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World
Biggest Leak in Offshore Data
The hidden assets of top world leaders and celebrities have been exposed in the biggest leak of offshore asset data in history. Originally leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, who called the documents the “Pandora Papers,” the documents contain 11.9 million private files (2.6 terabytes of data) from companies hired to create offshore accounts in tax havens like Switzerland, Panama, Dubai, and the Cayman Islands. Although offshore accounts are not technically illegal, the secrecy that comes with offshore accounts have proven to lure tax evaders and money launderers. Among those whose assets have been revealed are King Abdullah II, the current King of Jordan, Tony Blair, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, popular singers Elton John and Shakira, and many others.
This map depicts the home countries of more than 330 politicians and public officials whose offshore assets are revealed in the Pandora Papers. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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Afghanistan
Bomb Blast at Memorial Service
An explosion went off outside Kabul’s Eid Gah mosque during a memorial service for a senior Taliban official’s mother on Sunday afternoon. Reports on the number of civilian casualties from the attack vary from two to five killed in the blast – the first at a mosque since the Taliban seized Kabul in August. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion surrounds IS-K, Afghanistan’s ISIS affiliate and a growing threat to the ruling Taliban. The Taliban announced a successful raid on an IS-K safehouse in Parwan province on Friday afternoon. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had put out a wide invitation for the public to attend his mother’s funeral on Sunday, making the event a target to maximize exposure and civilian casualties.
This map depicts the location of the Eid Gah mosque in Kabul, where an explosion on Sunday afternoon resulted in civilian casualties. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: AFP on Twitter
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United States
Catastrophic Oil Spill in California
A damaged pipeline off the coast of California is responsible for leaking over 126,000 gallons (475,000 liters) of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. The spill had reached Huntington and Newport beaches over the weekend, causing closures for an indefinite amount of time. The full scope of the spill’s impact on wildlife is not yet known but looks to be devastating as dead birds and fish begin to wash ashore in Southern California. Clean-up efforts have already begun, with over 5,360 feet (1,600 meters) of boom, a floating barrier that prevents the flow of oil, being deployed as boats recover the spill. So far, approximately 3,150 gallons (13,250 liters) have been recovered from the ocean.
This map depicts the location of the Californian oil pipelines that leaked crude oil affecting nearby beaches. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Can you guess what is the busiest subway station in NYC?
A: Times Square-42 St
New York City’s transit system, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), is the largest public transportation agency in North America and amongst the largest in the world. The system hosts more than 6,400 subway cars which have collectively traveled about 325 million miles in 2020. Of the 472 subway stations, Times Square-42 St ranks the busiest, with a ridership of 20,341,240. Revitalization and investment into Times Square in the 90s and 2000s turned the area into the booming tourist destination it is today. In 2009, an experiment led by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg to create a largely car-free area with pedestrian plazas soon became permanent. Each year, around 50 million visitors from all over the world make their way to the infamous Times Square.
Source
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Q: Around 50,000 years ago, an iron asteroid smashed into North America, leaving a giant hole measuring .75 miles (1.2 km) across and about 600 feet (180 m) deep in what U.S. state?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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