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Yemen
Houthis Attack Oil Tankers
Oil prices jumped to $100 a barrel after Yemen’s Houthis claimed strikes on Saudi oil vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis said they attacked two tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, as part of a blockade they announced against Saudi Arabia earlier this week. Saudi officials confirmed that one vessel was struck and British maritime monitoring also reported that a tanker off Al Shuqaiq, near the Yemen border, was hit by projectiles. U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold Iran responsible for further Houthi attacks. These attacks strengthen fears about the availability of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage between Yemen and the Horn of Africa that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and carries about 7% of global oil supply. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait was positioned to serve as an alternative transit route for at least some shipping that would have passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the opposite side of the Arabian peninsula.
This map depicts maritime chokepoints and oil routes in the Middle East, highlighting the risks for global energy transit. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: New York Times
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Nigeria
Armed Gang Attacks Kill 20
Villages in Zamfara state in the northern part of Nigeria were recently attacked by armed gangs. At least 20 people were killed in multiple villages and 40 people (mostly women and children) were abducted. In addition, livestock was also reported stolen. The attackers have demanded money in exchange for some of the kidnapped victims, with ransoms going as high as 5 million naira ($3,653 USD). Two of the people abducted were reported to be successfully rescued by security forces and vigilante villagers. The attacks are part of an ongoing security crisis fueled by Boko Haram insurgency in northern Nigeria, leading to the rise of many militant groups engaged in pillaging villages and kidnapping for ransom.
This map depicts the highlighted area where armed gang members raided villages in northern Nigeria, killing at least 20 peope and kidnapping around 40 more. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Deutsche Welle
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Australia
Great Barrier Reef Microbes Map
New research from scientists in Queensland, Australia, has uncovered diverse communities of microbes in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef. The study analyzed DNA samples collected from 48 reefs, identifying more than 800,000 viral genomes and over 5,000 bacterial and archaeal genomes. Among these were 584 bacterial species that had never before been identified. The research, which spanned more than five years, used a new long-read DNA sequencing technique, allowing scientists to more accurately assemble complete genomes from complex genetic data. This has provided the most comprehensive picture yet of the reef’s microbial ecosystem. According to the authors, the study will help scientists better understand the interconnected food chain that is underpinned by the reef’s microbiome and may improve efforts to monitor and protect the Great Barrier Reef.
This map depicts the DNA sampling locations, using both the IIlumina standard DNA sequencing method (yellow), and a newer hybrid method (blue). Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: At which international border crossing will you need to adjust your clock by 3.5 hours?
A: Afghanistan-China Border
Afghanistan has a tiny chunk of land stretching out to the east, known as the Wakhan Corridor, that borders China’s westernmost Xinjiang Province. The Wakhan Corridor in the remote Badakhshan province is inhospitable and hardly accessible, as three major mountain ranges meet in this region. The only accessible crossing on the 46-mile (74 km) border is at the Wakhjir Pass on the southeastern end of the corridor, nearly 16,400 feet (5,000 m) above sea level. In 1949, China imposed one standard time for the entire country, sticking to the time zone of Beijing (UTC+8). So if you ever plan to traverse the tiny border from Afghanistan into China, you will need to reset your clocks!
Source
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Q: The world’s longest-living vertebrate species is native to and named after what island country covering 836,300 square miles (2,166,000 sq km)?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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