Estonia's prime minister insists there is a crisis in European defence that needs to be solved now. Kaja Kallas tells Talking Europe that private funding for the acquisition of lethal weapons is blocked, which means the "vibrant" tech sector cannot be engaged.

Hundreds of Congolese women march in protest against the international community, whom they accuse of hypocrisy over its response to deepening conflict in the east of the country. Millions of people have been killed there since 1994.

South Africa is home to Africa's largest Jewish community. The ongoing violence in the Middle East has left its mark, with Jewish citizens now more cautious when they leave their homes.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announces on on Monday that Dec. 15 will be a public holiday in the country to celebrate their World Cup win.

Doing business in Ukraine during the ongoing war is unthinkable for most companies in Germany and elsewhere. But some see opportunities where others see risks, and the German government is supporting their ventures.

DR Congo is set to slowly ease military rule in the east of the country. The announcement comes ahead of elections in December. This as UN peacekeepers in the region are embroiled in scandal after allegations of sexual exploitation. Also in this edition: survivors of a lethal landslide in Cameroon are left homeless. And finally: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to visit Egypt as the Gaza-Hamas war continues to rage.

Some 75,000 medical workers have walked off the job in the United States, asking for better pay and a solution to understaffing. Negotiations between union negotiators and medical consortium Kaiser Permanente were suspended after a marathon round of contract talks.

Over 1.7 million Afghans have been told to leave Pakistan by November 1. The government has said Afghans are behind the majority of terror attacks in Pakistan this year.

There happen to be some rather strange practices that are laws in a country that forbid couples from holding hands in public. Banning black cars, preventing dirty vehicles from entering its capital city, and banning women from fixing lashes and nails, talk less of cosmetic surgery. You'd be wrong to assume this country is North Korea. This is the story of Turkmenistan's weird way of life and culture.

China's largest property developer, Country Garden, warned that it is on the brink of default as it reported a staggering loss of almost $7 billion for the first half of the year, deepening a real estate crisis that threatens to unravel the country's already fragile economy.

Despite months of protests, the Israeli parliament has passed a crucial element of the government's controversial judicial reform which could change the balance of power and further divide Israeli society.

Extra tuition costs take a large bite out of family finances and are a contributing factor to families choosing to have only one child.