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Ukraine
Pipeline Fixed, EU Loan Approved
The European Union has given final approval to a $105 billion (€90 billion) loan for Ukraine and a new round of sanctions on Russia, in a boost for Kyiv after a prolonged dispute over a key pipeline. The measures were signed off after Hungary and Slovakia dropped objections when Ukraine restarted oil flows following repairs to the damaged Druzhba pipeline. Ukraine and most of its European backers oppose imports of Russian oil which have helped to fund Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine. But unlike the rest of the European Union, Hungary and Slovakia still depend on Russia for their energy needs. The EU loans to Ukraine are expected to be available in coming weeks and months. At the same time, the EU’s 27 countries also signed off on a new package of sanctions against Moscow that had been held up by both Hungary and Slovakia over the same dispute. This new round of economic punishment for the Kremlin targets Russia’s energy, banking, and trade sectors.
This map depicts the Druzhba pipeline, which transports oil from Russia and Kazakhstan to Europe. Click on the map to learn more.
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Lebanon
Ceasefire Extended
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon would be extended by another three weeks, following a rare meeting with the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors at the White House yesterday. In principle, the conflicts between Israel and Lebanon and Iran and the U.S. are separate, but Iran has made its engagement with the U.S. contingent on Israel’s cessation of military action against Lebanon. Following the attack by Israel and the U.S on Iran that killed its supreme leader and many important regime officials, the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah resumed attacks on Israel from Lebanon. In response, Israel invaded southern Lebanon with the intent of stopping Hezbollah’s capacity to attack. Israel is now occupying around 6% of Lebanese territory and its offensive against Hezbollah has destroyed civilian homes and infrastructure. While the Lebanese government has taken a position against Hezbollah, it also has made clear that Israeli occupation is unacceptable.
This map depicts territory in southern Lebanon currenty occupied by Israeli forces to destroy the military capabilities of the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Nepal
Glacier Blocking Everest Path
Hundreds of climbers from around the world have had to put their dreams of climbing Mount Everest on hold thanks to a chunk of glacier blocking the route between Base Camp and Camp 1. Now is just the beginning of peak climbing season at Everest, but local Sherpa mountaineering experts say there is no route around the 100-foot-tall (30 m) ice block, called a serac. Nepalese officials say 410 permits have been issued for the spring climbing season, which ends in May. Climbers will have to wait until the serac melts away before beginning their excursions to the summit. Normally, the ropes and ladders prepared by the Sherpas would have been in place up to Camp 3 by this time. In the meantime, the Sherpas are considering air-lifting a rope-fixing team to Camp 2 by helicopter so the path above the serac is ready once it sufficiently melts.
This map depicts the route up Mount Everest, and the location of the chunk of glacier that is blocking the path and holding up hundreds of climbers waiting to make it to the summit during the Spring climbing season. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the largest coastal delta in Africa, which contains the largest mangrove forest on the continent?
A: Niger Delta
The Niger River Delta, the largest delta in Africa, sits directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa, exceeded by the Nile and the Congo Rivers. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. The river runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin, and then through Nigeria. This third largest delta in the world forms a massive, fan-shaped coastline about 279 miles (450 km) long. The Niger Delta mangrove is the third largest in the world and the largest in Africa. This ecosystem provides crucial coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and nurseries for fish and shrimp. The delta is a petroleum-rich region and faces severe degradation from oil spills, pollution, and logging.
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Q: What South American country became landlocked after the War of the Pacific in the late 19th Century?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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