Carib Scope

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  • Cuba’s health system under siege: Lives behind the numbers

    Cuba’s health system under siege: Lives behind the numbers

    In a press address to global and domestic media on September 7, 2026, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla unveiled the most recent comprehensive assessment of harms inflicted by the United States economic and energy blockade on Cuba, covering the period from March 2025 to February 2026. He emphasized a critical, often overlooked truth: the decades-old blockade is not a distant geopolitical tool, but an unrelenting, daily attack on the fundamental right to life for ordinary Cuban people.

    Nowhere is the blockade’s cruelty more pronounced than in the country’s hospitals and clinics, where widespread energy shortages have turned routine care into a life-or-death struggle. Newborns relying on life-sustaining incubators and mechanical ventilators are left exposed during frequent power outages, and medical staff have been forced to manually pump air to keep infants alive when grid and backup systems fail. Surgeons have completed urgent procedures by the dim light of rechargeable flashlights and even cell phone screens, with no alternative available when electricity cuts out mid-operation.

    Despite widespread investments in solar infrastructure to shield critical healthcare services, ongoing energy restrictions have crippled hospital operations across the island. Ambulance fleets lack sufficient fuel to respond to emergencies, dialysis treatment for patients with kidney failure is regularly interrupted, and more than 7,000 shipping containers holding desperately needed medications remain stuck outside Cuban ports, leaving families to endure agonizing searches for scarce life-saving drugs.

    Leading Cuban clinicians have shared on-the-ground accounts of this ongoing crisis. Dr. Niurka Moreno Obregón, head of neonatology at a leading Havana hospital, explained that most mechanical ventilators lack backup batteries, leaving staff no choice but to step in when generators fail during blackouts. Dr. Yudmila Rodríguez Verdecia, chief anesthesiologist, recalled high-stakes surgeries carried out under cell phone illumination: “The surgery cannot be stopped. We are plunged into complete darkness, and we keep working.”

    The crisis hits children with cancer particularly hard. Each year, between 300 and 400 Cuban children receive a cancer diagnosis, and their survival depends on consistent access to specialized medications and radiation equipment that requires a stable energy supply. For families, this means living in constant fear of treatment interruption. Licet Rodríguez Alonso, the mother of 15-year-old cancer patient Diego, shared her anguish: “Diego is in the middle of radiation, but there’s no fuel for the generators. How will those machines run? If the hospital shuts down, how can I keep my son’s treatment going?”

    The cumulative impact of the blockade’s restrictions has left Cuba with a backlog of more than 100,000 patients waiting for life-improving or life-saving surgery, 12,000 of whom are children. Fuel shortages have disrupted cold chain transport for vaccines, leaving more than 30,000 children waiting for scheduled immunizations. An additional 2,888 patients dependent on regular haemodialysis face unstable, interrupted care, as the treatment requires a steady energy supply that the country’s strained grid can no longer guarantee.

    Global health and international leaders have increasingly voiced urgent alarm over the humanitarian crisis. On May 7, 2026, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that “health must be protected at all costs and must never be left at the mercy of geopolitics, energy blockades, or blackouts.” The UN Resident Coordinator in Cuba has warned that 32,000 pregnant people face elevated risk of complications due to care gaps, while a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General has echoed deep concern for thousands of cancer patients unable to access life-saving radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

    The collected statistics from the report paint a devastating picture of the human toll, with each number representing individual lives and families upended by the blockade. The island’s infant mortality rate has jumped from 4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 9 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, a 148% increase. Of the 395 essential pharmaceuticals classified as critical for public health, 300 are currently unavailable across the country. Childhood and youth cancer survival rates have plummeted from 85% a decade ago to just 65% in 2025.

    Beyond the public health system disruptions, the US blockade actively blocks Cuba from purchasing a wide range of life-saving advanced medications from major international pharmaceutical manufacturers. These include common first-line cancer treatments such as Pemetrexed produced by Eli Lilly, Palbociclib from Pfizer, Brentuximab vedotin from Seattle Genetics, Pembrolizumab from MSD, and Nivolumab from Bristol Myers Squibb. Vital specialized medical equipment for pediatric cardiology and genetic care, including HeartMate 3 and PediMag cardiac pumps for children with severe congenital heart conditions, also remain inaccessible due to trade restrictions.

