuters)
  • Russian stocks endure a total wipeout in value on the London stock exchange, losing $570 billion in two weeks, with many Russian companies' stocks worth pennies. Entities such as Gazprom and Lukoil have lost almost all of their value. Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia, had a market cap of $102 billion six months ago but the value of outstanding shares is currently less than $190 million. (Bloomberg) (Barron's)
  • The World Bank suspends all programs in Russia and Belarus in response to the invasion of Ukraine. (Le Temps)

Disasters and accidents

• A Romanian Air Force MiG-21 from the 86th Air Base, which was carrying out an air patrol mission over Dobruja, vanishes from radar, and an IAR 330 rescue helicopter sent on a search and rescue mission also disappears. A Defence Ministry spokesman later confirms that the helicopter crashed near Gura Dobrogei, killing all seven crew members on board. The fate of the MiG-21 and its pilot is still unknown. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reports a record 55,353 new COVID-19 cases and 160 deaths in the past 24 hours. (RTHK)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea surpasses 200,000 daily cases from COVID-19 for the first time after reporting a record 219,241 new cases. (Yonhap News Agency)
      • South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum tests positive for COVID-19. (Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
      • Spain surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. (ABC.es)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey
      • Turkey eases the majority of its COVID-19-related restrictions including easing of mask mandate indoors and outdoors and no longer asking contact tracing when entering public places two years after the first COVID-19 cases in the country. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
      • The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommends the usage of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose. (Sky News Australia)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the booster shot of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine restores protection against the Omicron variant. (NBC News)
  • COVID-19 drug development
    • A World Health Organization (WHO) panel of International experts recommends the use of Merck & Co.'s COVID-19 antiviral pill Molnupiravir for high-risk patients. (Bloomberg)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine, scheduled to take place today, are postponed. (TASS)
    • The Russian delegation arrives in Belarus for a second round of talks expected to occur on Thursday morning. (CNN) (News.am)
  • Russia–Turkey relations
    • Turkey says that the Russian Navy has cancelled the transit of four of its warships through the Bosporus strait upon request after Turkey triggered the wartime clause of the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, which allows Turkey to close the Bosporus strait and the Dardanelles to foreign warships. (Reuters)
  • Russia–European Union relations
    • The European Union will suspend deliveries of euro banknotes to Russia beginning on March 12, with exemptions for private persons and their family members in Russia as well as diplomatic missions with legal immunity. (TASS)
  • Russia–United States relations
    • Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby announces that the U.S. will postpone a Minuteman III ICBM missile test in an effort to de-escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine. (Reuters)
  • Germany–Russia relations
    • Germany seizes Alisher Usmanov's superyacht Dilbar in Hamburg after the Russian oligarch was sanctioned by the EU on Monday. (Forbes)
  • China–Russia relations
    • A Western intelligence report indicates that China had some level of knowledge about the Russian invasion of Ukraine as it requested Russian officials not to invade during the 2022 Olympic Games. China disputes the accuracy of the reports, saying they are a way to shift blame on the country and smear it. (The New York Times)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • During a meeting in Israel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says that a new agreement to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action "cannot be postponed any longer". However, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett calls the agreement "unacceptable" as he indicated that Iran would be allowed to install centrifuges on a large scale. (Times of Israel)

Law and crime

• Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 anti-lockdown protests in New Zealand
    • Anti-lockdown rioters clash with police at the New Zealand Parliament Buildings in Wellington. A fire breaks out, destroying a children's playground. Several police officers are injured and 38 protesters are arrested. (The Guardian) (Stuff)
• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny calls for more anti-war protests in Russia and across the world, as well as protests against President Vladimir Putin. (The Hill)
  • The International Criminal Court announces that they have opened a criminal investigation into war crimes that have been committed in Ukraine since 2013, including during the invasion. (Business Insider)
• 2021–2022 Myanmar insurgency
  • The Myanmar military junta pardons several celebrities who spoke out against the military coup including Lu Min, Wyne, Pyay Ti Oo, Eaindra Kyaw Zin and Paing Takhon. (ABC News)
• Hundreds of women protest in the Nigerian capital of Abuja after the National Assembly rejected a series of amendments to the Constitution that would have expanded women's rights and autonomy. The proposed amendments included reserving 35% of all legislative seats and political party leadership positions for women, conferred citizenship to foreign husbands of Nigerian women, and allowing women to inherit the ancestry of their husband after five years of marriage. (Al Jazeera)

Science and technology

• Censorship of Wikipedia, Media freedom in Russia
  • Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, threatens to block the Russian Wikipedia for hosting an article on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which the regulator alleges to be factually inaccurate. The same concerns the Russian edition of US-sponsored Voice of America (VOA); Current Time TV (a joint publication of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and VOA) is already reported to be blocked in the country. (Reuters) (Axios)
• OneWeb satellite constellation
  • Russian space agency Roscosmos says that it will not launch 36 OneWeb satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Friday, unless OneWeb provides "legally binding guarantees" that the satellites will not be used for military purposes by the United Kingdom. (BBC News)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Paralympics
  • The International Paralympic Committee bans Russia and Belarus from competing in the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing after initially announcing they would compete despite the invasion of Ukraine, taking part as "neutral countries". (The Independent) (Axios)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Siege of Chernihiv
      • The governor of Chernihiv Oblast says that at least 33 people have been killed and at least 18 others injured in Russian airstrikes on residential areas in Chernihiv. (National Post) (U.S. News & World Report) (NDTV)
    • Battle of Kharkiv
      • Thirteen students are killed at the National University of Kharkiv after a Russian shell struck a dormitory at the university's Academy of Culture. Five foreign students are among the dead, including four Chinese and one Indian student. (Taiwan News)
    • Kherson offensive
      • The Ukrainian Navy patrol vessel Sloviansk is destroyed in a Russian anti-ship missile strike off the Port of Odesa, resulting in the disappearance of all its crew. (Debrief)
    • Ukrainian refugee crisis
      • The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says that over one million Ukrainians have fled the country since the invasion began. (Al Jazeera)
    • Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
      • Russia–United States relations
        • Russia and the U.S. establish a hotline in an effort to prevent escalation between the two nuclear powers. (Reuters)
    • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that the war on Ukraine will continue "until the end", and accuses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of allowing "a society where Nazism is flourishing". Lavrov also says that Russia is not planning a nuclear war. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• 2022 Russian financial crisis
  • Standard & Poor's downgrades Russia's debt from BB+ to CCC-, signalling that it believes that Russia is prone to defaulting on its obligations. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• The Estonian cargo ship MV Helt sinks near the Port of Odesa in the Black Sea following an explosion. All six crew members on board were rescued, according to authorities. Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets says that an investigation into the incident will occur. (Euronews)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • COVID-19 vaccination in France
        • French Prime Minister Jean Castex announces that France will lift their requirements for COVID-19 vaccine passports in access venues beginning on March 14. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Estonia
      • Estonian President Alar Karis tests positive for COVID-19. (ERR)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong reports a record for the second consecutive day of 56,827 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the total of confirmed cases in the territory to 350,557. The territory also reporting a record 144 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the death toll in territory to 1,366. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kazakhstan
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Kazakhstan
      • Kazakhstan begins its production of the Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine. (Kazinform)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana
      • Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signs an executive order ending the state’s COVID-19 emergency. (The Indianapolis Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand reports a record 23,183 new community transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (New Zealand Herald)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the second round of talks between Ukraine and Russia have begun. (The Tribune India)
    • Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak says that Ukraine and Russia have not "achieved the desired results they wanted", but that Russia has agreed to a temporary ceasefire in humanitarian corridors, thereby allowing more time for civilian evacuations. Both sides are expected to hold a third round of talks beginning next week. (Reuters) (Forexlive)
    • President Zelenskyy calls for a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to end the war. (MarketWatch)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Iran–Saudi Arabia relations
    • Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says that his country will continue talks with regional rival Iran in order to reach an agreement between the two countries. Bin Salman also reaffirms his support for a "strong" nuclear deal that would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. (Reuters)
  • Iran–United States relations
    • U.S. State Department principal deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter says that efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal have made "significant progress" but urges Iran not to wait any longer. (Times of Israel)
• Potential enlargement of the European Union
  • Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili signs a letter to formally apply for membership in the European Union. (Barron's)
  • Moldovan President Maia Sandu announces that Moldova is formally applying for EU membership. (Jerusalem Post)
• Enlargement of NATO
  • The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo approves a resolution urgently requesting the government to begin negotiations for the country's entry into NATO. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • French authorities seize the yacht of Russian oligarch Igor Sechin in La Ciotat after the European Union blacklisted Sechin and froze his assets. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Armenian presidential election
  • The Armenian National Assembly elects Vahagn Khachaturyan in a second round as the new country's President. (RFE/RL)

Science and technology

• International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Media freedom in the European Union, Censorship in the United Kingdom
    • Russian television network RT is taken off-air in the EU and the United Kingdom due to its coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (BBC News)
  • RT America ceases production and fires most of its employees. It expects the layoff to be permanent. (CNN)
• 2022 in archosaur paleontology
  • A new research published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology shows that the stegosaur Bashanosaurus, also known as the Bashanosaurus primitivus, is the oldest dinosaur species to be discovered in Asia. (Phys.org)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • 2022 NFL season
    • The National Football League and National Football League Players Association announce that they will eliminate COVID-19 testing and other protocols for the 2022 season following a revision to U.S. CDC guidelines and a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. (ESPN)
• 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
  • UEFA announces that they have banned Belarus from hosting international games due to its role in the invasion of Ukraine. (Bleacher Report)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Kherson offensive
      • Battle of Mykolaiv
        • Ukrainian forces say that they have recaptured the Mykolaiv Airport. (Ukrinform)
        • Russia renews its assault on Mykolaiv with naval gunfire support. (The Guardian)
        • The Ukrainian Navy scuttles its flagship frigate Hetman Sahaidachny at the port of Mykolaiv to prevent its capture by Russian forces. (The Independent)
    • Siege of Enerhodar
      • The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar catches fire following shelling by Russian troops. The fire is later extinguished. (Reuters) (NDTV)
      • Ukrainian officials confirm that the power plant has been captured by Russian forces. (BBC News)
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Ukrainian air defences shoot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 jet over the city of Volnovakha in Donetsk Oblast. (Forbes)
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay is shot and wounded by Russian troops near Kyiv. (Wales Online)
    • Ukrainian refugee crisis
      • The Czech Republic introduces a state of emergency for 30 days as thousands of Ukrainian refugees arrive in the country. (Novinky)
  • Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
    • Ukraine–NATO relations
      • NATO announces that they will not declare a no-fly zone over Ukrainian airspace, as such a declaration could create an avenue for further escalation by enabling NATO nations to potentially fire upon Russian aircraft in the area. (FOX News)
      • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemns NATO for rejecting his appeal for a no-fly zone over his country, saying "All the people who die starting today will also die because of you. Because of your weakness, because of your disconnection". (DW)
    • Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov calls on President Vladimir Putin to let his forces seize Ukraine's major cities, saying that it is the "only way to save the Russian people and our state". (WeForNews)
  • By a unanimous vote, Ukraine becomes a contributor to NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. (Kyiv Independent)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Terrorism in Pakistan
  • 2022 Peshawar mosque attack
    • Islamic State gunmen and a suicide bomber kill at least 61 people and injure 196 others during Friday prayers at a Shia mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan. (CNN)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Economy of Brazil
    • The government announces that Brazil's economy has grown by 4.6%, the largest increase since 2011, after suffering a slump in 2020 due to the COVID-19 recession. (The Rio Times)
• 2022 Russian financial crisis
  • The Moscow Stock Exchange will extend its closure until at least March 8. (Bloomberg)
  • JPMorgan Chase warns that the current financial crisis in Russia might be similar or even greater in consequences than the 1998 crisis, when Russia defaulted on its obligations. (Bloomberg)
  • Yandex, the Russian equivalent of Google, announces that it might be heading for default. (CNN)
• 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
  • Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, stops all sales of advertisements in Russia, following similar actions by Twitter and Snap Inc., as Russian regulators demand that the company stop showing "false political information" about Ukraine that they claim is misinforming the Russian public. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Wildfires in 2022
  • A wildfire occurs near the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant in Uljin County, South Korea, prompting authorities to issue a national emergency alert and evacuate residents from the area. (Korea Herald) (Yonhap)
  • South Korean President Moon Jae-in orders an effort to protect the power plant amid wildfire concerns. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
      • COVID-19 vaccination in Japan
        • Japan reaches 1 million booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Kyodo News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 266,853 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
    • President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina test positive for COVID-19. (The Irish Post)
• 2020–2022 H5N8 outbreak
  • A red-breasted goose in the Jersey Zoo, Channel Islands, tests positive for H5N8 avian influenza. (BBC News)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia is open to peace talks with Ukraine. However, he also urged Ukraine to meet Russian demands. (Cotswold Journal) (Guernsey Press)

Law and crime

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Media freedom in Russia
    • President Vladimir Putin signs amendments to the Criminal Code of Russia criminalising the spreading of falsehoods about Russian soldiers and the Russian Armed Forces, as well as calling for anti-Russian sanctions. According to the changes to the Criminal Code, spreading falsehoods about the Russian army will be punishable by 10–15 years of imprisonment, with the possibility of an additional fine of 700,000 to 1.5 million rubles (US$6,400–13,700) and up to three years of forced labour. The other two activities will carry a lesser punishment but all include possible imprisonment. The bill was previously accepted unanimously by the State Duma. (Interfax Russia) (TASS)
  • Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses anti-war protesters in cities across Europe. (Guernsey Press) (Warrington Guardian)
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Italian police seize the yacht of Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov at the port of Imperia. Another yacht owned by Putin associate Gennady Timchenko is blocked at the port and is expected to be seized shortly. Both men have been sanctioned by the European Union. (The Guardian)
• Assassination of Hrant Dink
  • A Turkish citizen wanted for the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink is detained in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (AKIpress)

