Topics in the news
- A series of explosions in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, leaves at least 105 people dead and more than 600 others injured.
- 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.
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Australian frontier wars
- The Victoria State Government announces the establishment of a truth commission into genocidal violence against the state's Indigenous population from the late 18th century to the early 20th century, as part of a process towards developing a treaty. (The Guardian)
- Colombian conflict
- The armed forces kill 12 people in an operation in the Guaviare Department against a group run by a former FARC leader. Defense Minister Diego Molano Aponte says that there were child soldiers present at the camp but declines to say if they were killed or state their ages. (The New York Times)
Business and economy
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- The United States House of Representatives votes 220-211 to pass the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which extends weekly jobless benefit payments of $300 until September, sends $1,400 checks to individuals, and funds other coronavirus relief programs for states and businesses. The stimulus bill will be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature on March 12. (The Wall Street Journal) (BBC)
Disasters and accidents
- An overnight fire at a OVHcloud server farm in Strasbourg destroys a data center and damages another, taking millions of .fr websites offline in France, including government websites, banks, online shops and news websites. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka, 501.V2 variant
- Karnataka reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (Livemint)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka, 501.V2 variant
- COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan
- Jordan approves the emergency use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (Gulf News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
- Mongolia reports a record 109 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,481. (Montsame)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
- Pakistan begins COVID-19 vaccination rollout for those aged 60 years or older as part of the second phase of their vaccination programme. (Al Jazeera)
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
- Kenya approves the emergency use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritius
- Mauritius imposes a two-week nationwide lockdown for the second time since the pandemic began, with only essential services able to continue to operate, after the discovery of 14 local COVID-19 cases. (Barron's)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania
- The President of Tanzania John Magufuli has not been seen in public since February 27. Opposition leaders call for the release of information as rumors grow that he is on a ventilator at a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. (The Daily Telegraph via Yahoo! News) (Thomas Reuters Foundation)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
- Bulgaria reports 3,502 new cases in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total since December 11, and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 266,805. (Novinite)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
- The Government of Malta announces that, due to record numbers of new cases, all theatres, museums, and gyms will be closed, all organised sports and religious activities will be banned, and gatherings will be limited to four people. The government also announces that all educational institutions will be closed as of March 15 and travel to Gozo will be restricted to residents and essential activities. (The Malta Independent)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
- Poland reports 17,260 new cases in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total since November, and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,828,313. (Radio Poland)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
- COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
- Fiji begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine donated by the COVAX initiative. Ten frontline workers are the first to receive doses of the vaccine. (Fiji Sun)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea
- The government of Papua New Guinea approves the use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. Prime Minister James Marape says that vaccination will not be compulsory and will initially be directed at health workers, people over 50 years of age and people with underlying health conditions. (RNZ)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
- Michigan surpasses 600,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. (MLive.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey, 501.V2 variant
- New Jersey reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (NJ.com)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- Brazil reports a record 2,286 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours as intensive care units in 25 of 27 regional capitals reach near-full capacity, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 270,656. (National Post) (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
Politics and elections
- Libyan Crisis
- Libyan peace process
- At an extraordinary session in Sirte, the Libyan parliament votes 121 to 11 to approve a new Government of National Unity led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. The new interim unity government will govern Libya until a general election is held in December. (Al Jazeera)
- Libyan peace process
- 2021 Armenian coup d'état attempt
- The government says a decree by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan dismissing the Chief of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan is now legally effective despite President Armen Sarksyan refusing the sign the decree into force. (Reuters)
- Ivorian Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko dies of cancer at a private hospital in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. (France 24)
- In a bipartisan move, the Idaho Legislature votes not to change the law that would have allowed continued participation in Powerball in the state, after a run of more than 30 years. State law currently restricts the state from participating in any lotteries that operate outside the US or Canada; the legislature cited fears of foreign participation from Powerball's move to expand operations in Australia and the United Kingdom as a primary reason for the decision not to change the law and thus will eventually discontinue participation. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- European migrant crisis
- At least 39 people are dead while 165 others are rescued when two boats sink off the coast of Tunisia while trying to reach Lampedusa, Italy. (Al Jazeera)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska
- Governor Mike Dunleavy announces that Alaska will drop its eligibility requirements for the COVID-19 vaccine and allow all residents over the age of 16 to receive it, thereby becoming the first state to do so. The state has also led other states in the percentage of its population to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
- North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum receives the COVID-19 vaccine. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
- COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
- British Columbia reports their first three cases of Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil. (Vancouver Sun)
- COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
- First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces that four people from two households will be able to meet outdoors from March 12, three days sooner than expected, as part of easing of their national lockdown. (Sky News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland
- COVID-19 pandemic in Estonia
