Twitter ban: Counting the losses

Germany has wanted reform of the UN Security Council for years. But its bids to join the exclusive circle of permanent members have always failed.

This week, five US citizens freed from prison in Iran were able to embrace their loved ones back home. Under the deal brokered by Qatar, five Iranians detained in the United States were also released. The agreement included the unfreezing of nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets. So is the deal a sign of warming ties between Washington and Tehran? We put the question to David Smith, Washington bureau chief for the Guardian.

The United Auto Workers and the US's Big Three carmakers remain far apart in their negotiations as time is running out before the union plans to escalate its strike on Friday. Last week, workers walked off the job at three plants, each belonging to Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Also in this edition, the US Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged. Plus, Japanese conglomerate Toshiba could go private after being on the stock market for 74 years.

The Indian government is exploring the idea of holding simultaneous elections at the national, state and local levels. But the opposition has slammed it, saying it goes against the spirit of federalism.

With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington seeking more help to fend off Russia's forces, US President Joe Biden said he was confident Congress would continue supporting Kyiv.

Brazil's Supreme Court has struck down an attempt to restrict Indigenous people's access to land. The ruling has been celebrated as a major win for Indigenous rights, setting precedent nationwide.

The Mega Plastic factory located in Ilupeju area of Lagos was gutted by fire on Saturday morning. An eyewitness told The Guardian that the fire incident started at about 6:30 a.m. Videos of the fire incident showed that the flames of the fire had covered the factory.

An explosion erupted at a warehouse for smuggled fuel in southern Benin. Benin's informal economy is heavily reliant on selling smuggled Nigerian fuel on the black market.

US Vice President Kamala Harris will head the new federal office, as she and Biden gear up for the 2024 election. The White House efforts towards gun control are unlikely to be effective without the support of Congress.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the US takes "very, very seriously" incidents of "transnational repression," adding that he wants to ensure "accountability."

After beginning a strike one week ago, the United Auto Workers union has increased the number of plants affected by industrial action. Until now, workers have been striking at three sites, one each for Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. UAW leader Shawn Fain says that will be increased to 38 factories, all of them GM and Stellantis parts distribution centres. Ford has been spared of further disruption, with the union saying the company has made "important concessions".

The UN chief has called it an epidemic of coups. In Africa, since 2020, military officers have seized power, or attempted to do so, in numerous sub-Saharan countries. Just in the last two and a half months, soldiers in Gabon announced a takeover of power, while in Niger, members of the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum and announced that they were seizing power.