A fiery protest on the rising cost of living

AP

Nepalese students brandished torches at a Katmandu rally today to protest price hikes on petroleum products like cooking fuel, diesel and gasoline. Nearly 25 percent of Nepalese live below the poverty line, according to the latest figures from the CIA factbook.

The rising cost of living and social stability in developing nations are expected to be hot topics at this year's World Economic Forum, according to this article from CNBC.

A rising cost of living is often linked to instability. Last year, a drought in central China's wheat-producing province may have helped fuel some social upheaval in the country's big cities. And some analysts say a wheat shortage and the rising cost of bread may have helped drive Egyptians to Tahrir Square last year.