Welcome to The Highlights – your monthly dose of our most hard-hitting investigations, so you never miss our best work.

In February, we revealed how European shipowners fuel Russia’s shadow fleet, raking in billions, and exposed Decathlon suppliers profiting from forced labour in China and illegal deforestation in Brasil. We also uncovered how the EU’s spending watchdog refuses to cooperate with prosecutors in fraud case.

Note that the articles below aren’t necessarily the most-read – they’re the ones we believe have the most impact. Because our goal isn’t clicks; it’s journalism that drives change.

European shipowners keep Russia’s shadow fleet afloat – and cash in billions

To dodge sanctions and fund its war in Ukraine, Russia has been transporting oil using a fleet of rusty tankers. But where do these vessels come from? It turns out that companies in Europe and the US sold their ageing tankers to this so-called “shadow fleet.”

An international investigation by Follow the Money has found that at least 230 ships – one-third of Russia’s shadow fleet – were sold by Western shipping companies. They were sold for exorbitant prices, netting their owners over $6 billion for vessels that would otherwise have been scrapped.

From modern slavery to deforestation: How others pay the price for Decathlon sports gear

Modern slavery, exploitation, deforestation,… That’s the hidden price of the cheap sportswear at Decathlon. A joint investigation involving FTM uncovers how suppliers of the French retail giant have profited from forced labour in China, contributed to illegal deforestation in Brazil, and pay very low wages.

These abuses aren’t accidents; they’re the consequence of Decathlon’s relentless drive to slash costs to keep its product cheap, the investigation shows. “They fight for every penny,” said a former employee in Bangladesh.

EU body tasked with promoting trust refuses to cooperate with prosecutors in fraud case

Another showdown between EU bodies: the European Court of Auditors, the EU’s spending watchdog, is refusing to lift the immunity of its former president so he can face a fraud investigation. He pocketed a hefty monthly allowance for an apartment he allegedly barely used.

The European Public Prosecutors’ Office isn’t having it. They want to investigate and insist EU officials should not get favourable treatment. But the watchdog isn’t budging. The big question: why are they protecting their own?

How a German media mogul took on Big Tech – and lost to Elon Musk

Mathias Döpfner, the man behind Europe’s media giant Axel Springer, spent years expanding his influence – rubbing shoulders with Big Tech heavyweights and navigating the EU’s halls of power.

But now, with his old friend Elon Musk leading Trump’s government push to cut multimillion-dollar ties with his news outlet Politico, Döpfner learned the hard way: in Trumpworld, friends don’t stay friends for long.

Killing EU rules? This supermarket billionaire blazed the trail before Musk

Before Elon Musk, there was David Sainsbury. The British supermarket billionaire quietly spent decades shaping EU science and innovation policies, funding think tanks, and pushing deregulation.

His decades-long influence paved the way for today’s “cut red tape” advocates – Musk included.