World

Google Renames Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Map

Published

1 month ago

February 13, 2025

Eric

Google Maps has changed the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America for people using the app in the US.

Explaining the name change, Google said it was making the change as part of “a longstanding practice” of following name changes when updated by official government sources.

It said the Gulf, which is bordered by the US, Cuba and Mexico – would not be changed for people using the app in Mexico, and users elsewhere in the world will see the label: “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)”.

It comes after President Donald Trump ordered the body of water to be renamed in US government documents after he returned to office last month.

Apple has followed suit, also changing the name to the Gulf of America in its map app for users in the US. Bloomberg reported that the change would be rolled out globally at a later date.

Mexico has decried the move, arguing that the US had no legal right to change the Gulf’s name.

The change was made by Google on Monday after the Geographic Names Information System, a US government database run by the Interior Department, listed an update to the Gulf’s name.

The listing reads: “The Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, with an average depth 5300 ft is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America with the Gulf’s eastern, northern, and northwestern shores in the U.S. and its southwestern and southern shores in Mexico.”

It said the change was made in accordance with Trump’s executive order to “restore names that honor American Greatness”.

Following the signing of the order, President Trump proclaimed February 9 as “Gulf of America Day”.

“I call upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities,” a White House statement said.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum had asked Google to reconsider its decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

She argued the US could not legally change the Gulf’s name because the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dictates that an individual country’s sovereign territory only extends up to 12 nautical miles out from the coastline.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press, a global media organisation, said that it would not change the name of the Gulf of Mexico in its style guide – which is used by most US media outlets.

Because of the style guide decision, the White House said it was barring an AP reporter from covering an executive order signing in the Oval Office.

“It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism,” AP’s Executive Editor Julie Pace said in a statement. “Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.”

Trump’s executive order, signed on 20 January, also ordered North America’s tallest mountain – Denali – be called Mount McKinley, which was its name previously.

That change is not yet reflected on Google Maps, though the AP has adopted the mountain’s old name in its style guide.

Google has also made changes to its default events in calendars, removing references for several holidays and cultural events including Pride and Black History Month, which used to appear automatically. The issue has gained online attention this week, but Google said it made the change last year.

The tech company said in a statement that “maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable”.

“So in mid-2024 we returned to showing only public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com globally, while allowing users to manually add other important moments,” the company said.

Africa

Akinwumi Adesina Bags Kenya’s Highest National Honour

Published

3 days ago

March 17, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

“I am very proud to be the President that confers on you this well-deserved honor of the people of Kenya”

One of Nigeria’s finest exports, who is the President of the prestigious African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has once again, raised the bars in honours and awards acquisition.

The seasoned diplomat, who once served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, was on Monday, March 17, 2025, conferred with the highest-rated honour in Kenya, the Chief of the Golden Heart (C.G.H) at the State House, Nairobi.

President William Ruto of Kenya, who joyfully did the honours, noted that the award was for his role in the East African country’s Last Mile Connectivity and Lake Turkana Wind Projects among other landmark achievements across Africa.

For starters, the C.G.H. is the highest award in Kenya and is mostly given to sitting heads of state or exceptional global leaders. This signifies that Adesina, for his global glories, developmental strides, efforts at uniting Africans through via economic options, equate in status with a sitting president of Kenya. The award was some days earlier also given to His Highness Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V.

Speaking elatedly after giving the award to Adesina, with all the accompanying paraphernalia, President Ruto hailed the AfDB President, saying he deserves the honour for his commitment and distinguished service to the people of Kenya.

He noted: “I am very proud to be the President that confers on you this well-deserved honor of the people of Kenya. It is an honor that I have the privilege as President but on behalf of the government and the people of Kenya to award you for the distinguished service, the commitment you have demonstrated, and the passion you have worked with to see to it that in every way even before you became the President of the African Development Bank.”

Responding, Adesina, who was flanked by his beloved wife, many other aides, colleagues and associates including the Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu, thanked President Ruto for honoring him with the prestigious award saying it is a rare privilege to be conferred with the award.

