LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II urged world leaders attending the UN climate summit to “rise above the politics of the moment," saying in a video message Monday that she hoped they could work together for the sake of future generations.
The 95-year-old monarch had been expected to attend the Glasgow meeting, but she had to cancel the trip after doctors said she should rest and not travel. The queen recently underwent medical checks and spent the night at a London hospital — her first hospital stay in years.
In the video message, recorded last week at Windsor Castle and played Monday during a welcoming reception for presidents and prime ministers, the queen said many people hoped leaders at the summit “recognize that the time for words has now moved to the time for action.”
“I, for one, hope that this conference will be one of those rare occasions where everyone will have the chance to rise above the politics of the moment, and achieve true statesmanship,” she said. “History has shown that when nations come together in common cause, there is always room for hope."
In a tribute to Prince Philip, “my dear late husband,” the queen said she was happy to welcome the delegates because the environment was a subject close to Philip’s heart. In a rare public display of emotion, she said she “could not be more proud” that Philip’s environmental efforts live on through the work of their eldest son, Prince Charles, and his son Prince William.
The monarch, who has reigned for 70 years, closed with a poignant line about future generations.
“Of course, the benefits of such actions will not be there to enjoy for all of us here today: we none of us will live forever,” she said. “But we are doing this not for ourselves but for our children and our children’s children, and those who will follow in their footsteps.”
The queen has long enjoyed robust health, but her health recently became the subject of headlines after she reluctantly accepted medical advice to cut back on her busy schedule and stick to “desk-based duties” and virtual audiences for two weeks.
In late October she cancelled a two-day trip to Northern Ireland, but palace officials said it was her “firm intention” to attend Remembrance Sunday ceremonies on Nov. 14, a major event on the sovereign’s calendar.
Buckingham Palace said the queen stayed overnight in a central London hospital last week for “preliminary investigations," in her first such hospital stay in eight years.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that the queen “was on very good form” during their regular weekly meeting.
Queen urges world leaders at COP26 to ‘rise above politics’
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Queen urges world leaders at COP26 to ‘rise above politics’
- The 95-year-old monarch had been expected to attend the Glasgow meeting, but she had to cancel the trip after doctors said she should rest and not travel
Authorities investigating damage to undersea telecom cable in Gulf of Finland
HELSINKI: Authorities are investigating damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland early Wednesday that occurred between the capitals of Finland and Estonia.
Finnish authorities seized and inspected the vessel suspected to have caused the damage, the country’s border guard said in a statement. Its anchor was lowered when it was discovered in Finland’s exclusive economic zone.
Helsinki police have opened an investigation into aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.
The cable belongs to Finnish telecommunications service provider Elisa and is considered to be critical underwater infrastructure. The damage occurred in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone, police said.
The ship’s crew of 14 — hailing from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan — was detained by Finnish authorities, local media reported. The ship, named the Fitburg, was flagged in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It had been traveling from Russia to Israel.
Finnish National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki told local media that investigators are not speculating on whether a state-level actor was behind the damage. Koskimäki also said the ship had been dragging its anchor for hours.
“Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds, and we respond to them as necessary,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote on social platform X.
The undersea cables and pipelines that crisscross one of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe link Nordic, Baltic and central European countries. They promote trade and energy security and, in some cases, reduce dependence on Russian energy resources.
Earlier this year, Finnish authorities charged the captain and two senior officers of a Russia-linked vessel that damaged undersea cables between Finland and Estonia on Christmas Day in 2024.
The Finnish deputy prosecutor general said in a statement in August that charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications were filed against the captain and first and second officers of the Eagle S oil tanker. Their names were not made public. The statement said they denied the allegations.
The Kremlin previously denied involvement in damaging the infrastructure, which provides power and communication for thousands of Europeans.
The Eagle S was flagged in the Cook Islands but had been described by Finnish customs officials and the European Union’s executive commission as part of Russia’s shadow fleet of fuel tankers. Those are aging vessels with obscure ownership, acquired to evade Western sanctions amid the war in Ukraine and operating without Western-regulated insurance.
For the West, such incidents are believed to be part of widespread sabotage attacks in Europe allegedly linked to Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Meanwhile, Estonian authorities are cooperating with the Finns to decide whether they should initiate a separate criminal case or move forward in a joint prosecution in the Elisa case. The telecom provider said its service was not affected by the damage.
Another undersea cable, owned by Swedish telecommunications service provider Arelion, was also damaged early Wednesday, according to Estonian officials. It was not immediately clear whether the Arelion cable’s damage was linked to the Elisa’s.
Martin Sjögren, an Arelion spokesperson, confirmed Wednesday’s cable damage in the Gulf of Finland. He said another cable, this one between Sweden and Estonia in the Baltic Sea, was damaged on Tuesday.
“We are actively working with authorities in Sweden and other countries to investigate the cause of the cuts,” Sjögren said in an email. “We cannot disclose any details about exact times or locations at this point with regard to the ongoing investigation.”
Repair work is expected to begin as soon as poor weather conditions clear. He said the vast majority of the company’s customers were unaffected by the damage.