- The Estonian government approves new measures to lockdown the entire country from March 11 until April 11 due to the spread of variants of SARS-CoV-2, which means that non-essential shops will be closed, primary schools will shift to remote learning and groups of more than two people will be banned. (Eesti Rahvusringhääling)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Italian president Sergio Mattarella receives the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Wanted in Rome)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia
- Prime Minister Zoran Zaev confirms that the government will impose a nationwide curfew from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am local time from tomorrow until March 22 as well as a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travellers from Africa in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (N1)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sudan
- Sudan begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 beginning with medical workers. (Al Arabiya)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
- Tunisia receives their first major shipment of 30,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. (Africanews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe grants emergency use authorization for four COVID-19 vaccines, including China's CoronaVac and BBIBP-CorV, Russia's Sputnik V, and India's Covaxin. (News24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sudan
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
- Prime Minister Hun Sen orders a temporary closure of the country's civil institutions and reduces their on-site employees by 90% for at least a week, with the exception of military and health workers due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. (The Straits Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority approves the emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- The Philippines surpasses 600,000 total COVID-19 cases. (ABS-CBN)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- Brazil reports a record 1,972 new deaths in the past 24 hours amid slow vaccination rollout and overwhelmed hospitals, bringing the nationwide death toll to 268,370. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
International relations
- United States–Venezuela relations, Immigration policy of the Joe Biden administration
- The Biden administration grants temporary protected status to Venezuelans living in the United States. The decision will allow thousands of Venezuelan migrants to stay and work legally in the U.S., and will remain in effect for 18 months. (BBC)
- 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
- Myanmar recalls its Ambassador to the United Kingdom Kyaw Zwar Minn after he publicly called for the release of jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. (Sky News)
Politics and elections
- 2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis
- The European Parliament votes to strip Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí of their parliamentary immunity, allowing Spanish prosecutors to extradite them to Spain and prosecute them for sedition and embezzlement. (The Guardian)
- Núria Calduch becomes the first female Secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission named by Pope Francis. (Catalunya Religió)
Science and technology
- Exploration of the Moon
- The China National Space Administration and Roscosmos sign a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint lunar space station. Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin says that the space station will be a "complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface or in the orbit of the Moon", and will be available for use by "international partners". (France 24)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2021 Myanmar protests
- Two people are killed and three others wounded in Myitkyina by being shot in the head, as security forces open fire on people protesting against the coup d'état in Myanmar. (Al Jazeera)
- Multiple people are injured by a homemade bomb accidentally detonating in a classroom at Newaygo High School in Newaygo, Michigan, United States. (WWTV-TV)
Arts and culture
- Aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
- Myanmar's State Administration Council revokes the licence of five media companies, namely Myanmar Now, Khit Thit Media, Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), Mizzima and 7Day, amid the crackdown on press outlets covering anti-coup protests. (VOA)
- 32nd Producers Guild of America Awards
- The Producers Guild of America announces its nominations for the 32nd Producers Guild of America Awards, honoring the best achievements in producing for film and television for 2020. (Flickering Myth)
Business and economy
- EuroAsia Interconnector
- Cyprus, Greece and Israel sign an agreement to build the world's largest and deepest submarine power cable that will connect the three Mediterranean countries' power grids at a cost of about $900 million. The project is expected to be completed by 2024. (Kathimerini)
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 Bata explosions
- The death toll from yesterday's explosions in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, rises to 98 people. More than 615 others are wounded. (Al Jazeera)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in England, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- Millions of students across England return to primary and secondary schools after two months studying at home during the third lockdown as a first step towards a return to normality. (BBC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in England, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- Italy surpasses 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the second country in Europe to reach the milestone after the United Kingdom. (France 24)
- The region of Campania enters a lockdown which is expected to end on March 21. (Euronews)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- Austria reports their first case of the Lineage P.2 variant first detected in Brazil in a person from Salzburg state. (The Local Austria)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
- Greece reports their youngest death from COVID-19 in a 37-day-old infant. (Times of Malta)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
- Prime Minister Mark Rutte extends the country's strict lockdown until the end of the month and advises against foreign travel until April 15. The curfew from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. will remain in place through the election on March 17, but those working or visiting a voting booth will not be fined for breaching it. (ABC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in East Timor
- East Timor imposes a "sanitary fence and mandatory confinement" in the capital Dili for the next seven days beginning at midnight. This is the country's first lockdown since the beginning of the pandemic. (The Canberra Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
- Indonesia receives their first shipment of 1.1 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (The Jakarta Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Mongolia
- Mongolia reports a record 108 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,336. (Xinhua News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Syria
- President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad both test positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from the presidential office. They are both reported to be in good health with "minor symptoms". (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
- Vietnam begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19 starting with health workers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Duong Province using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. (VietnamPlus)
- COVID-19 pandemic in East Timor
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
