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The final remaining nuclear arms agreement between the United States and Russia expired on Thursday, eliminating limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in over 50 years. Experts warn that the end of the New START Treaty could trigger an unchecked nuclear arms race. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously expressed willingness to extend the treaty for another year if Washington agreed, but U.S. President Donald Trump has remained noncommittal. Trump has suggested including China in any future deal, an idea Beijing has rejected. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin discussed the treaty’s expiration with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, noting that the U.S. has not responded to Russia’s extension proposal. “Russia will act in a balanced and responsible manner based on thorough analysis of the security situation,” Ushakov added. Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated Wednesday night that, under the current circumstances, both parties are no longer bound by any obligations under the New START Treaty and are free to choose their next steps. US launches plan to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals Signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, New START limited each side to 1,550 nuclear warheads and 700 delivery systems, including missiles and bombers. The treaty, originally set to expire in 2021, was extended for five years and included on-site inspections to verify compliance, which halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2023, Putin suspended Russia’s participation in inspections, citing concerns over U.S. and NATO statements regarding Russia’s defeat in Ukraine, while emphasizing that Moscow would still respect the warhead limits. In September, he proposed adhering to New START’s limits for one more year to allow negotiations on a successor pact, warning that the treaty’s expiration could destabilize global security and fuel nuclear proliferation. New START follows a series of previous U.S.-Russia nuclear arms reduction agreements, all of which have since ended. While Trump has expressed a desire to maintain nuclear limits, he insists China be included in any new treaty. Beijing, which has a smaller but expanding nuclear arsenal, has refused to participate in nuclear disarmament talks, urging the U.S. to resume dialogue with Russia. US seeks critical minerals trading bloc with allies to counter China “China’s nuclear forces are not on the same scale as those of the U.S. and Russia, and thus China will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at the current stage,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Thursday, calling on Washington to respond positively to Russia’s suggestion to continue observing the treaty’s core limits.

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he has agreed to a trade deal with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the agreement, the US will reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said India has agreed to eliminate trade barriers entirely and will stop buying Russian oil. The 25% tariff penalty previously imposed over India’s purchase of Russian oil will also be removed. The announcement comes less than a week after India and the European Union finalized a landmark trade agreement following nearly two decades of negotiations. Modi expressed his delight over the deal in a post on X, saying he was pleased that an agreement had been reached. Trump added that the morning phone call with Modi covered both trade and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said Modi agreed to increase oil purchases from the US and possibly Venezuela, and at Modi’s request, he immediately consented to the trade deal. This agreement will see India reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers to zero. Trump threatens 10% tariff on 8 European countries over Greenland stance Trump further stated that Modi committed to purchasing more than $500 billion worth of American goods, including energy, technology, agriculture, and coal products. The trade relationship between the US and India had been strained since August, when the US imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, the highest on any Asian country, including a 25% penalty tied to Indian oil imports from Russia. A White House official confirmed that the Russian oil-linked tariffs will be removed and other tariffs reduced to 18% under the new deal. Modi thanked Trump for the announcement, saying the cooperation between the two largest democracies will benefit their people and open up significant opportunities for mutually beneficial trade. Indian exports to the US had fallen sharply after the previous tariffs were applied. The recent India-EU trade deal will also reduce tariffs on a wide range of goods and services and includes a joint security partnership. #With inputs from BBC

As tensions rise between Iran and the United States, Tehran authorities have moved to strengthen civil defense measures, designating 82 metro stations and over 300 underground spaces as emergency shelters. Ali Nasiri, head of the Tehran Crisis Management Organization, told media on Saturday that the Passive Defense Committee of Tehran Municipality surveyed existing shelters and identified around 518 older shelters in schools, though only 20% are currently restorable, reports reports Anadolu Ajansi. The 82 metro stations are being equipped with essential facilities, including restrooms, water, and food supplies. Shelter signs and labels are expected to be completed soon. Additional underground locations, such as parking lots and public complexes, have also been earmarked as emergency shelters, which once operational could accommodate around 2.5 million residents. Tehran’s population ranges from 10–12 million, rising to 15–16 million including the greater metropolitan area. Read More: Iran dismisses Trump’s threats, vows swift response to any US attack During the June 2025 confrontation between Iran and Israel, residents had previously taken refuge in metro stations. Since that 12-day conflict, officials have upgraded shelters to enhance safety in the capital. In recent weeks, fears of renewed conflict have grown after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a naval fleet en route to Iran. The Iranian government has warned it will respond forcefully to any military attack, prompting authorities to accelerate preparations for potential emergencies.