Sweden

As Sweden edges toward formal NATO membership, the nation's involvement in the alliance's extensive military maneuvers underscores its evolving defense ties. Joined by Finland, the region embarks on the "Nordic Response 2024" exercises, marking a significant step towards bolstering collective security in Northern Europe.

Norway joins Finland, Sweden & the UK in introducing greater safeguarding for children. In the US 8 states thus far have banned affirmative care under 18

Greece's Emmanouil Karalis celebrates after the men's pole vault final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, where he won bronze with a jump of 5.85m. Sweden's Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis successfully defended his world indoor pole vault title with a best clearance of 6.05m, while American Sam Kendricks secured silver with a best performance of 5.90m. [Reuters]

The Turkish and American top diplomats will meet in the coming days in Washington as part of the Strategic Mechanism, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said, informing that all issues concerning bilateral ties and regional conflicts will be on the agenda.

US senators declined on Thursday to block the sale of F-16s to Turkey, despite voicing deep disdain for Turkey's conduct as an ally. They were upholding an unofficial bargain that Turks would get the fighter jets if they stopped blocking Sweden's accession to NATO.

"A deal's a deal," said Idaho Senator Jim Risch, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Türkiye is moving closer to acquiring a fleet of F-16 fighter jets from the United States as the draft offer and acceptance letters have been officially received, according to a defense ministry official.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning to NATO nations, cautioning them against the deployment of troops to Ukraine and emphasizing the risk of a nuclear conflict, according to Reuters.

Nine ministers of agriculture of the European People's Party (EPP) issued a joint statement on Monday emphasizing the urgent need for structural solutions to problems that have arisen in the agricultural sector following the implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Dr. Neil Melvin, the director of international security at Britain's Royal Joint Services Institute, has described Sweden's decision to join NATO as a "dramatic and historic change" with significant implications for Baltic security dynamics.

He clarified that the recently held Munich Security Conference was marked by the Ukrainian withdrawal from Avdiivka and the sudden death of Alexei Navalny.