Putin dials Modi: Russian Prez briefs PM about Alaska Summit ahead of Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy
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The Hindu
25 minutes ago
- The Hindu
PM Modi chairs high-level meet on next-gen reforms
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (August 18, 2025) chaired a high-level meeting, which included top Union Ministers, Secretaries and economists, to deliberate on the roadmap for the next generation reforms, one of the key announcements he had made in his Independence Day address. Chaired a meeting to discuss the roadmap for Next-Generation Reforms. We are committed to speedy reforms across all sectors, which will boost Ease of Living, Ease of Doing Business and prosperity. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2025 Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Piyush Goyal and Lalan Singh attended the meeting. Mr. Modi had on August 15 announced the formation of a task force for 'next-generation reforms' and revision of GST laws, as he devoted a major part of his 103-minute speech on making India self-reliant in a host of sectors ranging from semiconductors to fertilisers.
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First Post
25 minutes ago
- First Post
‘Peace through strength': Zelenskyy warns Putin won't negotiate without pressure ahead of Trump talks
Ahead of his 'very serious' meeting with US President Donald Trump later today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia will only come to the negotiating table 'through strength' Ahead of his 'very serious' meeting with US President Donald Trump later today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia will only come to the negotiating table 'through strength.' Zelenskyy made the remarks after meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg, highlighting the urgency of strengthening diplomatic and military coordination to push back against ongoing Russian aggression. 'When peace is discussed for one country in Europe, it means peace for all of Europe,' The Guardian quoted Zelenskyy as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We are ready to continue working with maximum effort to end the war and to ensure reliable security. These are the key issues,' he added. The Ukrainian leader also addressed the latest round of Russian missile strikes, which he said targeted civilians in their sleep. 'Last night, Russian attacks on our cities continued – among those killed were two children, and dozens of people were wounded,' he said. Emphasising the united front between Ukraine, Europe, and the US, Zelenskyy added, 'We discussed the battlefield situation and our strong diplomatic capabilities – Ukraine's and all of Europe's together with America. Russia can only be forced into peace through strength, and President Trump has that strength. We have to do everything right to make peace happen.' Earlier, in a pointed message delivered ahead of their scheduled meeting in Washington on Monday, President Trump placed the responsibility on Zelenskyy to bring an end to the war with Russia. The move stood in sharp contrast to the warm reception Trump extended just days ago to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy, joined by several European leaders, is in Washington for high-stakes talks with Trump aimed at exploring potential solutions to the prolonged conflict. In a Truth Social post late Sunday night, Trump appeared to set the tone for Monday's meeting by outlining implicit conditions, hinting at a potentially tense exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote. 'Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!' Trump added. Zelenskyy put out his own message shortly thereafter, reiterating that 'we all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably' — and alluding to parameters of his own around territorial concessions and security guarantees. 'Peace must be lasting,' Zelenskyy wrote in a post to X. 'Not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East—part of Donbas—and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack. Or when Ukraine was given so called 'security guarantees' in 1994, but they didn't work.' Trump reportedly said he believed Putin would agree to a deal if Ukraine handed over its easternmost Donbas region, including parts Russia doesn't control. Zelenskyy has previously warned doing so would mean Ukraine loses key defensive positions and would be more vulnerable to Russian attacks in the future. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
The Hindu
25 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Shubhanshu Shukla meets PM Modi; gifts tri-colour that travelled to space
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (August 18, 2025) met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). Mr. Shukla, who was part of the Axiom-4 commercial mission to the ISS from June 25-July 15, met the Prime Minister at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence. Mr. Modi welcomed Mr. Shukla, who was wearing an ISRO astronaut's jacket, with a warm hug and walked with him with his arm on the astronaut's shoulder. Mr. Shukla gifted the Prime Minister the mission patch of the Axiom-4 mission and the Indian tricolour that he had taken with him to the ISS. This Indian tricolour was fluttering in the background on the ISS when Mr. Shukla interacted with Modi on June 29. "Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. We discussed a wide range of subjects including his experiences in space, progress in science & technology as well as India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission. India is proud of his feat," Mr. Modi said in a post on X. The Lucknow-born astronaut was also seen showing pictures he had taken from the ISS on a tablet computer to Prime Minister Modi. Mr. Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission that lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the International Space Station on June 26. He returned to Earth on 15 July. The Prime Minister interacted with Mr. Shukla on June 29 in the initial days of the Axiom-4 mission that had docked at the ISS. He had also asked the astronaut to document his learning, training and stay at the International Space Station that would help India's future missions, including Gaganyaan. Mr. Shukla returned to India on Sunday (August 17, 2025). In a press interaction earlier this month, Shukla said that he had fulfilled the task entrusted to him by Prime Minister Modi to document every aspect of his mission for the benefit of India's upcoming Gaganyaan programme. "I remember very well the homework given to me by the prime minister. And I completed it very well. I am very excited to come back and share it with you all. I am confident that all that knowledge is going to prove extremely useful and crucial for us, for our own Gaganyaan mission," Mr. Shukla said on August 1. Along with three other astronauts — Peggy Whitson (U.S.), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) -- Shukla conducted over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions during the 20-day Axiom-4 mission.
