Your Daily Reading: The World’s Key Updates In One Place
Over the past 24 hours we are yet again reminded of how big and how small our world really is; everything that happens in one corner is echoed in the other side of the world in a matter of seconds. The landscape continues its movement: America had its good news to heed, fresh creations in the entertainment world to see, new thrills in the sports world and business decisions sending waves in markets. Collectively, the moments indicate a world in a continuous state of flux in which the past is happening in real time, in which politics, culture and commerce are proceeding hand in hand. There can be no slowness in this age–alertness, compliance, and immediate action are needed to match its insistent beat.
World News- Trump Says Zelenskyy Can ‘End the War Almost Immediately’ but Rules Out Crimea Return or NATO Bid
On August 18, 2025, before a high-stakes White House meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and several other European heads of state, U.S. President Donald Trump asserted on Truth Social that the Ukrainian President could "end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he [Zelenskyy] wants to," but definitively repudiated both Ukrainian reacquisition of Crimea and membership in NATO. The meeting came in the wake of Trump meeting with Vladimir Putin. With changing U.S. disposition, there has been talk of NATO-type security assurances to Ukraine by some U.S. and European officials, but little clarity to this idea.
National News- NDA Picks Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan as Vice-Presidential Candidate
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has identified the Maharashtra governor C.P. Radhakrishnan to fill in his shoes as nominated to compete in the Vice-Presidential election scheduled to take place next month, on the 9 th of September, after Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down late last month. After a BJP Parliamentary Board meeting presided over by Prime minister Narendra Modi, the decision was officially resolved and announced by party chief J.P. Nadda. Radhakrishnan Radhakrishnan, a veteran of the RSS-BJP and a former two-time Lok Sabha MP representing Coimbatore, is the 24th Governor of Maharashtra to be appointed as well as the gubernatorial position in Jharkhand, Telangana and Puducherry. He is perceived to be a respected middle ground person with close linkages across political boundaries.
Entertainment News- Vittoria Ceretti Spanks Leonardo DiCaprio in Playful PDA on Mediterranean Yacht
Former Oscar winner 50-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio and 27-year-old Italian model Vittoria Ceretti were snapped on yacht break off Spain's Formentera island.The couple in black-and-white swimming costumes were in the groping business: they kissed passionately on the boat, did their snorkelling out in the water, and lay on Med shores in the sunlight. I believe Ceretti smacking DiCaprio on the bum, whilst running up the stairs of the yacht, was one of the funniest scenes. It is among the most ardent cases of public displays of affection since they made their relationship public at the end of 2023. They look like they are a bit of a casual but loving relationship and even the insiders claim that DiCaprio seems to be smitten and thus disregards body shaming.
Sports News- Shubman Gill Likely to Be Omitted from India’s Asia Cup T20I Squad
In the Asia Cup 2025 T20I team, Indian selectors seem reluctant to take the Test skipper Shubman Gill, as they are continuing with the opening combination of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, or thirdly, could bring Yashasvi Jaiswal. They opine that Gill might not be fitting the overall plan in T20 and they are worrying that they can disrupt the set outfit. The all important decision will be arrived upon prior to the selection meeting on August 19, and Suryakumar Yadav has already been ratified as the captain of the team. Asia Cup takes place between September 9 and 28 which presents a challenge in team-management with the immediacy of forthcoming Test commitments.
Business News- Sensex Rises By More Than 1,000; Nifty Surpasses 25,000 As GST Reform Drive and Relief over Oil Prices Prop The Market
The Indian markets opened with the mammoth bullish trend today on Monday August 18 with the Sensex of the Bombay stock exchange up over 1,000 points, as well as the Nifty crossing the 25,000 mark which is considered as a bullish sign.There were several factors that fuelled the rally including alleviating fears of Russian oil supply following the Trump-Putin encounter, Good news on the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) cuts by Diwali, a general bullishness in the world markets, and technical indicators. Gift Nifty futures were signalling a gap-up opening, and a reiteration by S&P that India remained macro-economically sound, added confidence. Nonetheless, the appetite of domestic institutional investors continued to buy, a streak encouraged by foreign outflows.
