As concerns grow over Russia's ability to meet its debt obligations, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva says a default is no longer seen as "improbable". Also, lockdowns in China send shares in Hong Kong plummeting, and the French economy adjusts to higher fuel prices.

Some EU governments are pushing for an embargo on Russian oil and gas to punish Moscow for its war against Ukraine and force a Russian military withdrawal.

The measures come after North Korea said it had tested its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile yet. The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting over Pyongyang's launch later on Friday.

The system would be based on Israel's Arrow 3 model and would be capable of intercepting long-range ballistic missiles. "We must prepare ourselves," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The United States has urged the UN Security Council to levy heavier sanctions against North Korea in light of its latest missile tests, but Russia and China have called for restraint.

Two months ago, the West African regional bloc Ecowas imposed sanctions on Mali after its military leaders announced they would remain in power for another five years before holding any elections. DW found out that civilians are hit the hardest.

It's that old adage: your friends' friends are not always your friends. Over the years, India has drifted towards the United States, partly due to its border tensions with China. But even the invasion of Ukraine cannot break the historic ties binding Delhi to Moscow – from arms and oil imports to the non-aligned strategic autonomy that steered India through the Cold War. So can India stay out of it? Can anyone? If nations don't actively oppose an invasion, do they enable it?

Two months ago, the West African regional bloc Ecowas imposed sanctions on Mali after its military leaders announced they would remain in power for another five years before holding any elections.

Is it a turning point? There's outrage over the carnage and desolation left behind by retreating Russian forces north of Ukraine's capital. We discuss war crimes accusations in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and ask – now that the war's set to last – whether the Kremlin's ultimate objective is to occupy Ukraine or reduce it to rubble.

The European Union has proposed a ban on imports of Russian coal, as the bloc expands sanctions on Moscow. But how important is coal to the EU's energy mix? Also in the show: Elon Musk officially joins the board of directors of Twitter, after becoming the platform's single biggest shareholder.

QOTMII is an app that detects online buzz through an AI system using millions of calculations scanning online media and social media. In the past, it has accurately assessed the outcome of presidential elections in France and the US. French far-right candidate Eric Zemmour used data assembled by QOTMII indicating that he could reach the second round of France's presidential election and presented it to supporters as a favourable poll. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

The past few days have delivered more reports of atrocities committed by the Russian military in Ukraine: women and girls raped, civilians locked up and shot, plus reports of chemical weapons being deployed in Mariupol. Calls continue for more to be done to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the EU, leaders have condemned the Kremlin, decrying the attacks as "war crimes".