Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was confident Finland and Sweden's NATO accession would progress rapidly. Sweden's Magdalena Andersson said the war in Ukraine had prompted major changes in Stockholm and Berlin alike.

After speaking with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the German chancellor bristled at his use of the words apartheid and Holocaust with regards to Israel.

Germany's Scholz testifies at fraud inquiry: DW's Melinda Crane

French President Emmanuel Macron has kicked off a three-day visit to Algeria with economic ties on the agenda, as well as a bid to reset often tense relations between Paris and Algiers. Also in this edition: Angola's ruling party edges closer to an election win after the tightest presidential race in decades. Finally, in Senegal, hundreds of plastic recycling plants are to be built to crack down on pollution.

Germany is set to cut off its dependence on Russian gas fully by the end of next year. The chancellor also celebrated efforts made to prepare for the coming winter.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with newly appointed British Prime Minister Liz Truss on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, just a few weeks after Truss had raised eyebrows with comments about him.

The chancellor met Saudi Arabia's crown prince and will also head to the UAE and Qatar. Europe's largest economy still needs to secure new oil and gas supplies while not being seen as soft on human rights.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene to Berlin Friday for discussions on increased cooperation. Raw materials and energy diversification were key topics.

Delivering a government statement to lawmakers, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed continued support for Ukraine. He said Europe will have to deal with the consequences of the war for years to come.

The German chancellor's trip to China has an economic emphasis but Scholz vowed not to shy away from difficult issues. There are concerns at home in Germany and abroad about the visit.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is heading to Indonesia for the G20 summit. On the way, Scholz made a stop in Hanoi for talks on forging closer economic links with Vietnam.

The Azeri president accused his French counterpart of siding with Armenia over the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Macron was due to mediate new EU-brokered talks in Brussels next month.