Africa urged to reduce its dependence on export commodities

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.

With less than 100 days to go until the Paris 2024 Olympics, we’re looking into whether or not they will be a healthy investment for Paris and France as a whole. Will the Games boost the French economy? Or will the costs outweigh the benefits?

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about the week's film news, including "The Fall Guy" with Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling, Philippe Caland's three films "Hollywood Buddha", "Ripple Effect" and "The Guru and the Gypsy", plus Luana Bajrami's "Phantom Youth". We finish with Lisa convincing Eve that a film about old French people is entertaining: Claus Drexel's documentary "Les Vieux", which translates as "Old Folks".

The Iran-backed rebel group has begun to extend its power locally and regionally. However its policies are far from good governance, exacerbating the humanitarian situation and the economic crisis across Yemen.

rge swathes of Asia continue to swelter though a dramatic heatwave that has topped temperature records all the way from India to the Philippines. Bangladesh has faced the hottest April on record, with temperatures forcing millions of children to stay home from school and making working in the scorching heat difficult for millions. The heatwave is also leading to water shortages. But that term is one that water supply expert Isha Ray from the University of California, Berkeley does not like. She has been speaking at a conference in Paris called "Facing Environmental Crisis in South Asia" and told us in Perspective why she thinks the term is misleading.

Armed assailants kidnapped a senior judge in Pakistan's restive northwest, news media reported on Sunday, as the county experiences a surge in violence. Some 15 men on motorbikes stopped the vehicle of Judge Shakirullah Marwat, according to officials cited by the AP news agency.