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Iraq
Swedish Embassy Stormed
Early Thursday morning, several Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad. The protest came in response to a burning of the Koran, the central religious text of Islam, in Sweden. In June, anti-Islam protesters (including an Iraqi immigrant) burned a copy of the Koran outside a Stockholm Mosque. On Thursday, this same group received permission from Swedish police to burn the Koran outside the Iraqi embassy. Protests in Baghdad led to the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador as well as the burning of the Swedish embassy building. Although both the Iraqi government and the EU have strongly condemned the burning of the Swedish embassy, the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, has called on fellow Arab and Muslim-majority nations to follow Iraq in expelling Sweden’s ambassadors and withdrawing their envoys from Sweden.
This map depicts the location of the Swedish embassy within the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Barron’s
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Mexico
Thousands Wait at US Border
Migrants continue to gather at the US-Mexico border even after the expiration of Title 42, leading to potential issues with living conditions and reported abuse at the border. The number of migrants waiting in northern Mexico to claim asylum in the US has reached around 104,000 people, significantly higher than previous estimates, with only 43,500 migrants being legally admitted to the US each month. The surge of migrants, mainly Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans, and Nicaraguans, has caused concerns about living conditions in border cities like Tijuana and Brownsville as shelters and services are stretched to their limits. Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s measures to stop migrants along the border received criticism after a trooper alleged migrants were denied water in the sweltering heat and were pushed back into the Rio Grande. Meanwhile, reflecting the strain caused by new arrivals across the US, New York City is actively communicating to migrants at the border that the city has reached its limit and is encouraging them to settle elsewhere.
This map depicts the largest border crossing locations at the US-Mexico border and hot spots of those waiting in Mexico for approval of asylum. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: New York Post
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Space
New Stellar Object is Discovered
An team from the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) has discovered a new stellar object, GPM J1839-10, that challenges our understanding of the physics of neuron stars. Detected 15,000 light-years away using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Australia, the new object was confirmed by other facilities in Australia and Africa. The discovery was published in the journal Nature, suggesting it could be an ultra-long period magnetar, a rare type of star known for extremely intense magnetic fields that produce powerful bursts of energy. Previously identified magnetars typically released energy bursts at intervals ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes, however this object emits radio waves every 22 minutes, making it the longest period magnetar ever detected. The newly found stellar object also exists below the “death line,” a critical threshold where a star’s magnetic field should be too weak to generate high-energy emissions. If the object is a magnetar, it has important implications for our understanding of the behavior of magnetic fields in extreme environments.
This map depicts the Australian and African radio telescope facilities where a highly unique stellar object believed to be an ultra-long magnetar has been observed. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What maritime shipping route connects the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes?
A: The St. Lawrence Seaway
The St. Lawrence River flows from Lake Ontario and empties into the North Atlantic Ocean, historically serving as a major North American trade artery. During the mid 1950s, the St. Lawrence Seaway was constructed as a 189-mile (306-km) stretch between Montreal and Lake Ontario. It was built as a binational partnership between the US and Canada, and still operates as such, with administration of the waterways shared by both nations. Considered one of the most challenging engineering feats of the 20th century, the seaway includes seven locks that lift vessels 246 ft (75 m) above sea level as they transit from Montreal to the Great Lakes. Today, the St. Lawrence Seaway serves as a key supply chain, generating huge economic benefits for North America, but especially for the eight states and two provinces that border the waterway.
Source
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Q: One of the most visited parks in the US, what southwestern National Park is larger than the state of Rhode Island?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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