Politics
UN chief urges world not to be intimidated by Israel
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told AFP on Friday that the world should not be “intimidated” by Israel or its gradual annexation of the occupied West Bank.
Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, Guterres also called for stronger climate action, warning that efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels are at risk of “collapsing.”
His remarks came ahead of the UN’s high-level week, during which 10 countries are expected to recognize a Palestinian state, despite strong Israeli objections.
The annual gathering of over 140 heads of state and government, which temporarily paralyzes parts of Manhattan, will likely focus on the future of the Palestinians and the war in Gaza.
Israel has reportedly threatened to annex parts of the West Bank if Western nations move forward with the recognition plan.
But Guterres stressed, “We should not feel intimidated by the risk of retaliation,” adding that international pressure could help prevent further annexation.
Describing the situation in Gaza, he said, “What we are witnessing is horrendous. It is the worst level of death and destruction I have seen in my time as Secretary-General, probably in my life.
The suffering of the Palestinian people cannot be described—famine, lack of effective health care, and inadequate shelter in overcrowded areas.”
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for annexing parts of the West Bank to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state,” after several countries supported France’s push for recognition.
Meanwhile, Israel’s ally, the United States, has refrained from criticizing either the Gaza conflict or Israel’s annexation plans and has criticized its allies for recognizing a Palestinian state.
Climate goals face collapse
Also on the agenda will be efforts to combat climate change which Guterres warned are floundering.
Guterres said efforts to cap climate warming at 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial levels were in trouble.
The climate goals for 2035 of the countries that signed the Paris Agreement, also known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), were initially expected to be submitted several months ago.
However, uncertainties related to geopolitical tensions and trade rivalries have slowed the process.
“We are on the verge of this objective collapsing,” he told AFP.
“We absolutely need countries to come… with climate action plans that are fully aligned with 1.5 degrees (Celsius), that cover the whole of their economies and the whole of their greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.
“It is essential that we have a drastic reduction of emissions in the next few years if you want to keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit alive.”
Less than two months before COP30 climate meeting in Brazil, dozens of countries have been slow to announce their plans particularly China and the European Union, powers considered pivotal for the future of climate diplomacy.
Efforts to combat the impact of man-made global warming have taken a backseat to myriad crises in recent years that have included the coronavirus pandemic and several wars, with Guterres seeking to reignite the issue.
The UN hopes that the climate summit co-chaired Wednesday in New York by Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be an opportunity to breathe life into efforts ahead of COP30.
Guterres said he was concerned that Nationally Determined Contributions, or national climate action plans, may not ultimately support the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
“It’s not a matter to panic. It’s a matter to be determined, to put all pressure for countries.”
Containing global warming to1.5C compared to the pre-industrial era 1850-1900 is the most ambitious goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
But many scientists agree that this threshold will most likely be reached before the end of this decade, as the planet continues to burn more and more oil, gas, and coal.
The climate is already on average 1.4C warmer today, according to current estimates from the European observatory Copernicus.
- Cyberattack disrupts flights at multiple European airports.
- Airports warn of delays, cancellations after cyberattack.
- Frankfurt and Zurich airports confirm no disruption.
BRUSSELS: A cyberattack at a service provider for check-in and boarding systems has disrupted operations at several major European airports, including London’s Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin, causing flight delays and cancellations on Saturday.
Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers, London’s Heathrow Airport said on Saturday, having warned of delays.
RTX, Collins Aerospace’s parent, was not immediately available for comment outside of US business hours.
The attack has rendered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, Brussels Airport said on its website.
“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights…The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”
Passengers with a flight scheduled for Saturday were advised by the affected airports to confirm their travel with airlines before heading to the airport.
“Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution,” Berlin Airport said in a banner on its website.
Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest, was not affected, a spokesperson said. An official from the operations control centre at Zurich Airport also said it had not been impacted.
Sky watchers, take note: a partial solar eclipse will cross skies overnight on 21-22 September, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced.
However, the rare celestial event won’t be visible in the United States — but those in Australia, Antarctica, and across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans will get front-row seats.
Pakistan, however, will miss out. The Climate Data Processing Centre of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) says the eclipse will begin at 10:30pm (PST) on 21 September, reach its peak at 12:42am, and wrap up by 2:54am — but the spectacle will remain invisible from anywhere in the country.
According to USA Today, Nasa explains that a partial solar eclipse happens when the Moon slides between the Sun and Earth without perfect alignment, leaving a glowing crescent of the Sun in view.
This will be the second big sky event this month — the first was a total lunar eclipse on September 7-8. And there’s more: the September equinox follows just a day later, on September 22, when day and night are nearly equal worldwide.
Looking ahead, Nasa says the next total solar eclipse visible in parts of North America will happen on August 12, 2026, crossing Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small corner of Portugal.
A partial eclipse on that date will be visible across North America, Europe, Africa, the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans. Plus, there’s an annular eclipse coming on February 17, 2026, visible in parts of Antarctica, with a partial eclipse across Africa, South America, and several oceans.
Nasa has one important reminder: never look directly at the Sun without proper eclipse glasses or filters. “Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter… will instantly cause severe eye injury,” the agency warns.
Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron plan to present “scientific” evidence and photos proving that France’s first lady is a woman, their lawyer confirmed Friday.
Attorney Tom Clare said the Macrons intend to testify in their lawsuit against conservative American commentator Candace Owens, who they accuse of fueling online rumors questioning whether Brigitte Macron is transgender.
“There will be expert testimony, scientific in nature, demonstrating the falsity of the statements,” Clare told the BBC on the “Fame Under Fire” podcast. The law firm confirmed his comments to AFP.
Speculation about Brigitte Macron’s gender has circulated in France for years. The lawsuit comes as President Macron faces low popularity and political instability.
Clare did not disclose details about the expert testimony but said it is designed to show that Owens, a social media influencer with a large following, spread false claims about the first lady.
The plaintiffs filed their defamation case in Delaware in July and also plan to submit photos of Brigitte Macron with her children and from her pregnancies.
“These falsehoods are like a cancer,” Clare said. “They metastasize into mainstream media. And because Owens has a large audience, people pay attention.”
On Thursday, Owens posted a message on her X channel dismissing the Macrons’ allegations against her as “verifiably false.”
“She [Brigitte Macron] isn’t suing me for saying she’s a man. She has never sued anyone ever for saying she’s a dude. Because she is one,” Owens wrote.
Brigitte Macron, 72, has also taken to the courts in France to combat claims she was born a man.
Two women were convicted in September 2024 of spreading false claims after they posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging that Brigitte Macron had once been a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux who is actually her brother.
The ruling against Natacha Rey and Amandine Roy was overturned by a Paris appeals court and Macron appealed to the highest appeals court, the Court de Cassation, earlier in July.
Cyberattack disrupts operations at European airports including Heathrow, Brussels
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