One hundred million people have gone hungry in the past year because they can't afford staple foods, and rising food prices have triggered riots in more than 30 countries worldwide. As world leaders gather in Rome to discuss policies for dealing with the crisis, Professor Tim Lang, who coined the term "food miles", talks to the Guardian's Tim Maby about the problem of hunger.
From the Rome summit, the Guardian's diplomatic editor Julian Borger reports that "a new Green Revolution" is the hope of many of the leaders there.
In China, the Communist Party has always kept a tight rein on its people, but now new technologies are offering a host of "Big Brother" possibilities. Naomi Klein, the anti-globalisation writer, tells us that its so-called Golden Shield is already in evidence in the new city of Shenzhen.
The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, is under increasing pressure to resign over corruption allegations. Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem considers not only his personal fate but what this means for the Middle East peace process.
The Mexican border city of Tijuana has been the scene of an escalating war between rival drug traffickers. Jo Tuckman reports on what is happening, and how ordinary people are trying to carry on in the midst of the chaos.
In the 1920s and 30s the Zonophone record company – a forerunner of EMI – wanted to dominate the West African music market and it made a series of recordings in London. They are now being released on CD. A serious fan, Mark Ainley, from Honest Jon's records, tells the story.
And staying in Africa, we finish with our regular Letter from feature, which this week sees Guardian Weekly reader Maggie Flick dropping in on a wedding in Niger.
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