 "FirstUp: Trump envoy Steve Witkoff likely to visit Russia and other big headlines")
It is a busy Wednesday.
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Moscow today. The trip comes just before the US deadline for Russia to stop its war in Ukraine.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to announce a 25 basis points cut in the repo rate today after its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting ends.
Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Kartavya Bhavan today. It is part of the Central Vista Project, which began in 2019 to upgrade Lutyens’ Delhi.
Today also marks 80 years since the first atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
Here’s a look at the events:
Trump envoy’s Russia visit
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s envoy for peace missions, may travel to Russia today as the United States keeps urging the Kremlin to agree toas a peace deal in Ukraine.
Witkoff’s visit comes at a time when frustration is growing in the White House. Six months of diplomacy under Trump have not led to a peace agreement or even a ceasefire to end Moscow’s full invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
Last month, Trump gave Russian President Putin a 50-day deadline, warning of sanctions and tariffs. This included possible secondary sanctions on top buyers of Russian energy, such as China and India, if the Kremlin did not agree to a ceasefire.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Russia does “not rule out the possibility” of Witkoff visiting Moscow later this week.
When asked what message Witkoff would bring to Moscow, and whether Russia could avoid more sanctions, Trump said on Sunday, “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsRBI likely to announce repo rate
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expected to announce a 25 basis point cut in the repo rate today after its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting ends.
A report from the State Bank of India (SBI) earlier said that an early rate cut could mean an “early Diwali” by helping credit growth, especially since the festive season in FY26 will begin sooner than usual.
The report said, “We expect RBI to continue frontloading with a 25 bps cut in August policy.”
It also noted that Diwali, one of India’s biggest festivals, usually brings a rise in consumer spending. Lower interest rates before Diwali help push up credit demand.
“Empirical evidence suggests a strong pick-up in credit growth whenever the festive season has been early and has been preceded by a rate cut,” the report added.
PM Modi to inaugurate Kartavya Bhavan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kartavya Bhavan today.
The new building is designed to bring important ministries such as Home Affairs and External Affairs under one roof, to promote more efficient and sustainable governance.
Kartavya Bhavan is part of the Central Vista Project, which began in 2019 to upgrade the infrastructure of Lutyens’ Delhi.
By placing key ministries in one location, the project hopes to improve coordination, support teamwork, and do away with the issues caused by old and scattered offices.
According to an official statement, the modern office complex will cover around 1.5 lakh square metres and will include two basement levels and seven floors in total.
Putin, Malaysia’s King to hold talks
Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, will become the first monarch from the country to make a state visit to Russia, as both nations try to build stronger ties in a changing global environment.
He is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today.
The Kremlin’s press service said the meeting will focus on improving Russian-Malaysian relations and will cover ongoing international and regional matters.
After visiting Moscow, Sultan Ibrahim will head to Kazan in Tatarstan, one of Russia’s autonomous regions with a Muslim-majority population.
80 years of Hiroshima atomic bombing
Today marks 80 years since the atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
Around 80,000 people were killed immediately by the blast, and about 35,000 more were injured. By the end of that year, at least another 60,000 had died due to radiation exposure.
On this day, the United States became the first and only country to use an atomic bomb in war.
With inputs from agencies
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