Thursday 24 September 2026 · Edition of the day

Current editionPast editions →

The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories
1
Average plausibility
80%
How to read the score
It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.
RegionAllGlobalAfricaNorth AmericaSouth AmericaAsia-PacificEuropeMiddle East
TopicAllPoliticsConflict & SecurityBusinessScienceHealth
01PoliticsGlobal

Guterres warns 'cracks have become canyons' in his final General Assembly address

The outgoing UN chief named four defining tests: war, inequality, climate and AI.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the General Assembly that eroding norms have turned global fault lines into 'canyons'. He called for binding cooperation on AI governance and Security Council reform, including permanent African representation, saying superpowers alone cannot guarantee stability.

What holds up

  • ✓The speech opened the 81st session on 22 September, reported by UN News and The Guardian.
  • ✓He explicitly called for Council reform and permanent African seats.

What doesn't yet

  • ?His description of a historic power shift is interpretive framing.
  • ?The claim of full gender parity in UN senior leadership is self-reported.

Ask before you share

  • →Will anything concrete follow on Security Council reform?
  • →How will major powers respond to binding AI rules?
  • →Can the UN act on this given its funding pressures?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]UN News · Published 22 Sept 2026 · news.un.org
  2. [2]The Guardian · Published 22 Sept 2026 · theguardian.com