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Pakistan
Militants Take Officers Hostage
Pakistan military forces regained control of a counter-terrorism unit in the northwestern border providence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa yesterday, after dozens of militants in custody at the center overpowered several security guards and took them captive on Sunday. Pakistan’s defense ministry reported all militant detainees were killed in the retaking of the unit, and hostages were rescued, with two special forces killed and at least 10 military personnel injured. Local media reports the attack was committed by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks in the recent surge of militant activity in the country.
This map depicts the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where militants took Pakistani officers hostage at a counterterrorism detention center. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: VOA News
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India
Rohingyas Stranded for 20 Days
A boat with 160 to 200 Rohingya refugees has been stranded in the waters off India’s Andaman Islands for nearly three weeks. It departed Bangladesh on November 25 and was headed for either Malaysia or Indonesia, but the vessel’s engine broke down on December 1, and the boat has been drifting aimlessly without an adequate supply of water and food since. As many as 16 to 20 refugees are estimated to have died, mainly by starvation and thirst. On December 18, Rohingya advocates posted a recording of the boat’s captain appealing for help, along with the satellite coordinates of the ship. With the UN adding pressure, the social media post of the recording increased a sense of urgency for rescue from the Indian government, and yesterday, five Indian ships set out for the stranded boat.
This map depicts the location of a boat full of Rohingya refugees that is currently drifting uncontrolled off the coast of India’s Andaman Islands. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Daily Star
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World
Arctic Report Card Released
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released its 2022 Arctic Report Card, an annual assessment of the current state and anticipated challenges of the Arctic and its surrounding countries. This year’s report highlighted the increasing precipitation, mostly in the form of rain, affecting the Arctic regions across all seasons. Rain has increased due to the continued warming of the Arctic, which has accelerated the loss of sea ice and forced the Arctic atmosphere to retain more moisture. Increased rain causes a variety of effects, including flooding and the accelerating of permafrost thawing. The full report examines these and further issues affecting the Arctic, and can be viewed at NOAA’s Arctic Program.
This map from NOAA’s annual Arctic Report Card depicts a variety of observations about changing conditions in the Arctic. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What European country is the most densely forested and has the world’s largest archipelago?
A: Finland
Finland is a Nordic country in nothern Europe, bordered by Norway, Sweden, and Russia, and is one of the most northern and geographically remote countries on the planet. About 70 perent of the country is covered by thick woodlands, and another 10 percent is just water, as Finland is home to some 56,000 lakes and extensive marshland areas. Many of the inland cities were originally built on lakeshores, as water power was a huge driver in attracting large industrial plants. Finland’s nature, the forests and water specifically, have inspired artwork from the country’s greatest artists, poets, and architects, all drawing on themes of their national landscape. With a jagged coastline of about 2,760 miles (4,600 km) long, the Nordic country boasts over 100,000 islands, both freshwater and martime. In fact, every Finnish municipality is said to have some body of water, with most containing islands.
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Q: What South American country is home to the highest single drop waterfall in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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