The president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, declared a year-long state of emergency on Feb. 22 after more than 10 weeks of antigovernment protests in the country. Protesters have been calling for al-Bashir, who has been in power for more than 30 years, to step down. Since the declaration, reports indicate that the number of protesters has increased.
More than 200,000 pro-independence protesters gathered in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 16 in support of 12 separatist leaders who were on trial for attempted secession due to an independence referendum held in the Catalonia region in 2017. The Spanish government deemed that referendum illegal, seizing control of Catalonia's semiautonomous government and arresting the pro-independence leaders.
Since Jan. 1, 2019, more than 11,000 people, mostly children, have contracted measles in the Philippines, largely in the capital, Manila, and at least 189 people have died from the disease. Officials blame vaccine fears for reducing the number of inoculated children in the country. Officials hope a vaccine drive, focused on Manila, will end the outbreak by April.
The World Health Organization has declared a Lassa fever outbreak in five African countries: Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Liberia and Togo. At least 213 confirmed cases of the disease have been identified in 2019, with 42 deaths.
Lassa fever is a virus spread via contact with rodents. It causes fever, sore throat, nausea and head, chest and muscle pain. In extreme cases, it can cause bleeding from orifices and death.
A Birman Airlines flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was hijacked by a man wielding a gun (later determined to be a toy). The flight, carrying 148 passengers, was redirected to Chittagong, Bangladesh, where the hijacker was killed by police.
The hijacker, who was later identified as an aspiring actor from Dhaka, had said he was having marital issues and demanded to speak to Bangladesh's prime minister. Security at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka was increased after the incident.
In Kenya on Feb. 13, a Cessna carrying four tourists crashed en route from the Maasai Mara National Reserve to the town of Lodwar, killing all the passengers and the pilot. The passengers were identified as three Americans and one Netherlander. According to the International Air Transport Association, Kenya ranks sixth out of 37 African countries surveyed for air safety.
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). Note: A country's regions are also ranked and may have different rankings than the country as a whole. Visit travel.state.gov and click on "Travel Advisories" at the top of the page.
This month's winner is TONY LEE of San Francisco, California:
Traveling on the Silk Road in China in July 2018, I arrived at Jiayuguan. The westernmost gate of China's Great Wall is located outside of that city, and I hired a driver to take me to several sites along the wall. Unfortunately for me, the driver spoke no English, and I had only a minimal understanding of Mandarin, so we had to rely on using the translation apps on our phones.
7-day, 6-night cruise aboard 12-passenger, luxury hotel barge on Burgundy Canal in northern FRANCE. Through October 2019. Highlights: Arrive Paris/embark in Tanlay or Venarey, Burgundy/at Château de Commarin, see falconry, meet count/champagne tasting in Les Riceys/Renaissance murals at 16th-century Château d'Ancy-le-Franc/in Chablis, 9th-century L'Obédiencerie. Per date booked, $5,290-$6,150 (Stateroom) per person, double occupancy (ppdo) or $5,490-$6,350 (Junior Suite). Single supp., $1,950-$2,200.
16-day, 15-night "moderate"-level tour in southern ITALY. Departures May-June & Aug.-Dec. 2019. Group limit, 8-16. Highlights: In Palermo, city tour on 3-wheeled moto-APEs/Byzantine art in Monreale's Norman Cathedral/in Mazara del Vallo, Kasbah quarter, cooking class/ride in Fiats through Modica/boat to Mothya Island/Valley of Temples/4th-century ruins at Villa Romana del Casale/8th-century seaside Catania/4-wheel-drive nature tour at Mt. Etna. $4,195-$6,525 ppdo (per departure city & date).