Michael Bloomberg on the Responsibility to Take Action for the World
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks it's about time we got our act together on the climate fight. During a speech at the TIME Earth Awards in Manhattan on April 23, the U.N. Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies mentioned some recent climate disasters—from the Los Angeles fires to record breaking storms in the Caribbean and the Southeast—and called the widespread destruction 'results of us not paying attention.'
'This is the mistakes we've made for many, many years, coming back to haunt us. And unless we get our act together, it's going to get a lot worse,' he said. 'We are part of the environment. Without the environment, we are nothing.'
He noted that—though the Trump Administration has rolled back many major environmental rules and policies since taking office—it doesn't mean the fight is over. 'Most of the past two decades, leadership on climate change in the U.S. hasn't come from Washington,' he said. 'It has come from the bottom up, from cities and states, activists and grassroots groups, businesses and investors and philanthropists.'
'We've got to just roll up our sleeves, team up together, and get to work here,' he said. It's a call to action he does not take lightly: The former mayor has helped close more than 300 coal-fired power plants in the U.S. and reduced New York City's emissions by nearly 20%. And, after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, his foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies stepped up along with other funders to cover the gap.
Bloomberg said the climate fight is not a partisan one. 'We have a responsibility to leave a better world for our children and grandchildren. And that's not a Democrat or Republican idea. It's not even an American idea,' he said. 'It's a value that stretches across political ideologies and national boundaries. And in this time when some people seem more divided than ever, it ought to be something that really unites us.'
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Newsweek
22 minutes ago
- Newsweek
World Responds to Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Sites
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. B-2 bombers hit three of Iran's nuclear complexes on Saturday, pulling America into the Middle Eastern conflict, world leaders across the globe have reacted to the escalation. Late on Saturday night, Trump said the sites were "fully obliterated," calling the raids essential to halt Iran's push for a nuclear bomb. Tehran condemned what it called a "criminal" act and said the U.S. had "launched a dangerous war." In a post shared on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, part of Iran's Armed Forces, wrote in Farsi, "Now the war has begun for us." Why It Matters After Saturday's development, concern over an international expansion on the Israel-Iran conflict has ramped up. The strikes follow weeks of rising tensions between Iran and Israel, after an Israeli attack earlier this month on Iranian nuclear and military sites. While the U.S. had previously held back, its direct involvement marks a new phase in the conflict. President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington D.C. on June 21, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington D.C. on June 21, 2025. Carlos Barria/Pool via AP What To Know Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas have condemned the U.S. strikes, vowing to support Iran in its fight against "the Zionist and American aggression." The Iraqi government, which has close relations with both Washington and Tehran, condemned the strikes, saying the military development threatened peace and security in the Middle East. "The continuation of such attacks risks dangerous escalation with consequences that extend beyond the borders of any single state, threatening the security of the entire region and the world," government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said in a statement. While it did not condemn the move, Saudi Arabia expressed "deep concern" about the U.S. attacks. "The Kingdom underscores the need to exert all possible efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation," the kingdom's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Qatar also refraining from condemning the attacks, but said it "regrets" escalating tensions in the Israel-Iran war. Doha's Foreign Ministry urged the countries involved to "avoid escalation, which the peoples of the region, burdened by conflicts and their tragic humanitarian repercussions, cannot tolerate." Condemning the airstrikes, Oman said they threatened "to expand the scope of the conflict and constitute a serious violation of international law and the United Nations charter." Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the U.S. bombing could lead to a regional conflict that no country could bear and called for negotiations. "Lebanon, its leadership, parties, and people, are aware today, more than ever before, that it has paid a heavy price for the wars that erupted on its land and in the region," Aoun said in a statement on X. "It is unwilling to pay more, and there is no national interest in doing so, especially since the cost of these wars was and will be greater than its ability to bear." Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Iran's nuclear facilities "represented a danger for the entire area," adding he would speak with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, on Sunday, "to understand the consequences that there may be from a security point of view." British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for Iran to return to the negotiating table to diplomatically end the crisis—the U.K., along with the European Union, France and Germany, tried unsuccessfully to find a solution in Switzerland last week with Iran. Winston Peters, New Zealand's foreign minister, also called for peace talks, saying the crisis is "the most serious I've ever dealt with." South Korea's presidential office held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the economic and political impacts of the strikes, while Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Sunday it was crucial to calm the situation as soon as possible. Australia's government, which closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff on Friday, said in a statement: "We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security. We note the U.S. President's statement that now is the time for peace." What People Are Saying European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on social media: "I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation." U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, wrote on X: "I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge—and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control—with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world. I call on member states to de-escalate." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X: "Last week, we were in negotiations with the U.S. when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the | decided to blow up that diplomacy. What conclusion would you draw?" The E3 refers to member states Germany, France and Italy. What Happens Next While a number of leaders have called for Iran to return to the negotiating table, the country's foreign minister has suggested it is unlikely that it will. "To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must 'return' to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?" Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X. This story contains reporting from The Associated Press.
