News
In a historic push for cartographic accuracy, the United Nations General Assembly passed an African Union-backed resolution urging international institutions and educational systems to phase out distorted world map projections. The action addresses longstanding criticisms of the 1569 Mercator projection, which exaggerates high-latitude landmasses while artificially shrinking the relative scale of equatorial regions. By formally endorsing equal-area alternatives, the global assembly aims to align modern mapping standards with objective geographical realities and eliminate inherited Eurocentric biases in global communications.
Business
South Korea and African partner countries are set to establish a significant framework for economic cooperation centered on artificial intelligence and technology-led growth during the 8th Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Ministerial Conference in Seoul. This upcoming meeting marks the 20th year of the bilateral platform, bringing together cabinet ministers, development financiers, and technology executives. Confirmed official statements reveal plans for Korea Africa to chart a new course in AI digital infrastructure deployment along emerging trade corridors, while reflecting on twenty years of joint investments.
Travel
Air Arabia enhances Bangkok service with four daily flights from Sharjah, catering to rising regional travel demand across key commercial corridors. This expansion complements the airline’s current schedule to Thailand, which features 21 weekly non-stop flights between Sharjah and Phuket. With the addition of a fourth daily flight to Bangkok, Air Arabia will now operate a total of 49 weekly non-stop flights from its main hub in Sharjah to various Thai destinations. This route growth enhances connectivity between the Arabian Gulf and significant Southeast Asian tourism and trade hubs.
Sports
Spain sent Portugal out of the FIFA World Cup with a late 1-0 win, ending Ronaldo’s sixth tournament and long pursuit of the title.
Norway reached the FIFA World Cup last eight after a 2-1 win over Brazil, with Haaland scoring twice and Neymar netting late.
Australia exited the FIFA World Cup 2026 after Egypt won 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 Round of 32 draw in Arlington at Dallas Stadium.
Spain kept a clean sheet and advanced from the World Cup Round of 32 after goals by Oyarzabal and Porro ended Austria’s run in Los Angeles.
Mexico reached the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Ecuador, keeping its unbeaten run and clean-sheet record intact.
Brazil booked a Round of 16 place at World Cup 2026 after Casemiro and Martinelli erased Japan’s first-half lead in Houston from the Round of 32.
Portugal moved to four points in Group K after a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, whose first World Cup campaign remained difficult.
Norway’s 3-2 victory over Senegal put Haaland on four World Cup 2026 goals and sent the team into the Round of 32 from Group I after two wins.
Health
Congo’s Ebola response expands as Bundibugyo transmission remains active. This epidemic has become Congo’s most extensive and deadliest Ebola outbreak ever, ranking as the second-largest worldwide after the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic. Ituri remains the epicenter of the crisis, responsible for roughly 85% of cases and 88% of fatalities. Tedros highlighted that many deaths involve individuals not registered as known contacts, indicating ongoing transmission chains that health teams are still missing. Community deaths and unsafe burials continue to pose major challenges to controlling the outbreak. According to Africa CDC, over 60% of fatalities in the recent seven-day period occurred within communities. Health officials also report delays in detecting infections and admitting patients to treatment centers. The latest government figures show 1,439 recoveries and a case fatality rate of 48.6%, underscoring the severe impact of the Bundibugyo virus. Transmission persists throughout eastern Congo Active transmission persists in 51 health zones, despite signs of a recent decline in case numbers. Four zones have not reported new cases for over 42 days and have interrupted transmission, while an additional five have experienced more than 21 days without new cases. Public health officials warn that the recent decrease is too recent to confirm that the Ebola outbreak nationwide is under control. The WHO has expanded testing, treatment, and field support efforts across affected regions, delivering over 330 tonnes of emergency supplies and deploying more than 300 experts. Laboratory capacity has increased
Technology
Japan is enhancing its efforts to combat investment scams by implementing a new artificial intelligence-based system designed to identify warning signs at an earlier stage. The Consumer Affairs Agency announced this initiative on September 1, stating that it will analyze consumer complaints for language patterns and indicators associated with fraudulent activities and failing enterprises. According to the agency, AI will complement existing keyword searches, enabling quicker alerts, investigations, and enforcement actions when complaint data reveal significant risks.