On 27 March, 47 assembly constituencies will begin the first phase of elections for the Assam Legislative Assembly. The three phases will occur through early April and the votes will be counted on 2 May. On this day, political rallies will be likely and the largest gatherings will be in district capitals.
A yellow alert has been issued for northern and central regions in Asia and the Pacific due to an ongoing sandstorm. The alert is expected to last through 17 March and lead to reduced visibility. Because of this, there may be disruptions to air and road travel. Authorities warned the storm could shift its path, but the Gansu province and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous region are predicted to be affected the most.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Iceland around 14:15 local time on 14 March. The tremor occurred 9 km southwest of Reykjavik, while at a depth of about 10 km. There have been no official reports of damages or casualties. Citizens should continue to exercise caution.
On March 14 and 15 multiple Women’s protests are planned across different cities in Australia. The main protest is being held in Melbourne at the State Library of Victoria from 12:00-14:00 on the 15. These demonstrations are named “Women’s March 4 Justice,” they plan to promote women’s rights and gender equality.
Bulgaria’s second-largest airport, Burgas Airport (BOJ), will suspend all operations from 15 March to 27 March to allow for runway construction. Flights are expected to resume at 12:00 local time on 27 March on a preliminary basis. The maintenance operations could possibly be extended. Airline authorities have announced that all affected flights have either been canceled or redirected to Varna Airport (VAR).
Level 10 warnings, the highest level, have been issued for wildfire conditions across northwestern KwaZulu-Natal Province through at least 11 March. The SAWS expects the likelihood of fires to be high and potential impacts to be severe. Potential impacts include travel disruptions, property damage, loss of life, and power outages. Highways could be closed and smoke could cause low visibility.
On 10 March, a demonstration is taking place at 18:00 local time and participants are gathering at the Obelisk. Organizers are fans of Diego Maradona, the late Argentinian soccer player. They believe that his death in November of 2020 was the result of medical negligence and are calling for justice.
Following the hospitalization of a teenager due to alleged police actions, protests and unrest have occurred in the greater Lyon area since 4 March. Violence directed at police has lead to an increased police presence in the area to ease unrest and stop the violence, specifically in La Duchere, Rillieux-la-Pape, and Bron. Clashes are likely to continue.
Women’s rights activists have organized rallies across Europe for International Women’s Day on 7-8 March. Larger demonstrations are planned for popular cities including Paris, Athens, Rome, and Brussels, and smaller towns and cities will join. While the rallies are expected to remain peaceful, security will be heightened to impose COVID-19 restrictions.
On 4 March a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck just offshore of Gisborne creating a potential tsunami threat to residents in the Gisborne, Whakatane, Rotorua, and Tauranga areas. Authorities have recommended evacuation measures be taken and to seek high ground. Be advised of the risk posed by a possible tsunami and aftershocks.