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Iran
Internet Cables Under Threat
Media connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps has threatened that Iran may impose “usage fees” on internet traffic travelling via undersea cables running through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. While the legal foundation for the proposals is weak － only two of multiple cables are confirmed as running through Iranian territorial waters － the threat exposes a significant risk to global telecommunications were Iran to take action against the cables. Cables running through the Strait of Hormuz are believed to carry anywhere from 17% to 30% of global Internet traffic. In 2024, cables running through the Red Sea were disrupted during Israel’s campaign against Gaza and the response by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. With that damage having not been fully repaired, redundancy for communications passing through the Middle East is now reduced. With negotiations not showing any progress, Iran’s threat against Internet traffic presents another mechanism for retaliation for continued action by the United States against the Iranian government.
This map depicts the network of submarine telecommunications cables running through the Middle East, including the numerous cables in the Strait of Hormuz that could come under threat by the Iranian government. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Anadolu Ajansi
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Maldives
Lost Divers Found
Italy’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the last four bodies of an Italian team lost on a dive in the Maldives were discovered earlier today. The four, researchers from the University of Genoa, were part of a group of five exploring an underwater cave near Vaavu Atoll around 160 feet (48.7 m) deep last week Thursday. The bodies of the four were discovered deep in the cave, while the body of the fifth member of their party, a diving instructor, was found closer to the entrance of the cave last week. The four were found together by a specialist cave-diving team from Finland that arrived to assist the recovery effort following the death of a Maldivian rescue diver from underwater decompression sickness on Saturday. Authorities say they’ll attempt to retrieve two of the bodies tomorrow, and the other two the day after. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
This map depicts the location of the Vaavu Atoll, in the Maldives, where an Italian research team as killed during a dive into a deepwater cave last Thursday. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Hill
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ebola Triggers Health Emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a “public health emergency of international concern” in response a new outbreak of Ebola disease affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda. So far, there are 330 reports of suspected infections, including 90 deaths, primarily in DRC’s northeastern province of Ituri. The United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to evacaute a small number of American citizens who may be affected. The WHO reports that this latest outbreak is being driving by the Bundibugyo strain of viruses, for which there is no vaccine or known treatment, and has a fatality rate of 25% to 40%. Ebola is spread through contact with the remains or bodily fluids of a victim, or contaminated surfaces, and causes fever, muscle pain, rash, and sometimes bleeding.
This map depicts areas of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo affected by an outbreak of Ebola disease which has been declared a Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What country is home to the highest peak in Southeast Asia?
A: Malaysia
Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, with an elevation of 13,435 ft (4,095 m). It is located in the Kinabalu National Park in the state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo. It is the third highest peak on an island on Earth, after Puncak Jaya in New Guinea and Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Kinabalu Park has been designated a centre of plant diversity for Southeast Asia by UNESCO, as it contains an estimated 5,000–6,000 plant species. At least half of all Borneo’s plant species can be found there as well as species originating from the Himalayas, Australia, China, and Peninsular Malaysia.
Source
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Q: In Roman times, what forest was named Silva Marciana (from the Germanic word marka, “border”) because it marked an imperial boundary?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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