Ukraine war briefing: €90bn EU loan for Ukraine to be released in second quarter

• 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 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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...

Claims that Trump and Rubio are trying to influence result have parallels with CIA intervention 64 years agoThe year was 1962 and the Kennedy administration was desperate to swing Brazil’s congressional elections against its leftwing president, João Goulart, as a way of countering the supposed communist threat sweeping a region the US considered its back yard.Historians say that in the lead-up to the vote, the CIA and the Department of State secretly channelled millions of dollars to opposition candidates and a group tasked with spreading rightwing propaganda and stirring up unrest. Continue reading...

First big storm of season heads towards Gulf coast and is expected to bring potentially heavy rainsTropical Storm Edouard headed toward the US Gulf coast early on Tuesday and was expected to gain strength before bringing potentially heavy rains and flooding into parts of Texas and Louisiana.The storm was upgraded on Monday night from a tropical depression, and forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) expect it will make landfall in Texas later on Tuesday. Continue reading...