Debt levels have increased as more sub-Saharan countries look towards borrowing. Zambia's debt now equals its total GDP, while Kenya may be speeding towards its own financial crisis.

Lawmakers in the United States have voted to raise the government's borrowing limit by $2.5 trillion, narrowly avoiding a catastrophic default. The Senate passed the measure 50-49. The new debt ceiling will give the US government enough space to borrow until 2023, after the midterm elections. Focus in Washington will now return to whether President Joe Biden can get his $1.75 trillion social spending plan, "Build Back Better", passed by the end of the year.

The International Monetary Fund's executive board has approved the extension of $115 million in debt relief to 25 eligible low-income countries from January 11 to April 13 next year in an effort to help them ride out pandemic-induced headwinds.

Pakistan is the world's fourth largest producer of milk. Domestic demand is strong and some 90 percent of the population consumes untreated raw milk. This provides an opportunity for corrupt retailers but also for farmers who are trying to survive inflation and falling profits. Some use illegal methods to increase the volume of the precious liquid – diluting milk with tap water is one of the most widespread techniques. Others even create fake milk from chemicals. Faced with this serious threat to public health, the authorities in Punjab province have stepped into action, as our correspondents report.

Bullying at school, or "ijime", is a persistent problem in Japan. In 2020, there were 612,000 recorded cases at schools across the country – more than three times the number a decade ago. What begins as a joke among friends can end in insults and violence. Bullying leads to academic failure, isolation and, in some cases, suicide. Last year, 80 percent of Japanese schools reported bullying incidents. Our correspondents Louis Belin, Ryusuke Murata, Aruna Popuri and Justin McCurry report from Tokyo.

This week, we're exploring a key question ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in France: "to vote or not to vote?" As the list of candidates gets longer, the race is on to drum up support. But voter apathy is still a major concern and increasing numbers of would-be voters are turning their backs on politicians and the political system. Our reporters went to one Paris suburb with a particularly high abstention rate to meet some who are adamant they're going nowhere near a polling station this spring.

France has never had a woman as president. With a number of female candidates in the election race this time, could that finally change? Challenges range from a #MeToo campaign to an "invisible" barrier to the top job.

The Federal Government has blamed delays in completing some major projects, including railways, on the paucity of funds. Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in this exclusive with Guardian TV spoke on the delay in the execution and completion of all railway projects. He also gave insight into the kind of leader he would want to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 as well as the reasons for the increasing insecurity in the South-South.

Only about 1,000 cases of poaching are reported in Germany per year. But as poachers often carry illegal firearms, police takes the issue seriously.

Developing economies were hit hardest by the global economic recession brought by the pandemic. A looming debt crisis could make things much worse, according to a new report.

The finance ministry has said its ability to make foreign payments has been hampered by sanctions. If Russia is unable to make the payments within a 30-day grace period, it will face its first default on international debt in more than a century.

Leaders from NATO, the G7 and the EU convened in Brussels to find ways of supporting Ukraine without pushing the West into an all-out war with Russia. A new US-European energy deal aims to isolate Moscow.