current Events/2023 March 21

• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War, Russia–United Kingdom relations
    • The United Kingdom confirms that it will provide Ukraine with depleted uranium armour-piercing shells, alongside its Challenger 2 main battle tanks, saying that there is a "low risk" of radiation contamination. Russian president Vladimir Putin says Russia would be "forced to react" to the British move. (BBC News) (BBC News)
• Somali Civil War
  • The Somali National Army and pro-government militants kill 30 al-Shabaab jihadists and injure many others while defending a military base in the south of the country. (Xinhua)
• 2018–2023 Haitian crisis
  • The United Nations reports that 187 people have been killed in a wave of violence in Haiti in the past eleven days during clashes between gangs. Since the beginning of the year, 531 people have been murdered in the country. (AP) (France24)

Arts and culture

• List of national monuments of the United States
  • President of the United States Joe Biden designates two new national monuments, Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada and Castner Range in Texas. (Reuters via Al Arabiya)
• Utah adopts a new flag after the governor officializes it. It will come into official use in March of 2024. (The Washington Post)

Disasters and accidents

• 2023 Badakhshan earthquake
  • An earthquake strikes Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province, killing at least 30 people and injuring over 300. 20 deaths are in neighboring Pakistan. (BBC News)

Health and environment

• 2022–2023 mpox outbreak
  • Around three new cases of mpox are discovered in Thailand. (Thai PBS World)
• Tanzania reports that five people have died from an outbreak of Marburg virus. The Health Ministry added that three others are being treated and that 161 people are being tracked by authorities, although the ministry stated that this is not of serious concern for the country. (AFP via Al Arabiya)

Law and crime

• LGBT rights in Uganda
  • The parliament of Uganda approves a bill with harsher provisions against homosexual relationships. The bill includes the charges of "aggravated homosexuality" and "attempted homosexuality" with sentences of up to 10 years in prison. (AP)

Science and technology

• Astrobiology
  • Scientists find the presence of uracil, one of the components of RNA, and vitamin B3 in the samples from asteroid 162173 Ryugu. (CNN)

Sports

• 2023 World Baseball Classic championship
  • The World Baseball Classic concludes with Japan defeating the United States for the championship. (Japan Times)