As of 7 January, adverse weather conditions from an ongoing winter season in Japan led to the cancellation of 400 domestic flights and the suspension of some high-speed train services in the Tohoku region. The winter season, lasting until March, is forecast to cause further travel disruptions and interrupt power supply.
On 8 January, aviation sector workers plan to stage three separate strikes resulting in work stoppages. Blue Panorama Airlines workers will strike for 24 hours beginning at 00:01, Milan Malpensa Airport workers from 10:00-14:00, and Milan Linate Airport workers from 08:00 to 16:00. Travel delays are expected.
Beginning 6 January, ambulance workers in Campo de Gibraltar will stage indefinite strikes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to demand improved working conditions throughout the pandemic. Ambulance workers had previously requested employers to provide personal protective equipment without success.
On 8 January, workers of the Emilia-Romagna Passenger Transportation (TPER) company will strike to demand better work conditions and health precautions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike will affect bus and taxi services from 08:30 local time to 16:30 and from 19:30 to the end of service. Expect travel delays and shortages of transportation.
As of 31 December, the European Meteorological Service issued orange- and yellow-level warnings for heavy snowfall and strong winds across western Europe. Power outages and dangerous road conditions are expected. Most affected areas include southern and central Belgium, northeastern France, Luxembourg, southern Netherlands, southern Germany, and western Switzerland
On 30 December, a train derailment in the Eschersheim district of Frankfurt has led to disruptions in rail traffic. Disruptions are expected to last well into the evening. Rail delays are highly expected to occur, including between Frankfurt West and Freiburg.
On 29 December at 12:19 local time, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake was reported near Zagreb, earning the title of Croatia’s strongest earthquake in 140 years. The tremor occurred at a depth of 6 miles (10 km), and while initial reports were assessing damage, there has been 1 death, at least 20 injured, and damage to structures in the area.
On 29 December, students at the American University of Beirut have planned protests beginning at 11:00 local time near the university’s main gate. The protests are against an increase in the university’s tuition fees. Protests have the potential to turn violent, as one on 19 December resulted in vandalized banks and clashes with security forces.
Since 3 December, protests in the Chao and Viru Districts of La Libertad region have blockaded the Pan-American Highway. The 3 December protest resulted in a police officer-involved shooting. Most recently, Peruvian military forces have been deployed amid clashes between police forcibly seeking to reopen the highway and protestors denouncing a new agricultural law.
Emergency response workers in the autonomous community of Andalusia plan to hold a series of strikes to denounce labor, economic, and social inequalities. Work stoppages will be staged from 14:00 local time on 24 December to 08:00 on 26 December; from 14:00 on 31 December to 08:00 on 2 January 2021; and from 14:00 on 5 January 2021 to 08:00 on 7 January 2021.
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