Germany to strengthen defences against high drone threat
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Saturday (27 September) that the threat from drones was "high" and that the country would take mea...
The African Union has endorsed a campaign to end the use of the Mercator map, saying it distorts Africa’s true size and reinforces outdated stereotypes.
First drawn in the 16th century for navigation, Gerardus Mercator’s projection enlarges landmasses near the poles such as Greenland and North America, while shrinking Africa and South America.
AU Commission deputy chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters the map gave a false impression of Africa as “marginal” despite being the world’s second-largest continent with more than a billion people.
Campaign to ‘Correct the Map’
The push is led by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa. They urge governments and global organizations to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which reflects countries’ true proportions.
“The current size of the map of Africa is wrong. It’s the world’s longest misinformation and disinformation campaign,” said Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter.
Identity and education
Speak Up Africa co-founder Fara Ndiaye said the Mercator shaped how Africans saw themselves, especially children in classrooms. She said the campaign is promoting Equal Earth as the standard across African schools and hopes it will become the default for international bodies too.
AU’s position
Haddadi said backing the campaign fit the AU’s goal of “reclaiming Africa’s rightful place on the global stage,” adding it ties into wider calls for reparations for colonialism and slavery.
Beyond Africa
The Mercator projection remains widely used, including in schools and on tech platforms. Google Maps switched to a 3D globe on desktop in 2018, though Mercator is still default on mobile.
The World Bank said it already uses Equal Earth or Winkel-Tripel for static maps and is phasing out Mercator in digital products. A request has also been sent to the UN’s geospatial committee for review.
Support extends beyond Africa. Dorbrene O’Marde of CARICOM’s Reparations Commission endorsed Equal Earth as a rejection of the Mercator’s “ideology of power and dominance.”
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Saturday (27 September) that the threat from drones was "high" and that the country would take measures to defend itself.
The United States said it would revoke Colombian President Gustavo Petro's visa after he took to New York's streets on Friday in a pro-Palestinian demonstration and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump's orders.
Moldova's election authority excluded the pro-Russian political party 'Greater Moldova' from participating in Sunday's parliamentary vote due to suspected illegal financing, officials said on Saturday.
Unidentified drones were observed near military installations in Denmark overnight, the Armed Forces said on Saturday, according to broadcaster DR, following several drone incursions near airports and critical infrastructure this week.
Ukrainian drones on 27 September struck an oil pumping station in the Russian Volga riverside region of Chuvashia, causing the station to halt work, regional governor Oleg Nikolaev said in a statement posted on Telegram.
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