Politics and elections

• 2021 Australian Parliament House sexual misconduct allegations
  • Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge, who temporarily stood down from his position last year after domestic abuse allegations were leveled against him by his former staffer and mistress, announces that he will be permanently resigning from the frontbench as a result of these allegations. (MSN News)

Science and technology

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Arianespace and OneWeb suspend all future rocket launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and the use of Russian Soyuz rockets for their spacecraft. (Spaceflight Insider) (Reuters)
  • Russian space agency Roscosmos ceases all joint scientific experiments on the International Space Station. (WION)
• Internet censorship in Russia
  • Russia blocks access to the websites of foreign government-sponsored corporations BBC News, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for spreading so-called "false information" about the "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russia also blocks access to Facebook and Twitter for the same reason. (Reuters) (Politico) (Meduza)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Paralympics
  • The opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics is held in Beijing. (NPR)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Siege of Mariupol
        • Russian and Ukrainian forces agree to open a humanitarian corridor for five hours for people who want to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha, expecting 200,000 people from Mariupol and 15,000 people from Volnovakha to use the corridor. However, the implementation of the corridor is postponed as the two parties accused each other of violating cease-fire agreement. (Reuters) (The Wall Street Journal)
      • Head of the Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin announces that Sparta Battalion Commander Volodymyr Zhoha has been killed in Volnovakha. (Ukrayinska Pravda)
    • Siege of Chernihiv
      • A Russian Air Force warplane is shot down on the outskirts of Chernihiv, crashing into a residential area, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. (CNN)
      • A Russian Sukhoi Su-34 is shot down in Chernihiv Oblast and one of its pilots is taken prisoner by Ukrainian forces. The other pilot died. (Ukranews) (India Today)
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Russian troops seize control of Borodianka in Kyiv Oblast after days of heavy shelling and airstrikes. Ukrainian authorities say that they were unable to evacuate a psychiatric hospital in the town which holds 670 patients. The hospital is now under Russian control. (CNN) (Sky News)
      • The Ukrainian military begins a mass evacuation of civilians from Irpin after the city was bombarded by Russian jets and artillery. Much of the city has now been destroyed. (BBC News)
    • Battle of Mykolaiv
      • Ukrainian Ground Forces retake control of Mykolaiv and seize Russian military equipment. (The Kyiv Independent)
    • Ukrainian refugee crisis
      • The International Organization for Migration says that the refugee crisis has now become the largest and fastest exodus of people in Europe since World War II. (Fox News)
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Western sanctions on Russia are akin to a "declaration of war", and warns that any attempt to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine could lead to "catastrophic consequences" for the world. (Reuters)
  • War in Donbas
    • Russian President Putin says that around 13,000 to 14,000 people have been killed in Donbas since 2014. (TASS)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • 2022 Peshawar mosque attack
    • The Islamic State claims responsibility for yesterday's massacre, which killed at least 61 people. (CNN)

Business and economy

• 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
  • South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics suspends all shipments to Russia due "to current geopolitical developments". Samsung is the largest supplier of smartphones in Russia with a 30% market share. (Reuters)
  • PayPal suspends its services in Russia, citing "violent military aggression in Ukraine". Inditex also announces that it is closing all of its 502 stores in Russia, which employ about 9,000 people. (BBC News)
  • Visa and Mastercard suspend operations in Russia following "Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine". Visa says that it would cut off transactions "over the coming days", and that once a full ban is in place, bank cards issued in Russia will no longer work abroad. (The Independent)
• 2022 Russian financial crisis
  • President Putin signs a decree authorising settlement of sovereign and corporate debts whose creditors come from "unfriendly countries" (whose list is to be determined within two days' time) to be made in rubles instead of foreign currencies, according to the exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR). (Bloomberg) (TASS)
• Aeroflot, Russia's flag carrier airline, announces that all flights to foreign destinations will be suspended as of March 8. (RIA Novosti)

Disasters and accidents

• Tornado outbreak of March 5, 2022
  • A tornado outbreak across the Midwestern United States kills six people from at least ten tornadoes, with the National Weather Service issuing multiple particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado warnings. (WHO-TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 33,406 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,595,172. (Malaysia Kini)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
      • Saudi Arabia will lift its COVID-19 restrictions, including PCR COVID-19 testing requirements, along with requirements for travelers to quarantine. (Khaleej Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 216 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,796. The country also surpasses 4 million cases of COVID-19. (The Korea Herald)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis, International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–United Kingdom relations
    • The United Kingdom's Foreign Office advises British citizens to leave Russia immediately if their presence is "not essential", citing the "lack of available flight options to return to the UK", and the "increased volatility in the Russian economy". (Sky News)
    • Russian Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova says that Russia will "not forget" British support for "Ukrainian ultra-nationalists", as well as the supply of British weapons to Kyiv, which are being used against Russian forces. (The Statesman)
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia announces that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine will resume on March 7. (Reuters)
  • Israel–Russia relations
    • Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss the invasion as well as a potential ceasefire with Ukraine. Bennett is the first world leader to meet with Putin in person since the invasion began. (Jerusalem Post) (Axios)
  • Kyrgyzstan–Russia relations
    • Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev expresses his support for any efforts to mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. (AKIPress)
  • Cyprus–Russia relations
    • Cyprus denies access for five Russian military vessels to enter its port in Limassol. Whether the military ships could enter Cypriot ports in the first place is controversial, as the international law background is unclear. (Kathimerini Cyprus)
• 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
  • North Korea tests a ballistic missile in the Sea of Japan four days before the upcoming South Korean election. This is the ninth test conducted by North Korea this year. (CNBC)
• Cross-Strait relations
  • Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reaffirms China's support for peaceful relations and reunification with Taiwan. However, he also calls for other countries to not engage in foreign interference. (Reuters)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Iranian officials reach an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency to answer questions about their nuclear weapons program. (Xinhuanet)
• Baku, Azerbaijan, and Dushanbe, Tajikistan, become sister cities. (Azerbaijan News Gazette)

Law and crime

• International reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • 2022 anti-war protests in Russian-occupied Ukraine
      • Anti-war protesters gather in Kherson to protest Russia's occupation of the city. (The New York Times)
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Italian police seize luxury villas and yachts worth 143 million euros from five Russian oligarchs who have been sanctioned by the European Union. (Reuters)
• Querétaro–Atlas riot
  • During a Liga MX football match between Querétaro F.C. and Atlas F.C., a riot between fans breaks out. (The York Times)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • France–Russia relations
      • In a phone call with French president Emmanuel Macron, Russian president Vladimir Putin says that Russia will no longer attack nuclear power plants and is open to holding a trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. (Politico.eu) (FactoPress)
    • Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport in Vinnytsia Oblast has been "completely destroyed" after being hit with eight Russian ballistic missiles. (The Guardian)
    • The Ukrainian military says that it has killed over 11,000 Russian troops since the invasion began, while Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday that 498 Russian troops had been killed. (Reuters) (The Week)
    • U.S. officials claim that Russia has started recruiting Syrian mercenaries experienced in urban combat. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Terrorism in India, Kashmir conflict
  • A militant attacks a marketplace in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, with a grenade, killing a man and injuring 24 others. (The Times of India)
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • A 19-year-old Palestinian stabs an Israeli police officer in the Old City of Jerusalem. Police open fire on the attacker, killing him. One of the police is injured by friendly fire. (The Times of Israel) (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • The Nigerien government confirms reports that five soldiers were killed on Friday by an improvised explosive device bombing in Torodi, Tillabéri Region. (TRT World)

Business and economy

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Ukraine suspends all exports of rye, oat, buckwheat, millet, sugar, salt, and most meat and meat products that are fit for human consumption, as the country expects poor harvests and food shortages. (Dzerkalo Tyzhnia)
• United States–Venezuela relations, 2021–2022 global energy crisis
  • The United States start talks with Venezuela about supplies of its oil, currently under sanctions, in an attempt to substitute the Russian crude. So far the talks yielded few results. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • The Chatham Islands near New Zealand reports its first case of COVID-19. (TVNZ)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Enlargement of NATO
    • Ukraine–NATO relations
      • Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia says that Ukraine is open to having non-NATO discussions in the future. (Reuters)
  • Russia–Turkey relations
    • Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calls for Russian president Vladimir Putin to declare a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Putin tells Erdoğan that he is ready for dialogue in an effort to end the war but also warns that any attempt to draw out negotiations could fail. He also calls for Ukraine to cease fighting in order for the military campaign to end. (The Moscow Times) (Reuters)
  • Israel–Russia relations
    • Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett says that his country will try to mediate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia even if attempts are not successful. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
    • Around 4,000 anti-war demonstrators are arrested during protests in cities across Russia that are aimed at opposing the invasion. (BBC News)
  • Kazakhstan will allow anti-war protests in the country amidst fears that the country could be sanctioned. Protesters gather in Almaty to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Rferl) (France 24)
• Protests against responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • A convoy of truckers inspired by the Canadian convoy protesters gather at the Capital Beltway in Washington, D.C. to call for all COVID-19 restrictions and mandates to be lifted. (CNN)

Science and technology

• Kwangmyŏngsŏng program
  • North Korea says that it performed data transmission and other key tests to make a reconnaissance spy satellite. This comes a day after the country conducted a missile test. (ABC News)
• International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
  • A Russian government directive is published ordering moving all government institutions and Internet service providers servicing them to switch to Russian DNS servers and (whenever possible and applicable) to the .ru domain zone as well as substitute all foreign-hosted Javascript code with equivalent code hosted onshore by March 11. Russian authorities, however, do not plan to cut off from the global Internet network themselves. (The Register) (Kommersant)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Battle of Kharkiv
      • The International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology in Kharkiv, which holds a neutron generator, has been destroyed by Russian shelling. The IAEA says that no radiation release has been detected from the facility, which housed a "small inventory of radioactive material". (Bloomberg)
      • Ukraine says that it has killed 41st Combined Arms Army general Vitaly Gerasimov, who allegedly took part in the annexation of Crimea, Russia's intervention in Syria, and the Second Chechen War, in the Kharkiv Oblast. He is the second general to be killed by Ukrainian forces after Andrey Sukhovetsky. (Ukrinform) (The Independent)
    • Kherson offensive
      • Ukrainian Navy forces strike Russian Navy patrol boat Vasily Bykov with missiles in the Black Sea. (The Telegraph) (Mirror)
    • Russia–Ukraine relations
      • Russia and Ukraine set up another ceasefire in order to allow humanitarian evacuations in some cities. (ABC News)
      • Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov says that Russia will end its military campaign if Ukraine ends its fighting campaign, does not join NATO, recognizes Crimea as Russian territory, and recognizes Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. (Newsweek)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Mali War
    • Two United Nations peacekeepers are killed in a bomb attack north of Mopti. Shortly before that, militants kill two Malian soldiers in Gao Region. (National Post)
    • French forces confirm reports that they killed Algerian-born senior al-Qaeda official Yahia Djouadi in a drone strike in February. (The National News)
• 2019–2022 Sudanese protests
  • Khartoum massacre investigation
    • In cooperation with military officials, the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces raid an office investigating a commission that was set up to investigate the Khartoum massacre. (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• 2021–2022 global energy crisis
  • The price of Brent crude oil increases to $139.13 per barrel, the highest value since July 2008, amid supply disruptions and the threat of a Russian oil ban. (Reuters)
• Metal markets register new highs. Aluminium and nickel register a record price on the London stock exchange, at about $4,000 and $55,000 per tonne, respectively; nickel prices rose 90% on intraday trading. Copper also recorded new highs, at $10,845 per tonne, while palladium reached $3,440 per ounce. Russia is a substantial producer of all of these metals, and the market expects shortages of these commodities as the country is hit by further sanctions. (Reuters) (Reuters 2) (Barron's)

Disasters and accidents

• One person dies and seven crew members are rescued after a fishing trawler capsizes in the North Sea while travelling to Norway, according to the Norwegian Coast Guard. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
        • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
          • New York City formally ends its mask mandate for its school district as well as its indoor vaccine mandate for restaurants, bars and theaters. (The New York Times) (WNYW-TV)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut
      • Connecticut reports 145 hospitalizations from COVID-19, its lowest since July 30 of last year. (WTIC-TV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium
    • Belgium removes most of its COVID-19-related restrictions, including lifting most of mask mandate and no longer requiring COVID Safe Tickets to enter most public places, after the country lowered its COVID-19 barometer from code orange to yellow. (Anadolu Agency)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    • China reports 526 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, which is the highest daily total in the country in two years. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
    • It is announced that Moderna will build a vaccine manufacturing facility in Kenya to produce mRNA vaccines, including its COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters)
  • The number of deaths due to COVID-19 worldwide surpasses six million. (The New York Times)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • The Russian and Ukrainian delegations hold a third round of talks at the Belarus–Poland border. During the talks, both countries say that they made limited progress on humanitarian corridors. However, no ceasefire was agreed to. A fourth round of talks will be held in the future. (ANI) (Times of Israel) (Daily Sabah) (Deccan Herald)
    • It is announced that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will hold a tripartite meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara on Thursday. This will be the first Cabinet-level meeting between Russia and Ukraine since the invasion began. (Politico.eu)
  • Russia–NATO relations
    • Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signs a decree allowing the deployment of NATO troops in western Hungary, and the transfer of lethal weapons across its territory to other NATO member states. However, the decree does not allow weapons shipments across its territory to Ukraine. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Lynching in the United States
  • The United States Senate votes unanimously to pass the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, a bill that would make lynching a federal crime in the United States. The bill will head to President Joe Biden for his signature. (NPR)