    Even basic diagnostic supplies are blocked: Phytohemagglutinin, a reagent critical for routine neonatal genetic testing, cannot be imported, forcing the suspension of testing and care planning for 140 patients in 2025 alone.

    In closing, the report frames the blockade’s disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable segments of Cuban society — newborns, sick children, elderly patients, and low-income families — as having a clear genocidal character. Behind every statistic is a human story: an infant fighting for breath when a ventilator fails, a birthing mother delivering in total darkness, a family watching a loved one suffer without access to affordable treatment, and a clinician working against all odds to save a life with insufficient tools. The blockade is not an abstract policy debate: it is collective punishment inflicted on an entire people, and its cost is measured in human lives.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Take Center Stage at Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade

    Antigua and Barbuda Take Center Stage at Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade

    One of North America’s largest and most vibrant Caribbean cultural celebrations, the annual West Indian Day Parade held in Brooklyn, New York, drew hundreds of thousands of attendees this year, and it was the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda that emerged as the event’s headline attraction.

    Hosted every Labor Day along Brooklyn’s iconic Eastern Parkway, the parade is a decades-old tradition that brings together dozens of Caribbean and West Indian nations to showcase their distinct cultural heritage, rhythmic music, savory cuisine, and colorful artistry to a diverse global audience. For the 2024 iteration, organizers selected Antigua and Barbuda as the featured nation, granting the small Caribbean country an unmatched platform to highlight its national identity, tourism offerings, and vibrant community roots to millions watching both in-person and via live stream.

    Participants representing Antigua and Barbuda pulled out all stops for the event, rolling out intricately designed floats adorned with the nation’s vibrant sun-drenched red, gold, and black flag motifs, images of its world-famous white-sand beaches, and depictions of the iconic Devil’s Punchbowl natural landmark. Local dancers clad in traditional feathered and sequined carnival costumes led the contingent, moving in sync to the upbeat sounds of Antiguan soca and calypso music that echoed for blocks along the parade route.

    Members of the Antigua and Barbuda diaspora based in the United States turned out in record numbers to support their home nation, many carrying hand-painted signs and wearing custom apparel emblazoned with national slogans. Local political leaders and tourism officials from the country also traveled to Brooklyn for the event, using the opportunity to hold informal meetings with business leaders and promote Antigua and Barbuda as a top-tier travel and investment destination for North American travelers.

    Event attendees and organizers alike praised the Antigua and Barbuda contingent for its energetic, authentic presentation that captured the spirit of Caribbean carnival. Parade organizers noted that featuring a small island nation like Antigua and Barbuda helps bring much-needed attention to smaller Caribbean cultures that often receive less global spotlight, while strengthening the bonds between the diaspora community and their home countries. For many attendees, the parade’s focus on Antigua and Barbuda sparked new interest in visiting the twin islands, with many taking to social media to share photos of the contingent and research travel opportunities after the event.

  • UK Rejects Jamaica’s £10 Billion Reparations Demand

    UK Rejects Jamaica’s £10 Billion Reparations Demand

    On September 7, 2026, a high-level Jamaican delegation led by Culture Minister Olivia Grange delivered an unprecedented formal petition to Buckingham Palace, calling on the UK government to pay £10 billion in reparations for Britain’s centuries-long role in the transatlantic slave trade. Two days later, the UK government issued a firm rejection, reaffirming a long-held policy that has remained consistent across successive administrations.

    A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham restated the government’s stance clearly: “The UK does not pay and will not pay reparations.” While the spokesperson acknowledged the universally recognized abhorrence of colonial-era slavery and the immense wealth Britain extracted from the trade, he confirmed that no UK government has ever agreed to a formal apology or entered into economic negotiations over reparations for descendants of enslaved people.

