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World Food Prices Hit Highest Level Since 2022 Amid Rising Supply Risks

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Global food prices climbed to their highest level since late 2022 in August, driven by extreme weather, geopolitical tensions and growing concerns over agricultural supplies, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index averaged 133.3 points, up from a revised 130.8 in July, marking the highest reading since November 2022.

All major food categories tracked by the index—including cereals, vegetable oils, sugar, meat and dairy—recorded increases. Extreme heat and drought in Europe have threatened maize, sugar beet and livestock production, while expectations of a strong El Niño have raised concerns over palm oil and sugar supplies in Asia. Rising tensions and disruptions in the Black Sea have also affected grain shipments from Russia and Ukraine.

The FAO also lowered its forecast for global cereal production in 2026 by 3.4 million metric tons to 2.980 billion tons, which would represent a 2% decline from 2025. Global cereal stocks for the 2026/27 season were also revised down to 947.2 million tons. Despite the reductions, projected production is still expected to be the second-highest on record, highlighting the growing pressure from climate and geopolitical risks on global food markets.

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EU’s Kallas Calls Leipzig Attack State-Sponsored Terrorism

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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described the attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany as bearing the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism. Speaking ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland, Kallas said Europe must coordinate its response as Russia’s attacks and alleged hybrid activities continue to escalate.

Germany has said Russia was responsible for the attempted drone attack last month. EU foreign ministers arriving for the talks called for stronger pressure on Moscow, with discussions focusing on additional sanctions targeting Russia’s military industry and individuals. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the EU would work on imposing further sanctions in the coming weeks.

The meeting also highlighted concerns over Ukraine’s air defence needs. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged European countries to provide additional interceptors to help protect Ukrainian airspace. Meanwhile, several EU nations renewed calls to reconsider the use of frozen Russian assets, with around €210 billion immobilised across the bloc following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Poland Boosts Domestic Defence Production as It Builds Europe’s Largest Army

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Poland is increasingly turning to domestic and Central European defence companies as it builds what officials describe as Europe’s largest army. Defence procurement from Polish and regional firms has nearly quadrupled since 2022, reaching 30.4 billion zlotys ($8.15 billion) last year. The shift is aimed at reducing reliance on distant suppliers and strengthening supply-chain security.

Poland is expected to spend about €53 billion on core defence this year, equivalent to around 4.7% of GDP. While major U.S.-made systems such as Patriot missile batteries, Abrams tanks and F-35 fighter jets remain important, Warsaw is prioritising greater local production of drones, ammunition and other frequently used equipment. The strategy reflects a wider European effort to rebuild defence manufacturing capacity following the war in Ukraine.

Companies from across Central Europe are responding to the opportunity. Czech defence group CSG has agreed to expand production in Poland, including projects involving drones, missiles, ammunition and armoured vehicles, while other firms are developing ammunition and air-defence manufacturing facilities. Poland’s armed forces have surpassed 220,000 personnel, and officials say foreign companies seeking access to the Polish market will increasingly be expected to invest locally, transfer technology and participate in joint projects.

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Teacher Calls Oscar-Winning Russian Filmmaker a ‘Traitor’

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Pavel Talankin, the Russian filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, has been called a “traitor” by his former teacher. Nina Zabugornova, who taught Talankin as a child in the Chelyabinsk region, criticised his decision to leave Russia and make a documentary exposing how a Russian school promoted support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The film is based on two years of footage secretly recorded by Talankin while working at a school in the Chelyabinsk region. It documents changes at the school following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including history lessons and newly introduced patriotic activities that promoted pro-war messaging. Talankin fled Russia in 2024 and has said he wanted to show the world how children were being influenced by state propaganda.

Russia has banned the documentary and designated Talankin as a “foreign agent” in March. Speaking on Russian state television, Zabugornova said she had hoped to watch the film but viewed Talankin’s actions as a betrayal of his homeland. She also blamed herself, saying she wondered whether she had failed to provide him with the lessons that might have prevented what she described as his “betrayal.”

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Norway Expands Arctic Brigade as NATO Strengthens Northern Defences

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Norway expanded its Finnmark Brigade on Thursday as the NATO member strengthens its military presence in the Arctic following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The brigade, established last year as Norway’s second military brigade and the first created since the end of the Cold War, is headquartered in the country’s northern Arctic region.

The expansion adds an artillery battalion, an air defence battery and a communications company to the brigade. These capabilities will allow Norwegian forces to strike targets on land at longer distances and coordinate operations with Norwegian and NATO aircraft and naval forces. The brigade has also been responsible for monitoring and patrolling Norway’s 198-km border with Russia.

