A 14-point plan to improve transparency and close loopholes has been put forward by the head of the European Parliament in the wake of Qatargate, the bribery scandal that continues to rock the institution.

China has just recorded its first population decline in 60 years. With the birthrate expected to fall further over the next decade, the consequences for Beijing's economic ambitions could be huge.

Kampala is abandoning its Chinese partners and turning to Turkey to build a standard gauge railway that will connect to neighboring Kenya. East Africa is keen on improving its railway network as part of integration.

Is the luxury sector recession-proof? Sales at high-end brands plunged at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they've since rebounded sharply, even as inflation soars and economic growth slows. Now many fashion houses are hoping that China's reopening will be another boost to their business.

Angoulême is once again the centre of the world for graphic novelists, as the French city hosts the 50th edition of its international comics festival. Our reporters have been speaking to best-selling author Riad Sattouf, who received the festival's Grand Prix this year.

Faced with an ageing population and holes in public finances, many European countries are grappling with reform of their pension systems. In this programme, we compare and contrast the situations in two EU member states, Denmark and Romania, and debate what constitutes a fair system of pension contributions.