NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – In a historic effort to improve map accuracy, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution backed by the African Union. This resolution calls on international organizations and educational systems to phase out distorted world map projections. The move addresses long-standing criticisms of the 1569 Mercator projection, which enlarges landmasses at high latitudes and shrinks those near the equator. By officially endorsing equal-area alternatives, the assembly hopes to align modern mapping practices with true geographic proportions and reduce Eurocentric biases that influence global communication.

Starting October 25, 2026, the airline will add a fourth daily non-stop flight from Sharjah International Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. This schedule change raises the weekly non-stop flights on the Sharjah-Bangkok route to 28, offering more flexibility for leisure and business travelers. Air Arabia increases Bangkok flights to four daily from Sharjah to meet rising regional travel demands across commercial corridors.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook will deliver opening remarks, joined by delegations from the African Development Bank Group. Discussions will focus on blending South Korea’s manufacturing expertise with Africa’s human resources and vital mineral resources. Korea and Africa are charting a new course for AI digital infrastructure, as the continent aims to address an estimated $400 billion annual development financing gap.

The ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak now impacts 60 health zones across six provinces. Congo’s Ebola response expands as Bundibugyo transmission remains active. This epidemic is now Congo’s most severe and deadliest Ebola outbreak on record. It ranks as the second-largest Ebola outbreak worldwide, following the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa. Ituri remains the epicenter, accounting for approximately 85% of cases and 88% of deaths. Tedros highlighted that many fatalities involve individuals not listed as known contacts, indicating that transmission chains are still being missed by health teams. Community deaths and unsafe burials continue to hinder outbreak control efforts. According to Africa CDC, more than 60% of deaths in the recent seven-day span occurred within communities. Health officials also report delays in identifying infections and getting patients to treatment centers.

South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves reached $442.28 billion at the end of August. This August boost continued a three-month recovery trend in South Korea’s foreign reserves. The reserves grew by $370 million in June and by $590 million in July. The August increase exceeded these figures and broke the previous record monthly increase of $14.29 billion set in May 2009. Despite this significant rise, reserves still lag behind the record $469.21 billion reported in October 2021. The central bank attributed the growth to various factors during August. Foreign currency deposits held by financial institutions grew during the month. Reserve asset management returns also contributed to the total. Currency fluctuations increased the dollar value of assets in other currencies. Since the Bank of Korea measures reserve holdings in U.S. dollars, exchange rate shifts can change their reported value without affecting the actual foreign assets. Foreign securities remain the main component of reserves At the end of August, foreign securities made up most of South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves. Their value increased by $7.07 billion from July to $387.07 billion. This accounted for 87.5% of the total reserve holdings. This category includes government and corporate securities kept as reserve assets. Foreign currency deposits also saw a large jump. These deposits rose by $7.17 billion during August, reaching $30.30 billion by month’s end. Special drawing rights increased by $60 million, totaling $15.77 billion in August. South Korea’s reserve

IFHC houbara breeder initiative supports training, welfare and biosecurity across the UAE. Ekthar Wildlife Development will oversee the initiative and handle its scientific and technical aspects. Ekthar also functions as the strategic partner for IFHC centers, programs, and projects within the UAE and internationally. The initiative leverages Ekthar’s conservation and operational expertise to assist participating breeders. The program was launched at the 23rd Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition, which gathers falconers, breeders, and organizations involved in wildlife, heritage, and conservation efforts. Breeders interested in joining must undergo a structured assessment before acceptance. This process evaluates their preparedness and highlights areas needing additional support. Registration does not automatically guarantee entry. Applicants are required to complete the assessment to gain final approval, establishing a clear entry process for existing breeders and those developing new houbara breeding projects. Training program defines entry criteria Participants who succeed and their teams will receive specialized education through Abu Dhabi Nature Academy. Workshops, courses, and other training sessions will focus on responsible houbara breeding and facility management. The curriculum will also cover animal welfare, biosecurity, and operational best practices for managed breeding. Graduates will receive certificates, and technical experts will continue offering guidance as breeders expand or enhance their operations. Participants who meet the requirements may also be granted breeding birds on a right to use basis after passing assessments and training. This aspect complements the educational and technical support components of the

Japan is enhancing its efforts to combat investment scams by implementing a new AI-based tool designed to identify warning signs sooner. The Consumer Affairs Agency announced this initiative on September 1. The system will analyze consumer complaints for language patterns and indicators associated with fraudulent schemes and failing companies. According to the package, AI will complement existing keyword searches and enable earlier alerts, investigations, and enforcement actions when complaint data reveal serious risks.

