Russia

Türkiye's exports fell by 4.1 percent to $22.6 billion, while the annual decline in imports was 5.7 percent to $30.1 billion in March, data from the Trade Ministry has shown.

Consequently, the country's foreign trade deficit came in at $7.5 billion last month, shrinking by 10.3 percent from March 2023.

Nurgyul Salimova, the burgeoning Bulgarian chess sensation, steps onto the grand stage of the 2024 Candidates Tournament in Toronto with a flurry of anticipation surrounding her. The competition begins on April 3rd with an official ceremony, and the matches kick off on the 4th.

This Thursday, NATO foreign ministers convene in Brussels to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the alliance's establishment, marked by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington on April 4, 1949. Central to NATO's mission is the principle of collective defense, wherein an attack on any member nation is considered an attack on all.

Russian air attacks killed six people in northeast Ukraine on Thursday, authorities said, as President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of cynically targeting civilians.

Russian forces have stepped up their aerial bombardment of Ukraine in recent weeks, resulting in power cuts for thousands of people as the country's electricity grid is targeted.

NATO on Thursday marks 75 years since its founding with the Western alliance confronted by the urgent need to do more to help Ukraine win a war currently roiling Europe.

Foreign ministers from NATO's 32 countries will hold a ceremony at its Brussels headquarters to fete the organisation that bills itself as the "most powerful and successful alliance in history".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill reducing the age for military mobilization by two years, bringing it down from 27 to 25. The move, which came into effect on Wednesday, aims to increase the number of troops available to Ukraine as it faces dire conditions in the war against Russia.

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) is reportedly planning the destruction of the Crimean bridge within the next three months. The bridge, which connects Russia to the occupied Crimean peninsula, has long been a contentious symbol of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg refrained from providing a direct response regarding his proposal to establish a 5-year, 100 billion euro fund aimed at bolstering support for the Ukrainian military. The idea, which circulated through news agencies, remained unconfirmed by Stoltenberg as he entered a meeting of foreign affairs ministers.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that alliance members must guarantee long-term weapon deliveries for Ukraine, as ministers discussed a proposal for a 100-billion-euro, five-year fund.

Reports from Politico suggest that Russia is gearing up for a significant offensive, possibly as early as August, according to high-ranking Ukrainian military personnel who served under General Valerii Zaluzhnyi.