Trump Urges Zelenskyy to Relinquish Crimea as Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Continue – 8/18/2025, 8:29:31 AM

The latest world news as of August 18, 2025, includes major developments in global politics, economics, and current events:

• Ukraine-Russia War & Diplomacy: US President Donald Trump is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, with European leaders joining to support Zelenskyy. Trump has publicly stated that Ukraine will not join NATO and has urged Zelenskyy to consider giving up Crimea to end the war. This follows a recent meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Trump suggested direct peace talks as the best way to end the conflict[2][3][4][5].

• Israel-Iran Conflict: Israel’s economy has unexpectedly shrunk, attributed to the ongoing war with Iran, which is taking a significant toll on the country[1].

• Asia & South Asia:

  • Pakistan is facing catastrophic flooding that has killed hundreds[2].
  • The US continues to closely monitor the India-Pakistan situation, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirming daily surveillance due to ongoing tensions[1][4].
• Africa: Reports indicate a high human cost among Africans fighting for Russia in Ukraine[2].

• Americas:

  • Bolivia’s presidential election is headed to a runoff after early results signaled the end of 20 years of leftist rule, with the vote overshadowed by the worst economic crisis in four decades[2].
  • An Air Canada strike has stranded about 100,000 passengers, with plans to resume operations delayed until Monday evening[2].
• Australia: Qantas Airlines has been fined $59 million for the illegal layoff of 1,800 workers[1].

• Other World Events:

  • American Carnival cruise passengers drowned at a new Bahamas resort[3].
  • A mass shooting at a Brooklyn club resulted in 3 deaths and 9 injuries[3].
  • Dubai is offering a virtual visa that allows people to work and live there for a year at a cost of under Rs 8,900[1].
  • New internet culture words like “skibidi” and “delulu” have been added to the Cambridge Dictionary, reflecting rapid changes in English language usage[2].

For notable obituaries, British actor Terence Stamp, known for playing General Zod in the early Superman films, has died at age 87[4].