Portal:Current events

Topics in the news

Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic

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

Ongoing:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• Myanmar protests

Recent deaths:

• Walter Gretzky
• Phil Chisnall
• Helmut Winschermann
• Toko Shinoda
• Hugh Newell Jacobsen
• Àlex Casademunt

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

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Yemeni Civil War
  • Ma'rib Campaign
    • Fierce fighting between Houthi forces and pro-government troops in Maʼrib Governorate, Yemen, kills at least 90 combatants on both sides in the past 24 hours, according to Yemeni military officials. (The Hindu)

Business and economy

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

Health and environment

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

Politics and elections

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

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Science and technology

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

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

Sports

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

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Businesses and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

Current events of March 2, 2021 (2021-03-02) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan
  • 2021 Afghanistan attacks
    • Three female media workers are shot dead in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. A fourth woman is wounded. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack. (Reuters)
• Zamfara kidnapping
  • All 279 schoolgirls abducted from a boarding school in Zamfara State, Nigeria, are released by their armed kidnappers. (Reuters)
• Somali Civil War
  • Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab publicly executes five people by firing squad for allegedly spying for the American and Somali intelligence agencies in Jilib, Middle Juba. Hundreds of people reportedly gathered to watch the execution. (Anadolu Agency)
• 2020–2021 Sudanese–Ethiopian clashes
  • Fighting between Sudan and Ethiopian-backed forces continues in the last Ethiopian stronghold of Bereket in the disputed border region of Al-Fashaga. Sudan claims Eritrean forces are helping the Ethiopians. (Anadolu Agency)

Business and economy

• Anti-Irish sentiment
  • The Equality and Human Rights Commission says that it has investigated Britannia Hotels-owned holiday park operator Pontins after a whistleblower revealed that Pontins had a blacklist of common Irish surnames to prevent Roma and Irish Travellers from booking at its parks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the discrimination is "completely unacceptable". (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

• Imperial County car crash
  • Thirteen people are killed and eleven others are wounded in a traffic accident in Imperial County, California, US. A semi-truck and an SUV collide; 25 people were in the SUV at the time of the crash. (Los Angeles Times)
• Mount Sinabung in Sumatra, Indonesia erupts, spewing 16,000 feet of ash into the air. (CBS News)
• Seven students are killed in a railing collapse, sending people plummeting from a fourth-floor balcony on to an atrium floor during a student assembly at the Universidad Pública de El Alto, Bolivia. Three people are arrested. (Europa Press)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in North America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi
        • Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signs an executive order that lifts the statewide mask requirement except for K-12 schools and indoor arenas. Indoor arenas are required to limit their capacity to 50% and club areas and suits to 75%. Indoor and outdoor arenas are required to limit capacity to 25% and 50% respectively for K-12 extracurricular activities. (Sun Herald)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon
        • Oregon reports their first cases of the Lineage P.1 variant in two people from Douglas County who previously travelled to Brazil. (OregonLive)
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Texas
        • Texas Governor Greg Abbott lifts the statewide mask requirement and allows businesses to open at 100% capacity beginning March 10. (The Hill)
      • U.S. President Joe Biden announces that Merck & Co. will produce single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to help his administration goal for vaccinating every adult by the end of May. (The Washington Post)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
      • COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba
        • Manitoba reports their first two cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in Winnipeg. (CBC)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia reports their first two cases of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. (Liputan6.com)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
      • Iraq receives 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccines donated by China as the country officially begins its vaccination campaign. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
      • Mongolia surpasses 3,000 cases of COVID-19. (Montsame)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
      • Malaysia grants conditional approval for the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sinovac CoronaVac vaccines. (CNA)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • The Philippines reports their first six cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (GMA News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hajj
      • Saudi Minister of Health Tawfig Al-Rabiah announces that all pilgrims must be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to do the Hajj to Mecca. (Arab News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in United Arab Emirates
      • Spanish media reports that emeritus King of Spain Juan Carlos I was vaccinated in Abu Dhabi, where he is in self-exile. Two of his daughters Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina also received vaccines when they took advantage of a visit to their father on February 6 and 7. (El Confidencial)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports 2,353 new cases in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total this year, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 194,582. (Greek City Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Prime Minister Mario Draghi signs a decree that orders the closure of all schools in the worst-hit regions due to the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. The decree will be in effective from March 6 until April 6. (Eurozone)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova, COVID-19 vaccine
      • Moldova begins their vaccination campaign, with first-line medical staff being administered first. (Xinhua News Agency)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina
      • President Aleksandar Vučić delivers 10,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine to the Bosniak and Croat-dominated federation entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Balkan Insight)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
      • President Volodymyr Zelenskyi receives his first dose of Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (ABC News)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Angola
      • Angola receives 624,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing Initiative. (VOA Portuguese)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
      • Kenya receives 1.02 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing Initiative. (UNICEF)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
      • Nigeria receives 3.94 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India through the COVAX Initiative, which is the largest delivery so far by the initiative. (ABC News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
      • Tunisia reports their first case of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in South America
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
      • Brazil reports a record 1,641 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 257,361. (DW in Brazilian Portuguese)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
      • Venezuela receives 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine donated by China. (EFE)

Law and crime

• 2020–2021 Belarusian protests
  • Tut.By journalist Katsiaryna Barysevich is sentenced to a half-year in prison for reporting personal data on the death of Raman Bandarenka during protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. (AP)