Politics and elections

• President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte approves a bill raising the age of consent in the Philippines from 12 to 16. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Belarus launched a widespread phishing attack against Polish and Ukrainian government and military officials. The attack has since been contained. (The Washington Post)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Battle of Kharkiv
      • The Albanian consulate in Kharkiv is destroyed during Russian shelling. No casualties are reported. (Euractiv)
    • White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reaffirms that the U.S. will not impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. (Wall Street Journal)
  • A report from the Irish Times said that the United Nations told its employees in a communications guidance to refer to the war in Ukraine as a "conflict" or "military offensive" rather than as a "war" or an "invasion", and also ordered employees to not put the Ukrainian flag on any of their social media accounts to "avoid reputational risk", in an attempt to avoid upsetting Russia. However, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general of the United Nations, wrote in an email to The Guardian that no such recommendation was ever issued. (The Irish Times) (The Guardian)
• Nigerian bandit conflict
  • 2022 Kebbi massacres
    • Bandits in Kebbi State attack a military convoy carrying the state's deputy governor, Dabai Yombe. He survives but 19 soldiers are killed. The convoy was making its way to Wasagu/Danko when the attack occurred. (Reuters)
    • Gunmen ambush a team of vigilantes in Kebbi State, killing a reported 62 people. (Reuters)
• Terrorism in Pakistan
  • An Islamic State – Khorasan Province militant blows himself up in the city of Sibi, Balochistan, Pakistan. The attack kills five people and injures thirty. It may have been an assassination attempt on President Arif Alvi. (Voice of America)

Business and economy

• International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
  • The Biden administration bans imports of Russian oil, gas and coal to the United States. The United Kingdom also announces that it would phase out Russian oil by the end of the year. (CBS) (Politico)
  • Chinese officials indicate that they are interested in buying shares in recently-distressed Russian energy and minerals companies, seeking supply security. The negotiations, however, are still at an early stage. (Bloomberg)
• Due to the panic buying of nickel futures, whose prices have increased above the $100,000 per tonne mark for the first time, and which doubled for the second consecutive day, the London Metal Exchange suspends all trading of nickel. (Reuters) (Reuters 2)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 eastern Australia floods
  • The death toll from the floods in Queensland and New South Wales increases to 20. (GlobalNews)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand reports a record 23,894 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • In an interview with ABC News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Ukraine is open to holding discussions about the Russia-recognized Donetsk and Luhansk separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. He also concedes that his country may no longer be prepared to be accepted into NATO. (Business Insider)
• United States–Venezuela relations
  • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that Venezuela has freed two Americans, Gustavo Cardenas and Jorge Fernandez, after being detained in the country. (Politico)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • Criminal charges in the 2021 United States Capitol attack
    • Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio is indicted on conspiracy charges of obstructing the U.S. Congress during the January 6 attack at the United States Capitol. (Politico)
• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The New York Times removes all its journalists from Russia, fearing arrests due to the recent changes to the Criminal Code of Russia penalizing "falsehoods" about the Russian Armed Forces or the country's invasion of Ukraine. (The Hill)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Siege of Mariupol
        • A Russian airstrike destroys a maternity ward and a children's hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, killing three people and injuring at least 17 people. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that many people are unaccounted for. (Business Insider) (AP) (The Chicago Tribune) (Sky News)
      • Battle of Kharkiv
        • Ukrainian forces announce that they have regained control of Derhachi, a city located in the Kharkiv Raion district of the Kharkiv Oblast. (Ukrinform)
    • Ukrainian refugee crisis
      • The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says over two million Ukrainians have now fled the country since the invasion began. Most have gone to neighbouring Poland, with Hungary, Romania and Slovakia also taking in several hundred thousand refugees each. (DW)
    • Poland–United States relations
      • The Pentagon rejects an offer from Poland's foreign ministry to "deploy – immediately and free of charge – all their MIG-29 jets" to the Ramstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America" for transfer to the Ukrainian Air Force. (Reuters) (Reuters 2)
    • Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
      • The British Army confirms that a number of active-duty soldiers have disobeyed orders and gone AWOL, and have likely gone to Ukraine to fight against the Russian military. Defence Minister Ben Wallace says that the serving members are "breaking the law and will be prosecuted" when they return to the United Kingdom. (Sky News)
      • The United Kingdom's Defence Ministry says that it is sending another 1,615 MBT LAWs, and a small number of FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainian army. More small arms, body armour and medical supplies have also been sent. (BBC News)

Business and economy

• 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis
  • 2022 Russian financial crisis
    • Fitch Ratings downgrades Russia from "B" to "C", one grade above default, and warns that Russian default on its obligations is "imminent". (BBC News)
    • The Russian Ministry of Economic Development proposes a draft nationalisation bill that will impose receivership for up to 3 months on assets of companies that boycotted the Russian market due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine if the ownership share by legal entities from "unfriendly countries" exceeds 25%. If the companies still do not resume their business in the country, their assets will be auctioned. More than 300 companies that left Russia or suspended operations in Russia could be targeted. (TASS)
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signs a legislation banning the state from doing business dealings with Belarus and Russia. (Patch.com)
    • John Deere announces that it will suspend shipments to Russia and Belarus following the invasion. (WBTV-TV)
    • American industrial conglomerate 3M suspends all business operations in Russia. (Reuters)
  • The Chinese Foreign Ministry announces that China will provide 5 million yuan ($790,000) in humanitarian aid to Ukraine. (South China Morning Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The Ukrainian state grid operator warns that Russian forces, which are in control of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, have disconnected the plant from the electricity grid, which the operator says will impact nuclear fuel cooling, and which also caused a blackout in the nearby city of Slavutych. The nuclear plant previously suspended all communications with the IAEA, the United Nations-based organisation specialising in nuclear energy production. (The Independent) (Interfax Ukraine)
  • Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says that reserve diesel generators that cool spent nuclear fuel can only last for another 48 hours and that a radiation leak from Chernobyl is "imminent" if power is not restored immediately. Kuleba also says that "Putin's barbaric war" puts all of Europe in danger. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency says there is "no critical impact on security" imminent. (Times of Israel) (Reuters)
• 2022 eastern Australia floods
  • Prime Minister Scott Morrison declares a national emergency in Australia in response to the ongoing floods in Australia. (ABC News Australia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria suspends its universal COVID-19 vaccine mandate one week before fines of up to €3,600 were scheduled to take effect for those who did not comply with the mandate. The suspension of the mandate will be reviewed in three months. (Politico)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Romania
      • Romania lifts all COVID-19-related restrictions including requiring a digital COVID pass to access institutions and the obligation to wear protective masks both indoors and outdoors. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea reports a record 342,446 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 Hours. (CNA)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Russia–United States relations
      • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells the United States to "await its response" to the "economic war" being waged against Russia. (Reuters)
    • Russia–United Kingdom relations
      • The UK bans all Russian aircraft from landing in its territory and travelling in its airspace, impounding a Russian oligarch-owned private jet at Farnborough Airport. The UK also bans all exports of aviation and space industry-related goods and services. (Reuters)
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Ankara, Turkey, for upcoming talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. (Reuters)
    • Ukrainian foreign policy aide Ihor Zhovkva says that Ukraine is open to holding talks discussing Russia's demand of Ukraine's neutrality as long as Ukraine is given security guarantees. However, Zhovkva warned that Ukraine will not give up any of its territories. (Bloomberg)

Politics and elections

• 2022 South Korean presidential election
  • Preliminary results of the presidential election show a narrow victory for the conservative candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. (The New York Times)

Science and technology

• The wreck of Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance, which sank in 1915, has been located beneath the Weddell Sea. (The New York Times)

Sports

• 2022 Major League Baseball season
  • 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout
    • Major League Baseball postpones opening day to April 14 after failing to reach a deal with the Major League Baseball Players Association. (Bleacher Report) (ABC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Siege of Mariupol
        • Russian forces resume shelling the port city of Mariupol after yesterday's airstrike on a children's hospital which killed three people. A humanitarian aid convoy trying to reach the city is also forced to turn back due to heavy fighting. (BBC News)
• Aftermath of 2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes
  • An armed incident occurs between border guards at the Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border, killing one Tajik border guard. Following the incident, officials from the Batken Region in Kyrgyzstan and the Sughd Region in Tajikistan hold talks. (Trend) (RFE/RL)

Business and economy

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Video game companies Nintendo and Sony Interactive Entertainment suspend all product sales in Russia. Sony's online PlayStation Store will also no longer be available in Russia. (CNBC)
    • U.S. bank Goldman Sachs announces that it is closing its operations in Russia, becoming the first major Wall Street bank to leave the country following the invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)
  • 2022 Russian financial crisis
    • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that the Russian economy is experiencing a "shock" following an "absolutely unprecedented" economic war being waged against the country. Peskov also says that "the economic war that has started against our country has never taken place before. So it is very hard to forecast anything". (Reuters)
    • The International Monetary Fund no longer considers Russian default "improbable", and the World Bank also considers Russia's and Belarus's default likely. (Reuters) (Reuters 2)
    • The Central Bank of Russia limits withdrawals of US dollars, euros, British pounds and Japanese yen for Russian firms to the equivalent of $5,000, with the withdrawal of larger sums only possible with the Central Bank's permission. The withdrawn funds may only be used for covering overseas work trips. (Reuters)
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin admits that the sanctions have created problems for Russia. However, he also called the sanctions illegitimate and warned the West that Russia will emerge stronger and solve the problems. (Reuters) (Sky News)
  • The Ukrainian parliament begins to debate a new law which would allow the forced seizure of all assets belonging to Russians citizens as well as Ukrainians deemed by the courts or the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to be Russian collaborators. Last week, a bill was approved that allowed forced seizure of assets owned by the Russian government and Russian companies. (Ekonomichna Pravda)
  • Russia's Ministry of Transport prepares a draft regulation which would allow airlines to not have to honour the request of the lessor to return leased aircraft unless a special government commission orders them to do so and would also allow companies to pay the lessor in rubles. The law comes amid EU sanctions which forces all lease contracts for Russian aircraft to be voided by late March and also forbids E.U. companies from insuring Russian aircraft. (Interfax Russia)
  • Russia introduces retaliatory sanctions against most foreign countries, with the exception of members of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. The export of more than 200 items, mostly of technical and agricultural appliances, will also be banned until the end of the year. (Interfax Russia)
  • The Russian government abolishes penalties for theft of patents if they are held by natural or legal persons from countries considered by the Russian government as "unfriendly". The decriminalisation of the piracy of software from "unfriendly" countries is also being considered. (Euractiv) (The Register)
  • Facebook and Instagram starts to allow users in Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and the Caucasus to promote violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the war in Ukraine, which is normally restricted, according to internal emails. A Meta spokesperson states that "As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as 'death to the Russian invaders.'" However, calls for violence against Russian prisoners of war and "credible calls for violence against Russian civilians" will remain prohibited. Death threats against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will also be permitted. Meta's spokesperson adds that they are, "for the time being, making a narrow exception for praise of the Azov Regiment strictly in the context of defending Ukraine, or in their role as part of the Ukraine National Guard," which was previously forbidden. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Around 250 people are evacuated after Mount Merapi on Java, Indonesia erupts overnight. (The Washington Post)
• 2022 Zagreb Tu-141 crash
  • A Tupolev Tu-141 reconnaissance drone crashes on the outskirts of Zagreb, Croatia, triggering a loud blast and forming a large crater, but causing no injuries. The unmanned aircraft flew through Hungarian airspace before crashing in Croatia and is likely to have severely malfunctioned. The aircraft, which travelled 560km, went undetected by both countries' air defences. (The Guardian) (ABC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Niue
    • Niue reports its first COVID-19 case since the pandemic began in a person who traveled from New Zealand and who had tested negative prior to departing. (The Guardian)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
      • Scotland reports a record 14,387 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (The Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
      • Governor Doug Burgum announces that North Dakota will shift its COVID-19 approach from a pandemic to an endemic phase. The state health department will also end their COVID-19 updates. (AP) (KVRR-TV)
    • Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • The Transportation Security Administration and the Biden administration will extend the federal mask mandate for public transportation until April 18. (CNN)
    • History of COVID-19 vaccine development
      • Moderna begins a study and a phase 2 trial of a hybrid vaccine aimed at combating the Omicron variant with their current COVID-19 vaccine. (MarketWatch) (BNN Bloomberg)

International relations

• Russia–Ukraine relations
  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hold talks in Ankara, Turkey. These are the highest level talks between the two nations since the invasion. No ceasefire is reached, but the possibility of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin was discussed. (Reuters)
  • Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov says that Ukraine is willing to accept Russia’s surrender “with understanding”. (Ukrinform)
• Qatar–United States relations, Colombia–United States relations
  • U.S. President Joe Biden designates Qatar as a Major non-NATO ally and announces his intention to designate Colombia with the same status. (The Jerusalem Post)
• Russia in the Council of Europe
  • Russia announces that it will withdraw from the Council of Europe. (The Moscow Times) (TASS)

Law and crime

• Judiciary of Poland, Polish constitutional crisis
  • The Constitutional Tribunal, the highest court in Poland, declares that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) may not control the validity of the appointment of any judges in Poland. The Tribunal also wrote in its opinion that Poland is not obliged to implement four ECHR court rulings which found that the parties were denied a right to fair trial, as the relevant provision violates the Constitution of Poland when applied to control the judges' appointment. (Rzeczpospolita) (Euronews)
• The Israeli Knesset votes 45–15 to bar Palestinian spouses of Israelis from obtaining citizenship if they came from the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, and blocks family reunification of Israelis and their spouses if they came from "enemy countries" such as Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. This replaces a similar emergency order that was in place from 2003 to last year, when it failed to receive enough votes to be annually renewed. (Reuters)
• The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia condemns the arrest of the chairman of the Oromo Liberation Front, Dawud Ibsa Ayana, as illegal. The National Electoral Board also said it would investigate the reported arrest of opposition politicians from several other regions including Benishangul Gumuz, South Ethiopia, South West Ethiopia, Sidama, Oromia, and Addis Ababa. (AfricaNews)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Hungarian presidential election
  • Fidesz's Katalin Novák is elected the first female president of Hungary by the National Assembly. (Bloomberg)
• 2022 South Korean presidential election
  • Conservative opposition leader Yoon Suk-yeol is confirmed as the winner of yesterday's presidential election with 48.59% of the vote. He will take office as President of South Korea on May 10. (BBC News)
• 2024 United States presidential election
  • Former Montana Secretary of State and State Senator Corey Stapleton announces that he will form a "test the waters" political action committee in preparation to seek the nomination for the Republican Party for the upcoming 2024 election. (Great Falls Tribune)

