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 White House is warning of severe economic consequences if Congress fails to pass a funding bill by an October 1 deadline. Far-right House Republicans are demanding deep spending cuts that are almost certain to be rejected by the Democratic-controlled Senate. Also in this edition: France asks its energy firms to sell fuel at cost, and Germany looks to semiconductor production to revive its flagging industrial sector.

A year ago, Giorgia Meloni's radical right-wing Brothers of Italy party was the biggest winner in Italian parliamentary elections. What has she achieved in her first year in office?

The French president said military cooperation with the West African nation would end and France's soldiers stationed there would return home by the end of the year.

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.

In Nigeria, the first West African comic art exhibition is opening eyes, hearts and minds to a new way of looking at heroes.