2026 FIFA World Cup Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali states that Iran will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, citing security concerns amid the Iran war.
2025 Chilean general election José Antonio Kast is sworn in as President of Chile, succeeding Gabriel Boric.
Israel–Spain relations Spain permanently withdraws its ambassador to Israel and terminates the position after bilateral diplomatic relations worsened this week.
Middle Eastern crisis Four people are injured in the United Arab Emirates after two drones fall near Dubai International Airport.
Seven people are killed and 18 are injured after an Israeli strike on Temnine Et Tahta, Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, Lebanon. Five people are also injured after a strike on the nearby village of Aali en Nahri.
Articles The post-truth and the contextMost of the daily information we see on the mainstream media today is the news equivalent of fast-food.
2025–26 NBA season In basketball, Miami Heat player Bam Adebayo scores 83 points in a 150–129 win over the Washington Wizards, marking the second-most points in a game in NBA history and most since Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. Adebayo’s 36 free throws and 43 attempts also set single-game NBA records.
2026 Winter Paralympics Brazilian skier Cristian Ribera wins Brazil's, Latin America's and South America's first ever medal at the Winter Paralympics.
Malagasy Malagasy interim president and military leader Michael Randrianirina removes prime minister Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo from power and dissolves the entire Cabinet without explanation, five months after they were assigned following the 2025 protests.
Cardinal Cardinal Louis Sako, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, based in Iraq, retires at the age of 76.
United States Shots are fired at the United States consulate in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with no casualties. Police are investigating the shooting as a national security incident.
2026 Kerzers bus fire Six people are killed and five others are injured in a suspected arson attack on a postal bus in Kerzers, Fribourg Canton, Switzerland.
2026 Iran war The Iranian intelligence ministry announces the arrest of 30 individuals, including one unidentified foreign national, on allegations of espionage during the war, accusing the foreign suspect of providing information on the locations and movements of Iranian security forces and military facilities to hostile parties.
China–North Korea relations Train services between Beijing, China, and Pyongyang, North Korea, are announced to resume for the first time since it was suspended six years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Azerbaijan–Netherlands relations Dutch foreign minister Tom Berendsen announces the temporary relocation of staff and operations of the Netherlands' embassy in Tehran to Baku, Azerbaijan, citing security risks to personnel amid the Iranian war.
Australia–Iran relations Australia grants humanitarian visas to five Iranian women football players who sought asylum, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, Mona Hamoudi, Fatemeh Pasandideh, Atefeh Ramezanizadeh, and Zahra Sarbali, citing fears of persecution after refusing to sing Iran's national anthem before an Asian Cup match in Gold Coast, Queensland.
Kampala–Gulu Highway Five people are killed and eleven others are injured when a bus collides with a truck on the Kampala–Gulu Highway near Bweyale Town, Kiryandongo District, Uganda.
Indonesia The Indonesian rescue agency ends search and rescue operations after a garbage landslide at the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, on March 8 killed seven people, with all individuals previously reported missing accounted for.
Tornadoes of 2026 At least two are killed and six are injured after a hailstorm and four possible tornadoes strike the vicinity of Kankakee, Illinois, and Wheatfield, Indiana, United States.
2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul orders remote work and the suspension of official international trips for government officials, and reduced electricity use in government buildings amid supply concerns linked to the Iranian war.
The price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil rises by more than five percent to US$87.65 per barrel after United States president Donald Trump escalated threats related to the Strait of Hormuz.
Russo-Ukrainian war Six people are killed and 37 others injured in a Ukrainian missile attack in Bryansk, Russia.
The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces announce several overnight drone strikes on Russian electronic warfare stations and warehouses in Donetsk and Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.
2026 Iran war According to Iran International, American and Israeli airstrikes have killed many Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and generals, including Basij chief Asadollah Badfar. Prior to his reported death, Badfar was involved in crackdowns against the 2025–2026 protests.
British warship HMS "Dragon" leaves Portsmouth and heads to Cyprus in response to a drone strike on the RAF Akrotiri base.
United States intelligence sources report that Iran has started to deploy underwater mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ruwais refinery in Al Dhannah, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates, shuts down after a drone strike that causes a fire.
Malagasy Malagasy president Michael Randrianirina dismisses prime minister Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo and his cabinet.
2026 Portuguese presidential election António José Seguro is sworn in as President of Portugal, succeeding Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
2026 Kosovan presidential election The Constitutional Court of Kosovo issues an injunction that freezes President Vjosa Osmani's decree dissolving the Kuvendi, while also preventing both the President from calling snap elections and the Kuvendi from carrying out parliamentary business until the Constitutional Court delivers its final ruling.
2026 Colombian parliamentary election The ruling Historic Pact coalition wins 25 of 102 seats in the Senate, becoming the largest bloc but falling short of a majority. The Democratic Centre places second with 17 seats, while other seats are distributed among several parties, resulting in a hung parliament that will require coalition negotiations.
United States sanctions against Iran The United States reaches a deferred prosecution agreement with Turkey's state-owned lender Halkbank to resolve criminal charges alleging that the bank helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Under the agreement, Halkbank must implement compliance monitoring and avoid transactions that benefit Iran, after which the charges may be dismissed pending court approval.
Terrorism in Belgium A synagogue in Liège, Belgium, is damaged by an explosion. It is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism.
Syrian civil war The Crown Prosecution Service charges a former Syrian soldier from the Air Force Intelligence Directorate with three counts of murder and three counts of torture as crimes against humanity under the International Criminal Court Act for his attacks on civilians in Damascus in 2011.
Greenland crisis NATO conducts military drills in Greenland involving over 25,000 troops from 14 nations including Denmark and the United States in a effort to de-escalate tensions over efforts by Trump to annex the island. The exercise will last until March 19.
Azerbaijan–Iran relations Azerbaijan reopens its border crossings with Iran to cargo traffic after closing them following a drone incident in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, who denies Iran's involvement, tells Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev that Iran is investigating the incident.
Mediterranean Sea migrant smuggling At least fourteen migrants are found drowned and seven others are rescued after their boat collides with a Coast Guard boat off the coast of Demre, Antalya Province, Turkey.
Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 rises after United States president Donald Trump says that the war in Iran is “very complete”, hinting that it could end soon. Additionally, oil prices have dipped under $100 following his remarks.
Bangladesh closes all universities by advancing the Eid al-Fitr holidays as part of emergency measures to reduce electricity consumption during an energy crisis linked to the Iran war.
Bapco Energies declares force majeure on certain refinery operations in Bahrain after damage to its facilities by Iranian strikes, temporarily affecting shipments.
Boko Haram insurgency Islamist militants conduct coordinated overnight attacks on several locations in northeastern Nigeria, killing at least 12 soldiers and three civilians in fighting with government forces. The assaults target military positions in Borno and Yobe states and result in damage to military facilities and nearby homes.
Middle Eastern crisis Lebanon Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi is killed by an Israeli double strike on a house in the Christian-majority town of Al-Qlayaa.
French president Emmanuel Macron announces that France and other states will create a naval escort mission for merchant ships in the framework of Operation Aspides.
Turkey and NATO forces shoot down a suspected Iranian ballistic missile violating Turkish airspace, with debris falling in Gaziantep Province.