    What sets Jamaica’s 2026 demand apart from previous reparations campaigns is its novel legal framework. Unlike earlier efforts that sought direct political or royal action, this petition asks King Charles III to refer the case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council – the London-based body that remains the final court of appeal for Jamaica and many other Commonwealth nations. This marks the first time any Commonwealth country has pursued this specific legal avenue, meaning the case could set a landmark precedent for future reparations claims across the Global South if it proceeds.

    The petition outlines three core legal questions for the court to consider: first, whether the enslavement of African people in Jamaica was actually unlawful under English law as it existed at the time of the trade; second, whether the practice violated established international norms regardless of its domestic legality; and third, whether the UK retains a binding legal obligation to compensate for the intergenerational harm caused by centuries of slavery. Alongside financial reparations, Grange also tied the demand to a broader global movement for cultural restitution, calling for the return of hundreds of Caribbean artifacts currently held in major British museums.

    Despite the UK’s immediate rejection, Grange struck an optimistic tone in comments to international media, framing the delivery of the petition itself as a meaningful step forward. “This moment is progress regardless of the immediate response from London,” she said, noting that the campaign has already drawn global attention to the ongoing impacts of colonial slavery. King Charles III was traveling in Scotland when the delegation arrived at Buckingham Palace, a coincidence that drew sharp criticism from anti-monarchy activists. Graham Smith, chief executive of the UK-based campaign group Republic, argued that the monarch has a pattern of avoiding scrutiny over the crown’s historical ties to the slave trade, saying “he once again seeks refuge whenever the issue of slavery and empire is raised.”

    Jamaica’s petition comes amid growing global pressure on former colonial powers to address historical harm. A United Nations committee has already formally concluded that sovereign states carry a legal obligation to consider reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, warning that meaningful global progress on eliminating systemic racial discrimination will remain impossible without redress for the ongoing intergenerational damage of slavery.

    To contextualize the claim: Jamaica became a British colony in 1655, and over more than 300 years of colonial rule, hundreds of thousands of enslaved African people were trafficked to the island and subjected to brutal forced labor. The country gained full independence from the UK in 1962 and remained a Commonwealth realm with the British monarch as its formal head of state until a 2024 constitutional amendment removed that role, moving Jamaica closer to becoming a full republic.

    Britain rose to become the world’s largest slave-trading power by the 1730s, after entering the trade in 1562. Over the course of its involvement in the transatlantic trade, British ships transported more than three million enslaved African people, mostly to colonies in the Caribbean and North America. Notably, the UK has paid reparations for slavery once before – but not to the victims or their descendants. When Britain abolished slavery across its empire in 1833, the government paid hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation exclusively to white slave owners for the “loss of property,” a debt that British taxpayers only finished paying off in 2015.

    In more recent years, UK state and non-state institutions have begun to acknowledge historical complicity: in March 2024, the Church of England pledged to create a £1 billion fund to address its own historical ties to the slave trade. But successive UK political leaders have repeatedly rejected calls for state-funded reparations to descendant communities. As recently as October 2024, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office confirmed the UK would not issue a formal apology or pay any financial compensation, and the British monarchy has also never issued a formal apology for its role in enabling and profiting from the transatlantic slave trade.

    To date, the Netherlands remains the only European country to have issued a formal, state-level apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. When the UN General Assembly voted in early 2026 to recognize the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity” in history, the UK was among a small group of European nations that abstained from the vote.

  • US invests $245,000 to restore historic Fort Montagu and cannons

    US invests $245,000 to restore historic Fort Montagu and cannons

    A landmark cross-border cultural preservation effort is underway in The Bahamas, as the United States commits $245,000 to restore Fort Montagu — one of the Caribbean nation’s oldest remaining military installations — with targeted conservation work focused on the site’s corroded historic cannons.

    The funding comes from two U.S.-backed initiatives: the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and the Freedom 250 Initiative. U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas Herschel Walker confirmed that this grant marks the second-largest U.S. investment in Bahamian cultural heritage protection to date, bringing total American support for such projects across the country to more than $750,000.

    Senior officials from both nations gathered at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas this week to formally launch the restoration project, a step Walker framed as more than just a construction effort. “Fort Montagu has stood there for nearly three centuries,” Walker noted, emphasizing that conserving the fort means safeguarding a core chapter of the Bahamian national story. He added that the collaborative venture also serves as a powerful example of what shared commitment between the two neighboring countries can deliver.