Newsweek
26 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Arab World Reacts to U.S. Strikes on Iran
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Arab countries, staunch U.S. allies among them, expressed strong concern over the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as the United States joined Israel in attacking them. Newsweek contacted the U.S. State Department for comment. Why It Matters The reaction of Arab states matters for relations with the United States and for the wider question of diplomacy in the Middle East at the time of its greatest upheaval in decades. While Arab countries may seek to distance themselves from the attacks, however, this does not mean they would want to rupture the important security relationships that many of them have with the United States and President Donald Trump. What To Know Saudi Arabia, which was the first foreign destination for Trump in his second presidency, was among the first to criticize the U.S. strikes on three nuclear sites. Saudi Arabia said it was following the developments with deep concern and reiterated the denunciation it had made over what it had called Israel's violation of Iran's sovereignty. The sun sets near a mosque in Doha on June 21, 2025. The sun sets near a mosque in Doha on June 21, 2025. Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images "The Kingdom underscores the need to exert all possible efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation," the Saudi foreign ministry said. "The Kingdom also calls on the international community to intensify its efforts during this highly sensitive period to reach a political solution that would bring an end to the crisis and open a new chapter for achieving security and stability in the region." Saudi Arabia is one of the most influential countries in the region as the world's top oil exporter and is home to the holiest Muslim sites. Predominantly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, which was long at odds with largely Shiite Iran, has been seen as a potential candidate to join Trump's Abraham Accords peace deals between some Muslim countries and Israel, but this has been thrown into doubt by the current conflicts. "The current dangerous tension in the region could lead to catastrophic consequences at both the regional and international levels," said the foreign ministry of Qatar, which is home to the biggest U.S. air base in the Middle East and has played an important role in trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage for prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas. Statement | Qatar Regrets the Deterioration of the Situation with the Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities#MOFAQatar — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) June 22, 2025 "Diplomacy and Dialogue" The United Arab Emirates, whose leaders are also close to Trump, expressed profound concern over the regional tensions and the targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stressed the importance of prioritizing diplomacy and dialogue to resolve disputes, through comprehensive approaches that promote stability, prosperity, and justice," its foreign ministry said. Egypt, the Middle East's most populous country and a major recipient of U.S. military aid, expressed grave concern over the attacks. "Egypt affirms its rejection of any violation of the United Nations Charter and international law and emphasizes the necessity of respecting state sovereignty," its foreign ministry said. Other countries voicing similar sentiments included Iraq, Oman and Lebanon. What People Are Saying Saudi Foreign Ministry: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with deep concern the developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly the targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States of America." UAE Foreign Ministry: "The Ministry urged the United Nations and the UN Security Council to uphold their responsibilities through serious efforts to address the region's long-standing issues, which now stand at a critical juncture and pose an increasing threat to regional and international peace and security." Egyptian Foreign Ministry: "Egypt reiterates its warning of the dangers of the region sliding into further chaos and tension. It affirms that political solutions and diplomatic negotiations, not military action, are the only path toward resolving the crisis and achieving a lasting settlement." U.S. President Donald Trump: "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace." What Happens Next Despite their criticism of the U.S. attacks, the reactions from Arab countries could also be seen as limited in their responses — distancing themselves from attacks that could draw Iranian responses and prioritising dialogue and diplomacy rather than calling for any more direct action against the United States.
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
Iran warns of 'consequences' after US bombs nuke sites: Live updates
The U.N. nuclear watchdog was holding an emergency meeting Sunday as Iran warned of "everlasting consequences" after the U.S. States bombed three major nuclear sites a day earlier. President Donald Trump, in a live address at the White House on Saturday, said more strikes could come. 'Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,' he said. 'If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.'Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was scheduled to hold a briefing at the Pentagon at 8 a.m. Sunday with the latest details. What we know about the US strikes on Iran Trump ordered the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, effectively joining a war that Israel started on June 13 when it started bombing Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. One of the U.S. targets was Fordow, a uranium enrichment facility hidden deep inside a remote mountain in the desert. Nuclear sites at Natanz and Isfahan were also struck. Israel said it helped the U.S. coordinate and plan the strikes. Trump said all three sites were "totally obliterated" but an independent assessment has not yet been carried out. The International Atomic Energy Agency − the United Nation's nuclear watchdog − released a statement saying that so far it had not detected an increase in "off-site radiation levels," one of the feared consequences of the strikes. What will Iran do now? Iran's next move is being closely watched. The country has already ramped up its rhetoric. "Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. Ahead of the U.S. strikes, Tehran signaled that if the Pentagon were to join Israel's war U.S. military bases and Navy ships in the region could be attacked. Iran has a large arsenal of drones and ballistic missiles. It has been using these on Israel for days. It launched a fresh wave of missiles toward Israel hours after the U.S. bombing started. Iran might even opt for a diplomatic route, which Trump was encouraging prior to authorizing the U.S. attack.