Current events of March 1, 2021 (2021-03-01) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2021 Armenian coup d'état attempt, 2020−2021 Armenian protests
  • Protesters storm a government building in Yerevan, Armenia, to demand Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation. (Al Jazeera)
• War in Donbass
  • Ukraine reports multiple ceasefire violations, with one casualty. (UNIAN)
• Tigray War
  • BBC reporter Girmay Gebru is detained by Ethiopian soldiers along with four other people in Mekelle, Tigray and are sent to a military camp for unknown reasons. (BBC)
• Operation Madago Raya
  • A gunfight erupt between Indonesian Army and East Indonesia Mujahideen in the Andole Mountain area, Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi, resulting in the death of a soldier and two militants. (Kaili Post)
• War in Afghanistan
  • The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction releases a report accusing the United States of wasting a billion of dollars in Afghanistan on buildings and vehicles that were either abandoned or destroyed. The agency said that only $343.2 million of vehicles and buildings were in good condition. (VOA)

Disasters and accidents

• Three members of the Panamanian diplomatic corps in Colombia are killed after the overflow of the Río Frío drags the vehicle they were traveling in. (Infobae)

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in India
      • COVID-19 vaccination in India
        • Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives his first dose of the Bharat Biotech Covaxin vaccine. (Hindustan Times)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
      • COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
        • The Philippines begins its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine donated by China, with the first doses administered to healthcare workers in Metro Manila. (Bloomberg)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
      • Jordan approves the emergency use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (Roya News English)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
      • Syria begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19. Medical health workers are the first to receive the vaccine. (Reuters)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
      • The Czech Republic begins a stricter nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš last week with more police officers and soldiers deployed to enforce the restrictions. (U.S. News and World Report)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in France
      • France raises age limit for those who receive Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to those aged below 75. (France 24)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
      • Finland declares a state of emergency amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Sanna Marin says that the emergency controls will allow the government to close schools and restaurants and limit movement between regions. (Euro Weekly News)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
      • Slovakia receives the first shipment consisting 200,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as it signed an agreement to secure two million doses. (Euronews)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
      • President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and their spouses receive their first doses of the vaccine from the COVAX initiative as Ghana begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19. (BBC Pidgin)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Ivory Coast
      • Ivory Coast begins its mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine delivered by the COVAX initiative. Health workers, teachers, and members of the armed forces are the first to receive the vaccine. (AP)
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
      • President Emmerson Mnangagwa announces a slight easing of the lockdown in Zimbabwe amid a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. Inter-city travel is resumed and small and large businesses have been allowed to reopen. (EWN)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
      • Florida reports their first case of 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (Clickorlando.com)
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
    • Venezuela approves the emergency use of Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine. (El Comercio)

Law and crime

• Aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, 2021 Myanmar protests
  • Ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court to hear two more charges against her. The charges are a colonial-era penal code prohibiting publication of information that may "cause fear or alarm", and a telecommunications law stipulating licenses for equipment. Meanwhile, police disperse protesters with tear gas and stun grenades. (Reuters)
• Onești stabbing
  • Two workers are stabbed to death during a hostage-taking incident in an apartment building in Onești, Romania. The attacker, a man in his 60s, had a 12-year dispute with the company that was running the building, of which he was the former owner. (Digi 24)
• Nicolas Sarkozy corruption trial
  • Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is sentenced to three years in jail for corruption, after being found guilty of trying to offer a job to a magistrate in return for information about a criminal inquiry into his political party. (BBC)
• Barçagate
  • Former president of FC Barcelona Josep Maria Bartomeu is arrested while Mossos d'Esquadra search the FC Barcelona offices. Three other senior staff members are also arrested. (The Guardian)
• 2021 Texas power crisis
  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton files a lawsuit against Griddy, accusing them of charging Texans "outrageous amounts" after the winter storm that resulted in power outages for millions in the state. (Newsweek)

Time: 02:41 UTC|Day: 7 March

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

Ongoing events

Business

• COVID-19 recession

Disasters

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

Politics

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

Elections and referendums

Recent

• February
  • 21: Laos, National Assembly
  • 21: Niger, President (2nd)
  • 28: El Salvador, Legislative Assembly
• March
  • 2: Federated States of Micronesia, Congress
  • 6: Ivory Coast, National Assembly

Upcoming

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

Trials

Recently concluded

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

Ongoing

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

Upcoming

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

Sport

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

More details – current sports events

Recent deaths

March

• 6: Joaquin Bernas
• 4: Walter Gretzky
• 3: Joe Altobelli
• 2: Chris Barber
• 2: Àlex Casademunt
• 2: Bunny Wailer
• 1: Michael Gudinski
• 1: Vernon Jordan
• 1: Zlatko Kranjčar
• 1: Ian St John

February

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

Ongoing conflicts

Africa

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

Americas

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

Asia-Pacific

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

Europe

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

Global

• War on terror

Middle East

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

Further information: List of ongoing armed conflicts

2021 events and developments by topic

Arts

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

Politics and government

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

Science and technology

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

Environment and environmental sciences

Birding/Ornithology – Climate change

Transportation

Aviation – Rail transport

Establishments and disestablishments categories

Establishments – Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

Works – Introductions – Works entering the public domain