Australian police charge Russian-Australian man over alleged Russian spy operation

North Korea is highlighting traditional foods, health advice and leisure activities as an intense heatwave sweeps across the Korean Peninsula. State media reported that temperatures in the country reached 36.7°C, the highest recorded since modern weather observations began. The extreme heat has also brought a series of unusually warm nights. With the hottest period of summer underway, North Korean media has focused heavily on ways for people to stay cool and maintain their health. One of the recommendations receiving particular attention is dog-meat soup. State media described the dish as a traditional summer food and promoted a long-standing belief that it can help people cope with extreme heat. Other foods recommended by state media include watermelon, cucumbers, mung beans, fish porridge and red-bean porridge. Chicken soup prepared with ginseng, sticky rice and dates has also been promoted as a popular summer meal. Health programmes on North Korean television have urged people to remain hydrated and take precautions while swimming or exercising outdoors. The country has not released figures on deaths linked to the current heatwave. South Korea, meanwhile, has reported more than 20 heat-related deaths. North Korean state media has also used the extreme weather to highlight leader Kim Jong Un’s image as a leader who shares difficult conditions with ordinary citizens. A recent report recalled a 2013 visit by Kim to a construction site during hot weather. The report said his clothes became soaked with sweat during the inspection. According to the account, Kim insisted that important work for the people should continue despite the heat. State media also highlighted other past inspections in difficult weather conditions. These included a trip through mountainous terrain during heavy rain and a visit to a seafood factory where temperatures were reportedly around 39°C. There has been no detailed report on Kim’s activities during the current heatwave. Meanwhile, state television has shown large crowds visiting beaches, swimming pools and water parks to escape the extreme temperatures. Thousands of people have reportedly visited the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, one of Kim’s major tourism projects on the country’s eastern coast.

The Palestinian village of Tel in the northern occupied West Bank should have been celebrating one of its busiest and most cherished times of the year. Residents had spent weeks preparing for the annual fig harvest and a festival expected to attract visitors from across the region. Instead, the village has been left grieving after a deadly confrontation forced organizers to cancel the event and replaced the festive atmosphere with mourning. The violence erupted after an attack involving Israeli settlers last week. The clashes that followed resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians and two Israeli settlers, leaving the community in shock. Black flags now hang where festival decorations were meant to be displayed, while many orchards remain out of reach because of an increased Israeli military presence and ongoing restrictions in the area. Tel village council head Walid Zaidan said the tragedy has deeply affected the community of around 7,000 people. According to him, the village has lost its usual energy and sense of joy after the deaths of four young residents in a single day. He said the emotional impact is visible throughout the village, where families continue to cope with grief and uncertainty. Zaidan said residents had not been seeking confrontation but were trying to protect their homes after repeated attacks by Israeli settlers. He recalled an earlier incident in which the home of a local resident, Sohaib Ramadan, was set on fire. The family managed to escape only moments before the house was completely destroyed. He said many villagers feared another similar attack and went out to defend their neighborhood when violence broke out again. The damage has extended beyond the loss of life. Zaidan said Israeli bulldozers entered farmland and cleared large sections of agricultural land. Initial estimates suggest that around 2,000 dunams, or roughly 500 acres, have been affected. Local officials have been unable to inspect the full extent of the destruction because access to the area remains restricted by Israeli forces and settlers. Residents also claim that a new settlement outpost is being established on the land. At the same time, Israeli forces have carried out arrests and questioned dozens of Palestinians in the village, adding to growing tensions. For the people of Tel, farming is more than an economic activity. Fig trees, olive groves and prickly pear plants have long been central to the village’s identity and way of life. Tel is known throughout the occupied West Bank for producing several varieties of figs, drawing visitors each harvest season to buy fresh fruit and locally made products. Plans for a three day festival featuring figs, dairy products, cheeses and other local goods were abandoned after the violence. Farmers who own nearby livestock and poultry farms have also struggled to reach their animals because roads remain blocked, raising concerns about the welfare of their livestock. Local resident Omar Ishtayeh said the village has depended on agriculture for generations, but increasing restrictions and repeated settler attacks have made farming more difficult. He said orchards that once represented prosperity now reflect the hardships facing local families. With the fig season already underway, many farmers fear the fruit will spoil before they are able to safely return to their land. Palestinian officials argue that the events in Tel are part of a wider rise in settler violence across the occupied West Bank. According to the Palestinian Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, thousands of attacks targeting Palestinians and their property were recorded during the first half of 2026. These incidents included assaults on civilians, arson attacks, damage to farmland, restrictions on access to agricultural areas and the expansion of settlement outposts. The United Nations considers Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal under international law. Palestinians say the continued expansion of settlements is reducing hopes for the creation of an independent Palestinian state and making everyday life increasingly difficult for communities that rely on their land for survival.