    Completed in 1741, the coastal fort has faced decades of damage from its harsh seaside environment. Dr. Michael Pateman, executive chairman of The Bahamas’ Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation, explained that the work will include critical repairs to the fort’s roof alongside urgent interventions for its 18th-century cannons. “Salt, moisture, and the coastal environment have caused serious corrosion,” Pateman said, adding that the cannons have reached a point where immediate action is required to stop irreversible damage.

    To address the corrosion, conservation specialists will use electrolytic reduction, a specialized technique designed to leach destructive chlorides and salt deposits out of the metal. According to Pateman, the full process is expected to take roughly 12 months, but it provides the most reliable path to preserving the cannons intact for future generations to study and experience.
    Leslia Miller-Brice, The Bahamas’ Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, highlighted that the project draws on professional expertise from three nations: The Bahamas, the United States, and the Dominican Republic. Beyond repairing the physical structure of the fort, Miller-Brice emphasized that the initiative is focused on protecting the collective history and national identity tied to the site.

    “Fort Montagu is still standing, and tonight, The Bahamas and the United States are connected once again through this historic site, not through conflict, but through friendship, collaboration, and a shared commitment to preservation,” Miller-Brice said. “We are preserving memory. We are preserving identity. We are preserving a place where history happened.”

    A core goal of the project, she added, is to make local history accessible to young Bahamians, pushing back against the idea that meaningful historical events only occurred in far-flung places covered in textbooks. “I want our young people, especially, to understand that history did not only happen in distant places in textbooks,” she said. “History happened here, on our shores, in this harbor, on Bahamian soil.”

  • 5 Dominican beaches recommended by HolidayCheck for water sports

    5 Dominican beaches recommended by HolidayCheck for water sports

    A leading German travel portal, HolidayCheck, has named five standout beaches across the Dominican Republic as premier global destinations for a wide range of water-based activities, drawing fresh attention to the Caribbean nation’s diverse coastal appeal for adventure travelers.

    The curated list includes Cabarete, Playa Bávaro, Playa Grande, Boca Chica and Playa Rincón, each located across the country’s northern, eastern and southern shorelines, every spot offering a one-of-a-kind experience tailored to different water sports preferences.

    Per HolidayCheck’s assessment, the Dominican Republic’s consistent, warm year-round climate, crystal-clear coastal waters, and reliably ideal wind and wave conditions are the key attributes that cement its reputation as a go-to location for water sports lovers from around the globe. These natural advantages create consistent conditions that suit both beginner enthusiasts and seasoned pros alike.

    Breaking down the strengths of each recommended location, Cabarete and its adjacent Kite Beach in the Puerto Plata region have earned top marks as world-class kitesurfing hubs, thanks to their steady trade winds that create perfect conditions for the sport. Further east in the popular tourist hub of Punta Cana, Playa Bávaro stands out as a top pick for snorkeling, with its shallow, calm reef waters teeming with diverse marine life.

    Near the town of Río San Juan, Playa Grande benefits from its direct exposure to the open ocean and consistent regular breezes, creating versatile conditions that support surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing all in one location. On the country’s southern coast, Boca Chica – which sits just 30 kilometers outside the capital city of Santo Domingo – has been highlighted as an ideal spot for jet skiing and other casual, recreational water activities that cater to day-trippers and casual visitors.

    Rounding out the list is Playa Rincón in the Samaná Peninsula, which offers a more low-key alternative for travelers who want to pair water sports with a peaceful, secluded beach experience. Tucked away amid unspoiled natural surroundings, the beach caters to visitors looking to avoid the crowds of more developed tourist spots while still accessing high-quality water sports opportunities.

  • Raina Forbin calls on Africa to mobilize around Haiti

    Raina Forbin calls on Africa to mobilize around Haiti

    Against the backdrop of ongoing crisis and fragility in Haiti, the country’s top diplomat has made a urgent call for collective action from African nations and the wider international community to back Haiti’s core national priorities. Speaking at a UN-hosted ministerial gathering in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday, September 9, 2026, Haitian Foreign Minister Raina Forbin used the mid-term review conference for the Doha Development Agenda for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as a platform to amplify Haiti’s specific needs and deepen its strategic partnership with the African continent.

