Iran signals readiness to end war with US

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.

CHENNAI, August 7, 2026: A shocking murder case in the Indian city of Chennai has led police to identify the victim as Sindhya, an emerging Tamil actress, after her dismembered remains were recovered from different locations. According to Indian media reports, residents alerted police after noticing human fingers protruding from a plastic bag near a garbage dump in Chennai. When police opened the bag, they found a severed hand and legs inside. More plastic bags were later discovered in different parts of the city. The bags contained human bones, body parts and other remains. A post-mortem examination determined that the remains belonged to the same woman. Police said the victim had been killed and her body was allegedly cut into pieces using a sharp weapon. However, her head and left hand remained missing, making identification difficult. During the investigation, police noticed two distinctive tattoos on the victim’s right hand. One tattoo depicted the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati, while the other featured a dragon. Meanwhile, a woman approached a police station to report her daughter missing. She told investigators that her 37-year-old daughter, Sindhya, was an aspiring Tamil actress who lived in Chennai with her husband and two children. Sindhya’s mother reportedly told police that her son-in-law had claimed Sindhya had gone out of the house but had not returned. Police later showed the recovered remains and identifying marks to Sindhya’s family. Her mother identified her daughter based on the tattoos and other features. A subsequent DNA test also confirmed that the recovered remains belonged to Sindhya. Following the identification, police questioned Sindhya’s husband, Balakrishnan. He initially claimed that his wife had left home and never returned. However, investigators reportedly found inconsistencies in his statements. Police later claimed that Balakrishnan confessed to the killing during questioning. According to investigators, Sindhya and Balakrishnan had an argument before the incident. Police alleged that Balakrishnan attacked Sindhya with an axe, killing her before dismembering her body and placing the remains in plastic bags, which he allegedly dumped at different locations.

Restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan have sharply reduced their participation in public life, with more than half of surveyed women saying they now leave their homes only once or twice a month, according to a new UN Women assessment. The findings were released as Afghanistan approaches the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. UN Women said Afghanistan remains the only country where girls are barred from secondary education and women are prohibited from attending universities. The agency said the restrictions have increasingly affected women’s freedom of movement, education, employment and access to public life. More than half of the women surveyed reported leaving home no more than twice a month. Nearly three-quarters said they did not feel safe going outside without a male guardian, commonly referred to as a mahram. UN Women said the restrictions have also contributed to growing concerns about women’s mental health. Around seven out of 10 women surveyed described their mental health as either “bad” or “very bad”. Respondents cited social isolation, reduced opportunities and limited access to support networks among the factors affecting their wellbeing. The UN agency said Taliban authorities have introduced more than 100 decrees affecting women and girls since returning to power. It described the measures as creating a system of discrimination and said Afghanistan had become an extreme global example of restrictions on women’s rights. The Taliban maintain that their policies respect women’s rights under their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture. Education remains heavily restricted The restrictions on education have affected millions of Afghan girls. UNESCO estimated that about 2.4 million girls have been prevented from attending secondary school since the Taliban returned to power. Women and girls have also been excluded from university education, limiting their opportunities to pursue professional careers and higher education. UN Women said recent measures had further weakened legal protections available to women. According to the agency, rules introduced this year reduced legal equality between men and women, strengthened the authority of men within marriage and created additional difficulties for women seeking divorce. Women largely excluded from workforce Economic participation remains another major challenge. UN Women reported that only about 7% of Afghan women are employed, compared with approximately 84% of men. The agency said the restrictions on education and employment were limiting women’s ability to earn income, develop careers and contribute to the country’s economy. The findings were based on a door-to-door survey involving 2,190 people conducted between February and March 2025. The agency also conducted telephone interviews with 2,811 people between April and May 2025. UN Women warned that continued restrictions could further isolate women and deepen the social and economic consequences of excluding half of Afghanistan’s population from public life. The Taliban government has not immediately responded to requests for comment on the latest findings.