Your Daily 5 Current Affairs Compass

1. Diplomacy on the Russia-Ukraine War: The White House is pushing for direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This comes after talks involving President Trump, who is also seeking a trilateral summit with the two leaders. The situation remains tense, with Russia continuing to launch strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.

2. India-Russia Relations: India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, is on an official visit to Russia from August 19 to 21. He will co-chair the 26th Session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation. This visit is taking place amid heightened trade tensions with the United States over India's continued purchase of Russian crude oil.

3. National Holidays and Events in India: On August 19, India marked several events. World Photography Day and World Humanitarian Day were observed globally. Additionally, due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging, schools and colleges were closed in several states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka.

4. Technological and Business Developments in India: The Indian government has launched a dedicated online portal for the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), an Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme. In other business news, JSW Steel and POSCO Holdings signed a non-binding agreement for a joint venture to build a $7.44 billion integrated steel plant in Odisha.

5. International Incidents and Disasters: A tragic bus accident in Afghanistan's Guzara District resulted in the deaths of at least 76 people, including 17 children, after a passenger bus carrying deported migrants collided with a truck and a motorcycle and caught fire. In Nigeria, a mass shooting by bandits at a mosque in Katsina State killed at least 27 people.

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