    The high-level meeting, organized by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, was designed to assess progress on development commitments for the world’s most vulnerable nations, creating an ideal opportunity for Haiti to bring its urgent challenges to the forefront of global discussion among LDC stakeholders.

    In her keynote address to the assembled delegates, Forbin underlined that lasting security and institutional stability are non-negotiable prerequisites for Haiti to meet the development goals laid out in the Doha Development Agenda. Without foundational progress on security, she argued, no meaningful long-term development or democratic advancement can take root in the country.

    Against that framework, the foreign minister issued a clear call for African states and the entire international community to step up coordinated action aligned with Haiti’s national priorities: resolving the acute security crisis, holding inclusive democratic elections, and kickstarting broad-based economic recovery. She highlighted that solidarity from African nations has already made an tangible difference, specifically commending Chad, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire for their existing commitments to support Haiti through the multinational Gang Suppression Force (GSF).

    Forbin pressed for two key next steps to move the security mission forward: a renewal of the GSF’s mandate, and the rapid, full deployment of all planned personnel and assets to the country. Beyond deployment, she emphasized that the force urgently needs sustained international commitments of the financial, logistical, and operational resources required to carry out its counter-gang stabilization mission effectively.

    Looking beyond the immediate security emergency, Forbin also called for a reimagining of global financing mechanisms for crisis-affected fragile states. She argued that current financing frameworks often fail to meet Haiti’s unique context, and new instruments are needed that can simultaneously support short-term stabilization, bridge the gap between humanitarian response and long-term economic growth, and drive sustained development outcomes.

    Forbin framed the Addis Ababa meeting as a critical milestone in strengthening the decades-long strategic alliance between Haiti and the African continent, and in advancing Haiti’s interests within the global LDC community. She noted that Haiti and Africa share deep historical ties, and that this shared legacy should now be leveraged as a foundation for mutual solidarity, regional and cross-continental stability, and inclusive development for all.

  • The UN calls for an investigation into the deaths of migrants in US detention and demands a halt to deportations to Haiti

    The UN calls for an investigation into the deaths of migrants in US detention and demands a halt to deportations to Haiti

    At the opening of a new session of the UN Human Rights Council held in Geneva on September 7, 2026, Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered a landmark appeal targeting critical gaps in U.S. immigration policy. His statement centered on two urgent demands: a full, transparent independent investigation into the 23 migrant deaths recorded in U.S. immigration detention facilities since the start of the year, and an immediate moratorium on all deportations of migrants to crisis-stricken Haiti, over fears of irreversible harm to returnees.

    Türk made a direct, formal appeal to the U.S. federal government, stressing that every fatality inside the national immigration system requires a complete, unobscured probe, and that those responsible for any negligence or abuse must face accountability. “The families of these deceased migrants have an inalienable right to the full truth about what happened to their loved ones, and they deserve clear, unambiguous answers from U.S. authorities,” he emphasized to the assembled council.

    The call follows a recent UN tally confirming 23 migrant deaths in U.S. detention in 2026 to date. Türk made clear that the UN’s demand goes far beyond the limited internal probes typically conducted by U.S. agencies, requiring full public transparency into both the inhumane conditions that many detainees face and the specific administrative decisions that contributed to each death. “There must be accountability for these deaths, no exceptions,” Türk stated firmly from the Geneva assembly floor.

    Beyond the investigation into detention fatalities, the High Commissioner called for an immediate halt to all deportations to any nation where returnees face a documented risk of severe harm, naming Haiti as an urgent and explicit example. He underlined that any deportation to a third country must undergo strict, full due process assessments, and must be called off if even a credible risk of irreversible harm exists. “I urge the United States to stop returning people to places where they could suffer irreparable harm, including Haiti, and to ensure that due process is followed for all deportations to third countries,” he reiterated.