The death toll from a mass shooting in Thailand has risen to nine after a 12-year-old girl died in hospital from injuries sustained during Friday’s attack. Police confirmed that the 14-year-old perpetrator spent up to two years researching firearms online and consuming violent media. The teenager shot and killed his two grandparents at their Bang Bua Thong residence in the early hours of Friday morning before travelling to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, northwest of Bangkok. Armed with a legally registered 9mm handgun belonging to his grandfather, a knife, and additional ammunition, the student opened fire inside the school, killing staff and injuring dozens before turning the weapon on himself. Over a dozen victims, mostly aged between 12 and 14, remain hospitalised with critical injuries. Deputy Commissioner of Province 1 Police Region Atthapol Anusit stated that detectives have interviewed 17 witnesses so far. While police noted the boy had shown signs of school-related stress, relatives claimed they were unaware of any prior behavioral issues. In response to the tragedy, Thailand’s Ministry of Education announced plans to implement comprehensive campus safety reforms within three months, including emergency response training, weapons restrictions, and mental health screening mechanisms. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pledged to introduce stricter legislative controls on gun ownership across the country.

France and Spain are racing to contain devastating wildfires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, with officials warning that another intense heatwave could make the crisis even worse. The blazes have spread across large areas of both countries, destroying forests, disrupting holidays, and stretching emergency services to their limits. The fires have been particularly severe in southwestern France near the famous Bordeaux wine region and in central Spain around Madrid. Authorities say more than 325,000 people have evacuated as flames continue to sweep through forests left dangerously dry after months of little rainfall and repeated heatwaves since May. Many residents escaped with only their most essential belongings. Olga Congacha, who fled her village near Madrid with her husband, said they had little time to react. She explained that they quickly gathered important documents and a few clothes before leaving as the situation became increasingly dangerous and frightening. Firefighters in France are dealing with an unusual and dangerous weather phenomenon caused by the blaze itself. Officials said the wildfire has created a massive fire cloud known as a pyrocumulonimbus. These clouds can generate their own winds, produce lightning, and in some cases even create tornadoes that ignite new fires. France’s National Federation of Firefighters said this is the first time such a phenomenon has been recorded in the country. Emergency crews continue to battle the flames with thousands of firefighters supported by water dropping aircraft. Thick smoke and rapidly changing winds have made firefighting efforts extremely difficult. One firefighter said the unpredictable wind patterns mean the fire is largely controlling the situation, forcing crews to constantly adjust their strategy. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to chair an emergency cabinet meeting to review the growing crisis, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to visit one of the worst affected areas in Valencia, where firefighters are tackling another fast moving wildfire. Spanish Civil Protection chief Virginia Barcones described the wildfire near Avila as a “monster” because of its enormous size. She said the fire has spread across a perimeter of about 280 kilometers and has burned approximately 77,000 hectares of land, making it one of the country’s largest wildfire emergencies in recent years. Scientists continue to warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including prolonged heatwaves and destructive wildfires. High temperatures combined with dry vegetation have created ideal conditions for fires to spread rapidly across southern Europe. In France’s Gironde region, authorities urged tourists to avoid the area and choose alternative destinations while emergency crews work to contain the blaze. Since last week, the wildfire has burned more than 42,000 hectares, an area several times larger than Manhattan. Around 220,000 people have been evacuated from the region, including visitors staying at 45 campsites that were forced to close, disrupting holidays for roughly 40,000 people. Another 30,000 residents have also been evacuated from other fire affected parts of the country. Some homeowners have chosen to stay behind despite evacuation orders in an effort to protect their properties. Georges Clivaz, whose home is near the advancing fire in Gironde, said he and his family were spraying water along nearby roads to slow the flames. He admitted firefighters had warned them the blaze could reach their home within hours, but they hoped their efforts might help save their property. Weather experts have warned that another heatwave is expected to hit parts of France from Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. In Spain, around 75,000 people have been evacuated from regions including Madrid, Avila, Toledo, and Castellon. Although officials reported some progress, several major fires remain out of control. One person has died in the wildfire near Valencia, while two French firefighters lost their lives earlier this week while battling the flames near Bordeaux.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Kyiv has delivered fresh peace proposals to American negotiators aimed at ending the conflict with Moscow. He simultaneously warned that Russia intends to use its upcoming parliamentary elections to launch a new, large-scale military mobilisation. Speaking in his nightly address, Zelenskiy stated that the proposals handed to the United States focus on bolstering Ukraine’s defence capabilities, particularly air defence, while urging Washington to exert diplomatic and economic pressure on the Kremlin to halt the war. The movement in negotiations comes as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepare for potential visits to both capitals, following a period where diplomatic efforts had largely stalled. Kyiv continues to press for an immediate ceasefire after nearly four and a half years of fighting, whereas Moscow insists any agreement require Ukraine to permanently cede four claimed regions. Zelenskiy also cited Ukrainian intelligence reports indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to exploit September’s parliamentary polls to orchestrate a rapid autumn draft. “They are preparing for mobilisation in the autumn, immediately after the imitation of parliamentary elections,” Zelenskiy said, estimating that Moscow aims to draft several hundred thousand additional personnel by the end of the year, alongside ongoing voluntary contract recruitment. The electoral warning follows a decision by Russia’s Supreme Court on Monday to bar the liberal Yabloko party, the country’s sole registered anti-war political group, from contesting the upcoming election. Kremlin officials have denied plans for a mandatory draft, pointing to 200,000 voluntary sign-ups recorded in the first half of the year.