UN: Global food prices edge up in February, ending five-month decline (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Global food commodity prices in February ticked upward for the first time in five months, driven by higher cereal, vegetable oil and meat prices, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

UN: Cutbacks in EU, Russia, US push global wheat output lower in 2026. (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Global wheat production is anticipated to decline by nearly 3 percent to 810 million tonnes in 2026, reflecting moderate area cutbacks in the European Union, the Russian Federation and the United States in response to softer crop prices, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Afghanistan: Public flogging strips women of dignity (PRIV)
(IPS, Kabul)
In the bone-chilling Afghanistan winter, a woman was dragged into a public square early this year and publicly lashed for a crime that she may or may not have committed.