The United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution on September 4 encouraging a shift from the Mercator projection to the 2018 Equal Earth map. Sponsored by Togo and spearheaded by the African Union, the resolution passed 164-1, with six abstentions; India voted in favour while the United States opposed it. The initiative seeks to represent Africa and Global South regions accurately and challenge Eurocentric cartographic conventions. Mercator preserves angles and directions for navigation but enlarges areas near the poles, making Africa appear comparable to Greenland despite being 15 times larger. Supporters argue such distortions can reinforce perceptions of Western cultural, economic and geopolitical dominance, making cartography a tool of power.

Five people were killed after an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane operated by 21 Air overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday. The Boeing 767-300, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598, had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aircraft reportedly overran a diagonal runway around 2 p.m. ET, struck several vehicles and caught fire, sending thick smoke over the area. More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded as crews battled the blaze and assessed those affected. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are gathering information and investigating the crash. Amazon said it was supporting those affected. (PC: India Today)

Indian benchmark indices opened lower on September 7 as rising US-Iran tensions and higher crude oil prices weighed on investor sentiment. The Nifty declined 0.2% at the open to 23,883.15, while the Sensex fell 0.2% to 76,446.05. All sectoral indices traded lower in early trade. The rupee opened at 94.39 against the US dollar, compared with Friday’s close of 94.49. Crude oil traded near $97 per barrel as geopolitical tensions supported prices. Analysts expected domestic markets to remain weak or rangebound through the week, citing West Asia tensions, elevated oil prices, rainfall deficit, foreign portfolio investor selling and liquidity pressure from upcoming IPOs, including NSE and Jio and other new issues. (PC: Times Now)

US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming New Mexico “New America,” posting an image on Truth Social showing “Mexico” crossed out and replaced with “America.” The White House amplified the image on X. Trump said many people had suggested the change and called the proposed name more prestigious and beautiful. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham rejected the idea, saying the state’s name was not up for debate and had existed before the United States. She accused Trump of distracting Americans from issues including soaring gas prices. The proposal follows Trump’s recent geographic renaming efforts, including Lake Ontario as “Lake America” and the Gulf of Mexico as “the Gulf of America”.

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election, finishing first and moving closer to potentially forming its first state government since World War Two. The result delivered a major setback to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and added pressure on his ruling coalition. The AfD advocates strict immigration curbs, warmer ties with Russia, reduced support for Ukraine and leaving the euro. With 77% turnout, it remained unclear whether the party could form a government, as mainstream parties have refused cooperation. AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund called the result historic. The party is Germany’s most popular nationally, polling at 28% nationally in a recent INSA poll.

Iran is doubling its third-tier gasoline price to 10,000 tomans per litre from 5,000 tomans, effective September 8, amid economic strain during the escalating war with the United States. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said monthly subsidised allocations will remain unchanged, with motorists receiving 60 litres at 1,500 tomans and another 50 litres at 3,000 tomans per litre. The government said the increase aims to balance supply and demand and strengthen “national resilience.” Iranian households are already facing high inflation, a weakened currency and rising basic-goods costs. The country also has a daily gasoline deficit of around 14-15 million litres. Officials said additional revenue would support household livelihoods, while lawmakers warned the hike could trigger further unrest.

Five people were killed after an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane operated by 21 Air overran a runway and crashed at Miami International Airport on Sunday, according to officials. The Boeing 767-300, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598, had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aircraft overran the airport’s diagonal runway at around 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT), struck multiple vehicles and caught fire, sending thick smoke across the area. The crash led to the closure of all runways and taxiways and a ground stop at the airport. Amazon said it was supporting those affected, while the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident.

Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji has revealed that she faced sexual harassment, impersonation and unauthorised AI-generated images after her viral performance at the 2026 IPF World Championships in Sun City, South Africa. Competing in the Junior Women’s 47kg category, the 21-year-old lifted 140kg in the deadlift to win silver. She weighed 45.70kg and recorded a 90kg squat and 50kg bench press, finishing with a 280kg total and fifth overall. Banerji said social media attention increasingly focused on her appearance and alleged that offensive comments targeted her ethnicity, ancestry and caste. She described discovering AI-generated images using her face and body without consent as particularly disturbing and said she chose to speak out.

Iran will establish a new “prohibited zone” near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, top security chief Mohsen Rezaei said Sunday. The zone will extend beyond the strait into parts of the Persian Gulf, beginning from the US Navy’s blockade line. Rezaei said any ship entering the zone would be placed on Iran’s sanctions list. The announcement comes as the US increases sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran’s economy. Iran also announced a sharp petrol price increase for heavier consumers. The rial has declined further, trading at more than 2.2 million rials per dollar on the black market. Rezaei’s comments come amid tensions surrounding shipping and the strategic waterway.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India-France relations have reached new heights, with both nations building a Special Global Strategic Partnership with President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking virtually at the inauguration of the Swaminarayan temple in Paris, Modi said the partnership rests on long-standing cultural and political ties. He expressed hope that the grand BAPS temple would stand for centuries as a symbol of cooperation and opportunity between India and France. Modi said the temple would strengthen cultural ties, reflect shared craftsmanship and serve as a centre for service. He added that when BAPS consecrates temples in different countries, India’s ancient thoughts and human values travel alongside them as they reach people worldwide.