Daily Update: Morning Brief – 31st August, 2025

In international news, Chinese President Xi Jinping has reaffirmed China's commitment to the United Nations, pledging stronger cooperation and support for the organisation's global role. During a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President Xi emphasised the need to restore the UN's authority. Guterres, in turn, urged urgent reform of global governance and hailed China as a pillar of multilateralism.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a tragic event has shaken the nation. Former Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy was shot dead in Lviv on Saturday. Parubiy served as secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council during Russia's annexation of Crimea and was a key figure in the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to bring the perpetrator of the shooting to justice, and tributes poured in from Ukrainian leaders, including former President Petro Poroshenko, who called the killing "a shot fired at the heart of Ukraine." The shooting of Andriy Parubiy has prompted a manhunt by Ukrainian authorities, who have launched a special operation, codenamed "Siren," to track down the shooter.

The shooting comes at a time when the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit is taking place, with high-level participation from leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan.

Despite the domestic turmoil, President Xi Jinping reiterated China's role as a reliable partner of the United Nations, expressing solidarity with the international community in upholding peace and stability.