Russian stocks endure a total wipeout in value on the London stock exchange, losing $570 billion in two weeks, with many Russian companies' stocks worth pennies. Entities such as Gazprom and Lukoil have lost almost all of their value. Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia, had a market cap of $102 billion six months ago but the value of outstanding shares is currently less than $190 million. (Bloomberg)(Barron's)
A Romanian Air ForceMiG-21 from the 86th Air Base, which was carrying out an air patrol mission over Dobruja, vanishes from radar, and an IAR 330 rescue helicopter sent on a search and rescue mission also disappears. A Defence Ministry spokesman later confirms that the helicopter crashed near Gura Dobrogei, killing all seven crew members on board. The fate of the MiG-21 and its pilot is still unknown. (Reuters)
Turkey eases the majority of its COVID-19-related restrictions including easing of mask mandate indoors and outdoors and no longer asking contact tracing when entering public places two years after the first COVID-19 cases in the country. (Reuters)
The European Union will suspend deliveries of eurobanknotes to Russia beginning on March 12, with exemptions for private persons and their family members in Russia as well as diplomatic missions with legal immunity. (TASS)
A Western intelligence report indicates that China had some level of knowledge about the Russian invasion of Ukraine as it requested Russian officials not to invade during the 2022 Olympic Games. China disputes the accuracy of the reports, saying they are a way to shift blame on the country and smear it. (The New York Times)
Hundreds of women protest in the Nigerian capital of Abuja after the National Assembly rejected a series of amendments to the Constitution that would have expanded women's rights and autonomy. The proposed amendments included reserving 35% of all legislative seats and political party leadership positions for women, conferred citizenship to foreign husbands of Nigerian women, and allowing women to inherit the ancestry of their husband after five years of marriage. (Al Jazeera)