ASIA

Afghanistan (Security threat level – 5): On 5 September 2022, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the entrance of the Russian Embassy, located on Dar al-Aman Road in the capital Kabul. A Russian diplomat was outside of the embassy calling the names of visa applicants in a long queue when the attack occurred. At least two Russian diplomats were killed, and 11 other individuals were injured in the explosion.

China (Security threat level – 4): As of 6 September 2022, at least 65 people have been reported killed and about 250 more injured following a magnitude 6.6 earthquake that struck the previous day in Luding county, Sichuan province, in an area approximately 225 km (140 mi) west of Chengdu. Landslides resulting from the quake damaged roads and dozens of residences, while over 40,000 homes and businesses in Garze prefecture in the Tibetan autonomous region experienced power outages. While mild to moderate shaking was felt in Chengdu, there were no reports of injuries or large-scale damage to buildings; Chengdu remains under strict COVID-19 lockdown. Authorities are currently engaged in a Level-III emergency response in Luding county, which is the third-highest level of China’s four-tier earthquake response system. More than 6,500 emergency workers have been dispatched to the area, and rescue efforts are ongoing.

Russia (Security threat level – 5): On 2 September 2022, officials with the Russian state-controlled gas company Gazprom stated that they will not resume gas exports through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline through Germany on 3 September as scheduled, citing an oil leak in a compressor station. The pipeline has been closed since 31 August for maintenance. Officials with Siemens Energy – the company responsible for pipeline repairs in Germany – stated that the gas leak was not a valid technical reason to halt operations. Gazprom officials announced the shutdown on the same day Western countries reached an agreement to place a price cap on Russian oil to inhibit the country’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine.

Export conflicts between Russia and Western economies regarding gas supplies are ongoing. The Nord Steam 1 pipeline supplies approximately 35% of Europe’s Russian gas imports per year and flows directly through Germany. Gazprom cut flows through the pipeline to 20% of capacity in June, likely in retaliation for Western sanctions against Russia. Gazprom also suspended gas exports to several European countries after they refused to pay for gas in Russian rubles.

South Korea (Security threat level – 1): At approximately 0500 local time (2000 UTC) on 6 September 2022, Typhoon Hinnamnor made landfall in Geoje City in South Gyeongsang province – located approximately 330 km (200 mi) southeast of Seoul. At the time, Hinnamnor had maximum sustained winds of 103 kph with gusts of up to 126 kph and was moving north-northeast at 22 kph (14 mph), according to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

Hinnamnor passed near the cities of Busan, Pohang, and Ulsan in addition to Jeju Island, before moving off the coast of Ulsan. The South Korean Meteorological Association projects that Typhoon Hinnamnor will weaken slightly as it continues to move in a north-northeasterly direction in the Sea of Japan before making landfall once more on 6-7 September near the Russian Far Eastern territories of Khabarovsk Krai and Primorsky Krai. While passing near South Korea, Hinnamnor had rainfall totals of approximately 94 centimeters (39 inches), causing heavy flooding and power outages in Pohang and Ulsan. At least 3,500 residents of Pohang were ordered to evacuate. At least five people were killed, and eight residents of Ulsan have been reported missing due to the flooding. Meanwhile, authorities in Japan warned residents living on northern Hokkaido island to prepare for strong winds and high waves from 6-7 September. South Korean and Japanese air carriers have canceled approximately 250 flights that intersected with Hinnamnor’s trajectory.

EUROPE

Czech Republic (Security threat level – 1): On 3 September 2022, approximately 70,000 individuals rallied in Wenceslas Square in central Prague to protest rising energy prices and to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his government. Protesters also expressed opposition to the country’s NATO and European Union memberships and the Russian war in Ukraine. A varied coalition of nationalist, far-right, communist, pro-Russian and anti-migrant groups within the country organized the protests, which followed a failed no-confidence vote against Fiala’s government the previous day.

Germany (Security threat level – 3): On 6 September 2022, the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots’ union and Lufthansa reached a compensation agreement to prevent a second wave of strikes from 7-8 September. Lufthansa officials stated that they would decide if flight cancellations on 7-8 September were necessary by 1200 local time in Germany; as of 1430 local time (1200 UTC) no flights had been canceled. A previous strike on 2 September resulted in the cancellation of 800 flights. During that event, nearly 5,000 pilots participated in the strike and officials suspended nearly all flight operations at the airline’s major hubs in Munich and Frankfurt, affecting an estimated 130,000 customers.

