Putin blames West for Ukraine war at China-led SCO summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the West for provoking the Ukraine war, citing NATO’s expansion and support for Ukraine’s 2013-14 uprising. Speaking at the SCO summit in Tianjin on September 1, 2025, he said Russia’s military actions were reactive, not the cause of the conflict, Al Jazeera reported.
Putin stressed that lasting peace requires addressing these root causes and highlighted talks with leaders including US President Donald Trump, China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Despite these efforts, negotiations remain stalled, with Russia seeking territorial concessions Ukraine considers unacceptable. Putin’s comments reinforce Moscow’s view that Western policies fuel the conflict, according to Al Jazeera.
Japan and South Korea record hottest summers in history
Japan and South Korea have experienced their hottest summers on record, raising concerns over climate change. Japan’s summer temperature averaged 2.36°C above the 1991–2020 norm, with 123 of 153 weather stations reporting record highs. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that severe heat will continue, especially in eastern and western regions.
In South Korea, the summer average hit 25.7°C, the highest since 1973. Both nations had previously marked 2024 as their hottest summer. Scientists say such extremes reflect Asia warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, highlighting the urgent need for climate action to protect vulnerable populations, Al Jazeera reported.
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, says scholars' association
The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) has declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide under international law. The resolution, supported by 86 percent of its 500 members, cites the UN Genocide Convention’s definition, according to Reuters.
The announcement comes amid ongoing conflict that began in October 2023, when Hamas attacks on Israeli communities killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages. Israel’s military response has killed around 63,000 Palestinians, destroyed infrastructure, and displaced nearly all Gaza residents.
Israel rejects the genocide claims and is defending itself at the International Court of Justice. Founded in 1994, IAGS has officially recognized nine genocides to date, Reuters reported.
Ukraine suspects Russia involved in killing of former parliamentary speaker, says police chief
Ukrainian authorities are investigating the possible Russian involvement in the assassination of former parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy, who was shot dead in Lviv on August 30, 2025. Police said the attack appeared premeditated, with the assailant studying Parubiy’s movements and fleeing after firing eight times in broad daylight, according to Reuters.
A suspect was arrested within 36 hours in the Khmelnytskyi region. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko described the crime as meticulously planned, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called it a “horrific murder” affecting national security during wartime. Russia has not commented.
Parubiy, 54, was a key figure in Ukrainian nationalism, serving as parliamentary speaker from 2016 to 2019 and as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council early in the Russia-Ukraine war. His death follows a pattern of targeted killings of prominent nationalists in Ukraine, Reuters reported.


