Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that expanding nuclear power is one of Russia’s top priorities. He made the remarks in a video message following the expiration of the nuclear treaty with the United States. Putin said that developing nuclear capabilities would ensure Russia’s security. According to his message, strengthening nuclear power will enhance strategic deterrence and maintain the global balance of power.

In his address, Putin also pledged to strengthen Russia’s army and navy. He said that all branches of the armed forces would be improved, including their combat readiness and ability to operate under the most difficult conditions. The statement came after the New START treaty between Russia and the United States expired earlier this month without renewal.

Russia has said it will adopt a responsible approach toward its strategic nuclear capabilities, even as it prioritizes the development of its defense forces.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita announced her intention to break the existing airline ticketing syndicate, describing it as a major issue under government attention. She made the remarks on Monday, February 23, 2026, during a discussion with journalists at the Manikganj Circuit House auditorium.

Responding to questions about her ministry’s priorities, the minister said that after only three days in office, her team was already focusing on operationalizing the third terminal at the airport. She added that ensuring smooth travel for upcoming Hajj pilgrims and improving facilities for expatriates were also key priorities. Rita emphasized that returning expatriates should feel a visible improvement at the airport.

During her first visit to Manikganj after winning the election, the minister noted that many pending tasks needed to be understood and addressed gradually, following the Prime Minister’s instructions. Several local officials and press representatives were present at the event, where she was later greeted with floral tributes.

Nine members of the same family, including three children, were burned in a gas line explosion at a residential flat in Halishahar, Chattogram, early Monday morning. The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. on the third floor of a six-story building named Halima Manzil in the H Block area. The fire spread rapidly throughout the flat, injuring all nine occupants. Two units of the Fire Service brought the blaze under control, and the injured were taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Doctors reported that four of the victims are in critical condition and preparations are underway to transfer them to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

Fire Service Deputy Director Jasim Uddin stated that the exact cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed. However, it is suspected that accumulated gas from a line leakage may have triggered the blast.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the explosion while ensuring medical support for the injured family members.

A 23-year-old female police officer was killed and at least 25 others were injured in an explosion in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, according to Ukrainian officials who described the incident as a terrorist attack. The blast occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday when police responded to a report of theft and vandalism at a shop. Two explosives hidden in a trash bin detonated—one as the first patrol arrived and another when a second team reached the scene.

The deceased officer was identified as Viktoria Shpylka, who had served since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Eleven of the injured were hospitalized, including six law enforcement officers in critical condition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said one suspect had been detained in connection with the attack.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stated that the attacker was a Ukrainian woman. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that police and security forces arrested a 33-year-old woman from the Rivne region. Authorities are investigating whether others were involved.

Israeli forces have launched a large-scale arrest campaign across the occupied West Bank, detaining more than 100 Palestinians since the start of Ramadan. Those arrested include women, children, and individuals previously released from Israeli prisons. The operations intensified from February 18 in areas including Jerusalem, while Israeli authorities also restricted Ramadan decorations and celebrations.

According to the report, Israeli authorities prevented Palestinian worshippers from performing the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, even though they held valid permits. Rights groups stated that more than 9,300 Palestinians are currently imprisoned in Israel, including 350 children. They also reported that since the onset of the Gaza conflict about two and a half years ago, Israel has limited food supplies to detainees and restricted their ability to pray or read the Quran.

Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations have warned that torture, starvation, and medical neglect have led to the deaths of numerous Palestinian prisoners.

The United States and Canada have issued travel and safety warnings for their citizens in Mexico following the death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho. The Mexican army reported that the 59-year-old Jalisco New Generation Cartel chief was injured in a gunfight with soldiers in Tapalpa and died while being flown to Mexico City. His death triggered violence, road blockades, and flight cancellations across several regions.

According to Agence France-Presse, the US Department of State’s Consular Affairs office advised Americans in Mexico to remain in safe locations due to ongoing security operations, roadblocks, and criminal activity. Canada said it is closely monitoring the situation and urged its citizens to follow local authorities’ guidance. Flights were disrupted in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, with several US and Canadian airlines canceling services.

Airlines including United, American, Southwest, Alaska, Air Canada, and WestJet/Sunwing suspended flights, with some aircraft forced to return mid-route. Carriers plan to send planes to retrieve stranded passengers and crew once conditions stabilize.

The government has appointed Advocate Aminul Islam as the new Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), replacing Tajul Islam. The appointment was confirmed through a government notification signed by Solicitor Manjurul Hossain on Monday. According to the notification, the Chief Prosecutor will hold the same rank, salary, and privileges as the Attorney General.

Tajul Islam had been appointed in September 2024 by the interim government with the rank of Attorney General. Under his leadership, the prosecution submitted 24 formal charges related to crimes against humanity committed during July–August 2024. Trials for these cases are ongoing in Tribunal-1 and Tribunal-2, with verdicts already delivered in three cases. Among the 26 convicted are former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and senior police officials. Two more verdicts, including one on the killing of Abu Sayeed during the July uprising, are pending, while another verdict is scheduled for March 4.

Trials are also underway for enforced disappearances and torture cases from the Awami League government era, involving several former ministers, MPs, and retired military officers.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman worked for the first time at the Armed Forces Division office located in Dhaka Cantonment on Monday morning. He arrived at the office at 9 a.m., where he was received by the chiefs of the three armed services. The prime minister exchanged greetings with them and, as part of the day’s schedule, conferred rank badges on Lieutenant General Mir Mushfiqur Rahman and Major General Kaiser Rashid Chowdhury.

The event was attended by the prime minister’s defense adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. A.K.M. Shamsul Islam, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hasan, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmud Khan, Defense Secretary Md. Ashraf Uddin, Press Secretary Saleh Shibli, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumman, and Private Secretary-2 Md. Mehedul Islam.

