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03-November-2022

ASIA

India (Security threat level – 3): According to India’s Central Pollution Control Board, air quality index (AQI) monitoring stations throughout the capital New Delhi breached the 450 level on 3 November 2022 — a reading between 151-200 is considered unhealthy for the majority of the population as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2016. In several areas of the city, the AQI exceeded a reading of 800 earlier the same day. High AQI levels are considered hazardous to healthy individuals in addition to at-risk groups, including children, the elderly and individuals with respiratory conditions. Authorities have warned residents to limit their time outdoors until air quality in the city improves.

Japan / North Korea / South Korea (Security threat levels – 1 / 3 / 2): At approximately 0800 local time on 3 November 2022 (2300 UTC on 2 November), Japanese government officials activated the J-Alert shelter-in-place warning system for Miyagi, Niigata and Yamagata prefectures in response to the detection of three North Korean missiles flying over the Sea of Japan. The missiles were initially reported as flying over the main Japanese island of Honshu before landing in the Pacific Ocean off the country’s eastern coast. However, at 0900 local time Japanese defense officials issued a trajectory update, claiming that the missile flew at a distance of 750 km (460 mi) while reaching an altitude of nearly 2,000 km before landing in the Sea of Japan outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. South Korean military officials later identified one of the missiles as an intercontinental ballistic missile launched from the Suan area of Pyongyang, while the remaining two were short-range ballistic missiles launched from Kaechon. In response to the missile launches, the U.S. and South Korean militaries announced an extension of their joint air drills, known as Vigilant Storm, which were originally scheduled to end on 4 November.

Pakistan (Security threat level – 5): At approximately 1630 local time (1130 UTC) on 3 November 2022, a gunman wielding an automatic weapon shot and wounded former Prime Minister Imran Khan near the Allah Wala Chowk intersection in the northeastern city of Wazirabad in Punjab province — located approximately 160 km (100 mi) southeast of the capital Islamabad. According to local media reports, Khan sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and is expected to survive. Several members of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were also wounded in the shooting, while one party member was killed. The assailant was arrested at the scene. The shooting occurred during Khan’s “Long March” procession, which is traveling from the city of Lahore through several cities to Islamabad to support the former prime minister’s call for snap elections.

Analyst Comment: The attempted assassination of the former prime minister could lead to additional politically related violence throughout the country. Several recent politically charged incidents — including the death of a Pakistani journalist in Kenya — have resulted in a heightened atmosphere of distrust between PTI party members and the national government.

NORTH AMERICA

Belize / Guatemala / Mexico (Security threat levels – 3 / 4 / 4): On the afternoon of 2 November 2022, Hurricane Lisa made landfall near the mouth of the Sibun River in Belize, approximately 15 km (10 mi) southwest of Belize City. Lisa has since weakened into a tropical storm and was located approximately 150 km east-southeast of Ciudad del Carmen in the Mexican state of Campeche as of 0600 local time (1200 UTC), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. At that point, Lisa was moving in a westerly direction at a speed of 17 kph, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and higher gusts. Lisa is expected to weaken further and become a tropical depression later in the day. On its current forecast track, the storm will continue in the same direction across southeastern Mexico before turning to the northwest and moving over the Bay of Campeche on 4 November.

In Belize, Prime Minister John Briceño declared on 2 November a state of emergency in the Belize and Stann Creek districts and imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the two districts until the morning of 3 November. The storm downed trees and powerlines, causing widespread power outages in Belize City. Heavy rainfall caused flooding in the city and there were reports of damage to buildings. Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (MZBZ/BZE) halted flight operations on the night of 1 November ahead of the storm’s arrival; images from the scene showed that at least three aircraft parked at the facility sustained damage. The country’s main commercial port was closed on 2 November, and public transportation services were suspended. There have been no reports of significant injuries or deaths due to the storm.

Lisa is forecast to produce 100-150 mm (4-6 in) of rain, with isolated maximums of more than 250 mm across Belize, northern Guatemala, the southern area of the Mexican state of Quintana, Roo, southern and central Campeche, Tabasco, northern Chiapas, and far-eastern Veracruz. Flash flooding could occur in the affected areas. All coastal watches or warnings related to the storm have been discontinued.

SOUTH AMERICA

Brazil (Security threat level – 3): On 2 November 2022, thousands of supporters of incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro staged demonstrations across the country, calling for a military intervention after Bolsonaro lost the 30 October presidential election runoff to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to local reports, pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations were held in the capital Brasilia and 24 of the 26 states in the country. In Rio de Janeiro, demonstrators gathered near the Eastern Military Command building as part of the countrywide demonstrations. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro asked his supporters to remove highway blockades that have been disrupting transit across the country since his election defeat and roadblocks have notably declined in number over the past few days. According to the Federal Highway Police, 76 roads across eight states in the country remain either partially or fully blockaded as of the morning of 3 November. In a notable occurrence on 2 November, a motorist intentionally drove into a roadblock on the Washington Luís highway near the town of Mirassol in Sao Paulo state. At least 10 protesters were injured in the event. Police officers took the driver into custody.