On May 1, expect mass demonstrations to take place in urban centers across the globe as many countries celebrate International Workers’ Day. While demonstrations should remain relatively calm, some will also secondarily function as protests with general demands for improved working conditions. The day is celebrated by over 160 nations worldwide.
At roughly 8:00 AM, April 3, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred near Hualien City, Taiwan, with multiple aftershocks and tsunami warnings which have since been cancelled. 9 deaths and 934 injuries have been reported, although these should be expected to rise. Additionally, at least 150 are trapped, but alive, inside buildings. This is Taiwan’s strongest earthquake event in 25 years.
On March 11, doctors of the Marburger Bund union employed at university hospitals will hold several warning-strikes and protests across Germany. This follows the breakdown of negotiations for higher pay and better working conditions. Protests will be held in Munich, Kiel, Stuttgart, and Dusseldorf.
In the late hours of February 27 and early February 28, several explosions took place in districts across Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Explosions occurred in the residential Noord, Oost, and Zuidoost neighborhoods. No casualties have been reported and multiple suspects have been arrested, however authorities warn that disruptions in the vicinity of these explosions could last over the next few days.
The general election campaign period begins March 1st. Rallies will likely gather at public squares or government institutions and will bring thousands of participants. This will likely exacerbate transportation disruptions due to traffic and higher demand for public transportation. Expect heightened security as candidates are a target to violence.
Pertussis, also known as the “whooping cough,” has increased significantly throughout the United Kingdom, with over 1,700 cases, primarily affecting highly populated cities like Wales and London. The illness is exacerbated through respiratory droplets and increases in severity from low fever to severe rapid coughs.
Expect significant disruptions and unrest in and around New Delhi, India, due to demonstrations by agricultural workers. Demonstrations originated in multiple municipalities outside the capital, and are converging there. Security personnel have deployed significant measures to attempt to block protesters from reaching the city, however farmers have threatened to clear any barricades with heavy farming equipment. At least one civilian death has been reported.
Severe rainstorms through February 13 have resulted in mass power outages and rail disruptions in Victoria Province, Australia. Flooding and landslides have caused one-half of Loy Yang power station to disconnect from the grid, leaving 500,000 buildings without power. Half of the metropolitan rail lines within the Melbourne area have been suspended due to the loss of power, causing major travel delays.
Beginning on February 2, wildfires have spread across the coastal mountains of Chile in the Valparaíso Region, northwest of Santiago. As of early February 5, at least 112 people have died and almost 14,000 homes have been impacted by the fires. Weather conditions in the area caused the fires to spread rapidly. Fires currently threaten the edges of popular tourist cities like Vina del Mar and Valparaiso.
On January 29, the Interior Minister of France announced the mobilization of 15,000 officers to enhance security measures in the wake of mass agricultural protests, dubbed “Operation Paris Siege”. Protesters have utilized vehicles to block parts of the A1, A4, A5, A6, A13, A10, A15, and A16 major motorways around Paris, constricting traffic. Of particular concern for authorities is the Rungis International Food Market, and both of the city’s major airports.
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