We've seen three months of action in European football. And we've seen enough to make an assessment of how some of the best teams are doing at the moment and some are up to speed while some are not doing so well on a downward spiral. And this is the focus of this week's edition of The Nutmeg today.

The first round of the presidential election in the Maldives will take place on Saturday, September 9. Incumbent Ibrahim Solih is running for re-election against Mohamed Muizzu, who has emerged as the main opposition candidate. The polls are taking place against a backdrop of China and India competing for strategic control of the region. Both are seeking to consolidate their economic and political power by financing large infrastructure projects and are actively supporting rival candidates. Our regional correspondents report.

Germany's education minister has called for "clear limits" to be imposed on the Confucius Institute, which promotes Chinese language and culture.

A rapid rise up the football pyramid is nothing new for Germany’s most controversial club. After securing top-flight promotion though, it's unclear what impact RB Leipzig's women will have on the Women's Bundesliga.

In an interview with FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg in Kyiv, the head of the parliamentary faction of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party discussed the situation in Ukraine, one year after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. David Arakhamia said Russian President Vladimir Putin had "lost influence in the world" as a result of Moscow's military setbacks in Ukraine.

A survey has found that many people in Southeast Asia prefer to engage with the EU amid US-China rivalry in the region. Cambodians particularly viewed the bloc favorably — Malaysians and Indonesians not so much.

46 Ivorian troops appear at a court of appeal in Bamako as West African leaders decide not to sanction Mali following the arrest of the soldiers back in July. Also, in Benin, fresh faces have emerged on the political scene and a youthful electorate is looking to keep elected officials in check in the upcoming legislative elections.