This marks the first occasion a sitting prime minister has conducted official duties from the Armed Forces Division office within the Dhaka Cantonment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already started World War III. In an interview with the BBC, Zelensky said that only intense military and economic pressure can stop Putin. He rejected any notion of Ukraine being on the path to defeat, asserting that the war would end with Ukraine’s victory.

Zelensky emphasized that accepting a ceasefire under Russia’s conditions would mean surrendering strategically important territories that Russia failed to capture despite heavy losses. He argued that Russia seeks to impose a different way of life on the world, replacing the choices people have made for themselves. According to him, the key question now is how far Putin can go and how the world will stop him.

The Ukrainian leader reiterated that Russia must be confronted through sustained military and economic measures, not by conceding territory or making strategic compromises under the guise of peace.

A nationwide survey has found that most Americans are dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court striking down his tariff plan, Trump has imposed a 15 percent tariff citing a different law. The ABC News and Washington Post Ipsos Knowledge Panel survey indicates that public discontent with Trump’s trade measures has grown amid rising international disagreements over U.S. tariffs.

According to the survey, a large portion of Americans are unhappy with Trump’s policies on trade, foreign relations, immigration, and the overall economy. About 65 percent oppose his inflation-control measures, 64 percent reject high import tariffs, and 62 percent consider his foreign policy misguided. Additionally, 58 percent disapprove of his immigration policy, while 57 percent believe his actions are harming the national economy.

Although frustration with Trump is widespread, the survey also shows limited trust in Democrats. Only 33 percent of respondents expressed confidence in Trump, 31 percent in Democrats, and another 31 percent said they trust neither side.

Five suspected militants were killed in a counterterrorism operation in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, according to an official statement released on Monday. The operation took place in Pishin district based on intelligence information, where a suspected suicide bomber and four associates were killed near the old Surkhab refugee camp. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) spokesperson said that intense gunfire erupted during the raid on the militants’ hideout.

The statement added that the group had planned attacks on the police lines and Cadet College Pishin. Security forces are continuing their investigation into the incident. The CTD also reported that, in separate operations last week in Quetta and Barkhan districts, a total of 14 suspected militants were killed.

Authorities have not released further details about the identities of those killed or the specific militant group involved, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Kashmiri traders working across northern India are facing increasing hostility and violence, forcing many to change their routines for safety. In Hisar, Haryana, 28-year-old Ayaz Ahmad, who sells shawls and handicrafts door to door, now uses a WhatsApp group to warn fellow Kashmiri vendors about areas to avoid. He told Al Jazeera that harassment has become a daily concern, making personal safety a higher priority than business.

The shift follows a violent incident in Uttarakhand’s Vikasnagar, where an 18-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller, Tabish Ahmad Gani, was beaten with an iron rod by a Hindu shopkeeper who declared that Kashmiris could not work in the village. The attack left Tabish seriously injured, requiring stitches and leaving him unable to walk. He said he was targeted solely for being a Kashmiri Muslim.

According to the report, such assaults are not isolated but reflect a broader pattern of hate against Kashmiri traders and migrant workers across India, fueled by political rhetoric portraying Kashmiris as traitors and security threats.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Sunday that 614 people have been killed and 1,643 injured in Gaza during the four months since a ceasefire was declared on October 10 of last year. The ceasefire followed two years of intense Israeli military operations and was announced after intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued to carry out attacks targeting Gaza residents.

According to the ministry, two people were killed and three injured in the past 24 hours due to Israeli strikes. It also stated that 726 bodies have been recovered from the rubble during this period, while many victims remain trapped beneath collapsed structures. Reports from Al Jazeera and the Palestinian news agency Wafa detailed recent attacks in Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Younis, and Beit Lahia, where several civilians, including a woman, were killed.

Since October 2023, a total of 72,072 people have been killed and 171,741 injured in Gaza as a result of Israeli military actions, according to the ministry’s data.

Mexico’s government announced that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as ‘El Mencho’ and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a security operation in Jalisco’s Tapalpa region. The 59-year-old former police officer was fatally wounded in a gunfight with soldiers while being transported to Mexico City. Four CJNG members were also killed and three soldiers injured in the raid, which was supported by U.S. intelligence. Authorities seized armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and other weapons during the operation.

Following his death, CJNG members launched violent attacks across eight Mexican states, setting vehicles on fire, blocking roads, and targeting security forces. The U.S. State Department issued travel warnings for several regions, including Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Nuevo León. President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm, saying most areas remained stable.

Airlines including United, American, and Air Canada canceled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara amid unrest. Former U.S. ambassador Christopher Landau described El Mencho as one of the most brutal drug lords, warning that cartel retaliation could complicate Mexico’s security situation.

A butcher named Mohammad Mujib, aged 45, was allegedly beaten to death after being called from his home in Kakara Union of Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar. The incident occurred near Shah Omar Mazar on Saturday evening. Locals found Mujib’s body around 11:30 p.m. with his hands, feet, and mouth bound with tape. He was taken to Chakaria Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Police later detained a 28-year-old man named Mohammad Arif from the same area in connection with the killing.

According to police, Arif tried to portray the incident as a robbery but was detained after inconsistencies in his statements. Mujib’s family claimed that Arif had a long-standing land dispute with them, which had led to multiple clashes and ongoing court cases. Local residents described Arif and his father as known drug dealers who had been arrested several times before. Following the incident, tension spread in the area, prompting police to deploy additional forces.

Chakaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Monir Hossain said the body was sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for autopsy. He added that there were no visible injuries and suspected that Mujib was suffocated to death.