KUMAGAYA, Aug 29 — Grappling with a rice shortage after extreme weather ravaged last year’s crop, Japan is hoping new heat-resistant varieties of its staple food can help stave off future supply shocks.

BEIJING, Aug 29 — United States (US) National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan meets one of Chinese President Xi Jinping's top military officials today as he wraps up three days of talks in Beijing intended to ease simmering tensions between the two superpowers.

PARIS, Aug 29 — French president Emmanuel Macron declared the Paralympic Games open yesterday after a glorious ceremony in which competitors were celebrated by joyful volunteers and spectators on a sweet summer night.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Malaysians in Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu Island, are advised to stay vigilant and exercise maximum caution following an emergency warning on Typhoon Shanshan issued by Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) yesterday.

NAIROBI/CAIRO, Aug 28 — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is investigating two of its top officials in Sudan over allegations including fraud and concealing information from donors about its ability to deliver food aid to civilians amid the nation’s dire hunger crisis, according to 11 people with knowledge of the probe.

SEOUL, Aug 28 — South Korean authorities said today they plan to ask Telegram and other social media platforms to more actively help with the deletion and blocking of sexually explicit deepfake content, part of measures aimed at tackling the growing problem.

RIYADH, Aug 28 — Saudi Arabia yesterday denounced comments made by Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who suggested constructing a synagogue within the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, reported Xinhua.

PARIS, Aug 28 — The conversion of the Olympic Games venues for the Paralympics has presented "no major challenges or difficulties," and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) stressed that Paris is ready, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

SAO PAULO, Aug 28 — Nacional defender Juan Izquierdo, who collapsed on the pitch after suffering an irregular heartbeat last week, has died, his Uruguayan club said today.

TOKYO, Aug 28 — Japan is today bracing for Typhoon Shanshan, with heavy rain and strong winds forecast, forcing airlines and railways to cancel some services over the coming days.

CALIFORNIA, Aug 27 — Meta Platforms chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg said the Biden administration had pressured the company to “censor” Covid-19 content during the pandemic, apparently referring to White House requests to take down misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines.

BRUSSELS, Aug 27 — Environmental campaigners have taken the European Commission to court over its emissions rules for 2030, seeking a ruling from Europe’s second-highest court that would force the bloc to strengthen its climate policy, they said today.

JAKARTA, Aug 27 — Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme will expand next year to target expectant and breastfeeding mothers, as well as toddlers, said Indonesia Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

SYDNEY, Aug 27 — Australia said today it will limit the enrolment number of new international students to 270,000 for 2025, as the government looks to rein in record migration that has contributed to a spike in home rental prices.

SAN JOSE, Aug 27 — Tesla chief Elon Musk, who also owns social media platform X, said on Monday he feels California should pass an AI bill that would require tech companies and AI developers to conduct safety testing on some of their own models.

JERUSALEM, Aug 27 — The heads of churches in Jerusalem expressed deep concern yesterday over Israel’s war on Gaza, calling on all parties to quickly reach an agreement for a ceasefire, Anadolu Agency reported.

BURIRAM (Thailand), Aug 27 — The Southeast Asian region is facing a significant teacher shortage that could hinder the development of a digitally literate generation, according to the Director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (Seameo) Secretariat, Datuk Habibah Abdul Rahim.

GENEVA, Aug 27 — The World Health Organisation (WHO) on yesterday launched a global drive to tackle human-to-human transmission of mpox.

KYIV, Aug 27 — Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 200 missiles and drones yesterday, killing seven people and striking energy facilities nationwide, Kyiv said, while neighbouring Nato member Poland reported a drone had probably entered its airspace.

OTTAWA, Aug 26 — Canada, following the lead of the United States, today said it would impose a 100 per cent tariff on the import of China’s electric vehicles and also announced a 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and aluminium from China.