Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Yoon Suk-yeol (pictured) is elected president of South Korea.
- Australian cricketer Shane Warne dies at the age of 52.
- An attack at a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, kills at least 63 people and injures more than 190 others.
- The Winter Paralympics open in Beijing, China.
- Russia's invasion of Ukraine is condemned by the United Nations General Assembly.
Health and environment
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea reports 383,665 new COVID-19 cases, a new single-day record. (Korea Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
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)
- Battle of Melitopol
- 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)
- Battle of Sumy
- 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)
- Southern Ukraine offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 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
- 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)
- Kazakhstan–Russia relations
- 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)
- 2022 Russian financial crisis
- 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)
- 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
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 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 British Columbia
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
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–United States relations
- 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)
- International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- 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)
- 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
- 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)
- It is announced that Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson will not be indicted or face criminal charges for sexual misconduct. (CNBC)
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
- The International Space Station orbit raises by 850 meters to prepare for the upcoming Soyuz MS-21 launch. (TASS)
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)
- Siege of Mariupol
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 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)
- 2022 boycott of Russia and Belarus
Disasters and accidents
- Around 250 people are evacuated after Mount Merapi on Java, Indonesia erupts overnight. (The Washington Post)
- 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 country's 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 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)
- COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota
- COVID-19 pandemic in Niue
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)
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)
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)
- International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Major League Baseball season
- 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout
- Major League Baseball reaches a labor collective bargaining agreement with the 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)
- 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout
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)
- Siege of Mariupol
- 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)
- Eastern Ukraine offensive
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
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)
- 2022 Russian financial crisis
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
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
- South Korea reports a record 342,446 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 Hours. (CNA)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
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–United States relations
- 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)
- International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War
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)
- 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout
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)
- Battle of Kharkiv
- 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)
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 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)
- 2022 Kebbi massacres
- Terrorism in Pakistan
- An Islamic State – Khorasan Province militant blows himself up in the 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)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
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)
- Russia–Ukraine relations
- 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)
- Criminal charges in the 2021 United States Capitol attack
- 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
- 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 their 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)
- Battle of Kharkiv
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 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)
- Mali War
- 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)
- Khartoum massacre investigation
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 New York City
- COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Connecticut
- Connecticut reports 145 hospitalizations from COVID-19, its lowest since July 30 of last year. (WTIC-TV)
- COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
- 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)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
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)
- Russia–Ukraine relations
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
- 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)
- France–Russia relations
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 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
- 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)
- COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
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)
- Ukraine–NATO relations
- 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)
- Enlargement of NATO
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)
- 2022 anti-war protests in Russia
- 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)