With summer hovering in the air over Europe, it’s time to talk about flowers. We know they can look pretty and smell fragrant, But what of their taste? Plenty of species add a kick and a punch in the kitchen.

A 10-year-old girl in central Somalia has died after undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM), prompting calls from campaigners to criminalise the internationally condemned practice in a country with the world’s highest rates.

Anyone tuning into mainstream pop music would find that a huge amount of songs seems to be interested in women’s bodies, whether through the lyrics or the video, which more often than not features one-dimensional women wearing little clothing, prancing around in front of the camera, playing no significant role other than to add a hint of sexuality in a neat package sold to the masses.

Hima Das, winner of 400 metres during the IAAF World U20 Championships day 3, 12 July 2018 in Tampere, Finland

After a seemingly endless wait, India has finally tasted success in the field of athletics. Recently, Hima Das, an 18-year-old from the northeastern state of Assam, became the first Indian woman to win Gold at the World Junior Athletics.  The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) congratulated her on her success on Twitter but did not refrain from taking a jibe at her poor English.

Though women’s movements are gaining ground in India, women remain extremely vulnerable in society. Every day, rape, torture and violence hit the headlines. Let’s examine this issue with the feminist writer and activist Urvashi Butalia, who established India’s first feminist publishing house “Kaali” in 1984. Urvashi Butalia in conversation with our correspondent Apoorva Agrawal.

Standing in front of a row of five paintings, four of them featuring a woman while the other one was a canvas of eyes, Phaving Phung beamed with pride.