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran is negotiating with the United States. “The plan is that (Iran is) in talks with us, and we’ll see whether anything can be achieved. Otherwise, we’ll see what happens,” Trump told a Fox News correspondent. He said that “the last time they negotiated, we had to remove their nuclear capability. It didn’t work, you know. Then we did it a different way, and we’ll see what happens.” “We have a large fleet moving there, larger than what we had and still have, actually in Venezuela,” Trump said. Read More: Trump hikes US tariffs on South Korean goods to 25 percent Trump also said the United States could not share military plans with Gulf allies while negotiations with Iran were under way. “We can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan it could be worse, actually,” he said, responding to reports that Gulf allies remain uninformed about potential U.S. intervention plans involving Iran.

Uncertainty remained Friday over the scope and timing of a pledge by Russia to temporarily suspend attacks on Ukraine, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he secured a short-term commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putin amid one of Ukraine’s harshest winters in years. Trump said late Thursday that Putin had agreed to halt strikes on Kyiv and other cities for a limited period as freezing temperatures continue to worsen living conditions for civilians. “I personally asked President Putin not to strike Kyiv or other cities for a week during this period of extreme cold,” Trump said during a White House Cabinet meeting, adding that Putin had agreed. Trump did not clarify when the request was made or when the pause would take effect. The White House did not immediately provide further details regarding the duration or scope of the reported halt. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Friday that Trump made a direct request to Putin to stop attacks on Kyiv until Feb. 1 in order to create conditions favorable for negotiations. However, the reference to Feb. 1 raised questions, as the date is only days away and the coldest weather is expected to arrive starting Sunday, making the rationale for such a narrow time frame unclear. Throughout the war, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in what Ukrainian officials describe as an effort to deprive civilians of electricity, heating, and water during winter. When asked whether Moscow had accepted Trump’s proposal, Peskov replied affirmatively but declined to specify whether the pause would apply only to energy facilities or to all aerial attacks, or when it would formally begin. Conflicting signals on the ground President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that while Russian strikes hit energy facilities in several regions on Thursday, no such attacks were reported overnight. He added, however, that Russia continued to target logistics networks and residential areas with drones and missiles, as it has on most nights during the conflict. Although Trump characterized Putin’s response as a concession, Zelenskyy expressed doubt that Russia is genuinely seeking an end to the war, which will mark its fourth anniversary on Feb. 24. “I do not believe Russia wants to stop this war. There is substantial evidence suggesting otherwise,” Zelenskyy said Thursday. He reiterated that Ukraine is prepared to halt attacks on Russian energy assets, including oil refineries, if Moscow also stops targeting Ukraine’s power grid and related infrastructure. Read More: Ukraine, Russia, US discuss territorial concessions in Abu Dhabi According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 111 drones and one ballistic missile overnight, injuring at least three people. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 18 Ukrainian drones over several regions, as well as over Crimea and the Black Sea. Severe cold ahead Meteorologists warned that Kyiv and other areas, already suffering from electricity shortages, are facing an intense cold spell beginning Friday and extending into next week. In some regions, temperatures could plunge to minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit), according to the State Emergency Service. Zelenskyy said the idea of a temporary halt in energy-related attacks was discussed during talks in Abu Dhabi last weekend involving representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States. He said Ukraine agreed to a reciprocal approach. “If Russia refrains from attacking us, we will take corresponding steps,” Zelenskyy told reporters. Additional discussions were expected Sunday in Abu Dhabi, though those plans could be affected by rising tensions between the United States and Iran. No formal ceasefire Zelenskyy stressed that there is no official ceasefire in place and no formal agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. “There has been no direct dialogue or signed agreement on a ceasefire,” he said, noting that Ukraine had proposed a limited energy truce during talks in Saudi Arabia last year, but the proposal did not advance. Territorial disputes remain a central obstacle to peace, with Russia demanding control over occupied and unoccupied Ukrainian territory, Zelenskyy said. Ukraine is open to compromises that lead to a genuine end to the war, he said, but not at the expense of its territorial integrity. He added that the United States is aware of Kyiv’s position and has discussed a potential compromise involving a free economic zone, which Ukraine insists must remain under its control.