South Korea’s consumer prices increased by 3.1% in August compared to the previous year, according to official figures. This growth rate surpassed July’s 2.8%, pushing headline inflation back above 3%. The consumer price index hit 120.05, with 2020 as the base year of 100. Prices also saw a 0.2% rise from July.

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have begun a targeted effort to vaccinate against Ebola in Kisangani, the capital city of Tshopo Province, to help stop the deadliest outbreak in the country’s history. Frontline healthcare workers, emergency responders, and those in direct contact with confirmed cases are being prioritized during the initial stage of distribution. Health Minister Roger Kamba confirmed that the government started using doses of the Ervebo vaccine to protect frontline staff in the eastern provinces affected by the outbreak.

UAE and Kurdistan Region leaders meet in Abu Dhabi to discuss cooperation and stability. Sheikh Mohamed and Barzani examined the long-standing ties between the UAE and Iraq, especially the Kurdistan Region. Both parties discussed potential sectors for expanded cooperation and issues of mutual interest. The leaders emphasized the importance of supporting security, stability, and lasting peace in the Middle East. The Kurdistan Regional Government stated that both sides condemned recent attacks on the UAE and agreed on the need to maintain peace and security while addressing regional issues.

Korea’s outbound shipments increased by 68.7% year-on-year in August, reaching $98.25 billion. This rise was driven by persistent global demand for high-performance memory chips and AI infrastructure. Data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources showed imports also grew by 22.6% over the same period to $63.51 billion, resulting in a monthly trade surplus of $34.75 billion. Korea’s August exports surged 68.7% to $98.25 billion as Asia’s fourth-largest economy continues its trade expansion for a 15th consecutive month.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Cairo for an official visit as Egypt and China marked 70 years of diplomatic relations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed Xi at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday. First Lady Entissar El-Sisi also attended the reception alongside Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan. The visit is Xi’s first to Egypt in 10 years. It comes as both governments review a bilateral relationship that spans political, economic and development cooperation.

India’s economy grew 7.8% in Q1 FY27 as manufacturing, services and investment expanded. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation reported real gross domestic product at ₹81.36 lakh crore for the quarter. This compares with ₹75.46 lakh crore during the same period last year. Nominal GDP reached ₹88.27 lakh crore, marking a 10.3% increase from ₹80 lakh crore. Real gross value added, which measures economic activity, grew 8.2% to ₹73.82 lakh crore. Nominal GVA rose 11.5% to ₹80.53 lakh crore. Manufacturing experienced a 9.2% growth, while financial, real estate, and professional services expanded by 12.1%. Agriculture, livestock, forestry, and fishing grew 3.6%. Household consumption rose 7.1%, continuing to be a key driver of domestic demand. Investment also improved, with gross fixed capital formation increasing nearly 12% from a year earlier. Its share of nominal GDP increased to 34.3%, up from 31.4% last year.

Modi and Putin discuss India-Russia ties during high-level talks in Bishkek. The previous meeting occurred in New Delhi at the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit in December 2025. During their latest dialogue, they examined progress under the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership that shapes their bilateral relations. India and Russia work closely across various sectors including energy, defence, technology, and space. Both governments also aim to enhance trade and investments, addressing challenges such as logistics and payment systems that impact their commercial cooperation. Modi and Putin expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the 27th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation. This commission met in Moscow on August 24, just days before the Bishkek summit. The two nations aim to reach $100 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2030. According to Indian government data, bilateral trade hit $59.86 billion in the 2025-26 financial year, with Russian exports to India making up most of this total. Diplomacy and dialogue remain key in resolving conflicts.

