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.

Political parties in Poland are pledging to spend big to entice voters ahead of the national election in October. But can a faltering economy afford a splurge on handouts?

German aid organizations allegedly demanded that money be spent on sick German children instead of tank deliveries to Ukraine. But the whole story is made up, and the video explaining it is a spoof.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting for control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is mainly populated by Armenians but internationally recognised as lying within Azerbaijan's borders. A particularly bloody conflict in 2020 enabled Baku to recover a large part of the territory. Both countries have been accused of committing war crimes over the years.

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.

King Charles III's first state visit to France this week will include echoes of his mother's many trips across the English Channel. Like Queen Elizabeth II did in her day, he will process through the streets of Paris, plant a tree at the British ambassador's residence and dine at the Palace of Versailles.