Portal:Current events/2025 March 21

March 21, 2025 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- Gaza war
  - Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
    - March 2025 Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip
      - Israeli Defense Minster Israel Katz orders the Israel Defense Forces to occupy new areas of the Gaza Strip, and threatens to annex sections of Gaza if Hamas refuses to release all its remaining Israeli hostages. (The Guardian)
- Red Sea crisis
  - Israel intercepts a ballistic missile that the Houthis in Yemen claim to have fired at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. (Reuters)
Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
  - Kursk offensive
    - A gas pumping and measuring station in Kursk Oblast, Russia, is set on fire after a major explosion occurs. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the attack. (Reuters) (Reuters)
  - An explosion occurs at an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, caused by a fire that has been burning since Tuesday. The fire spreads to another tank and increases to 10,000 m² (110,000 sq ft), injuring two firefighters. (Reuters)
- International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
  - The German Navy reportedly seizes the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker Eventin, suspected to be part of the Russian shadow fleet, along with at least €43.3 million ($46 million) worth of cargo, in the Baltic Sea. (DW) (The Times)
Sudanese civil war
- Battle of Khartoum
  - The Sudanese Armed Forces retakes the presidential palace in Khartoum, Sudan, after the Rapid Support Forces' withdrawal. (BBC)
Fambita mosque attack
- At least 44 people are killed and thirteen others are injured in an attack on a mosque in Fambita, Niger. The Ministry of National Defense blames the Islamic State. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse
- A 19-year-old dies in hospital from his injuries after a canopy collapsed in 2024 at the Novi Sad railway station in Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia, which killed 15 others. (CTV News)
According to the International Organization of Migration, a record 8,938 migrant deaths were recorded in 2024, over 200 more than 2023, the previous record year. Most deaths are attributed to Asia, the Mediterranean Sea, and Africa. (DW) (Al Jazeera)
Heathrow Airport in London, England, closes for most of the day due to a "significant power outage" resulting from a fire at an electrical substation in nearby Hayes. At least 1,351 flights are affected by the shutdown, with many diverted to alternative airports or returning to their origin airport. (CBS News) (BBC News) (NBC News)
The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupts, prompting at least 4,700 villagers to evacuate and causing at least seven outbound flights from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, to cancel. (DW)

International relations

United Arab Emirates–United States relations
- The United Arab Emirates commits to a US$1.4 trillion investment into the United States economy over ten years. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Mass shootings in the United States
- Three people are killed and fifteen others are injured in a mass shooting in a parking lot during a large gathering at Young Park in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. (ABC News) (Channel2 NOW)

Politics and elections

2024 Namibian general election
- Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is sworn in as the first female President of Namibia, suceeding Nangolo Mbumba. (BBC)
2025 Turkish anti-government protests, Arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu
- Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters hold demonstrations in Istanbul, İzmir, Ankara, and several other cities in Turkey against the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following its detention of over 100 opposition figures and crackdown on public gatherings and social media content. (Reuters)
Tunisian president Kais Saied appoints Sara Zaafarani as the new Prime Minister. She succeeds Kamel Madouri, who has been sacked by Saied amid an economic and migration crisis. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Next Generation Air Dominance
- The Trump administration announces a new air superiority sixth-generation fighter aircraft produced by Boeing, the Boeing F-47. (FOX News) (TWZ)