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World
Omicron Spreads Across the Globe
Since its emergence in late November, the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has been detected in 77 countries, with more likely. The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern that not enough was being done in response to the virus, which is spreading faster than all previous variants. From research done so far, Omicron causes illness less severe than other variants, but is more resistant to vaccines and has a high chance of re-infection. Because of Omicron's resistance to vaccines, many state governments advocate for a booster vaccine.
 
This map depicts where the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has been detected and where there has been local transmission. Click on the map to learn more.
Further Reading: BBC News, CNBC, Yahoo! News, CBC
Graphic Source: The New York Times
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Hong Kong
Skyscraper Caught on Fire
At least 13 people have been seriously injured from smoke inhalation after a fire broke out in the 39-story Hong Kong World Trade Centre on Wednesday. Another 1,200 people were rescued from the busy shopping district as firefighters rushed to extinguish the flames. Police authorities report that the fire has been completely extinguished. While the source of the fire has not been uncovered yet, local outlets are reporting the fire broke out at 12:37pm in an electrical switch room before tearing through the scaffolding of the building.

This map depicts the location of the Hong Kong World Trade Centre building that caught on fire Wednesday. Click on the map to learn more.
Graphic Source: Polish News
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Space
Probe Enters Sun's Atmosphere
For the first time ever, a human-made spacecraft called the Parker Probe successfully and safely entered and exited the corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), announced yesterday that measurements taken from the probe on this past April 28 confirmed that the probe had crossed the Alfvén critical surface during its eighth fly-by of the Sun, at a distance of roughly 8.1 million miles (13 million km). Measurements from the Parker probe taken in 2019 first revealed the existence of zig-zag structures in the solar wind which scientists refer to as "switchbacks." Further measurements during the April entry into the corona revealed that switchbacks at least in part originate at the Sun's surface, and scientists hope that readings from further fly-bys will help explain more of our star's mysteries, including why the corona is heated to temperatures millions of degrees higher than the solar surface.

This map depicts the relative distances from the Sun that the Parker Probe has reached in prior fly-bys and will reach in future approaches. Click on the map to learn more.
Further Reading: CBS News, BBC, Phys.org, Nature.com
Graphic Source: NASA
Yesterday's Answer
Q: Almost 90% of earthquakes occur in the 'Ring of Fire.' Where is the next most active seismic region, where 5-6% of earthquakes occur?

A: The Alpide Belt
The Alpide Belt extends almost 10,000 miles (16,000 km) from the Mediterranean region, eastward through Turkey, Iran, and across northern India. The region consists of many mountain ranges, including the Alps, Caucasus, and Himalayas. Seismic activity on the belt is created by the collision of continental plates. The northward-moving African, Arabian, and Indian plates consistently collide with the Eurasian plate, making it the second most seismic region in the world. Indonesia is situated on both the Alpide Belt and the Ring of Fire, making the nation ever more prone to extreme earthquakes; in 2009 alone, Indonesia was hit with 10 earthquakes above a 6.0 magnitude.

Source
Today's Question
Q: Indo-European languages are the most commonly spoken language family in India. Which language family, spoken by around 222 million Indians, or almost 20% of the population, is the second-most common?
 
Stay tuned for the answer to today's question in tomorrow's DailyGeo.

 
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