Growing tensions over US President Donald Trump’s plans to take control of Greenland are straining relations between the MAGA movement and Europe’s far-right parties, exposing divisions over foreign intervention and national sovereignty. Far-right leaders in Germany, Italy and France have openly criticised Trump’s stance on Greenland. Even Nigel Farage, a long-time Trump ally and leader of Britain’s Reform UK party, described the move as “a very hostile act.” During a debate in the European Parliament this week, far-right lawmakers who usually align with Trump largely backed suspending an EU-US trade pact, citing concerns over what they called “coercion” and “threats to sovereignty.” The rift has surprised some observers, given the strong ideological alignment between Trump and Europe’s nationalist parties. In 2024, far-right groups surged across the European Union and now hold about 26 percent of seats in the European Parliament, according to the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Less than a year ago, many of these parties gathered in Madrid under the slogan “Make Europe Great Again” to celebrate Trump’s election. However, Trump’s foreign policy moves on Greenland, Venezuela and Iran have forced European allies to balance ideological affinity with concerns over sovereignty. Read More: Greenland, tariffs and Trump dominate Davos talks France’s National Rally, which has praised Trump’s nationalist views, has recently shifted tone. Party president Jordan Bardella criticised US actions in Venezuela as “foreign interference” and denounced Trump’s “commercial blackmail” over Greenland, warning, “Our subjugation would be a historic mistake.” Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed the criticism, saying Trump’s tariff threats linked to Greenland were “a mistake.” In contrast, some eastern European leaders have avoided confrontation. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán defended Trump, calling Greenland an internal NATO issue, while leaders in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have largely refrained from criticism. Analysts say the episode highlights growing fault lines within the trans-Atlantic far right and raises questions about whether shared ideology can withstand disputes over national sovereignty.

The detention of a 5-year-old boy from Ecuador alongside his father outside their Minnesota home has intensified national debate over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Federal authorities, the family’s attorney, neighbors and school officials have offered sharply conflicting accounts over whether the parents were given a real chance to place the child in someone else’s care. According to neighbors and school officials, immigration officers involved the child directly by instructing him to knock on his home’s door in an attempt to draw his mother outside. The Department of Homeland Security has rejected that claim, calling it an “abject lie.” Officials say the father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, ran from officers and left his son, Liam Conejo Ramos, alone in a running vehicle parked in the driveway. The conflicting versions surfaced just weeks after the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis by an ICE officer — an incident witnesses described as an abuse of authority but which federal officials defended as self-defense. The father and son are currently being held at a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, near San Antonio. Federal authorities say Conejo Arias was in the United States illegally, though they have not provided further details. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said he entered the country unlawfully in December 2024. The family’s lawyer countered that Conejo Arias had a pending asylum application that allowed him to remain in the U.S. Both claims may be accurate. Officials could have moved to deport him after determining he entered illegally, while he simultaneously exercised his legal right to seek asylum, temporarily halting removal until a judge decides the case. Online court records show the asylum case was filed on Dec. 17, 2024, and assigned to the immigration court inside the Dilley detention facility. Below is a breakdown of what officials, lawyers and others are saying: School officials say ICE used the child as ‘bait’ Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik said officers instructed the boy to knock on the door to check whether anyone else was inside, “essentially using a 5-year-old as bait,” she said. Stenvik said the father told the child’s mother not to open the door. School officials also said agents refused requests to leave the child with other adults. A widely shared photo of the boy wearing a beanie and a Spiderman backpack has fueled public