The U.S. State Department has issued updated travel advisories for 19 countries around the world, including Level 4: Do Not Travel advisories for Germany and Denmark in response to COVID-19. The updates, made Nov. 22, come amid renewed pandemic-related restrictions and closures across Europe and after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Level 4 Travel Health Notices for both countries indicating a very high level of COVID-19. In addition to the ongoing pandemic, the State Department encourages travelers to exercise increased caution in Germany and Denmark due to the threat of terrorism. Other notable destinations to receive updates this week include Aruba, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Officials are advising travelers to reconsider plans to visit Aruba this holiday season due to COVID-related conditions and recommending that travelers exercise increased caution in South Africa due to crime and civil unrest. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates joins a list of just 13 countries to receive a Level 1: Exercise normal precautions advisory from the State Department. The other levels are Level 2: Unvaccinated travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should avoid nonessential travel to this destination, and Level 3: Unvaccinated travelers should avoid nonessential travel to this destination. The CDC currently warns of a high level of COVID-19 in Aruba but low levels in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Other travel advisories include Togo (Level 1), Bangladesh (Level 2), Benin (Level 2), Ghana (Level 2), Kenya (Level 2), Zimbabwe (Level 2), Curacao (Level 3), Eswatini (Level 3), French West Indies—including Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Saint Martin, and Saint Barthelemy (Level 3), Israel, the West Bank and Gaza (Level 3), Kosovo (Level 3), Nigeria (Level 3), Burundi (Level 4) and Iraq (Level 4). The vast majority are related to COVID-19, crime

LONDON — China, which is increasingly flexing its muscles around the world, is one of the biggest threats to Britain and its allies, and a “miscalculation” by Beijing could lead to war, the head of the U.K.’s foreign intelligence agency said Tuesday.

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. The United States has expressed deep concern after security forces in Iran cracked down on demonstrators protesting crippling water shortages. Security forces on November 26 fired tear gas at stone-throwing demonstrators as some 500 people gathered on the desiccated bed of the Zayandehrud River, which runs through the city of Isfahan. Hassan Karami, an Iranian police general, said on November 27 that police had arrested 67 of “the main actors and agitators” from the protest. Karami added that between 2,000 and 3,000 “rioters” had taken part in the November 26 demonstration in Isfahan, some 400 kilometers south of the Iranian capital, Tehran. “Deeply concerned about the violent crackdown against peaceful protestors,” State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted. “The people of Iran have a right to voice their frustrations and hold their government accountable.” The riverbed has seen protests against the water shortages since November 9, as farmers and others have gathered there from across the region. Although the region is experiencing a severe drought, many people blame the authorities for diverting water to neighboring Yazd Province, which has also been affected. The largest protest, involving thousands of demonstrators, was on November 19. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni has said the water crisis is a top priority for the government.