Lightning strikes kill thousands globally each year, but for those who survive, the storm is far from over

the gist

An estimated 6,000 to 24,000 people are killed by lightning each year, and the true figure is uncertain because records are incomplete. Central Africa is one of the most lightning-active regions on Earth, with roughly 2 to 4 million strikes a year across the continent, fed by warm moist air from the Gulf of Guinea that is forced upward over highlands. Most lightning deaths in Africa involve more than one victim, unlike in developed countries, and about half of African incidents happen indoors in buildings without lightning protection. Survivors often develop invisible injuries such as memory loss, chronic pain, tinnitus and nerve damage, and many doctors have little training to treat them.

so what

Lightning kills far more people in some regions because of building design and weak protection, not only because of how often storms occur. Recognizing long-term injuries also matters, since most survivors have no visible scars.

Trump and Netanyahu reportedly clash over whether to resume military action against Iran

the gist

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

so what

The United States and Israel have been closely aligned on Iran's nuclear programme and regional threats, so open disagreement between their leaders over military strategy is unusual and closely watched. Whether to resume strikes is a decision with consequences for shipping, oil markets and the wider Middle East.

fun fact

Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel for more years in total than any other person.

read it onThe Times of India The Tribune

search onBBCNYTCNNReutersAPAl Jazeera

Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch (original) “The Provis…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

10:49

supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.