Portal:Current events

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Battle of Kharkiv
    • The Albanian consulate in Kharkiv is destroyed during Russian shelling. No casualties were reported. (Euractiv)
  • A report of the Irish Times said that the United Nations, in its communications guidance for its employees, told not to refer to the military conflict in Ukraine as a "war" or an "invasion" but rather as a "conflict" or "military offensive", and ordered its staff not to put the Ukrainian flag on any of their social media accounts, in an attempt not to upset Russia. However, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman to 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)

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 announces it would phase out Russian oil by the end of 2022. (CBS) (Politico)
  • Chinese officials look to buy 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 soared $100,000 per tonne mark for the first time, and doubled for the second day in a row (finishing 177% higher than on Monday opening), the London Metal Exchange suspends all trading in the commodity. (Reuters) (Reuters 2)

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
    • New Zealand reports 23,894 COVID-19 cases, a new single-day record. (ABC News Australia)

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)

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)
• 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)

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

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)
• Terrorism in India, Kashmir conflict
  • A militant attacks a marketplace in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, with a grenade, killing a man and injuring 24 others. (The Times of India)
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict
  • A 19-year-old Palestinian stabs an Israeli police officer in the Old City of Jerusalem. Police open fire on the attacker, killing him. One of the police is injured by friendly fire. (The Times of Israel) (Al Jazeera)
• Insurgency in the Maghreb
  • The Nigerien government confirms reports that five soldiers were killed on Friday by an improvised explosive device bombing in Torodi, Tillabéri Region. (TRT World)

Business and economy

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Science and technology

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

Science and technology

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

Sports

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

Science and technology

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

Sports

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

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Business and economy

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Science and technology

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

Sports

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