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Opinion What Sourdough Taught Me, in the Pandemic and BeyondInside one tablespoon of active sourdough starter, the fermented culture made of flour and water used for thousands of years to leaven bread, there are billions of microorganisms. How to create a sourdough starter Repeat until bubbling with life. Add flour, water and salt. Add flour, water and salt. To avoid this exponential growth, a portion of sourdough starter is traditionally discarded at every feeding, which means there’s plenty to go around.

Persons: ”, —, Seamus Blackley, . Kan, they’ve, “, Caesar, cura, Jesus, John, we’ve, Thomas White, Gazans, Alice Spearman, Germany Chiara G, Netherlands Anna Celda Czechia Veronika Moravcikova, Allie Wist, we’re Organizations: U.S, International New York, Penn, Ala . Iowa Miss, Okla . Texas Colo, Okla . Texas Colo . Puerto Rico Wyo, Utah Idaho Mexico Ariz, Great, Netherlands France Belgium Denmark, Poland Latvia Slovenia, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy Croatia, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware D.C, Maine Virginia, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin Illinois, Alabama Iowa Mississippi Minnesota Florida Arkansas, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico Wyoming, Portugal Spain, Supermarkets, United Nations, BBC, Alice Spearman Canada Locations: Barthelme, Conn, R.I . N.J, N.H . Vt, Md, Del, D.C, Maine Va, W.Va . Ohio N.C, Mich, Ind, S.C . Ky, Tenn, Wis, Ill, Ala . Iowa, Minn, Fla, Canada, Okla . Texas, Okla . Texas Colo . Puerto Rico, Mont, N.M, Utah Idaho Mexico, Ore, Calif, Iceland, Portugal Spain, Netherlands France Belgium, Netherlands France Belgium Denmark Luxembourg Sweden Germany Brazil Switzerland, Poland Latvia, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy Croatia Hungary Bulgaria Greece Hawaii, Argentina, China Bhutan India South Africa, Malaysia Singapore, Australia, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware, Maine, Maine Virginia West Virginia, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin Illinois Georgia, Alabama Iowa Mississippi Minnesota, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico Wyoming Montana New Mexico, Utah Idaho Mexico Arizona Nevada Washington Oregon California Iceland, Portugal, Portugal Spain France The Netherlands Belgium Denmark Luxembourg Sweden Germany Brazil Switzerland, China Bhutan India, Africa, Uruk, France, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza, Germany, Netherlands

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday it conducted its first flight test of a new cruise missile, as it expands its military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and neighbors. North Korea’s cruise missiles are among its growing arsenal of weapons aimed at overwhelming missile defenses in South Korea and Japan. Since 2021, North Korea has conducted at least 10 rounds of tests of what it described as long-range cruise missiles fired from both land and sea. There are concerns that Kim could dial up pressure in an election year in the United States and South Korea. He accused South Korea of acting as “top-class stooges” of the Americans and repeated a threat that he would use his nukes to annihilate the South if provoked.

Persons: Kim, KCNA Organizations: Chiefs, Staff, Korean Central News Agency, The Associated Press, South, Analysts Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, United States, Japan, Guam, North, South, Pyongyang, Korea, Washington, Asia, asia

☆ China's big pig breeders dig in as losses and debts mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The biggest pig breeders in China, consumer of fully half the world's pork, seem to have bitten off more than they can chew. More huge losses are expected next year, putting China's pig enterprises under pressure to slim down their breeding herds and sell off farms, many of which are sitting empty. But now, especially given the companies' high debt levels, the analyst said: "It's hard for them to borrow any money from the banks." That follows a 17% surge in the first nine months of this year at China's 15 big market-listed breeders even as they reported 200 billion yuan in combined net losses. China's agriculture ministry has warned of heavier losses for the sector in early 2024 than a year ago and urged pig producers to cut output.

Persons: Lyle Jones, Hope Liuhe, they're, Flora Zhu, Dominique Patton, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Inc, Dalian Commodity Exchange, Tech - Bank, Jiangxi Zhengbang Technology, Analysts, Muyuan Foods, Foodstuff, WH, HK, Smithfield Foods, Hua'an Securities, China Corporate Research, Fitch, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Fujian Aonong, Jiangxi, Beijing

☆ Meet the 'queen of caviar' who supplies Britain’s royal family with the world's most expensive food
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

King's Fine FoodLaura King has run a caviar business for almost 20 years — even supplying Britain's royal family with the coveted foodstuff. Now, she's known as the "caviar queen," and her firm King's Fine Food imports hundreds of kilos of caviar into the U.K. every two to three weeks. Oscietra caviar is the most popular product sold by King's Fine Food. Laura King (left), founder of King's Fine Food, with her daughter Holly King, the company's sales director. "We're two women in business, probably the only two women in the caviar business almost in the world.

Persons: Laura King, King, John King, Holly —, —, Conran, Melba, Terence Conran, retails, …, You've, you'll, I've, King's, Holly King, Mason, Queen Elizabeth II, Holly, We've Organizations: King's, CNBC, Fine Food, Harrods, Cathay Pacific, Emirates . British Airways, Foods, John King Brain, Royal Locations: London, Dorchester, British, Iran, Russia, Belgium, China

REUTERS/Altaf Hussain Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - India served millet, a staple for millions of Indians, to world leaders at a gala dinner at the end of the first day of the G20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi on Saturday. From leaf crisps to pudding, the foodstuff was served at the high table occupied by leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The main course was a jackfruit pastry served with glazed forest mushrooms, millet crisps and curry leaf tossed Kerala red rice. Earlier this year, the versatile and climate friendly superfood grain featured at the White House state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We encourage efforts to strengthen research cooperation on climate-resilient and nutritious grains such as millets, quinoa, sorghum, and other traditional crops including rice, wheat and maize," the statement said.

Persons: Altaf Hussain, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Fumio Kishida, Droupadi Murmu, Millet, Narendra Modi, Krishn Kaushik, Aftab Ahmed, Alexander Smith Organizations: International Media Center, REUTERS, G20, U.S, British, Japan's, Indian, United Nations Food, Agriculture Organization, White House, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Mughlai, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Vladimir Putin's latest economic assault on the West is fueling fears of a global food crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On Monday, Russia pulled out of an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain. It then started bombing Ukrainian ports and threatened to attack ships. