1. The latest survey by Japan’s agriculture ministry shows rice prices fell for the first time in three weeks in August. The decline came as more supplies of lower-priced grain from government stockpiles reached store shelves.
2. Scorching heat gripped wide areas of Japan again on Tuesday. Weather officials warn that the mercury may approach 40 degrees Celsius in some inland areas of the Kanto region in the afternoon.
3. North Korean media say the nation’s leader Kim Jong Un has left the country and crossed the border into China. The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim left North Korea on Monday on a special train to attend events including a large-scale military parade in Beijing. Chinese officials say the parade on Wednesday is to mark the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan at the end of World War Two.