- Muslim women break taboos navigating east London's waterways
- Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom
- More than 60 dead from storm Helene as rescue, cleanup efforts grow
- Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
- Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico
- Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace
- SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
Climate activists briefly disrupt air traffic in Geneva: airport
Protesters on the tarmac at Geneva airport briefly disrupted air traffic Tuesday before operations were gradually resumed, the airport said, as dozens of climate activists blocked a nearby business jet convention.
"Due to the incursion of people on the tarmac, the air traffic was momentarily disrupted. It has been gradually resuming since 12:40 pm (1040 GMT)," Geneva airport's official Twitter account said.
The notice came as environmental groups said around 100 climate activists from 17 countries had disrupted the next-door European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) -- Europe's biggest sales fair for private jets.
In a joint statement, Greenpeace, Stay Grounded, Scientist Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion said the activists were peacefully occupying jets exhibited for the event by Geneva airport.
Around a dozen police officers had rapidly intervened to remove the activists, including some that had attached themselves to planes, the ATS news agency said.
Geneva police spokeswoman Tiffany Cudre-Mauroux told AFP that around 80 people had been detained.
- 'Toxic' -
Images published on Twitter showed the activists camped out around shiny jets, brandishing colourful banners with the words "ban private jets" and "private jets burn our future".
They also plastered some planes with messages resembling warning labels on cigarette packages, identifying them as "toxic objects", according to the joint statement.
"Geneva is home to one of the airports with the most private jet traffic in Europe," Joel Perret, spokesman for Extinction Rebellion Geneva, said in the statement.
"This is where change must begin: we need to drastically reduce aviation to halt climate catastrophe and the destruction of life. The first step is to ban private jets now!"
Klara Maria Schenk of Greenpeace said: "Sales of private jets are skyrocketing, and with them the one percent's hugely unfair contribution to the climate crisis -- while the most vulnerable people deal with the damage."
Geneva airport will file a complaint over the incident, spokesman Ignace Jeannerat told AFP.
He said dozens of activists had poured onto the tarmac shortly after 11:30 am Tuesday, after illegally sneaking in through the freight area, and had begun handcuffing themselves to jets on display.
Air traffic had been disrupted for an hour, he said, adding that seven planes had been unable to land at the airport during that time, and were forced to divert to Zurich and Lyon.
Major delays and possible cancellations were expected throughout the day.
Geneva's Cointrin airport is the second largest in Switzerland, after Zurich.
In 2022, more than 14 million passengers travelled through the airport, according to official figures.
A.Mykhailo--CPN