News Watch
Storms batter Europe
Northern Europe, particularly the United Kingdom and Ireland, experienced multiple major, named storms in February. It was the first time since the current storm-naming system went into effect, in 2015, that three such storms occurred within a week in that region.
Guatemala earthquake
An earthquake measuring 6.2 in magnitude occurred in the mostly rural southwestern Guatemala region on Feb. 16, killing two people and triggering landslides that blocked roads. Two aftershocks measuring more than magnitude 4 followed, with no further reports of damage.
Current advisories
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).
Deadly Brazil landslide
A landslide and flash floods killed at least 176 people in the eastern Brazilian city of Petrópolis on Feb 16, with more than 110 people still missing at press time. The city received as much rain the day before as it typically receives in the entire month of February.
Tonga tsunami
An undersea volcanic eruption in Tonga on Jan. 15 caused a tsunami that hit coasts on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, killing three people in Tonga and completely destroying coastal communities there. More than 6,000 miles away in Peru, two people were killed by tsunami waves.
Current advisories
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).
Ottawa trucker protest
Truck drivers protesting a mandate in Canada requiring that freight transporters who cross the border into the US must be vaccinated for COVID-19 caused traffic to come to a standstill by parking their trucks in the street in parts of Ottawa, Ontario, and at a border crossing in Alberta, beginning Jan. 30.
Tropical storm in Africa
Tropical Storm Anna hit the eastern coasts of Southern Africa in late January, killing dozens of people in Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi.
Syria POW prison attacked
A prison in Hasaka, northeastern Syria, holding former members of the Islamist militant group Daesh (ISIL), including 850 children, some as young as 12, was attacked by at least 300 Daesh militants on Jan. 20 in an attempt to release prisoners.
Quito landslide
A landslide in Quito, Ecuador, killed at least 22 people and injured 47 others on Jan. 31, with 20 people still missing at press time.
Protesters killed in Kazakhstan
Protests in Kazakhstan, which began over a rise in fuel prices, escalated into anti-government protests in early January.
Russia threat to Ukraine
With Russia having amassed more than 100,000 troops along the border with Ukraine, NATO intelligence was suggesting, at press time, that an invasion was imminent.
Philippines typhoon
Super Typhoon Rai made landfall in the southern islands of the Philippines on Dec. 16, with winds of up to 120 miles per hour causing more than 400,000 people to be evacuated. At least 375 people were killed and more than 500 injured, with 56 people still missing at press time.
COVID-19 variant concerns
Cases of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant, which, at press time, was believed to be more contagious than any previous variant, increased at a record rate in December, with the numbers of daily new cases in the UK and France each topping 200,000, a record for both countries.
Bangladesh ferry fire
On the river Sugandha in Bangladesh, a ferry traveling south from the capital, Dhaka, to the town of Barguna caught fire on Dec. 24, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 100 others. The ferry was carrying 500 passengers at the time.
Malaysia monsoon floods
Monsoon rains that fell over a number of days caused flooding throughout Malaysia in late December, killing at least eight people in the state of Selangor, peninsular Malaysia, where the city of Kuala Lumpur is located. At least 30,000 people were evacuated before the floods.