WAO ART #21

A Southwest Airlines flight from Havana to Fort Lauderdale was forced to make an emergency landing in Cuba after birds struck the plane's engine, causing it to fill with smoke. All 147 passengers and six staff members were safely evacuated via slides.

South Korea and the US have conducted joint air drills, including the deployment of a US nuclear-capable B-52H strategic bomber, as a show of military strength against North Korea's evolving threats. The drills come ahead of the allies' Freedom Shield exercise from March 13-23.

Institutional investors are showing interest in crypto assets beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, according to David Duong, Head of Institutional Research at Coinbase. He said nearly half of all institutional flows on Coinbase are directed towards other assets.

Fiji has closed schools due to heavy rainfall and flooding, with a flash flood warning in force for low-lying areas and flood-prone areas. The category 4 tropical cyclone Kevin is moving southeast of Fiji, but an associated active trough of low pressure with cloud and rain continues to affect.

After 11 weeks of projections of rising inflation, market analysts have projected inflation for 2023 to remain stable at 5.9%, according to the Brazilian Central Bank's Focus Bulletin. The projections for 2024 and 2025 remain the same as last week at 4.02% and 3.8%, respectively.

Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has been sentenced to 15 years in jail in absentia on charges of high treason and conspiracy to seize power. Svetlana fled Belarus in 2020 after standing against authoritarian leader in presidential elections that were widely thought to be rigged.

China Square, a Chinese-owned shop selling cheap household goods in Kenya, has reopened after a counterfeit complaint against it was dismissed. The shop had become a hit with consumers due to its low prices and convenient location, but some small-scale traders began to notice a drop in business.