behind the curve

”. It was a warning to Arab rulers that if they don’t bring about cr

edible

reforms fast, they might meet the same fate as the former presidents of Egypt and Tunisia.

Security forces in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, have used tear gas and batons to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters calling for the president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to step down. It was the fifth

consecutive

day of demonstrations inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. President Saleh who’s been in power for almost 32 years has said he does not intend to continue beyond 2013, but his critics have demanded immediate political change.

The World Bank says rising food prices have pushed an extra 44 million people into poverty since last June. The Bank’s food price index has

shot up

by 15% in the last four months alone. Mark Doyle reports.

The World Bank figures show sharp price increases in wheat, maize, sugar, and edible oils over the past six months, with prices almost reaching the peaks of the year 2008 when there were food riots in a number of countries in the developing world. Wheat and maize are the basis of many poorer people’s diets. But the poor suffer a double

whammy

because they also spend a larger proportion of their income on food than those in richer countries.

World News from the BBC.

The authorities in South Sudan say about 200 people were killed during clashes last week with rebels, doubling the previous estimate. Officials and aid workers said most of those who died were civilians, including women, children and priests. Many of them drowned as they tried to cross a river.