- Hawaii reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa in a person from Oahu with no known travel history. (AP)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
- Michigan reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant that originated in South Africa in a child from Jackson County. (WOOD-TV)
- The U.S. surpasses 29 million cases of COVID-19. (KIRO-TV)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
- COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
- The government announces a deal with Pfizer to receive 14 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by June, and a total of 99 million doses by the end of the year. (The Rio Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces that the New Zealand Government has secured 8.5 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, and that they have now secured enough vaccines to vaccinate the entire population of New Zealand. (The New Zealand Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
Law and crime
- Killing of George Floyd
- The trial of former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin begins in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin's trial is the first time that a judge in Minnesota has authorized cameras to show a full criminal trial. (The Independent)
- Operation Car Wash
- Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Edson Fachin rules that all convictions of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva must be nullified. This ruling restores Lula's political rights and thus clears the way for his presidential candidacy in 2022. (France 24)
- A judge in Senegal releases opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on bail, after days of protests as a result of his arrest. Eight people died during the protests. (BBC)
Politics and elections
- 2019–2021 Lebanese protests
- Protesters block all major roads leading to the capital Beirut amid continued unrest over the crash of the pound, increase in consumer goods prices, mass unemployment and delay of the formation of a new government. (The Independent)
- Libyan Crisis, Libyan peace process
- Parliament meets in the central city of Sirte to vote on the approval of the interim Government of National Unity, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Voting is expected to take place tomorrow. (Al Jazeera)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Gaza–Israel conflict
- Three Palestinian fishermen are killed in an explosion off the coast of Gaza. The blast is caused by an unknown weapon, suspected to be a rocket. (Al Jazeera English)
- 2021 Myanmar coup d'état
- Khin Maung Latt, a campaign manager from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, dies in police custody after being arrested yesterday. (South China Morning Post)
- Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
- In retaliation for yesterday's drone attacks against the kingdom, the Saudi-led coalition conducts airstrikes against the Houthis in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. There have been no reports of any immediate casualties. (Reuters)
- 2019–2021 Persian Gulf crisis
- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says that the United States will continue to defend troops and interests. He also says that those who carried out the rocket attack in Iraq will be held accountable. (CNBC)
- Nine activists are killed in police raids in the northern Philippines two days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered government forces to kill communists in the country. (Al Jazeera English)
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 Bata explosions
- A series of explosions kill 20 people and injure more than 600 others in Bata, Equatorial Guinea. The cause is suspected to be negligence related to use of dynamite at a local military base. Almost all buildings in the city are heavily damaged. (Al Jazeera English)
- A fire occurs at a detention center for migrants in Sanaa, Yemen, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 170 others. (ABC News)
- At least one person is killed and 40 others are injured when a train derails in Sindh, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera English)
- A Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil crashes in Normandy, France, killing National Assembly member and businessman Olivier Dassault and the aircraft's pilot. (The Guardian)
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
- Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and current Health Minister Greg Hunt receive their first doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (Nine News)
- COVID-19 vaccination in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Caledonia
- New Caledonia orders a strict lockdown for two weeks beginning at midnight tomorrow following the detection of nine COVID-19 cases among non-quarantined travellers arriving from Wallis and Futuna. (Radio France Internationale)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
- Auckland is downgraded to alert level 2 while the rest of New Zealand moves to alert level 1 following confirmation that there are no more community cases. (Stuff)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- Israel reopens restaurants, bars, and other entertainment venues for those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Middle-school students return to school in some areas and university classes also resume for those who have been vaccinated. Israeli citizens are also allowed to return to Israel without any special permissions. (Haaretz)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- At age 95, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad becomes the oldest person in Malaysia to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Langkawi, Kedah. (Malaysiakini)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
- Nepal receives 348,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (The Kathmandu Post)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka receives its first shipment of 264,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (The New Indian Express)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- Austria suspends vaccinations using the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution while investigating the death of a person who received it. (The Irish Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia
- North Macedonia grants emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Yahoo! Finance)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia, 501.V2 variant
- Slovakia reports its first seven cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (The Slovak Spectacular)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio, Lineage P.1
- Ohio reports its first cases of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil. (The Cincinnati Enquirer)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio, Lineage P.1
- COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia
- Ethiopia receives its first shipment of 2.2 million doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India supplied through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (Barron's)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania
Politics and elections
- 2021 Swiss referendums
- Swiss voters approve a ban on full-facial coverings in public, known popularly as a so-called "burqa ban", and a free trade agreement with Indonesia, while rejecting a government proposal to introduce nationwide electronic IDs, which would be required to open a bank account or request official documents. (NPR)
Sports
- 2020–21 Scottish Premiership
- Rangers wins the Scottish Premiership, the top-flight league in Scottish football, for the first time since 2011 after their rivals Celtic failed to win against Dundee United. It is Rangers manager and former England captain Steven Gerrard's first trophy as a manager, and the win also denies Celtic a record 10th consecutive Premiership title. (BBC Sport)
- 2021 FC Barcelona presidential election
