Portal:Current events/2022 March 16

March 16, 2022 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

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

Disasters and accidents

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

Health and environment

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

International relations

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

Law and crime

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

Politics and elections

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

Science and technology

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