The US Department of State warns travelers that El Salvador has one of the highest homicide levels in the world, and crimes such as extortion, assault and robbery are common. Gang activity is widespread. Muggings following ATM withdrawals are common, as are armed robberies at scenic-view stops.
Due to armed robberies in national parks, hikers in back-country areas are strongly recommended to engage local guides certified by the national or a local tourist authority.
Iraqi forces have continued to make gains against Daesh in Mosul, the largest city in Iraq ever to be under Daesh control. Daesh has held Mosul since June 2014.
In January 2017 Iraqi forces took complete control of the section of the city east of the Tigris. In February, Iraqi forces began operations in the western part of the city, recapturing the Mosul airport, a military base and the city’s power station.
Syrian rebels launched a surprise attack on the capital city of Syria, Damascus, on March 19, using artillery and car bombs to target government forces in the Jobar district, near the city center. The Syrian military pushed back the rebels, and more than 30 other rebel positions in the city were targeted by air strikes.
The World Health Organization warns that, due to dropping vaccination rates, Europe is experiencing a measles outbreak.
The largest numbers of cases have been reported in Italy and Romania. From January to late March, there were 3,400 cases of measles identified in Romania, with 17 deaths resulting. Since January 2017, 200 cases have been identified in Italy.
Other countries with confirmed cases of measles are France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
At least 38 people were killed and 180 more were injured when Cyclone Enawo made landfall in northern Madagascar on March 7. The cyclone, which had winds of up to 185 miles per hour and dropped 12 inches of rain, displaced more than 50,000 people. After making landfall, the cyclone was eventually downgraded to a tropical depression.
The collapse of a wall of trash at the Koshe Landfill in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killed at least 113 people on March 11. The massive landfill is home to many people and provides a source of income for scavengers. Many of the dead were killed in their makeshift homes.
Africa’s first trash-fueled power plant is being built at the landfill. The plant will help reduce the size of the landfill and provide power to the city of four million.
The United Nations released a report, compiled from interviews of more than 200 ethnic Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, accusing Myanmar armed forces of committing human rights abuses against the Rohingya.
Rohingya refugees reported that Myanmar forces had regularly committed murder, rape and arson, including actions that specifically targeted children. Nearly half of those interviewed said a member of their own family had been killed.
On March 25-26 in Belarus, protests against a proposed tax on unemployed people resulted in the arrests of more than 400 demonstrators, with reports of police brutality. The largest protests occurred in the capital, Minsk, but smaller protests were held nationwide.
The tax would levy fines equivalent to nearly $230 on anyone who has been unemployed for more than six months.
Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets in cities throughout the country, including in Moscow and St. Petersburg, on March 25-26 demonstrating against perceived corruption in the Putin government following the release of an accusatory report published by opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Protesters called for the removal of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin. More than 500 people, including Navalny, were arrested during the protests. The protests marked the largest antigovernment demonstrations since 2011.
South Korean president Park Geun-hye was removed from office after a court hearing on March 10 upheld her impeachment by Parliament. She had been impeached due to accusations of corruption. She is the first democratically elected president in South Korea to be removed from office.
After the ruling, three people were killed during protests by Park supporters outside of the court. Their causes of death were not revealed. New presidential elections will be held on May 9.