Olaf Scholz signed deals that will see Germany help African nations build their infrastructure to extract and export oil and gas to Europe. He also promised to keep German troops in the Sahel.

Poland has long been the poster boy among EU economies, but behind its remarkable growth story is a widening inequality gap. This may help explain why Poles vote for parties that promise redistribution.

"Senior leadership" in the UK should bear responsibility for the culture which led to officials partying during COVID-19 lockdowns, according to an internal report.

An Italian factory that works in conjunction with the Ukrainian steelworks Azovstal is currently at a standstill, as steel from Ukraine is no longer arriving. But just down the road, a factory partially owned by a Russian oligarch is operating at full capacity, using Russian steel. Our correspondents report from northern Italy. But first, the United States has cut off the last remaining financial route for Russia to pay off its debts to US bondholders by allowing a waiver to expire.

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

Clashes between the Congolese armed forces and the M23 militia group have sent thousands of people over the border to Rwanda seeking shelter. Meanwhile, the UK and Rwanda are to settle 50 undocumented migrants who arrived on British shores in the Rwandan capital Kigali; we take a closer look. And Zimbabwe wants to sidestep international conventions to sell its $600 million stockpile in black market ivory – not without controversy.