Sports

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • The British government sanctions Russian oligarch and Chelsea F.C. owner Roman Abramovich, freezing all his assets in the United Kingdom. The sanctions mean that Premier League club Chelsea will not be able to sell any more tickets for games, its merchandise store will be closed, and it will be unable to buy or sell players on the transfer market until the club is sold. (BBC News)
• 2022 Major League Baseball season
  • 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout
    • Major League Baseball reaches a labor collective bargaining agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association to end the lockout and salvage a 162-game season. Opening day will begin on April 7 and training camp will begin tomorrow. (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Southern Ukraine offensive
      • Battle of Melitopol
        • Russian troops capture the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov, and take him to an unknown location after he refused to cooperate with Russian occupation forces. Fedorov's capture is confirmed by Ukrainian Internal Affairs Ministry official Anton Herashchenko. (BBC News)
    • Kyiv offensive
      • A large convoy of Russian military vehicles, including tanks and self-propelled artillery, begins "fanning out" to forests and towns near Kyiv as it prepares to advance on the capital. (BBC News)
    • Siege of Chernihiv
      • Ukrainian Ground Forces launch a counter-offensive in Chernihiv Oblast, regaining control of five settlements from Russian forces, and seizing two Russian armoured personnel carriers and ammunition. (Ukrinform)
    • Northeastern Ukraine offensive
      • Battle of Sumy
        • Around 104 Russian soldiers are taken as prisoners of war in Sumy. (Ukrinform)
    • Russia allows foreign volunteers to join its armed forces to fight the war against Ukraine. Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu says that he has received around 16,000 applications, mostly from people in the Middle East. (AP)
    • Russia launches "high-precision" airstrikes on airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk in Western Ukraine, killing four Ukrainian service members and injuring six others. Russian Air Force jets also bomb the city of Dnipro for the first time, destroying a shoe factory and killing one person. (AP)
• Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts
  • The Pakistani military says that a surface-to-surface missile hit near Mian Channu, Punjab. India later admits to accidentally firing a missile into Pakistani territory. No casualties were reported by either side. (BBC News) (Reuters) (The Washington Post)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Kazakhstan–Russia relations
      • Air Astana suspends all flights to and from Russia, citing the "withdrawal of insurance coverage for commercial flights". (Kazinform)
  • 2020–present global chip shortage
    • Two Ukrainian semiconductor-grade neon gas producers, making about half of the world's supply of the gas, have shut down their operations due to the invasion. This will likely worsen semiconductor shortages that started with the COVID-19 pandemic. (Reuters)
  • The Central Bank of Russia orders all banks not to take any commission for the withdrawal of foreign-denominated cash from bank accounts of natural persons. Additionally, all remittances from abroad can only be withdrawn after they are converted to rubles. (Meduza)
  • Stock prices increase in the United States and other global markets after Russian president Vladimir Putin said that there was progress during talks with Ukraine. Following Putin's reports, the DOW increased by 300 points. (Nasdaq) (Reuters) (MarketWatch)

Disasters and accidents

• Wildfires in 2022
  • The wildfires in Uljin County increase to 24,000 hectares, becoming the most destructive wildfires in South Korean history. (Korea Herald)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai
        • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
          • Shanghai will close their primary, middle, and high schools due to a rise of COVID-19 cases. (Reuters) (Business Standard)
        • Shanghai will also close their cinemas and imposes a reduced capacity and partial restrictions for visitors at the Shanghai Disneyland to combat the spread of COVID-19. (Variety)
        • Shanghai Disney Resort will also require visitors to show a negative nucleic acid test. (Shanghai Daily)
      • China orders a lockdown of Changchun amidst a rise of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Filipino FDA announces that the Philippines has approved the use of Pfizer's Paxlovid COVID-19 drug. (The Philippine Star)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
      • The government of British Columbia lifts the provincial mask mandate for most indoor public settings, citing a decreased number of hospitalizations and high vaccination rates. Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry says that masks will remain mandatory in healthcare settings and federally-regulated areas such as airports, and local businesses have the discretion of continuing to require the usage of masks. British Columbia will also repeal their vaccine card mandate on April 8. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
    • Kenya lifts its remaining COVID-19-related restrictions including a ban on large indoor gatherings, mandatory mask wearing, and a requirement to present a negative COVID-19 test for arriving air passengers as the number of new cases declined. (Reuters)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Russia–United States relations
      • U.S. president Joe Biden announces that he will revoke Russia's most favoured nation trade status in coordination with the European Union and the Group of Seven. The U.S. will also ban all imports of Russian seafood, alcohol, and diamonds; forbid new investment in Russia by American citizens; and criminalise the export of U.S. banknotes to Russia. (AP) (Reuters)
      • U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announces that the U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions against Viktor Vekselberg and the family of Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. (Reuters)
    • Russia–European Union relations
      • The EU announces that it will ban all imports of iron and steel goods from Russia, ban the export of luxury goods to Russia, and freeze Russia's cryptocurrency assets. (Reuters)
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov says that Russian president Vladimir Putin is open to holding a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Ukraine News Today)
    • Igor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, says that President Zelenskyy is "ready to talk to President Putin anytime he is ready". (CNN)
  • Belarus–Russia relations
    • In a meeting with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, President Putin says that there are "positive shifts" and progress during talks with Ukraine. (Reuters)
• Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
  • Iranian nuclear deal re-negotiations have reached an impasse because of Russian demands for their own sanctions exemption. (Reuters) (Politico)
• North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
  • South Korea says that it has detected new activity at the closed Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea, via satellite imagery, stating that the North appears to be restoring tunnels that were demolished in 2018 when the site was shut down. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
    • Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny renews calls for anti-war and anti-Putin protests in cities across Russia. (Reuters)
• Russian Wikipedia editor Mark Bernstein is detained in Belarus after being doxxed on Telegram. (Zerkalo)
• Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi is released after spending a decade in prison. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• Gabriel Boric is sworn-in as President of Chile, becoming the youngest person to serve as President. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Internet censorship in Russia
  • Russia blocks access to Instagram in response to Meta Platforms allowing "calls to violence" toward Russian soldiers in Ukraine as well as death threats toward Russian president Vladimir Putin. (BBC News)
• Asteroid impact prediction
  • 2022 EB5, a small 0.8-2 meter asteroid discovered by the Konkoly Observatory, explodes in a harmless fireball over the Arctic Ocean south of Jan Mayen at 21:22 UTC. This is the smallest asteroid to be discovered before impact. (Minor Planet Mailing List)
• Censorship by YouTube
  • YouTube blocks all accounts associated with Russian state-funded media outlets for violation of YouTube's policy of denialism or trivialisation of well-documented violent events. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Russian soldiers have damaged the Sviatohirsk Lavra, a popular Orthodox pilgrimage site under the jurisdiction of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, at around 22:00 local time. (Kyiv Independent) (Ukrayinska Pravda)
    • Russia warns that it could fire on any future NATO armaments shipments to Ukraine, saying that the weapons shipments are "legitimate military targets" for its military. (Financial Times)
• Iraqi conflict, 2022 Erbil rocket attacks
  • Iran launches twelve ballistic missiles at the Iraqi city of Erbil, Kurdistan Region, with explosions reported near the U.S. consulate and Erbil International Airport. The missiles are believed to be Fateh-110s. There are no reports of injuries or deaths. (The Jerusalem Post) (MSN) (Al Arabiya)
  • Iraqi security officials confirm that the missiles were launched from Iran and that several missiles hit the U.S. consulate building. (DW)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Pokémon Go suspends operations in Russia and Belarus following the invasion. (Gamerant.com)
  • The Central Bank of Russia announces that stock trading on the Moscow Stock Exchange will remain suspended until at least March 18 due to the fallout from the Russian invasion. (The Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Lualaba train accident
  • At least 61 people are killed and 54 more injured by a train crash in Lualaba Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Al Jazeera)
• 2022 California wildfires
  • The Hollister Fire near Santa Barbara County, grows to 1,000 acres, prompting evacuations off the Gaviota Coast. (Merced Sun-Star)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China reports more than 3,100 cases of COVID-19, a new single-day record. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 383,665 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Korea Herald)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam reports a record 454,197 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, including a record 225,693 new cases in Hanoi, which is the highest single-day total in any municipality or province. (VnExpress)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Israel–Ukraine relations, Israel–Russia relations
      • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine should be held in Jerusalem. He also says that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett could have a positive impact on the negotiations. (Times of Israel)
    • Azerbaijan–Ukraine relations, Azerbaijan–Russia relations
      • Azerbaijani foreign policy adviser Hikmet Hajiyev says that Azerbaijan is open to holding talks between Ukraine and Russia. (Trend)

Law and crime

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • 2022 anti-war protests in Russian-occupied Ukraine, Battle of Melitopol
      • Demonstrators gather to protest the abduction of Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov. (BBC News)
    • Anti-war protesters gather in Florence, Tuscany, Italy, to listen to a videotaped speech by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Reuters)
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Italian police seize sailing yacht A at the Port of Trieste after its owner, Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, was sanctioned by the European Union. (The Guardian)
• Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia executes 81 people, making it the largest execution in Saudi Arabian history, surpassing a January 1980 mass execution of 63 militants who were convicted of attempting to seize the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. (Time)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Turkmenistan presidential election
  • A presidential election is held in Turkmenistan, with Serdar Berdimuhamedow expecting to be elected President of Turkmenistan to succeed his father, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo surpasses Josef Bican as the sport's official top goalscorer of all time as recorded by FIFA, after scoring his 806th and 807th goals during a Premier League match with Manchester United against Tottenham Hotspur. (The Indian Express)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Usage of white phosphorus bombs is reported overnight in the town of Popasna in Luhansk Oblast. (Ukrayinska Pravda)
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Brent Renaud, a filmmaker and photojournalist formerly affiliated with The New York Times, is shot and killed by Russian troops in Irpin, Kyiv Oblast. His colleague, another U.S. citizen, is wounded and evacuated to a hospital. (Jerusalem Post)
    • Battle of Melitopol
      • Russian occupation forces install Halyna Danylchenko as the new mayor of Melitopol following the abduction of Ivan Fedorov. Danilchenko, a former member of the city council, calls on residents to "adapt to the new reality" and stop "committing extremist acts". However, the city council refuses to recognise Danilchenko as mayor and calls on Ukrainian authorities to indict her for treason. (Sky News) (Ukrayinska Pravda)
    • Siege of Mariupol
      • Ukrainian authorities say that 2,187 civilians have now been killed in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. Mariupol's City Council says that Russian forces are deliberately targeting residential buildings and densely populated areas in the port city. (Ukrayinska Pravda)
    • Aftermath of the Battle of Chernobyl
      • Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko announces that power has been restored to the former power plant in Chernobyl. (Axios)
    • Russian airstrikes inflict significant damage on the Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport in western Ukraine, with no casualties immediately reported. (CNN)
    • An airstrike on the NATO–Ukraine Partnership for Peace Yavoriv military base some 10–20 km (6.2–12.4 mi) from the border with Poland kills 35 people and injures 134 others. (USA Today)
    • White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warns that Russia could be preparing to use chemical weapons in Ukraine. (USA Today)
    • Russian forces abduct Yevgeny Matveyev, the mayor of Dniprorudne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, after he refused to cooperate with the military. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying "it is only a matter of time before Russian rockets fall on your territory, on NATO territory". (NDTV)
• 2022 Erbil rocket attacks
  • Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims responsibility for the overnight missile strikes on Erbil in Kurdistan Region, Iraq, saying that the strikes were in response to "recent crimes of the fake Zionist regime". The missiles were launched from Iran's East Azerbaijan province. (The Jerusalem Post)
• Insurgency in Northern Chad; aftermath of the 2021 Northern Chad offensive
  • The Transitional Military Council of Chad meets with 44 different armed rebel and opposition groups, including the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad, and the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development in Doha, Qatar for peace talks. The President of Chad, Mahamat Déby, hopes that the talks will be the first step towards agreeing on a new constitution and holding free elections. (ABC News) (France 24)
  • The Transitional Military Council says that it has released hundreds of prisoners of war and has granted amnesty to several prominent leaders as a condition for the talks. (France 24)
• Benishangul-Gumuz conflict
  • The Ethiopian government says that it will take action against men who were seen in a video wearing Ethiopian military and police uniforms and burning civilians alive in the Metekel Zone. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• 75th British Academy Film Awards
  • The 75th British Academy Film Awards is held, with The Power of the Dog winning Best Film and Best Director. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• 2021–22 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
  • Around 12 people in Mozambique are dead after Tropical Cyclone Gombe struck the Nampula and Zambezia provinces. (Phys.org)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai
      • Shanghai restricts access and urges residents not to leave the city amid an increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases. (Seven News Australia)
      • Areas in the Jinshan and Minhang districts of Shanghai are elevated to medium-risk areas of COVID-19. (Shanghai Daily)
    • Shenzhen enters a lockdown until March 20 after 66 cases of COVID-19 were reported in the city. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • Former President Barack Obama tests positive for COVID-19. (People)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Ukrainian negotiator and presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliyak and Russian delegate Leonid Slutsky say that there are signs of progress in the peace talks. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman says that Russia is willing to engage in negotiations aimed at a ceasefire. (Reuters)
    • Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov and Ukrainian adviser Mykhailo Podoliyak confirm that the fourth round of talks between Russia and Ukraine will resume tomorrow. (Times of Israel) (Market Screener)
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the purpose of the talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations is to ensure direct talks between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (GMA Network)
  • India–Ukraine relations
    • The embassy of India in Ukraine is relocated from Lviv to Poland due to the attacks on Western Ukraine. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
    • Around 250 anti-war protesters are detained in Russia for opposing the military invasion of Ukraine. (The Moscow Times)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Colombian parliamentary election
  • Colombians go to the polls to elect the members of the Congress. (France 24)

