China: Studying instead of Playing

China has sharply rejected statements made by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in the United States about Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

At least 17 Japanese nationals have been accused of spying under sweeping "espionage" regulations introduced by Beijing in July, leaving companies reluctant to send their staff to China and imperiling local production.

In Northern Ghana, a social enterprise provides school kits and raincoats made from plastic waste. The all-women group is keeping children in school while helping the environment.

Syrian President Bashar Assad is due to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. China has long provided diplomatic support to Assad's regime, and could play a role in reconstructing war-battered Syria.

More than 30 years after reunification, East Germans remain underrepresented in high-level jobs, researchers have found. This is only changing slowly.

Starting on Saturday September 23, China is hosting the Asian Games, a major multi-sport event held every four years between the Olympics. The 19th edition, postponed from last year, brings together some 12,000 athletes from across the continent, competing in 40 sports over two weeks in the eastern city of Hangzhou. For the first time, e-sports are featured as an official medal sport event, with seven golds on offer. But a lot of attention is also focused on what's happening outside the tracks and arenas. FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry tell us more about the geopolitical aspect of the event.

The UN chief has called it an epidemic of coups. In Africa, since 2020, military officers have seized power, or attempted to do so, in numerous sub-Saharan countries. Just in the last two and a half months, soldiers in Gabon announced a takeover of power, while in Niger, members of the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum and announced that they were seizing power.

Philippines and Chinese vessels face off in the South China Sea, marking the latest in a series of confrontations over competing territorial claims in the important maritime passageway.

The Cook Islands and Niue have been recognized by the United States as "sovereign and independent states." The move appeared to be aimed at curbing further Chinese inroads into the Pacific region.

Diplomats from Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo have met to explore restarting regular three-way summits to foster regional cooperation. The initiative has been on hold for the past few years.

Malaysia intends to double the quantity of palm oil it exports to China, in an effort to counterbalance the EU's push to cut down on its own imports.

A secondary school in southern France embrace of social diversity programming a few years ago is now bearing fruit. Launched five years ago, the initiative aims to welcome students living in the the disadvantaged neighbourhoods of the city. It allows them to grow academically and socially, making a positive impact in the classroom. Noemie Roche and Aurore-Cloe Dupuis report.