    Türk’s intervention comes amid growing international and domestic scrutiny of U.S. immigration policy, particularly around the treatment of asylum seekers and other people seeking international protection. The UN has repeatedly reminded the U.S. that deportation processes cannot put any individual at heightened risk of violence, poverty, or death.

    In addition to these core demands, Türk also raised sharp questions about a recently proposed plan to arm U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with electric shock gloves. He warned that the adoption of such dangerous, forceful tools would inevitably lead to an increase in violence and human rights abuses during immigration enforcement operations.

    Türk’s full statement acts as a formal reminder that all nation states are bound by international human rights obligations to prevent abuse against migrants in detention and during enforcement. The intervention has significantly ramped up international pressure on the Biden administration to address longstanding concerns over detention conditions, deportation procedures, and excessive use of force by immigration authorities.

  • Insecurity : Young female police officer killed in the line of duty

    Insecurity : Young female police officer killed in the line of duty

    Haiti’s national security crisis has claimed another life of a public servant, after a 2025 graduate of the Haitian National Police (PNH) was fatally shot in a targeted ambush by heavily armed gang members earlier this week.

    Officer Saint Jour Queturah, a first-class officer assigned to the Departmental Order and Intervention Brigade (BOID), was killed on Sunday, September 6, 2026, while her unit was conducting routine patrol operations through the Bercy region, a contested corridor between the coastal towns of Cabaret and Arcahaie. The area has been labeled a high-tension hotspot in recent months, as the Canaan criminal gang coalition repeatedly launches incursions into the territory in a bid to expand their territorial control, which has already displaced thousands of local residents.

    According to PNH official statements, unidentified heavily armed assailants opened deliberate fire on the police unit as it traveled along the strategic road, striking Saint Jour in the head. Fellow officers immediately rushed the wounded 34th Training Class graduate to the nearest medical facility, Saintard Reformed Hospital, but medical teams were unable to save her life.

    In a formal statement released following the incident, PNH leadership mourned the loss of the young officer, who had only served the Haitian people for a little more than 18 months since graduating from the police academy in January 2025. The department described Saint Jour’s death as a devastating blow not only to her biological family and close friends, but also to her BOID teammates, fellow graduates of the 34th Class, and the entire PNH community.

    The statement honored Saint Jour’s courage, commitment to public service, and ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. “The PNH pays its deepest respects to the memory of Officer 1st Class Saint Jour Queturah,” the release read. “In this moment of profound grief, we extend our sincerest condolences to her family, loved ones, and all colleagues who served alongside her. We pledge to stand with her family through this unimaginable loss, and to provide ongoing support as they navigate this difficult time.” The department closed its statement by affirming that Saint Jour’s sacrifice would never be forgotten, ending with a message of rest for the fallen officer: “Rest in Peace, Officer 1st Class Saint Jour Queturah.”

    The killing comes amid a years-long surge in gang-related violence and insecurity across Haiti, which has seen heavily armed criminal groups seize control of large swathes of territory outside the capital Port-au-Prince, targeting security personnel and civilians in a bid to consolidate power. As of 2026, the United Nations estimates that more than 2,000 people have been killed in gang-related violence in Haiti since the start of the year, with hundreds of police officers among the casualties.

  • Hoe groot is Afrika echt? Waarom de VN stemde om de wereldkaart te veranderen

    Hoe groot is Afrika echt? Waarom de VN stemde om de wereldkaart te veranderen

    On September 8, the United Nations General Assembly took a landmark step to address centuries of geographic bias in global mapping, approving a resolution led by African nations that encourages member states to adopt the Equal Earth map projection — a alternative that corrects the size distortions that have minimized the Global South on traditional maps for hundreds of years.

    The resolution, which won backing from 164 member states, faces only one opposing vote from the United States, with six Eastern European nations — Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine — abstaining from the vote. The core goal of the measure is to promote a more geographically accurate representation of the world’s continents, replacing the widely used Mercator projection, which was originally developed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for maritime navigation.