Sports

• 2022 Winter Paralympics
  • The closing ceremony of the Winter Paralympics is held in Beijing. (CBC)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Siege of Mariupol
      • Local officials in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, say that over 160 cars have left the city in the first successful attempt to arrange a humanitarian corridor to evacuate the city. (Reuters)
    • Russia denies having requested military assistance from China, as alleged by several US officials. (BBC News) (Al Jazeera)
    • A Russian Air Force airstrike on a television tower in Rivne Oblast in Western Ukraine kills at least nine people, according to Rivne governor Vitaliy Koval. (Reuters)
    • A Russian Orlan-10 UAV crashes near a village in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Romania. (Euronews)
• Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
  • 2021–2022 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
    • Armenia–Azerbaijan relations
      • Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan asks the OSCE Minsk Group to help initiate peace talks with Azerbaijan in an effort to normalize relations following the conflict. (ThePrint)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Famine in Yemen
    • The United Nations reports that around 161,000 people in Yemen are expected to face a famine in the second half of the year. (Bloomberg)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 California wildfires
  • Evacuation warnings are lifted in Santa Barbara County after 50 percent of the Hollister Fire is contained. (KCRA-TV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
      • Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities
        • Long-term care homes in Ontario will keep their vaccine mandates for employees despite the province lifting all mandates. (Global News)
      • Ontario health officials report no deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours for the first time since December 20. (CTV News Toronto)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New Brunswick
      • New Brunswick lifts their COVID-19 restrictions including their mask mandate, social distancing rules, and limits on gatherings. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • COVID-19 vaccination in South Korea
      • Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol announces that South Korea will begin its COVID-19 vaccine campaign for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years on March 31. Booster doses will also be administered for children between the ages of 12 and 17 years. (Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    • The incidence rate for COVID-19 reaches an all-time high in Germany for the third consecutive day, at a seven-day moving average rate of 1,543 infections per 100,000 people. (Bloomberg)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    • Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announces that the city has ended their mask requirements and other COVID-19 measures for business. (Reuters)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • The fourth round of talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations resumes in an effort to end the war but is delayed until tomorrow due to technical issues. (Wall Street Journal) (Reuters)
  • Russia–Slovakia relations
    • Slovakia expels three Russian diplomats for alleged espionage and bribery. (AP)
• Germany–United States relations
  • Germany announces that it will buy 35 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets from the United States to replace its aging fleet of Panavia Tornados. Germany will also purchase 15 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Airbus. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
      • Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian state television journalist, interrupts a live news broadcast of Channel One Russia, holding a sign saying "No War" and "Stop the war. Do not believe propaganda, they tell you lies here", and is promptly arrested. (MSN)
    • Anti-war protesters seize the mansion of Oleg Deripaska in London. Four of the protesters who were seen on the balcony of Deripaska's mansion are later arrested. (The Guardian)
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Andrey Turchak, the secretary-general of the ruling party United Russia, declares that the party will draft a bill criminalising compliance with the Western sanctions. (Kommersant)
• 2022 Northeastern U.S. serial shooter
  • The New York City Police Department releases images of a suspected serial killer who has shot five homeless men, two fatally, in New York City and Washington, D.C. in the last week. (The New York Times)
• Cameroon bans shisha smoking, becoming the sixth African country to do so. (Africanews)

Politics and elections

• Political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Jean Charest, a candidate for the upcoming Conservative Party of Canada leadership election, tests positive for COVID-19. (CBC)

Science and technology

• A DDoS cyberattack temporarily takes down Israeli government websites, including the websites of the interior, health, justice, and welfare ministries and the prime minister's office. (Middle East Eye)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Battle of Kyiv
        • The Kyiv city government and Kyiv Oblast administration impose a 35-hour curfew starting at 20:00 local time (18:00 UTC). (Reuters)
      • Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova are killed, and war correspondent Benjamin Hall is injured, while covering the fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in Horenka, Kyiv Oblast. (The Guardian)
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Siege of Mariupol
        • Around 2,000 private cars have left Mariupol since a humanitarian corridor was imposed, with another 2,000 cars waiting to leave. (Deccan Herald)
        • Russian troops storm the Mariupol regional intensive care hospital and take around 400 people hostage. Local authorities confirm that the damaged hospital is now under Russian control. (BBC News)
    • Southern Ukraine offensive
      • The Russian Defence Ministry says that its forces have taken full control of Ukraine's Kherson Oblast and that they destroyed six Ukrainian Air Force jets, seven helicopters, and 13 UAVs in the last 24 hours. (The Nation)
      • Satellite images from Planet Labs appear to show multiple Russian helicopters burning at Kherson International Airport after Ukrainian forces said they struck the airport. This is the second major Ukrainian attack on the facility since it fell to Russian forces on 2 March. (The Drive) (CNN)
    • Ukrainian refugee crisis
      • The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says that over three million people have now fled Ukraine since the invasion began. (The Independent)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • Two Palestinians are shot and killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank, according to Palestinian sources. A man is also killed in the Bedouin town of Rahat in the Negev following clashes with members of the Border Police. (Al Jazeera) (The Jerusalem Post)

Arts and culture

• Burkinabè architect Diébédo Francis Kéré wins the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize, becoming the first African and black person to do so. (The Guardian)

Business and economy

• Puerto Rican government-debt crisis
  • Puerto Rico exits out of bankruptcy after completing the largest public debt restructuring in U.S. history. (NBC News)
• U.S. President Joe Biden signs a $1.5 trillion budget bill, which includes $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. (The Hill)
• The United Kingdom's Gambling Commission awards the next licence to run the National Lottery to Czech-owned lottery operator Allwyn Entertainment Ltd, replacing Camelot Group which has operated the lottery since it was started in 1994. (BBC News)

Disasters and accidents

• University of the Southwest pick-up truck accident
  • Nine people die in a head-on collision between a pickup truck and a van carrying members of the University of the Southwest men's and women's golf teams in Andrews County, Texas, United States. Six students and a faculty member are killed in the team vehicle, with two other students airlifted to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas in critical condition. The driver of the pickup and its passenger also die. (ESPN)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • Brazil reports its first two cases of the Deltacron variant in the Northern states of Pará and Amapá. (The Brazilian Report)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    • China reports a record 5,280 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (The Straits Times) (NDTV)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia
    • Namibia drops its requirement of face mask and mandatory PCR COVID-19 test for vaccinated visitors as the number of cases falls. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff tests positive for COVID-19. (NPR)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • The fourth round of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations resumes a day after talks were suspended for technical reasons. (The Quint) (CBS News)
    • Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak reaffirms that ceasefire negotiations are ongoing. (The Free Press Journal)
    • Podolyak says that talks between Ukraine and Russia are difficult but also says that there is "certainly room for compromise". Talks between both countries will continue tomorrow. (AP) (Reuters)
  • Ukraine–European Union relations
    • The prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic travel to Kyiv by train to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in order to demonstrate "unequivocal support" of the European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. (CNN)
  • International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Russia–United States relations
      • Russia sanctions U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in response to United States sanctions on Russian officials. (Sky News)
    • Canada–Russia relations
      • Russia sanctions Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, General Wayne Eyre and most members of the Canadian parliament. All those sanctioned are banned from entering Russia. (CBC News)
    • Russia–Spain relations
      • Spanish police seize a superyacht at the Port of Barcelona which is owned by Russian oligarch Sergey Chemezov, after Chemezov was sanctioned by the European Union. (Reuters)
    • Belarus–United States relations
      • The United States imposes additional sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. (CNN)
  • Enlargement of NATO
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledges that Ukraine will not be able to join NATO. (The Independent)
  • Russia in the Council of Europe
    • Russia formally withdraws from the Council of Europe. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2022 Karnataka hijab row
  • In India, the Karnataka High Court upholds restrictions on the wearing of the hijab in its schools, with Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi saying in the court's judgement that the wearing of the hijab "does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith." (Reuters)
• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Illia Kyva, a politician for the pro-Russian Opposition Platform — For Life, is deprived of his MP status in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. A further four MPs quit the party. (Interfax Ukraine)
• 2022 Northeastern U.S. serial shooter
  • The DC Police Department arrest a suspected serial killer involved in the murders of two homeless men, and the attempted murder of three others in Washington, D.C. and New York City. (New York Post)

Politics and elections

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • War crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • The United States Senate unanimously passes a bipartisan resolution declaring Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, and calls for his investigation by the International Criminal Court. (Reuters)
• 2022 Turkmenistan presidential election
  • Serdar Berdimuhamedow is elected President of Turkmenistan, succeeding his father Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. (AP)

Science and technology

• Intel pledges €33 billion in investments in the European Union factories and research facilities, including €17 billion for building a chip-making plant in Magdeburg, Germany and €12 billion for upgrading the Irish plant; the company promises €80 billion over the next decade for the EU. (ZDNet)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Siege of Mariupol
        • Mariupol theatre airstrike
          • The Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol, which is currently being used as an air raid shelter holding up to 1,200 civilians, is largely destroyed by bombing. Ukraine accuses Russia of conducting an airstrike targeting the theatre, while Russian authorities deny responsibility, instead accusing the Azov Battalion of having planned and carried out the bombing. (BBC News) (RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty)
    • Northeastern Ukraine offensive
      • Siege of Chernihiv
        • Russian troops reportedly shoot dead ten people queuing for food in Chernihiv. The Russian Defence Ministry denies Russian forces were behind the killings. (Sky News) (Reuters)
    • Southern Ukraine offensive
      • Battle of Melitopol
        • Captured Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov is freed in exchange for nine Russian POWs. (Ukrinform)
    • Foreign aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
      • British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says that the UK has begun supplying Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles to the Ukrainian military. (Reuters)
      • U.S. President Joe Biden announces a further $800 million in "security assistance" to Ukraine, including 800 anti-aircraft systems, and thousands of anti-tank missiles and armed combat drones to counter Russia's invasion. (Reuters)
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses his ministers on the ongoing situation in Ukraine and the Russian economy, saying that Russian "traitors" and "scum" would be "spat out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths", and also accuses a so-called "fifth column" of attempting to destroy the country from within. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2022 Fukushima earthquake
  • A 7.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off Fukushima, Japan, triggering tsunami warnings and causing power outages for millions of people in Tokyo. At least four people are killed and 94 others are injured. (Al Jazeera) (NDTV)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea reports a record 400,741 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Korea Herald)
  • COVID-19 vaccine
    • A compromise is reached regarding a COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property waiver for developing countries. According to the compromise, developing countries which have exported less than 10% of the world's COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021 do not need to seek consent from the owner of the patent before authorising the vaccine. The patent waiver does not apply to other COVID-19-related pharmaceutical products. (Politico)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that there is hope of reaching a compromise aimed at a ceasefire. (Politico.eu)
    • In a report from the Financial Times, a peace plan is drafted by Ukraine and Russia. The conditions include a ceasefire and Russian withdrawal if Ukraine abandons all attempts of joining NATO and accepts limits on its armed forces. (Naharnet) (Financial Times)
  • Japan–Russia relations
    • Japan announces that it will revoke Russia's most favoured nation trade status as part of further sanctions on Russia. (Reuters)
  • Belarus–Canada relations
    • Canada bans Belarusian aircraft from its airspace due to Belarus's support of Russia in the invasion. (The Hill)
  • Russia in the Council of Europe
    • Russia is expelled from the Council of Europe due to the invasion of Ukraine, although the Russian Foreign Ministry had previously announced that it would be quitting the organisation. (AP)
• Iran–United Kingdom relations
  • Iranian-British dual citizens Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori are released from prison in Iran and return to the United Kingdom after spending 5 years and 11 months, and 2 years and 7 months, respectively, in prison for suspected espionage. (BBC News)
  • The British government releases US$500 million of sanctioned Iranian assets after Iran releases the prisoners. (BBC News)
• 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
  • The South Korean military says that North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile from Pyongyang International Airport, which exploded prematurely in mid-air. (Reuters)
• Iranian nuclear program
  • The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announces a new independent branch called the Nuclear Command Corps. (Asriran)
• China–United States relations, Chinese espionage in the United States
  • Prosecutors for the U.S. Justice Department accuse five people working on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security of conspiring to spy on and intimidate several dissidents living in the United States, such as the father of Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu, and Tiananmen Square protest leader and current congressional candidate Xiong Yan. The department says it is the first time that federal elections in the country have been interfered with in this manner. Three have been arrested while two remain at large. (The Guardian) (BBC News)

Law and crime

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The International Court of Justice orders Russia to immediately halt its invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposes a series of reforms to the national parliament, including re-establishing the Constitutional Court, reducing the membership requirement for establishing political parties from 20,000 to 5,000, reducing the number of parliament deputies appointed by the president, and restoring three regions that were merged during the 1990s. He says that the purpose of these reforms is to move the current political system from "superpresidential" rule to a presidential republic with a strong parliament. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission bans Russian television networks RT and RT France from Canadian airwaves. (CBC)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
      • British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announces that the UK is deploying a Sky Sabre air defence system to Poland, and 100 troops to operate it as part of NATO's response to Russian military aggression. (Sky News)
    • Panama's maritime authority states that Russia has attacked three Panamanian-flagged civil vessels in the Black Sea since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, causing one of the ships to sink. No deaths have been reported. (Reuters)
    • According to Ukrainian intelligence information, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pledges to supply Russia with 40,000 mercenaries. (The Jerusalem Post)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Steam announces that they will stop payments to Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. (PCMag)
  • The U.S. House of Representatives votes 424–8 to suspend trade relations with Russia and Belarus following the invasion. (NBC News)
• P&O sacking of 800 staff
  • DP World-owned shipping company P&O Ferries fires all 800 crew members across its entire fleet of ferries and replaces them with cheaper agency workers who were bussed in by the company in advance. Many crew members refuse to leave their ships after being made redundant and are forcibly removed. (BBC News)
• Amazon agrees to purchase American film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for US$8.5 billion. (Variety)

