Report: Inflation Will Stoke Riots

Riots, protests and political unrest could multiply in the developing world as soaring inflation widens the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots", an investment bank predicted yesterday. Economists at Merrill Lynch view inflation as an "accident waiting to happen." As prices for food and commodities surge, the bank expects global inflation to rise from 3.5 percent to 4.9 percent this year. In emerging markets, the average rate is to be 7.3 percent.