- Former FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta wins the club's 14th presidential election with 54.2% of the votes. (Sky Sports)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Yemeni Civil War
- Ma'rib Campaign
- Fighting between Houthi forces and pro-government troops in Maʼrib Governorate, Yemen, kills 58 and 32, respectively, in the past 24 hours, according to unnamed military sources. (The Hindu)
- Ma'rib Campaign
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)
- Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
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 vaccination in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- Moderna signs a supply deal with the government to supply 13 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine from mid-2021. (CNA)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines
- 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 India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Republic of Ireland
- Ireland reaches a milestone of 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered. (The Irish Post)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the Republic of Ireland
- COVID-19 pandemic in France
- French authorities extend their weekend lockdown to the northern region of Pas-de-Calais, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to stay at home on Saturdays and Sundays due to the spread of COVID-19. (RFI)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi
- Malawi receives its 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 Malawi
- COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji
- Fiji receives its first shipment of 12,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (FBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
- President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores receive their first doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. (France 24)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- 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)
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)
- 2021 Mogadishu suicide car bombing
- 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)
- 2021 Afghanistan attacks
- Aftermath of the assassination of Luca Attanasio
- Mwilanya Asani William, the attorney 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
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)
- American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
- 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)
- 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)
Disasters and accidents
- 2021 Kermadec Islands earthquake
- 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 since 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, Lineage P.1
- COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee, 501.V2 variant
- Tennessee reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (WSMV-TV)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin, 501.V2 variant
- 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, 501.V2 variant
- 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 Manitoba, 501.V2 variant
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- India administers 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the last 24 hours, which is the highest number of daily vaccinations since the program began on January 16. (Livemint)
- COVID-19 vaccination in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
- The government extends the COVID-19 state of emergency in the Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, for the next two weeks until March 21 as the number of new cases have not fallen sufficiently in order to lift the emergency. (The Mainichi Shimbun)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
- Malaysia reports their first two cases of the B.1.525 variant in two people who travelled from Dubai. (CodeBlue)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
- The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan grants emergency use authorisation of the Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccine for people over 60 years of age. (DAWN)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approves the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine following separate evaluations of the vaccine's safety and efficacy. (Yonhap News Agency)
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
- 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, 501.V2 variant
- Romania reports its first two cases of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in people from Bucharest and Pitești. (Europa FM)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
- The fatality count from COVID-19 surpasses 200,000. (Bloomberg)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
- Nigeria officially launches a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with a doctor who has spent the past year treating COVID-19 patients becoming the first person to be vaccinated. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda
- Rwanda begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using 392,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca and Pfizer–BioNTech vaccines. (The East African)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
- Uganda receives their first shipment of 864,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX initiative. (The Independent Uganda)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
- 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)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North America
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 surveying 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)
March 2021 | ||||||
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S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Ongoing events
Business
Disasters
- COVID-19 pandemic
- 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season
- 2020–21 European windstorm season
- 2020–21 H5N8 outbreak
- 2021 Pacific typhoon season
- 2020–21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Yemeni famine
Politics
- Afghan peace process
- Armenian protests
- Belarusian protests
- Bulgarian protests
- East Mediterranean crisis
- Indian farmers' protests
- Indonesia omnibus law protests
- Libyan peace process
- Myanmar protests
- Nicaraguan protests
- Nigerian protests
- Persian Gulf crisis
- Russian protests
- Second Arab Spring
- Sudanese protests
- Tigrayan peace process
- Thai protests
- United States racial unrest
- Venezuelan presidential crisis
- Yellow vests movement
Recently concluded
- France: Charlie Hebdo shooting, Nicolas Sarkozy
- Switzerland: Beny Steinmetz
- United States: Impeachment of Donald Trump
Ongoing
- Argentina: Rodolfo Martín Villa
- Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
- Colombia: Álvaro Uribe
- India: Disha Ravi
- Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
- Kyrgyzstan: Almazbek Atambayev
- Malta: Yorgen Fenech
- South Africa: Jacob Zuma
- Spain: 2017 Catalonia attacks, Bárcenas affair, Barçagate
- Sudan: Omar al-Bashir
- United States: Derek Chauvin
- International: The Gambia v. Myanmar
Upcoming
- Indonesia: Edhy Prabowo, Juliari Batubara, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, Nurdin Abdullah
- Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli
- Lesotho: Maesiah Thabane
- Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
- United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell
- Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo
- Association football
- Women's association football
- American football
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Rugby union
- Other sports seasons
March
- 10: Hamed Bakayoko
- 10: Ali Mahdi Muhammad
- 9: Erling Lorentzen
- 9: Roger Mudd
- 9: Isela Vega
- 8: Rhéal Cormier
- 8: Leon Gast
- 8: Norton Juster
- 8: Kind
- 8: Trevor Peacock
- 7: Dmitri Bashkirov
- 7: Khin Maung Latt
- 7: Carl J. Shapiro
- 6: Joaquin Bernas
- 6: Nikki van der Zyl
- 6: Carla Wallenda
- 5: Patrick Dupond
- 5: Frank J. Kelley
- 5: Michael Stanley
- 4: Jim Crockett Jr.