Disasters and accidents

• An Emirati-flagged ship sinks off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf due to winds exceeding 70 km/h. (IRIBNEWS)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • India begins to administering its COVID-19 vaccination rollout for children aged 12 to 14 years using its homegrown Corbevax COVID-19 vaccine. (Nikkei Asia)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
      • South Korea reports a record 621,328 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Yonhap)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • Canada announces that they will end their COVID-19 testing requirements for vaccinated travelers on April 1. (The Buffalo News)
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
      • Health Canada approves the usage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 and 11 years. (CP24)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 drug development
    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approves the use of antibody-based treatment to preventing infections in adults with poor immune response Evushield developed by AstraZeneca. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin orders the Federal Security Service to arrest Rosgvardiya Deputy Chief General Roman Gavrilov. (Euroweekly News)
• Pardon of Alberto Fujimori
  • The Constitutional Court of Peru restores a humanitarian pardon for former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder and corruption, previously reversed by the Supreme Court three years before. (The Guardian)
• The Bulgarian Interior Ministry says that former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has been detained by police amid a probe into corruption and the alleged misuse of European Union funds. Former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov is also arrested as part of the operation. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Battle of Zaporizhzhia
      • Nine people die after they are hit by Russian shelling in Zaporizhzhia. (National Post)
    • Southern Ukraine offensive
      • A Russian missile strike destroys a Ukrainian military barracks in Mykolaiv, killing at least 50 soldiers, many more are believed to be buried under rubble. (Sky News)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The Russian Central Bank is considering splitting its stock exchange into two separate stock exchanges, one for Russian residents and the other for foreigners. (Forbes Russia)
• The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers organizes protests in Dover, Liverpool and Kingston upon Hull after P&O Ferries fired all British crew members across its entire fleet of ferries and replaced them with cheaper agency workers. (BBC News)
• The Çanakkale 1915 Bridge, connecting the European and Asian continents in Turkey, is opened for traffic. It surpasses Japan's Akashi Kaikyō Bridge as the world's longest suspension bridge. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

• Four crew members are killed as a United States Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashes in Beiarn, Norway, while participating in the NATO military exercise Cold Response. (NRK) (CBS News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    • Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
      • The United Kingdom ends all remaining COVID-19 restrictions on international travel. (Centre for Aviation)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador
    • Ecuador ends the restrictions of public and private gathering designated to curb the spread of COVID-19 after the country reached 85% of its vaccinated population. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    • Hong Kong surpasses 1 million cases of COVID-19. (CBC)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky says that progress has been made regarding the neutrality status of Ukraine. (Reuters)
• Western Sahara conflict
  • Spanish minister of foreign affairs José Manuel Albares announces that Spain supports Morocco's proposal to recognize Western Sahara as a Moroccan autonomy for the first time, as it considers it is "the most serious, realistic, and credible basis" for resolving the conflict. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

• Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signs a law to rename the town of Isfana as Razzaqov in honor of former Secretary of the Communist Party of Kirghizia Iskhak Razzakov. The law was passed by the Kyrgyzstan Parliament on March 16. (AKIPress)

Science and technology

• Internet censorship in Russia, Censorship of YouTube
  • Russia's telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, considers blocking YouTube as it accuses the platform of "terrorism and of endangerment of Russian citizens' lives." (Interfax Russia) (RIA Novosti)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Russia says that on Friday it used the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile for the first time in Ukraine to destroy a weapons storage facility in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• Twenty-two people are killed and 38 more injured during a bus–truck collision in Melela Kibaoni, Morogoro Region, Tanzania. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
        • Maharashtra reports 97 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, making it the first time that the Indian state has reported less than 100 new cases of COVID-19 since April 2020. (Business Standard)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • China reports its first death from COVID-19 since January 2021. (ABC News)

International relations

• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney says that an agreement to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could be reached within 48 hours. (Mehr News)

Politics and elections

• Politics of Australia
  • 2022 South Australian state election
    • Preliminary election results show Peter Malinauskas and his Labor Party winning a majority. (ABC News Australia)
• Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • An anti-NATO protest is held in Bulgaria during a meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov to oppose Bulgaria selling weapons to Ukraine during the invasion. (Novinite) (The Bharat Express News)
• 2022 East Timorese presidential election
  • Timorese are called to the polls to choose the country's president. (Reuters)
• Serdar Berdimuhamedow is sworn-in as President of Turkmenistan, succeeding his father Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. (Yeni Şafak)

Sports

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu, 2022 FIFA World Cup
    • Vanuatu withdraws from the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier after several players and staff members on the team tested positive for COVID-19 amid a sudden spike in cases nationwide. (Times of India)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Siege of Mariupol
      • The city council of Mariupol says that Russian Armed Forces have forcefully deported "several thousand" people to camps and remote cities in Russia. (Reuters) (CNN)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
    • The Shia Islamist Houthis fire missiles at an ARAMCO facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Bulgaria says it will end gas imports from Russia's Gazprom when its 10-year deal with Gazprom expires at the end of 2022, signalling a shift away from Russian energy. Bulgarian Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov says Bulgaria will also seek increased gas imports from Azerbaijan. (Politico)

Disasters and accidents

• At least five people are dead and dozens more missing after a ferry collides with a vessel and sinks in Bangladesh. (Reuters)
• Five people die after a fishing boat is hit by a rogue wave off the North Cape, New Zealand. (Stuff)
• A mine collapse in Özgön near the Osh Region in Kyrgyzstan kills three people. (AKIPress)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
    • Russia–Ukraine relations
      • Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu says that Russia and Ukraine are nearing an agreement on certain peace issues in an effort to end the war. (Reuters)
    • According to the Daily Express tabloid, a BBC correspondent says that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “finally agreed” to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Wales Online)
    • Zelenskyy says that he is ready to meet with Putin. (CNN)
  • France–Russia relations
    • France ends all attempts to negotiate with Russia and freezes financial assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation worth €22 billion. France also freezes properties owned by Russian oligarchs worth €150 million. (The Jerusalem Post)
• 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
  • South Korea claims that North Korea fired a short-range multiple rocket launcher into the sea. (AP) (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 anti-war protests in Russian-occupied Ukraine
    • Residents in Kherson confront Russian military vehicles and tell them to "go home". (Sky News)
  • A concert is held by anti-war demonstrators near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, to call for the war to end. (Reuters)
• 2022 Strépy-Bracquegnies car crash
  • A car is driven into a crowd preparing to celebrate carnival in Strépy-Bracquegnies, Belgium, killing six people and injuring around 40 others. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2022 East Timorese presidential election
  • Preliminary results show that former president José Ramos-Horta is ahead of the incumbent Francisco Guterres in the presidential election. (The Sydney Morning Herald)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Battle of Kyiv
        • Kyiv shopping centre bombing
          • A Russian airstrike destroys a shopping mall in Kyiv, killing at least eight people. (The Washington Post)
    • Siege of Mariupol
      • Russia gives Ukraine a 5 a.m. (3 a.m. UTC) deadline to surrender the city of Mariupol. (The Guardian)
      • Ukraine rejects the Russian ultimatum to surrender its control of Mariupol, with Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk saying "we have already informed the Russian side about this". (BBC News)
    • Sumykhimprom chemical plant ammonia leak
      • An ammonia leak occurs at the Sumykhimprom chemical plant in Sumy. (The Kyiv Independent)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
    • Islamist militants ambush soldiers in Gourma Province, Burkina Faso, killing 13 soldiers. (The Guardian)
• Kashmir conflict
  • Militants shoot and kill a civilian in Budgam district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. (Hindustan Times)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The Moscow Stock Exchange reopens for bond trading after being closed for almost a month following the invasion. (BBC News)
  • Norway will provide financial support to students from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. (Schengen Visa)

Disasters and accidents

• China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735
  • A China Eastern Boeing 737NG crashes near Wuzhou, Guangxi, China, killing all the 132 people on board. The plane descended more than 20,000 feet (6,100 m) in just over a minute. (CSB News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
        • Ontario removes their mask mandate for most settings with the exception of public transportation, long-term care and retirement homes, congregate care and living facilities, homes for individuals with developmental disabilities, other healthcare settings, shelters, and jails. (Global News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana
        • New Orleans lifts their COVID-19 vaccine mandate for bars and restaurants. (NOLA.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
    • Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces that, beginning next month, Hong Kong will lift its COVID-19 restrictions and will also end its ban on flights from the U.S. and eight other countries. (NBC News)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he will consider dropping Ukraine's request to join NATO in exchange for a ceasefire. (Axios)
• Myanmar–United States relations
  • International reactions to the Rohingya genocide
    • The United States formally recognizes the Rohingya genocide committed by the Myanmar Army. (Reuters)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expresses his support for negotiations and efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. He also says that the Iranian economy should not be tied to efforts to ease U.S. sanctions against the country. (Infobae) (Reuters)

Law and crime

• 2022 Corsica unrest
  • Corsican nationalist leader Yvan Colonna dies several weeks after being assaulted in prison by another inmate. The attack resulted in riots on the French island, which injured dozens of people. (Digital Journal)
• International sanctions during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The Royal Gibraltar Police seize a superyacht, owned by Russian oligarch Dmitry Pumpyansky, docked at the Port of Gibraltar. Pumpyansky is currently sanctioned by the United Kingdom and the European Union. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 44th Canadian Parliament
  • The Liberal Party of Canada reaches a tentative confidence-and-supply agreement with the New Democratic Party (NDP) that would see the NDP prop up the minority Liberal government until 2025 in exchange for progress on longtime NDP policy priorities. (CTV News)

Science and technology

• Internet censorship in Russia
  • A Russian court bans Facebook and Instagram for "extremism". (The Moscow Times)
  • The Roskomnadzor, the Russian media regulator, blocks Euronews. (Novaya Gazeta)
• Discoveries of exoplanets
  • NASA announces that they have discovered their 5000th exoplanet since 1992, when astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail announced the discovery of two exoplanets orbiting PSR B1257+12. (Science News)

Sports

• Doping in Russia, Russia at the Olympics
  • Russian racewalker Elena Lashmanova is banned from the Olympics for two years and will be stripped of her gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics following doping allegations against her. (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Battle of Kyiv
        • Ukrainian forces say that they have retaken Makariv, a suburb near Kyiv. (BBC News)
    • Siege of Mariupol
      • Russian Navy warships in the Sea of Azov shell Ukrainian-held areas of Mariupol. (ABP Live)
    • 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
      • UN Secretary-General António Guterres says that there is diplomatic progress on several key issues in the situation in Ukraine in an effort to end the "unwinnable" war. (United Nations)
    • Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov says that Russia will only use its nuclear weapons if the country faces an "existential threat" amid growing concerns that Russia will use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. (Reuters)
• 2022 Beersheba attack
  • Four people are killed and two others are injured during a vehicle-ramming and mass stabbing attack in Beersheba, Southern Israel. The attacker, an Islamic State supporter, was shot dead by a bus driver. (Haaretz)

Arts and culture

• Five Ancient Egyptian tombs are discovered in Egypt. (Jerusalem Post)

Business and economy

• 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
  • Danish shipping company Maersk announces its complete withdrawal from the Russian economy and says that it will liquidate all of its Russian assets. (Trans.info)
  • LG Electronics suspends all shipments to Russia and says that the company "remains committed to supporting humanitarian relief efforts". (UPI)
  • French oil and natural gas company TotalEnergies announces that it will no longer buy Russian oil by the end of the year and will also terminate additional investments in Russia. (The New York Times)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
      • White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tests positive for COVID-19 for the second time. (AP)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
    • King Harald V tests positive for COVID-19. (ABC News)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov says that the ongoing ceasefire talks should be "more active and substantial". (The Moscow Times)

Law and crime

• Eight people are killed in an arson attack in Birbhum, West Bengal, India. (The Hindu)
• Two teachers are killed by a student during a stabbing attack at a secondary school in Malmö, Sweden. The perpetrator, an 18-year-old boy, is arrested. (BBC News)
• Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is convicted of fraud and sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court, which claims that Navalny stole millions in donations from his supporters. (Sky News)

Politics and elections

• 44th Canadian Parliament
  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that the Liberal Party has finalized a confidence-and-supply agreement with the New Democratic Party. (CTV News)

Science and technology

• Australia announces the creation of the Defence Space command, saying it is designed to counter Russia and Mainland China's ambitions in outer space. The new agency's servicemembers will come from the army, navy, air force, and will also include private contractors. (BBC News)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Battle of Kyiv
        • Four people are injured by a series of Russian Air Force strikes on infrastructure in Kyiv. (Euronews)
        • Russian journalist Oksana Baulina is killed in shelling in Kyiv's Podilskyi District. (BBC News)
    • A laboratory near the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is looted and destroyed by Russian soldiers. (CNN)
• Somali Civil War
  • March 2022 Somalia attacks
    • Two Kenyan guards and a Somali policeman are killed during a shooting attack by al-Shabaab gunmen at Mogadishu International Airport. Two of the attackers are also killed. Several more people are wounded. All domestic and international flights at the airport are suspended. (Reuters)
    • Two suicide bombers blow themselves up targeting a vehicle carrying politician Amina Mohamed Abdi in Beledweyne, killing her and 47 more people. At least 105 more are injured. (Reuters)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • A car bombing kills four people in Aden, Yemen, including a Brigadier General. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Sanofi suspends the delivery of non-essential drugs to Russia and Belarus. However, essential and life-changing medicines and vaccines will still be delivered. (Reuters)
    • Nestlé announces that it will suspend sales of non-essential items in Russia, following similar company boycotts to Russia. (Reuters)
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin demands that countries that he deems "unfriendly" pay for deliveries of natural gas in rubles. (Bloomberg)
  • The Moscow Stock Exchange will reopen in a limited capacity on March 24, ending the almost month-long shutdown of the stock exchange's activities. (Bloomberg)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
        • House Sergeant at Arms William J. Walker and Capitol physician Brian P. Monahan announce that a phased reopening of the United States Capitol will begin next week after the Capitol was closed for 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Hill)
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
        • Moderna says that it will ask the U.S. FDA for approval of their COVID-19 vaccine. (The New York Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
        • Quebec health officials approve a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for high-risk groups in order to prepare for the possibility of a sixth wave of COVID-19 cases in the province. (Global News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
    • South Africa lifts its remaining COVID-19 restrictions including mandatory PCR tests for vaccinated travellers as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to decline. (Al Jazeera)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea surpasses 10 million cases of COVID-19. (Sky News)

