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Saudi Arabia
Houthi Attacks Raise Oil Prices
Prices for Brent Crude, the international oil benchmark, touched $99 per barrel Tuesday after Saudi Arabia reported an attack on energy assets that caused temporary pauses in operations. A wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia Tuesday wounded more than 70 people and ignited fires at several oil facilities and utilities in the Kingdom’s southern region, authorities said, a major escalation in the renewed conflict between an important U.S. ally and the Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. The attacks early Tuesday hit “civilian and economic facilities” in the Saudi cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait. The southern region houses major oil facilities, including a 400,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery in Jazan, which is one of Saudi Arabia’s largest. The fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis threatens to squeeze shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical route of the Arabian Peninsula for oil and global trade. This comes at a time when the Iran war has nearly halted shipments on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil moved before the war.
This map depicts the locations of Houthi attacks in southern Saudi Arabia. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Sky News
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Germany
AfD Wins State Election
Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 43.8% of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, more than doubling its share from the 2021 state election and securing the party’s strongest election result in its 13-year history. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which has led the state since 2002, finished second with 17.2%, down from 37.1% in 2021. Despite the dominant result, the AfD fell just short of the majority required to govern alone, three seats in the state parliament fewer than the 42 needed for an absolute majority. The result also extends the AfD’s recent electoral gains beyond Saxony-Anhalt: the party finished first in neighboring Thuringia’s 2024 state election and received more than 20% of the vote nationally in 2025. Germany’s other major parties have ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD, a longstanding practice known as the political “firewall”, leaving the composition of the next state government uncertain. Chancellor Merz called the Saxony-Anhalt result a “turning point” for Germany, while the outcome has renewed debate over how the country’s established parties will respond to the AfD’s growing electoral support. Analysts are now looking forward to elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin on September 20.
This map depicts Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in eastern Germany, and the capital, Berlin, where local elections and pre-election polling are drawing attention to the growing electoral strength of the AfD. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Bloomberg
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China
Northern Sea Route Cargo Service
China is now promoting the first regular cargo service to use the Northern Sea Route, an Arctic shortcut from Asia to Europe across the “top of the world.” The 575-foot-long (175 m) Dubai Tower left China on August 19, carrying 1,300 containers of electric vehicles, batteries, and renewable energy equipment. Russia has supported China’s initiatives by teaming up on coast guard patrols in the Arctic Ocean. The new cargo route will cut more than 10 days of travel time when transporting between China and England. Rising temperatures and glacial melting have opened up space in the ocean for China to pursue long-awaited plans, yet shipping executives say the route is still too difficult, dangerous, and expensive for China or any country to make this a regular service. Daily transportation through the Arctic Ocean may accelerate climate change. Additionally, complications are expected due to ongoing global conflicts. For example, companies from Western countries currently sanctioning Russia for its war on Ukraine may have to pay access fees to Russia in order to transport cargo through this new route.
This map depicts the new Northern Sea Route, indicating approximately how many days will be saved by switching routes. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What geographical feature represents Russia’s “land of fire and ice” and hosts the highest active volcano in Eurasia?
A: Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is located in far eastern Russia, between the Sea of Okhotsk on the west and the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea on the east. It stretches about 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from north to south and is known for its rugged, mountainous landscape. Two major mountain ranges, the Sredinny and Vostochny ranges, run along the peninsula, with the Kamchatka River flowing through the valley between them. The region is one of the most volcanically active places on Earth, containing over 120 volcanoes, more than 20 of which are still active. The highest peak is Klyuchevskaya Volcano, which rises to about 15,584 feet (4,750 meters). Kamchatka also features many geysers, hot springs, and glaciers. Its remote location and varied terrain support diverse ecosystems and abundant wildlife.
Source
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Q: Guyana’s interior upland terrain is part of which major ancient geological formation in northern South America?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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