26 Jul

Saudi Arabia: Oil Shipments Suspended

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Saudi Arabia
Oil Shipments Suspended
On Thursday, Saudi Arabia halted all oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandab Strait after two tankers were attacked by Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen. The strait between Yemen and Djibouti is just 20 km wide (12 miles), making oil shipments vulnerable to attacks. The Houthi’s have been fighting a Saudi-Arabian led alliance in the Yemen civil war for approximately three years. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, around 4.6 million barrels of crude and refined petroleum are exported daily through the Bab al-Mandab strait heading towards Asia, Europe, and the United States.This map depicts major shipping routes in the Middle East including the route through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Click on the map to learn more.

Graphic Source: The Economist
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China
Explosion Outside Embassy
A small explosive device was detonated outside of the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China on Thursday. Only the assailant was injured and there was no damage to the U.S. embassy or other nearby embassies. The assailant has been identified as a 26-year-old man from China’s Inner Mongolia region, but no motive has been released by authorities. Police described the weapon as ‘merely a firework device.’ The device was detonated by the northeast corner of the embassy; the blast could be heard several blocks away. Witnesses describe hearing the explosion and seeing police running toward an enormous plume of white smoke. This map depicts the location of the explosion outside the U.S. embassy in Beijing. Click on the map to learn more.

Graphic Source: Reuters
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United States
Cranston Fire Hits Homes
A man was arrested on Wednesday for starting the Cranston fire in California, which has now spread over 4,700 acres and prompted evacuation orders for 12,000 people. The blaze destroyed five homes and threatens an estimated 600 more as it bears down on Idyllwild, California and surrounding communities. Brandon N. McGlover, 32,  was arrested under suspicion of setting five fires including the Cranston fire. Despite over 700 firefighters fighting the blaze, the fire was only 5% contained as of late Wednesday. This map depicts the spread of the fire in the red area (left), and the evacuation area in the orange area (right). Click on the map to learn more.

Graphic Source: Press Enterprise

Yesterday’s Answer

Q: At its height, approximately how many square miles did the Aztec Empire cover?

A: 80,000 square miles
The Aztec Empire was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all time. It stretched for more than 80,000 square miles through many parts of what is now central and southern Mexico.

Source 

Today’s Question

 

Q: What is the only U.N.-recognized country on Earth without land?

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