International relations

• Foreign relations of Russia
  • Poland–Russia relations
    • Poland expels 45 staff of the Russian embassy in Warsaw for "spying activities". (Rzeczpospolita)
  • Anatoly Chubais, the special envoy of the Kremlin for ties with international organisations, resigns from his post and leaves Russia. (Reuters)
• Belarus–Ukraine relations
  • Belarus expels most Ukrainian diplomats, accusing Kyiv of interfering in Belarus's domestic affairs. Only five diplomats will remain at the embassy in Minsk. Belarus additionally orders the closure of the Ukrainian consulate in Brest. (AFP via The Straits Times)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says that Iran and other world powers are closer to finalizing an agreement to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 United States Capitol attack
  • Criminal charges in the 2021 United States Capitol attack
    • Capitol riot suspect Evan Neumann has been granted asylum in Belarus "indefinitely". Neumann claimed that he faced "political persecution" in the United States. (BBC News)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • The Israel Border Police arrests 17 Palestinians whom it suspects of taking part in riots last month. (Times of Israel)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Southern Ukraine offensive
      • Battle of Berdiansk
        • Ukrainian forces destroy a Russian Navy Alligator-class landing ship at the port of Berdiansk. Images on social media appear to show the Orsk landing ship burning at the port. (Sky News)
    • Belarusian involvement in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
      • Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says that Belarusian troops are not willing to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine. (Prensa Latina) (Ukrinform)
    • Battle of Kharkiv
      • Russian forces airstrike a Nova Poshta post office in Kharkiv, killing six civilians. (Times of Israel)
    • Ukrainian volunteer battalions, International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine
      • Canada bans its soldiers from joining the volunteer forces in Ukraine, stating that their presence could be used in Russian propaganda. (Rzeczpospolita)
    • Foreign aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
      • The United Kingdom says it is doubling the number of missiles it is sending to Ukraine, with 6,000 more missiles, including anti-tank guided missiles and surface-to-air missiles, and is also sending £30 million to help Ukraine pay the wages of its soldiers and air force pilots. (Reuters)
• Ethiopian civil conflict
  • Tigray War
    • War crimes in the Tigray War
      • Dedebit airstrike
        • Human Rights Watch (HRW) calls on the Ethiopian government to investigate an airstrike on a school being used as an IDP camp in Dedebit, which killed at least 57 people. HRW describes the bombing as a war crime. (Africanews)
    • The Government of Ethiopia makes an "indefinite humanitarian truce" with the TPLF in order to allow aid and humanitarian supplies into the Tigray Region. (Al Jazeera)
• Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
  • 2021–2022 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
    • According to the government of Artsakh, Azerbaijani soldiers crossed the Line of Contact and took control of the village of Farukh, with women and children being evacuated from the nearby village of Khramort. Russian peacekeepers are reported to be negotiating with Azerbaijan. (The Jerusalem Post)
• War on Terror
  • Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • A shootout between military forces and Tehrik-i-Taliban militants in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leaves four Pakistani soldiers dead. (ABC News)
• The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) is accused by the South Sudanese military of attacking government positions in Longechuk County. The SPLM-IO says that the military attacked first, causing it to clash with authorities. (ABC News)
• A United Nations World Food Programme truck convoy is attacked in Jonglei State. Three people die and one is injured. (Reliefweb)

Disasters and accidents

• A 14-year old boy dies after falling off a drop tower ride at ICON Park, which is near International Drive in Orlando, Florida. (AP)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
        • New York City Mayor Eric Adams lifts the vaccine mandate for unvaccinated athletes from teams like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Brooklyn Nets. The lifting of the mandate also clears the way for point guard Kyrie Irving to play home games for the Nets. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Canada
      • The World Health Organization in an email rejects the approval Canada’s CoVLP COVID-19 vaccine over Medicago’s ties to the Philip Morris International tobacco company. (The Globe and Mail)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
    • Poland will end all COVID-19-related restrictions on March 28, including ending quarantine and isolation for COVID-19 cases. However, mask mandates in hospitals will continue to be enforced. (Rzeczpospolita)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    • South Korea reports 470 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 42 hours, a new single-day record. (Korea Herald)
• The World Health Organization announces that a polio vaccination campaign will begin in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. (News-Medical.net)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Ukrainian Presidential Administration head Andriy Yermak says that progress has been made in ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine, and expresses a "cautious optimism" that a ceasefire could be reached to end the war. (Axios)
  • Belarus–Ukraine relations
    • In retaliation for Belarus's expulsion of Ukrainian diplomatic staff yesterday, Ukraine orders a reduction of Belarusian staff in Ukraine to only five diplomats and also orders the closure of the Belarusian consulate in Lviv. (Interfax-Ukraine)
  • Belarus's bid to join the World Trade Organisation is blocked by a group of mostly Western countries. (Reuters)
• 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
  • North Korea–South Korea relations
    • The South Korean military says that it has conducted multiple missile drills in response to North Korea launching a missile. (The Independent)
  • North Korea is suspected of testing an ICBM for the first time since November 2017, when they tested the Hwasong-15. The missile, which is said to be capable of reaching Guam, was launched towards the Sea of Japan. (NPR)
  • White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki condemns the North Korean missile launch. (Korea Herald)
• Foreign relations of Mali
  • The UEMOA court orders sanctions against Mali to be suspended. The sanctions were imposed on the junta in January after elections were delayed. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Israel Police seize 63 weapons from Arab Israeli smugglers, uncovering the largest attempt to smuggle weapons from Lebanon to Israel. (Times of Israel)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Battle of Kyiv
        • Russia says that it used Kalibr cruise missiles to destroy a major oil terminal near Kyiv. (Reuters)
      • Battle of Kherson
        • A United States defense official states that the Russian forces are no longer in full control of Kherson, the only major city they had captured in Ukraine. (The New York Times)
    • Belarusian involvement in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
      • Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko reaffirms that Belarus has "no plans to fight in Ukraine". However, he also warned that Belarus could join the war if aggression is launched against it. (TASS)
    • Russia says that the first phase of the invasion has been completed. (BBC News)
    • The Russian Defence Ministry updates its official casualty figures in Ukraine, stating that 1,351 troops have been killed in action and 3,825 others have been injured since the "special military operation" began on February 24. (Eurasian Times)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
    • Houthi rebels launch 16 missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabian cities. An airstrike also hits an ARAMCO facility in Jeddah, setting fire to an oil storage facility near a Formula One racing track where drivers were preparing for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. (ABC News) (France 24)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Iranian officials consider the possibility of recognising the electronic payment system MIR, in response to moves to ban Russian banks from SWIFT. (Iran Daily) (MEMonitor)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
      • The Butantan Institute opens a factory that will develop more products of China’s CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine beginning in 2023. (Xinhua)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, COVID-19 drug development
    • The Government of Japan signs a basic agreement with Shionogi to provide million doses of oral COVID-19 treatment the company is now developing pending the regulatory approval. (Reuters)
  • Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Emirates Airline will resume flights to India and return to pre-COVID-19 levels beginning on April 1. (Al Arabiya)

International relations

• Afghanistan–United States relations
  • Treatment of women by the Taliban
    • The U.S. State Department cancels meetings with the Taliban leadership in Doha, Qatar, dealing with the Afghan economy, in response to the Taliban barring high-school girls from returning to school. (Reuters)
• 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
  • The Korean Central News Agency confirms that North Korea tested an ICBM yesterday, which is revealed to be the Hwasong-17. (Yonhap)
• Finland–Russia relations
  • Finland's state-owned VR Group announces that it will suspend all train services on the Riihimäki–Saint Petersburg railway, which connects Helsinki and Saint Petersburg, on March 28. The suspension will close one of the last public transport routes to the European Union for Russians. (Al Arabiya)

Law and crime

• Russia investigation origins counter-narrative
  • Former U.S. President Donald Trump files a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, alleging that her campaign tried to rig the 2016 United States presidential election by creating a false narrative that tied Trump's campaign to the Russian government. Trump is seeking compensatory and punitive damages worth US$24 million. (Reuters) (The Washington Post)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Northeastern Ukraine offensive
      • Battle of Kharkiv
        • The Holocaust memorial at Drobytsky Yar is hit by Russian shelling, damaging the memorial's menorah. (Jerusalem Post)
    • Russian forces airstrike the western city of Lviv, injuring five people. (Reuters)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
    • The Saudi coalition in Yemen launches a series of air raids on targets in Yemen in response to attacks on Saudi Arabian energy facilities by the Houthis. (Global News)
• Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
  • 2021–2022 Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis
    • Azerbaijani troops continue to advance into the Askeran Province of the Republic of Artsakh, clashing with Artsakh Defence Army forces in Farukh and Khramort. (Asbarez)
    • Russia says that Azerbaijani forces have entered the Russian peacekeeping zone in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijani officials say it was a false flag operation by Armenian soldiers. (Times of Israel) (Radio Free Europe)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Spotify announces that it expects to suspend all its services in Russia by the end of April, citing recently passed legislation that restricts access to information as a reason for the suspension. (Infobae)
• Saudi Arabia and Kuwait sign off on a 50-year program to explore the Arash gas field, which is located on the maritime border between the two countries and also extends into Iranian waters. Iran says that the deal is illegal. (Tasnim)

Disasters and accidents

• 2020–2022 Taal Volcano eruptions
  • The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raises the alert status of the Taal Volcano to level 3 after the volcano had a short-lived phreatomagmatic eruption. (CNN Philippines)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai
      • It is announced that Shanghai will not impose a full-scale lockdown despite an increase in COVID-19 cases. (South China Morning Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
    • The government announces that the country will not extend their COVID-19 state of emergency beyond March 31. (The Sofia Globe)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–United States relations
    • U.S. President Joe Biden declares in a speech that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power". In response to reports that the statement constitutes a call for regime change, the White House later releases a statement saying that Biden's "point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin's power in Russia, or regime change". In response to Biden's statement, the Kremlin states that this is a choice of the Russian people. (CNN) (The Hill)

Law and crime

• Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 anti-war protests in Russian-occupied Ukraine
    • Slavutych mayor Yurii Fomichev is released by Russian soldiers after protesters opposed Fomichev‘s kidnapping and Russia’s occupation of the town. (EuroWeekly News) (I News)
  • Anti-war protesters gather in London to stand in solidarity with Ukraine. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Maltese general election
  • Maltese citizens go to the polls to elect members of the Parliament. (Euronews)

Science and technology

• 65 terabytes of data belonging to the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviation), the Russian airspace regulator, gets lost indefinitely in a hacker attack, which is said to be one of the largest ever. The data lost includes all official documents, files on its servers, the public procurement system of Rosaviation, as well as all emails for the last one and a half years; no backups are available. As a result, the agency is forced to switch to paper-based workflow. (Kommersant) (Aviation24.be)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2022 Hadera shooting
  • Two policemen are killed and 12 more people are injured during a mass shooting by two Islamic State gunmen at a bus stop in Hadera, Haifa District, Israel. The attackers are shot dead. (Reuters) (Times of Israel)

Arts and culture

• 94th Academy Awards
  • CODA wins this year's Best Picture, while Jane Campion wins Best Director for The Power of the Dog. (CNN)
  • Will Smith wins Best Actor for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard, while Jessica Chastain wins Best Actress for her portrayal of Tammy Faye Messner in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. (ABC News) (The Guardian)
  • Dune wins the most awards in six, mostly untelevised categories. (Showbiz Cheat Sheet)
  • CODA star Troy Kotsur wins Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award. (Variety)
  • West Side Story star Ariana DeBose wins Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first queer woman of colour to win an Academy Award (The Guardian)
  • Celebrities at the Awards wear blue and gold ribbons to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and pay tribute to the refugees. (USA Today) (The Wrap)

Disasters and accidents

• Wildfires in 2022
  • Ukrainian Human Rights commissioner Lyudmyla Denisova warns that around 10,000 hectares of forest fires are currently burning near the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. (The Independent)
  • A wildfire engulfs the uninhabited Gruinard Island in Gruinard Bay, Scotland. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai
        • Shanghai imposes a lockdown in the Pudong area and other parts of the city. Additionally, areas near the Huangpu River will undergo four days of COVID-19 testing beginning tomorrow. (South China Morning Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong
      • Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces that Hong Kong will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations at home for elderly people in the coming weeks in order to increase the vaccination rate. (Bloomberg)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia–Ukraine relations
    • Ukrainian delegate Davyd Arakhamia announces that in-person ceasefire talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations will occur in Turkey. The talks are expected to occur from March 28 to March 30. (Ukrinform)
• Nuclear program of Iran
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that the U.S. and their Gulf allies will deter Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, regardless if a deal to revive the 2015 agreement has been reached or not. (CNN)

Law and crime

• Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
    • Russian artist Yevgenia Isayeva douses herself in fake blood during an anti-war protest in Saint Petersburg. She is later detained by police. (RFE/RL)
• Crime in El Salvador
  • El Salvador declares a state of emergency after 62 people were murdered in the country yesterday, making it the most violent 24-hour period since the end of the civil war in 1992. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

