The Bundestag approves a new mandate to let Germany continue to station up to 1,300 Bundeswehr soldiers in Afghanistan until January 31, 2022. (Reuters)
Arts and culture
The 2021 redesign of the £50 note, featuring British mathematician Alan Turing on the reverse, is officially unveiled by the Bank of England. It is slated to enter circulation on June 23, Turing's birthday. (ABC News)
The official death toll from the major winter storms that struck Texas and triggered statewide blackouts last month rises to at least 111, more than double the previous reported numbers. It is also believed that the storms could become the costliest weather disaster in the state's history. (NBC News)
The Philippines reports a record 8,773 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 693,048. (ABS-CBN)
The Thailand Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, thereby becoming the third vaccine to be made available for local use. (CNA)
Poland will close barbers, hairdressers, and beauty shops from March 27 until April 9, as well as kindergartens and nurseries, while restricting the capacity at essential shops, churches, public markets, and post offices amidst the rising number of the COVID-19 cases. (The First News)
Ukraine reports a record 16,669 new confirmed cases and 362 deaths in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,596,575 and the nationwide death toll to 31,135. (Ukrinform)
Chile reports nearly 50,000 active cases of COVID-19, a new record for the country. The country also announces that the entire Santiago Metropolitan Region will be put under lockdown beginning next Saturday. (BíoBíoChile)
Peru reports a record 11,260 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,492,519. (The Rio Times)
AstraZeneca announces that the efficacy rating of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been lowered to 76%, following new analyses of the trial run in the United States. Earlier in the week, the company had been criticized for advertising its vaccine with a 79% efficacy rating using what critics claimed was outdated data. (Forbes)
Pfizer and BioNTech begin a clinical trial testing of their COVID-19 vaccine on healthy children between the ages of six months and 11 years, which is considered a crucial step towards vaccinating children. (CNBC)
Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya calls for a "Freedom Day" and renewed protests against President Alexander Lukashenko in order to mount pressure for him to resign amidst a disputed election last year. (Reuters)