    For centuries, the Mercator projection’s design has skewed public perception of global landmasses. Created to preserve straight lines for ocean navigation, it exaggerates the size of land masses closer to the poles while shrinking territories near the equator. This distortion leaves northern, wealthier regions appearing far larger than they actually are relative to equatorial and southern nations. For example, on Mercator maps, Africa appears roughly the same size as Greenland, but in reality, Africa is 14 times larger than the Arctic island. In actual area, Africa spans 30.3 million square kilometers — large enough to fit the entire United States, China, India, and most of Europe within its borders. Combined, the four regions disproportionately shrunk by Mercator — Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Oceania — cover more than 64 million square kilometers, over 40% of the world’s total land area. By contrast, the entire continent of Europe only measures 10.2 million square kilometers.

    The Equal Earth projection, launched in 2018 by three cartographers from the Environmental Systems Research Institute, U.S. National Park Service, and Australia’s Monash University, fixes this long-standing bias. Co-creator Bojan Savric explained in a 2025 interview with AFP that the projection preserves the relative size of all continents while retaining accurate representations of their shapes, matching how landmasses appear on a three-dimensional globe.

    Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, whose country led the resolution effort, emphasized that maps are far more than navigational tools. “Maps shape education, fuel public imagination, and shape collective global perceptions,” he said, adding that the adopted resolution “affirms the African reality” that has been erased and minimized for centuries.

    Reactions to the resolution have been largely positive among supporting nations. France, a co-sponsor of the text, has already announced it will abandon the Mercator projection for official use. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot noted that the traditional projection gives the U.S., Russia, and China “disproportionate visual dominance over Africa, Latin America, or Southeast Asia,” while perpetuating the false illusion that Greenland is nearly as large as Africa. “Changing maps will not change the world on its own,” Barrot said. “But correcting a distorted representation is already an act of truth.”

    The resolution faced sharp criticism from the U.S. delegation. U.S. representative Yaryna Ferencevych argued that the debate over 16th-century map projections distracts the UN from addressing pressing global issues, claiming the resolution is evidence the body “is losing its credibility.”

    Notably, the UN resolution is not legally binding for member states. The world body has stressed it does not ban the Mercator projection or mandate a universal replacement, and instead only encourages governments and international institutions worldwide to adopt the Equal Earth projection as a new standard for more accurate geographic representation.

  • Indonesische luchthavens heropenen na verstoring door vulkanische as

    Indonesische luchthavens heropenen na verstoring door vulkanische as

    Five airports across Indonesia, including the country’s busiest international hub, Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, have resumed full operations this week following intensive cleanup efforts to remove volcanic ash spewed from the recent eruption of Anak Krakatau. The temporary closure, triggered by dangerous ash accumulation on runways, taxiways, and critical airport infrastructure, brought widespread disruption to air travel across the archipelago nation, impacting more than 340,000 passengers and forcing the cancellation of approximately 2,900 commercial flights.

    Videos circulating widely on social media platforms captured emergency response teams and airport maintenance personnel working around the clock to clear ash deposits from landing strips and operational areas across the affected facilities. Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi noted that while airports have reopened, a full return to pre-eruption flight schedules will take additional time. “We ask passengers to remain patient as we conduct thorough checks to confirm the airworthiness of all aircraft returning to service,” Purwagandhi stated.

    Anak Krakatau, an active stratovolcano located in the Sunda Strait between Indonesia’s two most populous islands, Java and Sumatra, erupted with significant force last Saturday, followed by at least three smaller secondary eruptions early Tuesday. According to Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s national Geological Agency, the environmental and infrastructural impact of the 2025 eruption has remained less severe than that of previous major eruptions of the volcano. Even so, geological teams are maintaining constant monitoring of the volcano’s seismic activity to detect signs of larger impending eruptions.

    Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active zone where multiple tectonic plates converge, leaving the country home to roughly 130 active volcanoes – one of the highest counts of any nation worldwide. The island nation still remembers the devastating 2018 disaster at Anak Krakatau, when a partial collapse of the volcano’s crater triggered a massive tsunami that killed more than 400 people along the coastlines of Java and Sumatra.

    Today, the resumption of airport operations has restored critical air connectivity across western Indonesia, though national authorities remain on high alert for potential new eruptive activity from the volatile volcano.