• 2022 Uruguayan Law of Urgent Consideration referendum
  • A referendum is held in Uruguay on whether to repeal the Urgent Consideration Law, which gives the government more power to dismantle protests and increased security measures after record high crime rates in Uruguay in 2017. (MercoPress)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Kyiv offensive
      • Battle of Irpin
        • Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn says that Irpin has been recaptured by Ukrainian Ground Forces. (Times of Israel)
    • Northeastern Ukraine offensive
      • Battle of Kharkiv
        • Russian artillery damages a school in Kharkiv. (Yahoo News) (Sky News)
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Russian troops shell Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast, killing one person. (Ukrinform)
      • Trostyanets is retaken by Ukrainian Armed Forces. (Jerusalem Post)
    • 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
      • Russia cautions against expecting any "significant breakthroughs" ahead of the first round of in-person negotiations with Ukraine. (MSN)
      • Two Ukrainian negotiators as well as sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich are reported to have fallen victim to suspected poisoning during peace talks on the Belarus–Ukraine border earlier this month. Their health has since improved. (Reuters) (BBC News)
    • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that some mayors abducted by invading Russian forces have been found dead. (Ukrayinska Pravda) (The Economist)
• Nigerian bandit conflict
  • Abuja–Kaduna train attack
    • Bandits bomb and open fire at a train in Kaduna State carrying 970 passengers travelling from Abuja to Kaduna, Nigeria, killing 7 people and wounding 22 more. Some others are kidnapped. (BBC News)
• Kivu conflict
  • Militants belonging to the March 23 Movement attack military bases near Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congolese authorities say that two Rwandan soldiers were participating in the attack. The movement have regrouped and retaken strategic areas for the first time since their defeat in 2013. (Reuters)

Business and economy

• P&O sacking of 800 staff
  • The United Kingdom's Maritime and Coastguard Agency seizes P&O Ferries-operated ferry MS Pride of Kent at the Port of Dover after the ferry "failed safety checks" by authorities. It is the second P&O Ferries ship to be detained by UK authorities since the firm fired all 800 British crew members and replaced them with cheaper agency workers. (Sky News)
  • The Department for Transport gives P&O Ferries a deadline of March 31 to rehire all the fired staff. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai
        • Shanghai enters two-stage lockdown which close all non-essential businesses after the city reporting 3,500 new COVID-19 cases. (Forbes)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia surpasses six million cases of COVID-19. (Medcom.id)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
      • Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tests positive for COVID-19. (Jerusalem Post)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
      • Premier Daniel Andrews tests positive for COVID-19. (Sky News Australia)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
    • The Andorran government announces the lifting of indoor mask usage, except in health care institutions, as well as the need for antigen testing for nightlife. The government also announces the relaxation of the protocol for positive contacts. (Andorra Difusió)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Kazakhstan–Russia relations
    • Kazakhstan says that it does not want to be behind a "new iron curtain", and that international companies boycotting Russia are welcome to "move production to Kazakhstan". (Reuters)
• Abraham Accords
  • The foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the United States Secretary of State, meet in Sde Boker, Israel, and agree to hold regular meetings about regional security and commit to further expanding economic and diplomatic cooperation. (Times of Israel) (The Washington Post)

Law and crime

• Mexican drug war
  • Las Tinajas massacre
    • Twenty people are killed and four more are injured in a mass shooting at an illegal cockfighting pit in Las Tinajas, Michoacán, Mexico. (BBC News)
• Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández will be extradited to the United States on drug trafficking charges. (France 24)

Politics and elections

• 2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis
  • Speaker of the Assembly Rached Ghannouchi announces that the parliament will hold two full sessions this week, the first time since President Kais Saied seized most executive powers and suspended parliament last July, to try to block attempts by Saied to adopt a new constitution that will solidify his rule. (Reuters)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Southern Ukraine offensive
      • Battle of Mykolaiv
        • Mykolaiv government building airstrike
          • A missile strike hits the regional administration's headquarters in Mykolaiv, killing twelve people and injuring 22 others. (Reuters)
      • Kyiv offensive, Northeastern Ukraine offensive
        • Russian troops begin retreating from positions in Kyiv Oblast and Chernihiv Oblast, according to Ukrainian and American officials. The United States European Command confirms the Russian withdrawal, observing a "major strategy shift". (U.S. News & World Report) (Times of Israel)
      • Attack on Snake Island
        • Roman Hrybov, the border guard who told the Russian warship command over the radio "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" in defiance of its order to surrender Snake Island, is freed in a prisoner swap. Initial reports erroneously suggested that 13 border guards on the island had died. (The Guardian)
    • Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
      • Russia–NATO relations
        • The U.S. deploys 200 marines from the Marine Air Control Group 28, 10 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, and an unspecified number of C-130s to Lithuania as part of NATO's response to Russian military aggression in Eastern Europe. (USNI)
    • 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
      • The Ukrainian and Russian delegations hold face-to-face peace talks in Turkey for the first time in two weeks. (AP)
      • Russian officials agree to "fundamentally cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv" during the negotiations. (The Guardian)
    • A shell strikes a temporary Russian military camp near the city of Belgorod, 25 km from the Russia–Ukraine border. Russian authorities report at least four injuries, and say that the shell was fired from Ukrainian territory. Ukraine denies firing the missile, instead attributing the strike to an error on Russia's part. (Reuters)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • 2022 Bnei Brak shootings
    • Five people are killed and another is injured during a series of drive-by shootings in Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv District, Israel. The attacker, a Fatah sympathizer, is shot dead. (Jerusalem Post) (Times of Israel)
• Yemeni Civil War
  • The Saudi-led military coalition suspends all military activity in Yemen. (Arab News)
• Nigerian bandit conflict
  • Bandits attack villages in the Bakura and Talata Mafura local government areas of Nigeria. Many people are killed. (Premium Times)
• Kivu conflict
  • 2022 MONUSCO helicopter crash
    • Six Pakistani crew members and a Russian and a Serbian soldier are killed as a MONUSCO helicopter crashes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rebel March 23 Movement group is accused of being behind the crash. The group has denied their involvement. (Reuters)

Arts and culture

• 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
  • It is announced that officials from Russia and Belarus will not be welcomed at the upcoming ceremony to mark the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp due to their role in the invasion of Ukraine. (Forbes)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • The U.S. FDA and the CDC approve fourth doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for people over the age of 50 years. (CNBC) (NBC News)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Belgium–Russia relations, Czech Republic–Russia relations, Ireland–Russia relations, Netherlands–Russia relations
    • Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and the Czech Republic expel Russian diplomats. (Reuters)
  • Estonia–Russia relations, Latvia–Russia relations, Lithuania–Russia relations
    • Russia expels diplomats from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, in retaliation for the earlier expulsions of Russian diplomats from these countries. (Reuters)
• 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
  • North Korea–South Korea relations
    • South Korean lawmakers and the defense ministry say that last week, North Korea has tested a Hwasong-15, which was successfully tested in November 2017, instead of a Hwasong-17. (ABC News) (AP)
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo joins the East African Community, becoming the largest country in both area and population to do so, and thereby granting the bloc access to the Atlantic Ocean. (Bloomberg)

Law and crime

• International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
  • The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency seizes the 58.5 metre superyacht PHI on the River Thames in London after its unnamed Russian oligarch owner was sanctioned by the British government. (Reuters)
• Lynching in the United States
  • U.S. President Joe Biden signs the Emmett Till Antilynching Act into law, which makes lynching a federal crime. (CBS News)
• 2021–2022 Belarus–European Union border crisis
  • A regional court in the border town of Hajnówka rules that pushbacks against migrants on the Belarus–Poland border violated Polish law. (Gazeta Wyborcza) (Rzeczpospolita)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Eastern Ukraine offensive
      • Siege of Mariupol
        • Ukraine says that Russian artillery and aircraft have targeted a Red Cross hospital in the city of Mariupol. (Times of Israel)
    • Battle of Chernobyl
      • Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk calls for Russia to withdraw from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone area and for Russian troops occupying the former nuclear plant to pull out. (Reuters)
      • A U.S. official says that Russian forces have begun withdrawing from the Chernobyl area and have moved into Belarus. (France 24)
    • 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis
      • The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says more than four million Ukrainians have fled the country since the invasion began on February 24. (France 24)
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan attack a military base in Tank, Pakistan, killing six soldiers. (Arab News)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
      • U.S. President Joe Biden receives his second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. (CBS News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
    • The U.S. CDC removes their travel warnings for cruise ships, which were imposed during the beginning of the pandemic. However, passengers will still be required to be vaccinated and to test negative for COVID-19. (The Washington Post)
  • Treatment and management of COVID-19
    • According to a new study, the antiparasitic drug ivermectin does not prevent hospitalizations from COVID-19. (New England Journal of Medicine)

International relations

• Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations
    • Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia says that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will resume their peace talks online on April 1 after the latest round of negotiations in Turkey has ended. (Reuters)
• 2021–2022 North Korean missile tests
  • North Korea–South Korea relations
    • The South Korean military says that last week, North Korea tested Hwasong-15 from November 2017, instead of a Hwasong-17. This comes a day after the defense ministry and lawmakers also confirmed this. (DW) (CBS News)
• Iran–United States relations
  • Iranian missile tests
    • The United States sanctions the Iranian ballistic missile program. (CNN)
• Russia–South Ossetia relations
  • The President of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, declares that the partially recognised state will undertake "legal steps" in the near future for accession to become part of Russia. (Meduza)

Politics and elections

• 2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis
  • Tunisian President Kais Saied orders the Assembly of the Representatives of the People to be dissolved, after 116 of the 124 MPs who convened online voted earlier in the day to strip Saied of the "exceptional measures" he had taken on since last July. (Reuters)

Science and technology

• Cyberwarfare by Russia
  • Russia announces that it will ban all usage of software from other countries in government agencies beginning in 2025. Additionally, beginning on March 31, all foreign software purchases for government agencies must be pre-approved by the government. (Reuters) (TASS)
  • It is reported that Russian government hackers have attacked and compromised the servers of Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since late 2021. (Direkt36)
• South Korea launches a solid-fuel indigenous space rocket at the Agency for Defense Development site in Taean County, South Chungcheong Province. (Korea Herald)
• The Hubble Space Telescope observes the most distant single star ever. The star, named Earendel by astronomers, is 28 billion light-years away. It is the farthest detection of a star, dating back 900 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery surpasses Hubble's record from 2018, when it discovered a star that existed when the universe was roughly four billion years old. (CNN)

Sports

• 2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League knockout phase
  • A crowd of 91,553 attends the second leg of the quarterfinal between archrivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou in Barcelona. This surpasses the 90,185 at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final and is reportedly the largest attendance for a women's football match since Mexico–Denmark (110,000) in 1971. Barça won 5–2 on the day and 8–3 on aggregate. (ESPN)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian War
  • 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
    • Battle of Chernobyl
      • Energoatom confirms that the Russian forces who occupied the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl have left the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. (Ukrinform)
      • The International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Russian forces have handed over control of the former nuclear power plant back to Ukraine. Russian troops also withdraw from the city of Slavutych, returning to Belarus. (CNBC)
    • Siege of Mariupol
      • Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says that Ukraine has sent buses to Mariupol in an effort to evacuate citizens from the city. (BBC News)
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict, 2022 Bnei Brak shootings
  • Two people are killed and 14 more injured as the Israeli Defense Forces raid the city of Jenin in the West Bank in order to capture a suspect linked to Tuesday's shooting in Bnei Brak. (Times of Israel) (Haaretz)
  • A Palestinian militant uses a screwdriver to stab and seriously injure an Israeli civilian on a bus in Neve Daniel, before being shot dead by another passenger. (Haaretz)
  • Rock throwing causes a bus to crash into a car in Halhul, West Bank, injuring two people. (Times of Israel)

Arts and culture

• Expo 2020
  • The world expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which was delayed to October 1, 2021, closes after six months. (AP)

Business and economy

• Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
    • Australia revokes the most favoured nation status for Russia and Belarus, and will impose 35% tariffs on produce coming from these countries beginning on April 25. (The Guardian)
• 2021–2022 global energy crisis
  • U.S. President Joe Biden orders the release of up to one million barrels of crude oil per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the next six months in an attempt to contain inflation. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• Wildfires in 2022
  • Evacuations and school closures are issued in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States, after a wildfire, known as the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire, breaks out near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and grows to 1,000 acres. (CNN)
• A chartered helicopter travelling to Ulupna Island, Victoria, Australia, crashes into Mount Disappointment, killing all five people onboard. (ABC News Australia)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
    • Pakistan disbands ll the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), which was overseeing the COVID-19 response in the country, as the infection’s numbers were at the lowest since the start of the outbreak early in 2020. (Reuters)

International relations

• Georgia–Russia relations
  • Georgia says plans by the breakaway state of South Ossetia, which is internationally recognized as occupied Georgian territory, to hold a referendum on becoming a part of Russia are "unacceptable". (Reuters)
• Micronesian president David Panuelo urges Solomon Islands to not sign a security pact with China, citing "grave security concerns" and arguing that the Pacific islands would be "the epicenter of major confrontation" between major powers. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Russia investigation origins counter-narrative
  • The U.S. Federal Election Commission fines the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for violating rules by funding the Steele dossier, a dossier which made accusations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Both the DNC and Clinton's campaign have agreed not to contest the fines and to pay civil penalties of US$105,000 and US$8,000 respectively. (The Washington Post) (Business Insider)
• Sri Lankan economic crisis
  • Sri Lanka Police impose an indefinite curfew in the city of Colombo after protesters attempted to storm president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's private residence amid anger over worsening economic conditions and power outages in the country. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

• The acting Australian Information Commissioner orders the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to comply with a request by The Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, which the PMO had previously rejected, and search the mobile phone of Prime Minister Scott Morrison for correspondence with Morrison's friend and QAnon conspiracy theorist Tim Stewart. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has alleged that Stewart influenced Morrison's use of the term "ritual abuse" in a speech to survivors of child sexual abuse in 2019. (The Guardian)

Science and technology

• Censorship of Wikipedia, Media freedom in Russia
  • Russian media censorship agency Roskomnadzor threatens to fine Wikipedia up to 4 million rubles (about US$49,000) if it does not delete information that contradicts the Kremlin's official narrative on the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Forbes)
• Scientists sequence the complete human genome for the first time, more than three decades after the Human Genome Project was first commenced. (CNN)