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Ethiopia
Tigray Forces Launch Offensive
Rebel leaders of the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray said on Wednesday that they had entered a new war with the federal government, shattering a four-year-old peace deal. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and its armed wing, the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF), has reportedly taken control of regional airports in Tigray and clashed with government forces in the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. State-owned Ethiopian Airlines announced it had canceled service at Mekelle, Tigray’s capital, as well as Axum (Aksum) and Shire regional airports. Recent months have seen sporadic smaller clashes, and Wednesday’s developments have sparked fears of renewed intense fighting in the region. The African Union (AU) estimates that some 600,000 people were killed in fighting between the TPLF and Ethiopian forces during the 2020-2022 civil war, and that more than 1 million people remain displaced. Renewed fighting comes just days after the TPLF announced that it had entered an “Alliance for Survival” with other groups aimed at removing Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government from power.
This map depicts violence in Tigray and the surrounding territories from August 1 to September 23, 2026. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: ACLED
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Russia-Ukraine
Ukraine Offers Grain Truce
Ukraine offered Russia a maritime truce to halt attacks on civilian targets and shipping in the Black Sea amid escalating strikes that have severely disrupted agricultural exports. Intensive summer attacks by both Russia and Ukraine targeted each other’s ports and commercial vessels in the Black Sea, stalling grain shipments during the harvest season. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny accusations of targeting civilian ships and port infrastructure, saying they are striking targets linked to military activity. Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter, while Ukraine’s grain and oilseed production is around 81 million metric tons this year, with disruptions posing serious implications for import-dependent markets. Both countries supply roughly one-third (around 30%) of the world’s traded wheat, as well as a large portion of corn, barley, and sunflower oil. United Nations said global agricultural markets are beginning to feel the effects of these attacks and called for de-escalation. Ukraine has tried to switch to new land and river routes, but officials said those routes would not be able to handle even half the volume normally carried through Black Sea ports.
This map depicts attacks in the Black Sea by location type: sea, port, or port facilities. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Turkiye Today
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World
Super El Niño Intensifies
A rapidly strengthening “Super El Niño” is developing across the tropical Pacific and could become one of the strongest El Niño events on record. In the central equatorial Pacific, ocean temperatures have risen to about 3°C (5.4°F) above average, nearly matching previous records. Scientists estimate there is about a 75% chance the event could become record-breaking, with some models projecting even greater warming later this year. As Pacific waters heat up, El Niño can shift weather patterns around the world. Parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, Africa, and India may face increased drought and heat, while parts of the southern United States could experience wetter conditions. Strong El Niño events can also bring warmer winters to the U.S. Midwest. The event has the potential to disrupt agriculture, fisheries, water supplies, and food production. Researchers also estimate that extreme heat linked to this El Niño could contribute to as many as 451,000 excess deaths worldwide through February 2027.
This map depicts the typical global precipitation patterns associated with El Niño, showing regions that are more likely to experience wetter-than-normal conditions in green and drier-than-normal conditions in yellow during different times of the year. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What mountain range separates the Iranian Plateau from the Mesopotamian lowlands?
A: Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are a mountain range in southwestern Iran, extending northwest-southeast from the border areas of eastern Turkey and northern Iraq to the Strait of Hormuz. The Zagros range is about 990 miles (1,600 km) long and more than 150 miles (240 km) wide. Situated mostly in what is now Iran, it forms the extreme western boundary of the Iranian plateau, though its foothills to the north and west extend into adjacent countries. The mountains are an imposing natural barrier and have traditionally provided the boundary between cultural and political entities, including the early Mesopotamian and Median cultures, the Parthian and Roman empires, and, more recently, the Persian and Ottoman empires. The mountains and foothills that approach the range are home to a significant portion of Iran’s population, including significant numbers of Assyrian Christians, Kurds, and Turks as well as Lurs, Bakhtyārī, and Qashqāʾī tribal groups, in addition to ethnic Persians. The traditional economy is based largely on animal husbandry, and the production of high-quality rugs and carpets has long been a mainstay of the region.
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Q: What country has the largest elephant population in Africa, due to permanent water sources and rich vegetation, particularly during the dry winter months?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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