reaction. “Why detain a 5-year-old?” Stenvik asked. “You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal.” Other adults offered to take care of the child School officials said several adults present offered to care for the boy but were ignored, including a neighbor who said she had documentation authorizing her to take custody of him on behalf of the parents. Columbia Heights school board chair Mary Granlund said she also told agents she could care for the child. ICE rejects claims from school officials and neighbors “ICE did NOT target, arrest a child or use a child as ‘bait,’” said Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. “ICE law enforcement officers were the only people primarily concerned with the welfare of this child. ” McLaughlin said the child had been abandoned and officers made repeated efforts to have the mother take custody. “Officers even assured her she would NOT be taken her into custody.” She added that officers “abided by the father’s wishes to keep the child with him." ICE and Border Patrol criticize media coverage Border Patrol Commander at Large Greg Bovino said at a Friday news conference that reporting on the case was based on a “false media narrative.” Marcos Charles, acting executive associate director of ICE enforcement and removal operations, said the father was responsible for “abandoning his child in the middle of winter in a vehicle.” He said one officer stayed with the child while others arrested the father, later providing food and attempting to reunite him with family. “Tragically, when we approached the door of his residence, the people inside refused to take him in and open the door. ... Fortunately, Conejo Arias eventually requested that his child stay with him," Charles said. Charles said he did not know the whereabouts of the child’s mother. Conditions at the Texas detention center The father and son are being held at the Dilley family detention center, where advocacy groups say conditions for children have deteriorated. Leecia Welch, chief legal counsel at Children’s Rights, said after visiting the facility last week that conditions are worse than ever. “The number of children had skyrocketed and significant numbers of children had been detained for over 100 days,” Welch said, adding that the administration acknowledged in December that about 400 children had faced extended detention. “Nearly every child we spoke to was sick,” she said. Bovino argued that child-parent separation occurs when U.S. citizens are jailed by local police. “I challenge any other law enforcement agency anywhere nationwide to show me the fantastic care that ICE and the U.S. Border Patrol provide children,” Bovino said. He added that without his father, the boy could have ended up in social services custody. Charles said families in detention receive “top-notch care. They have medical care. The food is good. They have learning services. They have church services available. They have recreation.” Lawyer unable to contact family Family attorney Marc Prokosch said Thursday he believed the father and son were being held together but had not been able to communicate with them. “We’re looking at our legal options to see if we can free them either through some legal mechanisms or through moral pressure,” he said. Prokosch was unavailable for comment on Friday, according to his office. Administration policy on detaining children The child’s immigration status remains unclear and could be decisive. Charles said the family entered the U.S. together, indicating the boy was not born in the country. Trump border czar Tom Homan has said parents of U.S.-born children may choose whether to take their children with them or leave them behind. “This is parenting 101. You can decide to take that child with you or you can decide to leave the child with a relative or another spouse,” Homan said last year on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” The Trump administration issued a “Detained Parents Directive” last July stating that ICE “should under no circumstances take custody of children or transport them” when minors are encountered during enforcement actions, with certain exceptions. The directive instructs ICE to give parents time to arrange alternative care for children before detention but does not clarify what happens if parents request that children remain with them. Read More: Trump’s immigration crackdown fuels anxiety among child care workers “If a parent is arrested while with their child, the government is not required to arrest the child, regardless of the child’s immigration status,” said Neha Desai, managing director at Children’s Human Rights and Dignity at the National Center for Youth Law. “When ICE detains a parent, its own policy requires them to allow time for arrangements to be made for the child’s care.”