“Your Excellency President Ruto I am most grateful to you for conferring me today with the prestigious honor of the Chief of Order of the Golden Heart (C.G.H), Kenya’s highest and most distinguished honor.

“I am very humbled for your incredible kindness what a great honor, what a rare privilege, what a historic recognition. The country that I love so much, Kenya, loves me back, appreciates and celebrates my leadership at the African Develpment Bank. Thank you, Mr. President,” said the AfDB President.

He added, “On behalf of my dear wife and your sister, Grace, the Board of Directors at the African Development Bank, our boards of governance, the management and staff of the African Development Bank and on my own behalf, I accept this honour with great humilty.”

A statement shared on their verified X handle after the award, the Kenyan State House noted in part that, “President William Ruto has thanked the African Development Bank (AfDB) for working with Kenya to drive critical areas of the country’s growth in the past 60 years.

“The President made the remarks when he conferred AfDB President and Chairman of the Board Akinwumi Adesina with the Chief of the Order of Golden Heart (CGH) award in Monday at State House, Nairobi.”

“It is an honour that I have the privilege as President, and on behalf of the people of Kenya, to award you for the distinguished service, commitment, and passion you have demonstrated for our country,” Ruto was qouted as saying.

Akinwumi was elected President of Africa Development Bank in 2015, and has remained in office till date.

The AfDB President’s speech is produced in full next page…

World

US Expels South African Ambassador, Cites Hatred for America, Trump

Published

6 days ago

March 15, 2025

Eric

United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio has announced that President Donald Trump’s administration is expelling South Africa’s ambassador to Washington.

Rubio announced this on Friday, accusing the envoy of hating the country and President Trump.

“South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country,” Rubio posted on X.

“Ebrahim Rasool is “a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS,” he said, referring to Trump by his White House X account handle.

“We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”

The expulsion of the ambassador comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Pretoria.

Trump in February this year froze US aid to South Africa, citing a law in the country that he alleges allows land to be seized from white farmers.

Trump further fueled tensions last week, when he said that South Africa’s farmers were welcome to settle in the United States after repeating his allegation that the government was “confiscating” land from white people.

World

Actor Gene Hackman, Wife Found Dead in Their New Mexico Home

Published

3 weeks ago

February 27, 2025

Eric

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in New Mexico along with their dog, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. He was 95.

Their causes of death have not been confirmed, but foul play is not suspected, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila told CNN on Thursday morning.

Deputies responded to a welfare check request at the home around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and found Hackman, Arakawa and a dog deceased, Womack-Avila said. An investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said. The gas company is assisting in the investigation, The Associated Press reported.

The welfare check was conducted after a neighbor called authorities, concerned about the couple’s well-being, CNN affiliate KOAT reported.

A search warrant shows that Hackman, his wife and their dog had been dead for some time, and the couple’s bodies were in different rooms when deputies found them during the wellness check, the AP reported.

Hackman was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom, and Arakawa was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the countertop near Arakawa, the AP reported.

Medical examiner’s reports with the final cause of death “generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to generate,” said Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office.

CNN has reached out to Hackman’s representatives.

The actor’s death comes just days before the Academy Awards on Sunday.

Hackman’s performances in such films as “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers,” “Unforgiven,” and “The Firm” elevated character roles to leading-man levels.

Hackman’s best roles were often of conflicted authority figures or surprisingly clever white-collar villains, such as the iconic, evil Lex Luthor in the “Superman” film series in the 1970s and ’80s. Many held a hint – sometimes more than a hint – of menace.

He won an Oscar for his portrayal in 1971’s “The French Connection” of New York cop Popeye Doyle, a detective who gets his man but at a high cost. His surveillance expert in 1974’s “The Conversation” is single-minded to the point of obsession, losing all perspective.

He won his second Oscar for his performance as Little Bill Daggett, the violent sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film, “Unforgiven.”

Source: CNN