Iran says it will show ‘zero restraint’ if energy infrastructure is targeted again | First Thing

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine, stating the war should stop "for humanity's sake." • The meeting highlights India's complex diplomatic position, as it remains one of the largest buyers of Russian oil despite ongoing Western sanctions.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. • The two leaders held extensive discussions focusing on strengthening bilateral ties and addressing critical global developments.

• During a meeting in Kyrgyzstan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to transition from an "endless war" to the "end of war" for the sake of humanity. • The exchange highlights India's diplomatic pressure on Russia to halt its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to transition from an "endless war" to an "end of war." • The appeal was made during a meeting between the two leaders as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues without a clear resolution.

• The World Government Summit (WGS) Dialogue hosted a virtual event titled ‘The Future of Global Leadership,’ featuring seven candidates for UN Secretary-General, including former presidents and ambassadors. • Participants debated the future of multilateralism, with candidates urging the UN to rebuild global trust and increase agility when responding to geopolitical tensions.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that all global conflicts and wars should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue rather than on the battlefield. • Speaking at the SCO Summit in Bishkek on September 1, the Prime Minister reiterated India's commitment to peaceful resolutions.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged world leaders to "stop this madness" and end all global conflicts during an interview with Euronews in Bishkek. • Guterres specifically highlighted the "never-ending" nature of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, noting that key actors involved in these conflicts were present with him.

• Catastrophic flooding across Nepal and China has resulted in more than 1,000 deaths, marking one of the region's deadliest weather events. • The disaster was triggered by intense monsoon rains that caused widespread landslides and flash floods, destroying critical infrastructure and displacing thousands.

• The author argues that traditional, discreet diplomacy has been replaced by a performative and brash style of international relations. • This shift is attributed to a modern culture of short attention spans, likened to "TikTok-addled" behavior.

Campaigners say some care boards in England flouting their legal duty, resulting in ‘cruel’ postcode lotterySeriously ill children are being denied the chance to die at home because the NHS in many parts of England is flouting its legal duty to provide the care needed to make that happen, critics say.The widespread failure to provide at-home end-of-life care is forcing children who want to die at home to instead do so in hospital. Campaigners have described it as “cruel”. Continue reading...

Spectacular Villa Aurora, which was nearly destroyed in last year’s fires, leading the recovery as Pacific Palisades emerges from a dark chapterA hillside villa that served as a cultural hub for German writers and artists fleeing the Nazis and narrowly escaped destruction in last year’s Los Angeles wildfires reopened its doors to the public this weekend, marking the latest milestone in the city’s slow recovery from one of the darkest chapters in its history.Hundreds of friends of the Villa Aurora, a 1920s Spanish Mediterranean house that has taken on a second life as a cultural center with a fierce commitment to artistic freedom, international dialogue and democracy, crowded into the house on Sunday to mark the resumption of speaker events and artistic residencies. Continue reading...

PEN America study details verbal and physical threats to librarians, funding cuts and proliferation of book bansPublic libraries in the US are “at breaking point” because of an onslaught of political interference, harassment and ideological censorship, a new report published on Tuesday said.Book bans, cancelled story hours, attacks on librarians, funding cuts and the undoing of libraries’ independent governance are examined by the free expression advocacy group PEN America in its study called Out of Circulation: Expanding Censorship in Public Libraries. Continue reading...