Freezing rain hit parts of Texas on Friday as a powerful, multi-day winter storm began moving across the country, threatening roughly half of the U.S. population with snow, sleet, ice, dangerously cold temperatures, and widespread power outages. Forecasters warned that damage—particularly from heavy ice—could be severe, potentially rivaling the destruction caused by hurricanes. The storm disrupted daily life across large parts of the country. Schools in Chicago and other Midwestern cities canceled classes, airlines grounded thousands of flights, churches shifted services online, and major events such as the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville proceeded without audiences. Mardi Gras-related parades in Louisiana were postponed or called off. Weather alerts were widespread, with about 182 million people under ice and snow warnings and more than 210 million facing cold weather advisories, often overlapping. Power companies prepared for outages, as ice-laden trees and power lines can collapse even after storms subside. In Dallas, residents stocked up on essentials as conditions worsened. “We’re staying in and keeping out of the way,” said one shopper as freezing rain made roads slick in cities like Lubbock. After sweeping through the South, the storm was forecast to move northeast, potentially dropping up to a foot of snow from Washington, D.C., to New York and Boston. The first phase of the storm involved an influx of Arctic air from Canada, bringing dangerous wind chills to the Midwest. In some areas, temperatures felt as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 Celsius), prompting school closures and making prolonged outdoor exposure hazardous. Despite the extreme cold, thousands gathered in Minneapolis for a planned protest, while elsewhere travel disruptions mounted. Nearly 5,000 flights were delayed or canceled nationwide on Friday, with thousands more canceled for the weekend. Read More: Weather likely to remain unchanged: BMD State and federal agencies prepared emergency responses. Road crews treated highways, National Guard units were deployed to assist motorists, and nearly 30 federal search-and-rescue teams were placed on standby. FEMA pre-positioned millions of meals, hundreds of thousands of blankets, and generators along the storm’s path. President Donald Trump said his administration was coordinating closely with state and local officials. Officials warned that ice accumulation could bring down power lines and burst pipes, and that recovery would be slow even after the storm passes. In many Southern states, most homes rely on electric heating, increasing the risk during outages. Remembering the deadly Texas power grid failure five years ago, state leaders pledged improved preparedness. Utility companies brought in extra crews to help maintain service. In the Northeast, cities braced for potentially their heaviest snowfall in years. Boston declared a cold emergency, while Connecticut and neighboring states prepared for possible travel restrictions. Philadelphia announced school closures, encouraging students to stay safe and enjoy the snow responsibly. As temperatures plunged, shelters opened for vulnerable populations. In Detroit, emergency cots were set up for those without housing, while elsewhere residents chose to ride out the storm at home or on campus with friends. Universities across the South canceled classes or urged students to leave dorms amid power concerns. Some students, however, opted to stay together and face the storm collectively.

US President Donald Trump has strongly criticised the United Kingdom’s plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling the move an act of great stupidity. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the UK was wrong to give up control of Diego Garcia, home to a key US military base. He said the decision weakens security and sends the wrong message to rival powers such as China and Russia. Under the deal, Britain plans to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back the Diego Garcia base for 99 years. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the lease would cost the UK £101 million a year. Trump said the agreement is one of the reasons he believes the United States should take control of Greenland for national security reasons. He accused the UK of giving away important land without any clear benefit. The Trump administration had earlier supported the Chagos deal. In May last year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as a major achievement and welcomed the agreement. European leaders have defended the UK’s decision, saying the deal helps secure the future of the military base and avoids long legal disputes over the islands’ ownership.   With inputs from BBC

Starting January 21, 2026, all Bangladeshi nationals approved for a B1/B2 (business and tourist) United States visa will be required to post a bond of up to $15,000. The US Embassy in Dhaka said on Monday that this requirement does not apply to people holding a valid B1/B2 visa issued before January 21, 2026. "Do not pay your bond in advance. Paying early does not guarantee you a visa, and third-party sites can be scams," said the Embassy in a notification through its verified Facebook page. Govt to chalk out strategy over US immigrant visa suspension: Rizwana "Any payment made before your interview is not refundable. The bond will be returned if you respect the terms of your visa," the notification reads.