Norway has significantly increased defence spending in recent years, with NATO estimating that military expenditure will reach 3.17% of GDP in 2026, compared with 1.5% in 2014. Norwegian officials say the strengthened Arctic presence is intended to improve the country’s ability to respond to threats against Norway and NATO, while Russia has previously rejected claims that it poses a threat to the alliance.

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Russia Protests Japan Over Takaichi’s Remarks on Disputed Islands

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Russia has summoned Japan’s ambassador to Moscow and issued a strong protest over comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to the disputed Kuril Islands.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Ambassador Akira Muto that Moscow objected to what it described as “anti-Russian” remarks by Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. Russia reiterated that its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands were “indisputable.”

The dispute concerns four islands seized by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War Two. Russia administers the islands, while Japan claims them as the Northern Territories. The unresolved territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty.

Tensions have further deteriorated since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Japan joined Western nations in imposing sanctions on Moscow and supporting Ukraine. Russia told Muto that it reserves the right to take “appropriate countermeasures,” without specifying what those measures could be.

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Italian NATO Fighter Shoots Down Drone Over Latvia

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An Italian Eurofighter jet operating under NATO command shot down a drone after it entered Latvian airspace on Friday, according to NATO and Latvian authorities. The drone’s origin remains unknown, with Latvian National Guard troops searching a wooded area near Rugaji, about 35 km from the Russian border, for possible debris from the aircraft.

Two Italian Eurofighters scrambled from Lithuania, while two Turkish F-16s were also deployed from Estonia after the drone was detected. NATO said one of the Italian jets identified and destroyed the drone, adding that an investigation was underway and that it remained in close contact with Latvian authorities. The incident comes amid growing concerns over drone incursions into the airspace of NATO’s Baltic members, which border Russia and are close to the war in Ukraine.

A Romanian F-16 shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonia in May, while a French Rafale destroyed another drone in Latvia in June. Finland also temporarily restricted some aviation and maritime activity in the eastern Gulf of Finland as a precaution.

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Boris Nadezhdin Leaves Russia After Political Crackdown

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Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin has announced that he is temporarily outside Russia after being labelled a “foreign agent” and barred from contesting the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections. In a video posted from Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, Nadezhdin said he was “alive and free” and would share his future plans later.

The 63-year-old former lawmaker has been a vocal critic of Russia’s war in Ukraine while attempting to remain active within the country’s political system. His political ambitions were halted after the Justice Ministry designated him a “foreign agent” in July, followed by police questioning and a court fine over alleged display of extremist symbols on social media, accusations he rejected.

Nadezhdin’s departure adds to the growing number of prominent Kremlin critics who have either left Russia or been imprisoned since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. Russian authorities say such measures are necessary to protect national security, while opposition figures argue they are part of a broader crackdown on political dissent.

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Romania Shoots Down Second Drone After Airspace Breach

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Romania said it shot down a second drone that entered its airspace in two days near the border with Ukraine. The drone was detected by radar on Saturday morning over a sparsely populated area in the Danube Delta, prompting the Romanian military to scramble two F-16 fighter jets before it was brought down.

The incident follows Friday’s interception of another drone, which Romanian prosecutors identified as Russian. It marked the first time Romania, a NATO member, had actively shot down a drone after experiencing dozens of airspace breaches since Russia intensified attacks on Ukrainian ports along the Danube River in 2022.

Romanian officials say drone incursions have become more frequent as Russian strikes around Ukraine’s Odesa region increase ahead of the harvest season. The growing attacks are raising concerns over security, energy supplies, and key trade routes in the Black Sea region.

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Russia Awaits New U.S. Peace Proposal on Ukraine

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Russia said it will wait for new proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, while continuing its military campaign. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow believes the Trump administration is sincere in seeking a peaceful settlement, but added that Russia will pursue its objectives on the battlefield until a viable agreement is reached.

Peskov claimed that previous U.S. peace proposals were accepted by Russia but rejected by Ukraine, accusing European allies of encouraging Kyiv to continue the conflict. He said the Kremlin remains interested in diplomacy and hopes U.S.-led mediation efforts will resume after disruptions caused by the Middle East crisis.

Although Russia welcomed Washington’s willingness to negotiate, Peskov noted that the United States continues supplying weapons to Ukraine, calling its position contradictory. He said Moscow would continue engaging with any peace initiatives that align with its interests while awaiting fresh diplomatic proposals from the U.S.

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