- 4: Walter Gretzky
- 4: Tony Hendra
- 4: Bhaskar Menon
- 4: Mark Pavelich
- 4: David Schindler
- 3: Joe Altobelli
- 3: Nicola Pagett
- 2: Chris Barber
- 2: Àlex Casademunt
- 2: Bunny Wailer
- 1: Michael Gudinski
- 1: Vernon Jordan
- 1: Zlatko Kranjčar
- 1: Ian St John
February
- 28: Milan Bandić
- 28: Johnny Briggs
- 28: Irv Cross
- 28: Roger Kibbe
- 28: Jorge Oñate
- 28: Glenn Roeder
- 27: Juan Antonio Bolea
- 26: Michael Somare
- 26: Hannu Mikkola
- 25: John Geddert
- 25: Peter Gotti
- 24: Alan Robert Murray
- 24: Ronald Pickup
- 23: Fausto Gresini
- 23: Ahmed Zaki Yamani
- 22: Luca Attanasio
- 22: Lawrence Ferlinghetti
- 21: Zlatko Saračević
- 20: Gerald Cardinale
- 20: Stan Williams
- 19: Đorđe Balašević
- 19: Arturo Di Modica
- 19: Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing
- 19: Clotilde Niragira
- 19: Dianna Ortiz
- 19: Balanchine
- 18: Vittore Bocchetta
- 18: Frank Lupo
- 18: Juan Pizarro
- 18: Prince Markie Dee
- 18: Bill Ramseyer
- 18: Chris Vincent
- 17: Raffaele Cutolo
- 17: Seif Sharif Hamad
- 17: Rush Limbaugh
- 16: Carman
- 16: Gustavo Noboa
- 16: Joan Margarit
- 15: Arne Sorenson
- 15: Steuart Bedford
- 15: Johnny Pacheco
- 14: William Macpherson
- 14: Carlos Menem
- 14: Ion Mihai Pacepa
- 13: Alberto Oliart
- 12: Frederick K. C. Price
- 12: Lynn Stalmaster
- 11: Leslie E. Robertson
- 10: Larry Flynt
- 10: Pachín
- 9: Chick Corea
- 9: Ivan Izquierdo
- 9: Franco Marini
Africa
- Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
- Cameroon
- Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ethiopia
- Ethiopia and Sudan
- Ghana
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Somalia
- Sudan
- War in Darfur
- South Kordofan conflict
- Sudanese nomadic conflicts (incl. South Sudan)
- Western Sahara
Americas
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Peru
Asia-Pacific
- Afghanistan
- China
- India
- India and Pakistan
- Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Thailand
Europe
- Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Ukraine
Global
Middle East
- Egypt
- Iran and the Persian Gulf
- Iraq
- Iraq and Syria (map)
- Israel and Gaza
- Israel and Syria
- Syria
- Turkey
- Yemen and Saudi Arabia
2021 events and developments by topic
Arts
Architecture – Comics – Film – Home video – Literature – Music (Country, Rock, Metal, UK, US) – Radio – Television (UK, US) – Video games
Politics and government
Elections – International leaders – Sovereign states – Sovereign state leaders – Territorial governors
Science and technology
Archaeology – Biotechnology – Computing – Palaeontology – Quantum computing and communication – Space/Astronomy – Spaceflight
Environment and environmental sciences
Birding/Ornithology – Climate change