Portal:Current events/2022 March 8

March 8, 2022 (Tuesday)

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)
- 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)
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)
Terrorism in Pakistan
- An Islamic State – Khorasan Province militant blows himself up in 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)

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)
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)
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)