Digest

germany

Security beefed up, terror threat cited

Germany sent hundreds of police officers into railway stations, airports and other public places Wednesday after its top security official warned of an increased threat from Islamist extremists.

The move came after new intelligence came to light in recent weeks and months, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said.

"These measures are aimed at prevention and deterrence," de Maiziere said. "There is reason for worry, but there is no reason for hysteria."

Officials did not provide specific details about the threat.

Germany has no color-coded or numbered-tier system for measuring security levels, comparable to those in the United States, Britain and France, and tends to be more cautious in publicly discussing the degrees of threat, saying it could hinder prevention.

- Associated Press

united nations

Higher food prices looming, FAO warns

The bill for global food imports will top $1 trillion this year for the second time, putting the world "dangerously close" to a new food crisis, the United Nations said Wednesday.

The warning by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization came in the agency's twice-yearly Food Outlook and added to fears about rising inflation in emerging countries from China to India.

The report said it was crucial that farm output, particularly of corn and wheat, "expand substantially" in 2011-12 to meet expected demand and rebuild world reserves.

It cautioned, however, that farmers' response might be limited because rising food prices have made other crops, including sugar, soybeans and cotton, attractive to grow.

"Against this backdrop, consumers may have little choice but to pay higher prices for their food," it said.

- Financial Times