
Not an agreement you want expiring: Trump supports extending Russia nuke treaty
"When you take off nuclear restrictions, that's a big problem," Trump added.The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, is the last remaining nuclear arms reduction accord between the world's largest nuclear powers. It restricts Russia and the US to deploying no more than 1,550 strategic warheads on 700 intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and bombers, reports Reuters.Former US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin extended the treaty by five years in 2021. However, under the current terms, the pact cannot be renewed again. During his first term, Donald Trump opposed an extension, instead pushing for a new agreement that would include China.Despite his earlier stance, Trump has voiced support for curbing nuclear weapons. In February, he said he hoped to hold talks with both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to explore limits on their nuclear arsenals.With New START set to expire, arms control experts warn that both countries could start increasing their strategic warhead stockpiles, making it harder for each side to monitor the other's nuclear intentions.- EndsInputs from ReutersTune InMust Watch
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Taiwan reports continued Chinese military activity around its territory
Synopsis Taiwan's Defence Ministry reports Chinese military activity near its territory. Four Chinese aircraft and ten naval vessels were observed. The aircraft crossed the median line into Taiwan's air defence zone. This activity follows similar incursions reported on Sunday. These actions highlight ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China. Taiwan monitors the situation and responds accordingly to ensure national security.
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
30 minutes ago
- First Post
Pakistan: Protest against counter-terror ops turns deadly in KPK as 3 killed in firing by gunmen
Three people were killed and several injured after gunmen opened fire on a protest in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Locals were demonstrating against counter-terror operations following a girl's death in a mortar strike. read more Unknown gunmen opened fire on a protest in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, killing three people and injuring several others, news agency PTI reported, citing officials. The demonstrations were staged against ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the region. The protest erupted in the Tirah Valley after a young girl was killed a day earlier in a mortar attack in Zakha Khel, located in Khyber District. In response, angry locals gathered and placed the girl's body outside the Momand Ghuz security checkpoint to demand accountability. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Suhail Afridi, special assistant to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, confirmed that the protesters were fired upon by terrorists, leaving three people dead and eight injured. Pak's deep-rooted security challenge Terrorism remains a major security threat in Pakistan, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Ironically, while Pakistan presents itself internationally as a victim of terrorism, it has long been accused of supporting extremist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, especially in their operations against India. Military operations and human rights concerns Inside its borders, Pakistan has waged several large-scale military operations—such as Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad—to dismantle militant networks. Yet groups like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State (IS) affiliates, and Baloch separatist outfits remain active, frequently targeting civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure. The state's heavy-handed counter-terror tactics have led to serious human rights abuses, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and unlawful detentions. These actions have deepened mistrust among citizens and eroded confidence in the rule of law. Persistent militancy and regional hotspots The tribal belt near the Afghan border continues to be a hub of militant activity. Meanwhile, Balochistan has witnessed an uptick in violence, often directed at Chinese projects tied to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Though urban centers like Karachi and Lahore have seen a relative decline in attacks, the threat of sleeper cells and lone-wolf actors remains. Worsening rights crisis in Balochistan In Balochistan, the security situation is compounded by long-standing grievances over political marginalisation and economic exploitation. The region has become a focal point of allegations regarding systemic human rights violations, particularly targeting students, activists, and political dissenters. Human rights watchdogs, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented repeated cases of torture, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings—often attributed to state agencies operating without accountability. Enforced disappearances and public outrage Families of the disappeared frequently organise sit-ins and protests, displaying photographs of their missing loved ones and demanding justice. Thousands of cases have been reported to Pakistan's Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, with Balochistan accounting for a disproportionate share. However, few have been resolved, and the perpetrators rarely face consequences. Suppressing dissent through fear Activists argue that these disappearances are part of a broader strategy to suppress the Baloch nationalist movement and silence dissent against controversial state-led projects like CPEC. The lack of judicial oversight, transparency, and accountability has only widened the trust deficit between the Baloch people and the federal government—fuelling further instability in an already volatile region.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Epstein furor undermines public trust, Republican election hopes, two US lawmakers say
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The uproar over disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could undermine public trust in the Trump administration , as well as Republican hopes of retaining control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, two U.S. lawmakers said on Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna , who want the House of Representatives to vote on their bipartisan resolution requiring full release of the government's Epstein files, said the lack of transparency is reinforcing public perceptions that the rich and powerful live beyond the reach of the judicial system."This is going to hurt Republicans in the midterms. The voters will be apathetic if we don't hold the rich and powerful accountable," Massie, a hardline conservative from Kentucky, told NBC's "Meet the Press" hope to add to their current 219-212 House majority - with four seats currently vacant - and 53-47 Senate majority in November 2026, although the U.S. political cycle traditionally punishes the party of the sitting president during midterm Washington Post reported late on Sunday that Trump was increasingly frustrated with his administration's handling of the furor around so, the president was hesitant to make personnel changes to avoid creating a "bigger spectacle" as his top officials underestimated the outrage from Trump's own base over the issue, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed said Attorney General Pam Bondi triggered "a crisis of trust" by saying there was no list of Epstein clients after previously implying that one existed. The change in position unleashed a tsunami of calls for her resignation from Trump's MAGA base."This is about trust in government," the California Democrat told "Meet the Press." "This is about being a reform agent of transparency."President Donald Trump, who on Sunday announced an EU trade deal in Scotland, has been frustrated by continued questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and 2019 death by suicide in and Khanna believe they can win enough support from fellow lawmakers to force a vote on their resolution when Congress returns from its summer recess in September. But they face opposition from Republican leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who sent lawmakers home a day early to stymie Democratic efforts to force a vote before the who also appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," said he favors a non-binding alternative resolution that calls for release of "credible" evidence, but which he said would better protect victims including minors."The Massie and Khanna discharge petition is reckless in the way that it is drafted and presented," Johnson said. "It does not adequately include those protections."Massie dismissed Johnson's claim as "a straw man" excuse. "Ro and I carefully crafted this legislation so that the victims' names will be redacted," he said. "They're hiding behind that."Trump has tried and failed so far to distract attention from the Epstein controversy six months into his second Saturday, Trump repeated his claims without evidence that 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and other Democrats should be prosecuted over payment for endorsements from celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce and the Reverend Al week he accused former President Barack Obama of "treason" over how the Obama administration treated intelligence about Russian interference in U.S. elections nine years ago, drawing a rebuke from an Obama Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump ally, said on Sunday that Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence, had found new information that investigators initially discovered no evidence of Russian election interference but changed their position after Obama told them to keep looking."I'm not alleging he committed treason, but I am saying it bothers me," Graham told "Meet the Press."Democratic Representative Jason Crow dismissed Gabbard's claims, telling the "Fox News Sunday" program that the national intelligence director had turned herself into "a weapon of mass distraction."The Department of Justice has said it is forming a strike force to assess Gabbard's claims.