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Japan
Former PM Abe Assassinated
On Friday, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader in modern Japanese history, was shot from behind and killed while campaigning for a parliamentary election in the southern city of Nara. He was rushed to the hospital and was pronounced dead five and a half hours after the shooting. He was 67 years old. A 41-year-old male suspect was arrested at the scene of the attack. Abe served as Prime Minister in 2006 and 2007 and from 2012 to 2020, when he resigned due to heath issues. This was the first killing of a sitting or former Japanese leader since a 1936 coup attempt, when several leaders were assassinated. Leaders around the world have shared tributes and condolences.
This map depicts the location where former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during a campaign in Nara, Japan. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Reuters
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Nigeria
Jihadists Free 900 from Prison
Suspected Boko Haram Jihadists with guns and explosives ambushed a prison near Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, killing one prison guard and injuring three others. According to government officials, on Tuesday night attackers blasted into Kuje, a medium-security prison, freeing dozens of fellow jihadists and about 900 of the prison’s 994 inmates. As of Wednesday, more than 600 escapees have been recaptured, however hundreds are still missing.
This map depicts the geographical distribution of ongoing conflicts in Nigeria including the location of prison break. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Yahoo! News
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Saudi Arabia
The Hajj Pilgrimage
After two years of strict limits due to the Covid pandemic, the largest annual religious gathering for Muslims known as the Hajj has largely returned to a pre-pandemic status. It takes place during the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijja, at the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It began on July 6, and will last 6 days. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and it is required that all Muslims make a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca and the Kaaba at least once in their life. Saudi Arabia has permitted at least 1 million Muslims to perform the Hajj, a large increase from 2021 levels however still shy of the 2.5 million practitioners in 2019. Eid al-Adha, the second major holiday in the Islamic calendar is celebrated on the third day of the Hajj and lasts three days.
This map depicts the pilgrimage route for the Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Where can you find the world’s largest sand dunes right next to flat white salt pans?
A: Sossusvlei, Namibia
Sossusvlei is where large, white, clay salt pans are found in the southern region of the Namib Desert, Namibia. Located in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest nature conservation on the African continent, Sossusvlei is surrounded by some of the world’s tallest red sand dunes. Sossusvlei is a drainage basin for the Tsauchab River, however due to such harsh and dry weather conditions, the river rarely flows into Sossusvlei and therefore remains dry. Thousands of microorganisms call the salt pans home, despite the fact that such little water can be found beneath the sand.
Source
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Q: In which U.S. state does the Mississippi River have both its widest and narrowest points?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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