Child protection efforts face mounting pressure from conflict, climate and digital abuse. The report reveals that nearly 19% of children worldwide now reside in conflict zones, up from about 10% in the 1990s. By late 2024, violence and conflict had displaced 48.8 million children globally. This figure is almost three times the roughly 17 million displaced in 2010. It includes children seeking asylum or refugees, as well as millions displaced within their own countries due to violence and conflict. Climate-related hazards continue to pose additional dangers. Almost half of all children—around 1.1 billion—face at least three overlapping climate threats. Nearly every child endures at least one such danger, according to UNICEF’s 2026 climate risk report. Over 4 million children are exposed to as many as six threats simultaneously. These hazards include drought, extreme heat, heatwaves, floods, fires, tropical storms, and sand and dust storms. Digital dangers intensify child protection issues The UN assessment highlights that digital environments have increased risks to children. Around one in three internet users worldwide is under 18. Annually, over 300 million children face online sexual exploitation and abuse, according to UN data. During the past year, at least 1.2 million children reported that artificial intelligence had created sexually explicit deepfakes of their images. Other online threats include cyberbullying, scams, identity theft, trafficking, and harmful content. A 2025 survey

Japan stocks remain in focus as Nikkei volatility meets rising bond yields and rate concerns. By the end of the day, the Nikkei had regained most of its earlier losses, closing at 66,311.93. This was a decrease of 93.63 points, or 0.14%. The closing level was well above the morning low and marked the session high. The Topix closed at 4,156.29, up 0.23%, reversing its initial decline. Market breadth improved as trading continued, with 131 Nikkei stocks advancing, 91 declining, and three unchanged. The rebound significantly narrowed a morning decline that had briefly exceeded 2%.

China’s digital industry posted strong revenue and profit growth in the first half of 2026. The majority of the digital industry’s revenue came from China’s leading regional markets. The top 10 provincial-level regions generated a combined total of 17.21 trillion yuan, an increase of 13.2%. Central China alone reported 2.86 trillion yuan in digital industry revenue, rising 28.3% from the previous year. Digital infrastructure also saw expansion during this period. By the end of June, China had 5.102 million 5G base stations. Over 80,000 private 5G industry networks were active nationwide. Electronics industry value-added output increased by 14.8% year-over-year.

During the state visit, India and Uzbekistan signed 11 agreements, memoranda, and related arrangements. These cover culture, higher education, scientific research, environmental protection, traditional medicine, tourism, geology, and mineral resources. The package also includes collaboration on archival work and an economic and financial dialogue. One agreement links Gujarat state with Uzbekistan’s Samarkand region. They also approved cooperation on diplomatic training and archaeological conservation at Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa Buddhist sites. Additional announcements came during the visit, focusing on payments, education, and environmental efforts. India pledged a $1 million grant for planting trees in the Aral Sea region. It also announced 100 Lal Bahadur Shastri scholarships for Hindi studies and a Sanskrit academic chair in Tashkent. NPCI International Payments and Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre reached a commercial deal involving UPI. This will enable Indian UPI apps to scan Uzbekistan’s UZQR system for merchant transactions.

Rescue operations continue after deadly floods across Nepal and Tibet. The Nepalese authorities stated rescue teams have evacuated 10,451 individuals to safety, including 252 foreigners. Among those still missing are 592 foreigners and 933 workers involved in hydropower projects along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli routes. Officials recorded 267 injured people, while 156 have left medical care after treatment. Nepal has mobilized over 20,000 security personnel to carry out search, rescue, and relief efforts in affected districts. Helicopters are transporting survivors and supplies between isolated communities as well. The flood struck the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa District early on August 26. It swept through settlements along the riverbank, damaging homes, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities, and other vital infrastructure. Authorities explained that Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha experienced major impacts as floodwaters traveled through interconnected river systems. The disaster also affected Gyirong County in Tibet, where rescue teams continue to search mountain valleys and border areas. Investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the flood. Teams prioritize missing workers and remote locations Rescue efforts focus mainly on hydropower sites where many workers remain unaccounted for. The Nepal Army is working with tunnel rescue experts from India, China, and South Korea at several locations. Authorities say at least 90 people are trapped in multiple hydropower tunnels blocked by mud, rocks, and debris

Indonesia expands sports investment coordination through a new business licensing framework. This agreement links the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming with the Ministry of Youth and Sports on licensing. It also promotes investment and provides services for companies in sports sectors. The ministries will work together through Indonesia’s Online Single Submission system, known as OSS. Their cooperation involves regulatory oversight, compliance checks, and data sharing. The framework aims to develop investment in Indonesia’s sports industry rather than set a domestic market target of US$521 billion.