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.
From February 16 to 18, the Munich Security Conference is being held at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. Various heads of state and government officials are attending the event, thus expect heightened security at train stations, road closures, and restricted parking and airspace. Additionally, protests are expected to take place surrounding the event location.
From February 16 to 18, protests are expected to occur across Bulgaria. Farmers are denouncing European Union environmental regulations and demanding increased wages. Expect major roadways to be blocked and a heightened security presence.
From February 9 to March 10, planned demonstrations by Polish farmers are expected to take place across Poland nationwide. Farmers will denounce agricultural policies put into place by the European Union. Throughout this month-long period, protesters will block major travel routes throughout the country, including border crossings with Ukraine. Given previous incidents, clashes between protesters and law enforcement officials are likely.
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.
Through February 13, demonstrations against the far-right will continue to occur in Dresden and Berlin. The protests come in response to the growing success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. On February 3, protesters in Berlin blocked the entrance to the Reichstag. Previous protests have drawn over 100,000 people.
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.
In the upcoming weeks, anticipate significant travel disruptions as Lunar New Year celebrations take place across China. Celebrations are scheduled to continue until February 17, leading to likely delays in transportation due to heightened traffic congestion and increased travel throughout the month. Business disruptions are also expected, as offices may operate on shorter hours during the holiday period.
On February 3, far-right activists associated with the Golden Dawn group plan to demonstrate at Rigillis Square in Athens, Greece at 7:00pm. This comes despite a ban on gatherings in the center of Athens. Counter protests are possible, and clashes between protesters and police are likely due to the ban.
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