A violent attack on several women in northern China earlier this month has raised questions over gender-based violence in the country. CCTV footage from a restaurant in the city of Tangshan showed a man getting rebuffed after he put his hand on the back of a woman. He then slapped her, then with other men beat the group of women before punching, kicking and dragging them outdoors. For more on women's safety and their rights in China, we talk to Professor Maria Jaschok from the University of Oxford.
Meanwhile, according to the United Nations, some 23 million people are suffering from acute hunger in Afghanistan, including 10 million children who urgently need help in order to survive. The situation is reaching a critical stage. Our correspondents Shahzaib Wahlah and Sonia Ghezali report from Herat, in the northwest of the country.
Finally, the news that K-pop band BTS are taking a break to focus on solo work has made the internet go crazy and even rattled stock markets. BTS were the first all-Korean group to dominate charts in the US and the UK. They also spoke at the UN and the White House. With so much global appeal, they were a massive force of soft power for South Korea.
