Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott welcome baby girl together

Taiwan has intensified its annual military exercises by rehearsing the wartime evacuation of President Lai Ching-te, testing how the government would continue operating if the island came under attack. During the overnight exercise, President Lai, wearing body armour and a helmet, was transported in an armoured personnel carrier to a secure command centre. Senior government officials also participated in the drill, which focused on maintaining leadership, coordinating emergency responses and ensuring the continuity of government during a national crisis. The evacuation formed part of Taiwan’s 10-day Han Kuang military exercises, the country’s largest annual defence drill. The exercises are designed to strengthen military readiness amid growing tensions with China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly vowed to bring the self-governed island under its control, by force if necessary. The wartime evacuation plan has its roots in the Cold War era and was created to protect Taiwan’s leadership in the event of an invasion. Taiwanese authorities have long expressed concern that China could attempt a “decapitation strike” targeting the president and other senior officials during a conflict. As part of this year’s drills, President Lai also observed coast guard vessels being equipped with missile launchers, highlighting efforts to improve Taiwan’s coastal defence capabilities. Military units have deployed advanced air defence systems and other equipment across key locations as they practise responding to realistic combat scenarios. The exercises also include training for counter-blockade operations, coastal defence, protection of strategic infrastructure and broader civilian support during wartime. Next week, authorities will test emergency communication systems by deliberately reducing mobile internet speeds to evaluate how people would communicate if networks became disrupted during a crisis. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s defence ministry reported continued Chinese military activity near the island, saying multiple Chinese aircraft and naval vessels were detected operating around Taiwan during the exercises. Beijing has not officially commented on the ongoing drills but continues to increase military pressure on the island while rejecting President Lai’s calls for dialogue.

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.

World food prices climbed in July to their highest level in more than three years. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says extreme weather and escalating conflicts are driving the surge. According to FAO’s food price index, prices averaged 131.1 points in July, up from 130.3 points in June. That marks the strongest reading recorded since January 2023. Experts describe the trend as a “perfect storm” of overlapping pressures hitting global agriculture at once. Multiple factors are compounding each other, making the situation harder to control. Reuters reported that FAO’s chief economist pointed to severe weather, including intense heatwaves and El Niño effects, as major contributors. These conditions have damaged crop yields in several key farming regions. On top of that, escalating conflicts in the Black Sea and Gulf regions have added further strain. Together, these factors have disrupted supply chains and pushed prices higher across multiple food categories. Cereal prices led July’s overall rise, climbing 3.4% month-on-month. That increase was largely driven by a sharp 5.8% jump in wheat prices specifically. FAO said wheat markets were rattled by fears over disrupted Black Sea exports. Heat damage to crops in major producing regions added even more pressure on supply. Vegetable oil prices also rose, climbing 2% to their highest level since June 2022. Higher crude oil prices, tied partly to the ongoing Iran conflict, helped push palm and soy oil prices upward. Rapeseed and sunflower oil prices moved in the opposite direction, declining slightly during the same period. Sugar prices rose too, up 5.6%, driven by weather concerns across Europe and Asia. Stronger expected demand for ethanol in Brazil added further support to sugar prices. Meat prices, however, told a different story entirely, falling 2.8% after hitting a record high in June. Poultry, pork and beef prices all declined during the month. Sheep meat was the exception, hitting a record high due to tight export supplies from Oceania. Dairy prices dipped slightly as well, down 0.7% overall. Despite July’s increase, the latest reading remains 18.2% below the record peak set in March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Even so, economists warn that these combined pressures could trigger a fresh wave of global food inflation in the months ahead