Egypt [1]'s President Hosni Mubarak has ordered the army to start baking more bread following a series of clashes breaking out at long lines for government-subsidized loaves. Acute shortages of the flat, round bread which is a staple of the Egyptian diet—made available to the poor at one cent a loaf—have led to explosions of violence in poor neighborhoods in recent weeks. At least seven people have died, according to authorities. Two were stabbed in fights between customers in line; the others died of exhaustion or other medical problems aggravated by waiting in the spring heat. (AP [2], March 24)

See our last post on peak food [3].