Portal:Current events/2020 March 3

March 3, 2020 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian civil war, Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020), Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
- A Syrian Air Force L-39 jet aircraft is shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16 near the Syria–Turkey border. (SOHR), (RT)
- Turkey says it will deploy its domestically-produced surface-to-air missile HISAR to Syria's Idlib Governorate next week. (Star)
- Syrian government sources say a Turkish drone was shot down by the Syrian Air Defense Force near Idlib; subsequent footage shared by the source shows drone to be a Bayraktar TB1. (Muraselon)
- Four Turkish soldiers are killed and seven are wounded in Tranbeh, west of Saraqeb by Syrian Army shelling; some are transferred to Turkish hospitals in Reyhanlı by helicopter. (SOHR) (SOHR)
- Twenty-six Syrian Army troops are killed by Turkish ground and drone strikes, raising the number of pro-Syrian government forces killed by Turkey in the past five days to 139. (SOHR) (SOHR)
Second Libyan Civil War
- The GNA government says all flights from Mitiga International Airport, the only functioning airport in the capital Tripoli, will be shifted to Misrata Airport after Libyan National Army forces struck the airport with rockets. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Australian news agency Australian Associated Press (AAP) announces it will be closing down at the end of June, after 85 years of operation. (AP)
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- In an emergency move, its first since 2008, the U.S. Federal Reserve cuts the federal funds rate by 0.5%, to a range between 1 and 1.25%. (Yahoo Finance)
- U.S. stocks extend their drop in response to the cuts. (The Wall Street Journal)

Disasters and accidents

United States tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2020
- Three tornadoes, two at least EF 3 in strength, rip through downtown Nashville and surrounding towns, killing 25 people. (WKRN) (USA Today)
- The state of Tennessee declares a state of emergency over the outbreak. (WBIR)
- John C. Tune Airport sustained major damage from the outbreak. (Fox News)
- President Trump announces he will visit Tennessee on Friday. (Washington Post)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
    - South Korea declares "war" on the coronavirus. (NBC)
  - Myanmar turns a Silversea Cruises cruise ship away due to fears of coronavirus, a government spokesman says. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Japan announces it will cancel ceremonies marking the anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - Ukraine reports its first case. (Reuters)
  - Spanish authorities announce that the first death from COVID-19 in the country occurred in Valencia on February 13. (El Mundo) (Reuters)
  - Liechtenstein reports its first case. (Vaterland)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Iran
  - Iran says it will release 54,000 prisoners in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in overcrowded jails. Only inmates who test negative for COVID-19 will be allowed to leave prison and those sentenced to longer than five years will not be freed. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)
  - Two people who died in the Seattle area on February 26 are found to have died from COVID-19, bringing the total death toll in the state of Washington to nine. (NPR)
- A Twitter human resources official advises that Twitter employees work at home to prevent exposure to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. He adds that telecommuting will be mandatory for employees based in the Twitter offices in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. (Sputnik)
- Argentina reports its first case. (Reuters)
- Chile confirms its first case of COVID-19 in the Maule region. (BioBio in Spanish)

International relations

European migrant crisis
- Turkish interior minister says over 130,000 refugees have crossed into Greece in the past four days. (TRT Haber)

Law and crime

A court in Kazakhstan orders the early release of Mukhtar Dzhakishev, the former CEO of state nuclear firm Kazatomprom, who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption in 2010. Upon his release he will have served more than 11 years in prison. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
- Voters in 14 U.S. states and American Samoa go to the polls in this year's Super Tuesday. (Vox)
- Former Vice President Joe Biden is the night's big winner with victories in ten states, while Senator Bernie Sanders wins four and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wins American Samoa. (CNN)