World on the edge of abyss, says UN chief

THE United Nations chief has warned global leaders that the world faces “the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime”.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rang the alarm in his speech at the opening of the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting for leaders of its 193 member nations.

“We are on the edge of an abyss – and moving in the wrong direction,” he said.

Guterres pointed to “supersized glaring inequalities” sparked by the pandemic, climate alarm bells ringing, upheavals thwarting global peace, a surge of mistrust and misinformation, and human rights under fire.

The secretary-general said the solidarity of nations to tackle crises “is missing in action.”