The global security landscape has fundamentally shifted. At midnight, the New START Treaty—the final remaining pillar of arms control between the United States and Russia—officially expired. For the first time since 1969, the world’s two largest nuclear superpowers are no longer bound by any legally binding limits on their strategic warheads.

A leaked audio recording is now at the center of growing uncertainty around the India-US trade negotiations. In the latest Axios report, Senator Ted Cruz is said to have named senior White House officials as the key roadblocks in the stalled India-US trade deal, describing a “battle” over the agreement during private donor calls. The report comes at a time when negotiations have gained urgency following fresh US tariffs tied to India-Russia oil trade, with total duties on India reportedly rising to 50&#37. The leak suggests deeper political resistance within the administration, even as both sides continue bilateral talks after months of negotiation. WATCH