Global Food Price Spike Adding to Civil Unrest, Some Say

A record high price in many food staples is pushing millions into poverty and contributing to unrest in countries like Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said this week.

In January, global food prices hit their highest point in the 20 years since the United Nations first started tracking the cost of food. The spike in prices has pushed about 44 million people into extreme poverty since June, said Zoellick, speaking prior to a meeting of G-20 finance ministers in Paris Feb. 18-19.

READ ON: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/02/food-prices-spike.html

Soccer clubs central to ending Egypt's 'Dictatorship of Fear'

Over the decades that have marked the tenure of Egypt's "President for Life" Hosni Mubarak, there has been one consistent nexus for anger, organization, and practical experience in the ancient art of street fighting: the country's soccer clubs. Over the past week, the most organized, militant fan clubs, also known as the "ultras," have put those years of experience to ample use.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/dave_zirin/01/31/egypt.soccer/index.html#ixzz1CrCd6NV5