News Watch
Syria POW prison attacked
A prison in Hasaka, northeastern Syria, holding former members of the Islamist militant group Daesh (ISIL), including 850 children, some as young as 12, was attacked by at least 300 Daesh militants on Jan. 20 in an attempt to release prisoners.
Quito landslide
A landslide in Quito, Ecuador, killed at least 22 people and injured 47 others on Jan. 31, with 20 people still missing at press time.
Deadly flood in Spain
A bomb cyclone named Storm Barra dropped heavy rains in northern Spain in early December, causing flooding in the Navarre region, with the water level in some villages up to roof level. One person was killed when a farmhouse was struck by a landslide.
DRC bombing
A suicide bomber attacked a packed restaurant in the city of Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Dec. 25, killing five people and injuring 13. People in the restaurant, who included children and local government officials, were celebrating Christmas at the time.
Philippines typhoon
Super Typhoon Rai made landfall in the southern islands of the Philippines on Dec. 16, with winds of up to 120 miles per hour causing more than 400,000 people to be evacuated. At least 375 people were killed and more than 500 injured, with 56 people still missing at press time.
COVID-19 variant concerns
Cases of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant, which, at press time, was believed to be more contagious than any previous variant, increased at a record rate in December, with the numbers of daily new cases in the UK and France each topping 200,000, a record for both countries.
Bangladesh ferry fire
On the river Sugandha in Bangladesh, a ferry traveling south from the capital, Dhaka, to the town of Barguna caught fire on Dec. 24, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 100 others. The ferry was carrying 500 passengers at the time.
Malaysia monsoon floods
Monsoon rains that fell over a number of days caused flooding throughout Malaysia in late December, killing at least eight people in the state of Selangor, peninsular Malaysia, where the city of Kuala Lumpur is located. At least 30,000 people were evacuated before the floods.
Sudan protests continue
Sudan’s prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, stepped down from his position on Jan. 2, only one month after being released from prison and reappointed by the military junta that has been in control of the country since a coup on Oct. 25.
Current advisories
The US Department of State posts up-to-date travel advisories on every country and many territories, ranking each 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions), 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel).
Terrorist attack in Uganda
Three suicide bombers in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, blew themselves up near the country’s Parliament and the city’s police headquarters on Nov. 16, killing three people and injuring more than 30. A fourth person with a suicide vest was found and arrested following the event.
Indonesia volcano
Mt. Semeru, on the island of Java, Indonesia, erupted on Dec. 5, blanketing nearby villages in ash and causing lahars, deadly flows of mud and ash. At least 22 people were killed and more than 50 were injured, with dozens of people still missing at press time.
Deadly Sudan protests
Soldiers fired on protesters in Khartoum, Sudan, on Nov. 17, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens of others. Many thousands of people had joined the protest against the military-appointed government that took power after a coup on Oct. 25.
England suicide bombing
A suicide bomber detonated his bomb in a taxi outside of a hospital in Liverpool, England, on Nov. 14, killing only himself and injuring the taxi driver, who was an innocent victim. After the bombing, the UK government raised their terrorism alert level to “severe.”
British Columbia floods
A record-breaking storm struck British Columbia, Canada, on Nov. 15, causing severe flooding and landslides. The amount of rain that fell in 24 hours was as much as the average monthly rainfall for November in that province, Canada’s westernmost.
Europe anti-lockdown protests
Violent protests occurred in Europe, mostly in Central European countries, as some nations went back into full lockdown to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the approach to Christmas. Numbers of daily new cases had already risen to record levels throughout Europe before the lockdowns were ordered.
Shootings in Mexico
A gunfight erupted on a beach at a resort in Cancun, Mexico, on Nov. 4, with two suspected gang members killed. Police blamed the violence on rival drug gangs. The fight was visible from the resort, where staff quickly ushered guests inside to seek cover.
Burkina Faso militant attack
Militants attacked a military post in northern Burkina Faso on Nov. 14, killing 49 military police officers and four civilians.
Current advisories
The US Department of State posts up-to-date travel advisories on every country and many territories, ranking each 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions), 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel).
Major flooding in China
Flooding across northern China’s Shanxi Province in early October forced more than 1.7 million people to evacuate their homes. The floods swept away houses and caused landslides across the region.