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Russia
Terrorist Attack Kills at Least 130
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people and left more than 180 injured on Friday. Crocus City Hall is a large entertainment and shopping complex in Krasnogorsk, a suburb on the northwestern edge of Moscow. Gunmen entered the building and made their way to the auditorium, where they fired at anyone nearby. As people tried to flee, a massive fire began raging inside the building, ignited by explosive devices detonated by the gunmen that later caused the roof to collapse. Four suspects were arrested in Russia’s Bryansk region, who were identified in Russian media as Tajik nationals. Videos of them being tortured and beaten during interrogation have circulated on Russia media. They are charged with carrying out a terrorist act and face a life sentence.
This map depicts the location of Crocus City Hall, where four gunmen shot and killed at least 133 people and injured 180 others in an attack Friday night. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Daily Mail
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Malawi
Drought Emergency Declared
Malawi has declared a state of emergency over ongoing drought conditions, making an urgent appeal for more than $200 million of international aid. The southern African country is the latest to declare a state of emergency, amidst worsening rainfall deficits in southern and central Africa. The severe dry spell is linked to El Niño — the warming of ocean temperatures in parts of the Pacific known to contribute to global climate disturbances and weather extremes. Some scientists say El Niño’s impacts are worsened by climate change. The drought comes at a key time in the growing season in a region where the majority of people depend upon food they grow themselves for sustenance. In Malawi more than 44% of the corn crop, a staple food in the country, is reported to have been badly affected by the rain deficit. In neighboring Zambia, 30% of the population faces acute food insecurity.
This map depicts the estimated total rainfall anomaly from December 1, 2023, to February 20, 2024. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Relief Web
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Thailand
Ghost Shark Species Discovered
A new species of ghost shark known as Chimaera supapae has been discovered deep in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of Thailand. Discovered by the Pacific Shark Research Center, the two-foot-long ghost shark is described in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology as having a massive head, iridescent eyes, and feathery fins. Researchers state its feathery fins allow the shark to swim through the ocean ridges and slopes where it was found at a depth of at least 14,500 feet (4,419 meters) in the Andaman Sea. A distant relative of sharks and rays, it is a member of one of the oldest surviving species still living today and is also known as spook fish or rabbit fish. Chimaera supapae eat mollusks, crustaceans, and worms.
This map depicts the location of the discovery of the new ghost shark species. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What country is home to the largest rainforest in mainland Asia?
A: Cambodia
Spanning more than 10.8 million acres (4.4 million hectares) of rainforest in southwestern Cambodia, the Cardamom Mountains, or the Krâvanh Mountains, remains Southeast Asia’s largest remaining rainforest. This tropical moist broadleaf forest is located in the southwest part of Cambodia and eastern Thailand. Most of the mountains are a dense wilderness, with almost no human population or activity, but on the eastern slopes, cardamom and pepper are grown commercially, and several large-scale construction projects have begun since the turn of the century. Being one of the largest and still mostly unexplored forests in Southeast Asia, it is separated from other rainforests in the region by the large Khorat Plateau to the north. The inaccessibility of the hills has helped to preserve the primeval forest and ecosystems of the area. The Cardamoms are home to one of the largest protected wild elephant populations in Southeast Asia.
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Q: What is the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the most practiced religion?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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