Senator gets spiritual as 8th Senate winds down

The United States is the only developed economy without any national policy on paid parental leave. American lawmakers have recently made efforts to pass mandates on parental and family leave, but the legislation is likely to be blocked in partisan bickering. “It has immense benefits” says Richard Petts, Sociology professor at Ball State University, to journalist Kate Moody. “It's really a can't miss policy”.

Chinese real estate giant Evergrande, saddled with around $300 billion in debt, has been struggling to meet interest payments on its loans. If it collapses, some of its partner firms could be driven to bankruptcy, prospective homebuyers could lose deposits and some banks would lend less money, which would lead to a credit crunch in the world's second-biggest economy. Property developers in China have in fact created an oversupply: there is enough empty property in the country to house more than 90 million people. FRANCE 24's team reports.

The neoliberal FDP will be the smallest party in Germany's new government but it has landed key ministries and the all-important finance chief job. How much influence will the Free Democrats really have in the end?

NATO said there would be "consequences" for Russia if it launches an invasion of Ukraine. Russia, meanwhile, warned the West to stear clear of Moscow's "red lines."

French fashion businesses here in France tend to go one of two ways: either they fail, or they thrive, before being bought up by a powerful luxury group. But some companies do manage to resist that fate – weathering economic crises, the challenges of a globalised economy and now the pandemic, all on their own. So how exactly do they do it and what makes them tick? We went to meet independent shoemakers Arche in the Loire Valley and Paris-based Weston to find out.

The governing body of women's tennis took the decision after Peng made an allegation of sexual abuse against a Chinese official. WTA chairman Steve Simon said he worried about player safety at tournaments in China.