INEC defends 2019 polls date

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended Germany's record on delivering arms to Ukraine, and promised more — including modern anti-aircraft equipment.

No matter how an incumbent or ex-governor acts neutral and uninterested, his or her eyes are fixed on the process that will produce a successor. But before Ekiti goes to the polls to elect the next governor, here are a few questions the electorate needs to ask aspirants.

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

In tonight's edition: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defends his controversial deal to expel migrants to Rwanda, telling critics to "keep an open mind". Whilst most members of the bloc are former British colonies, Gabon and Togo are expected to join Mozambique and Rwanda as the latest nations to join the Commonwealth despite few historic links to the UK. Plus we take a closer look at some the major shifts needed to finance Africa's essential transition to reliable energy.

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

The US president has penned a defense of his planned visit to Saudi Arabia for The Washington Post. His trip comes after pledging to make the country a "pariah" on the campaign trail.

The US president has penned a defense of his planned visit to Saudi Arabia for The Washington Post. His trip comes after pledging to make the country a "pariah" on the campaign trail.

Despite mounting outrage over the executions of four political prisoners, Myanmar's military rulers have pushed back against criticism, calling the executions "justice for the people."

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

In an exclusive interview, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told DW that the European Union is continuously working on reducing its dependency on Russian gas. However, he says, EU member states can't be asked to cut off those gas supplies "overnight."

Kenyans are just hours away from heading to the polls for a general election. They will choose governors, MPs and a new president, marking the end of Uhuru Kenyatta's nine years in office. Also, as grain exports from Ukraine slowly resume, we take a closer look at fertiliser, another product from the region that Africa depends on. Finally, Chad's military government and more than 40 opposition groups sign a deal to launch national peace talks later this month.

Polls closed in the evening and vote counting began on Wednesday after Angolans voted in a tight race in which the main opposition coalition had its best-ever chance of victory as millions of youths left out of its oil-fuelled booms were likely to express frustration with nearly five decades of MPLA rule.