NORTH AMERICA

Canada (Security threat level – 2): On 4 September 2022, two men carried out multiple stabbings across 13 locations in the James Smith Cree Nation territory and the nearby town of Weldon, located approximately 375 km (235 mi) north of Saskatchewan’s provincial capital Regina. Following the assaults, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued a Dangerous Persons Alert for the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. The assailants killed at least 10 people and wounded 18 more. Authorities believe the attackers purposefully selected some of their victims, but randomly targeted the others. One of the suspected assailants was found dead the following day in the James Smith Cree Nation territory. The other suspect, a brother of the deceased suspect, remains at large. Police have been searching for the remaining suspect since May 2022, when he stopped meeting with his parole officer after serving a sentence for assault, criminal mischief, robbery and making threats. A motive for the murders is not known.

Mexico (Security threat level – 4): As of 0600 local time (1200 UTC) on 6 September 2022, Hurricane Kay – a Category 1 storm — was located approximately 580 km (360 mi) southwest of the coastal city of Manzanillo, Colima state, and was moving northwest at a speed of approximately 20 kph (13 mph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. At that time, Kay had maximum sustained winds of 140 kph. Hurricane Kay is expected to strengthen in the coming days as it approaches the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. The center of the storm is expected to move near Baja California Sur state on 7 September, bringing heavy rainfall and intense winds to the Baja California Sur state area. Prior to being upgraded to hurricane status, Tropical Storm Kay caused widespread heavy flooding on 5 September in Guerrero state that resulted in the deaths of at least three people.

Kay is forecast to produce 10-20 mm (4-8 in) of rain across the Baja California Peninsula and other areas of western Mexico, with isolated maximums of up to 30 mm. Hazardous surf and rip current conditions caused by the storm will affect the coast of southwestern Mexico for the next several days. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for coastal areas reaching from the town of San Evaristo to the cape of Cabo San Lazaro in Baja California Sur state, including the resort city of Cabo San Lucas. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the areas between San Evaristo and the city of Loreto, as well as the area between Cabo San Lazaro and the town of Punto Abreojos.

United States (Security threat level – 2) : At approximately 0700 local time (1200 UTC) on 3 September 2022, authorities evacuated a Walmart Supercenter on West Main Street in Tupelo, Mississippi, after a man piloting a Beechcraft King Air aircraft made contact with emergency services and threatened to intentionally crash the aircraft into the store. The aircraft later left Tupelo and circled for several hours over rural Mississippi before landing in a field. Authorities apprehended the pilot. Authorities have released no information regarding a possible motive for the man’s actions. No injuries were reported.

SOUTH AMERICA

Chile (Security threat level – 2): On 5 September 2022, sporadic protests continued in the capital Santiago in response to voters rejecting a proposed new constitution on 4 September. Demonstrators erected barricades on Recoleta Avenue in the northern Huechuraba district — located approximately 10 km (5 mi) north of the city center — and threw stones and glass bottles at a nearby police station. Police officers deployed tear gas and took two rioters into custody.

Late on 4 September, protesters set fires and erected barricades near Plaza Baquedano shortly after the Electoral Service of Chile announced the voters’ rejection of the constitutional referendum. In response, the state-owned Santiago Metro suspended train operations for Line 1 and Line 5. Anti-riot police officers were deployed to disperse the protests. Approximately 62% of the voters cast ballots against adopting the new constitution proposed by the Constitutional Convention. Additional small-scale protests may occur on 6 September.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Indonesia (Security threat level – 4): On 6 September 2022, approximately 3,000 protesters gathered in several areas of the capital Jakarta to oppose a 30 percent increase in subsidized fuel prices enacted by President Joko Widodo on 4 September. Participants in the demonstration – which was organized by student organizations and labor unions — clashed with police officers near government buildings in the city center. Demonstrators pelted security personnel with rocks and other debris, while police officers responded by deploying tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the protesters. Large groups of police officers were dispatched throughout the city to guard protest sites, petrol stations, the Presidential Palace and the National Monument in anticipation of additional demonstrations in the coming days. Related demonstrations also occurred in the cities of Aceh, Kendari, Makassar, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta.