Food-riot watch in Egypt

The International Herald Tribune reports on the latest from Egypt. So far, seven people have died of either fights or exhaustion from waiting in line for subsidized bread. (Curious, since people don't generally wait in line in Egypt.) The governor of Cairo is trying to crack down on bakers who sell their wheat to the black market, and meanwhile, the ruling National Democratic Party is facing a revolt over the upcoming municipal elections.

This won't end well. Egypt, by the way, is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to developing countries struggling to manage rising food prices. Watch this space.