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TIL In Afghanistan they make beautiful carpets that depict the decades of wars and violence the country has gone through. Instead of traditional motives, these rugs show drones, tanks and guns and began after the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, continuing after the NATO-invasion in the 2000s.

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Bgg1K TIL Frank Abagnale, of Catch Me if You Can fame, exaggerated/fabricated much of his crimes. Abagnale claims to have escaped a prison he was never in, to have been on the 10 most wanted list, and he cashed $2.5 million in bad checks but he was convicted on a total of less than $1,500 in bad checks.
nWnP7 TIL that Djibouti, a small country with less than a million people, hosts military bases from the US, China, Japan, France and Italy. Due to its strategic position at the mouth of the Red Sea, leases from foreign military bases make up 5% of its economy.
5V1gn TIL In China, there's a dish called Tong Zi Dan, where eggs are cooked in children's urine. Locals collect urine from kids in spring as a raw material. Surprisingly, these eggs sell for double the price of regular boiled eggs due to their cultural significance.
v1MyB TIL there is a toxic lake in Butte- MT, which was an old mining site now filled with toxic waters. Scientists have found use of this lake in researching about microbes which thrive in these extreme conditions, helping our fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and diseases like cancer
d089 TIL The alleged mastermind of September 11 Shaikh Mohammed’s two young sons, ages 7 and 9, were kidnapped by the C.I.A and continued to be kept in custody to pressure their father.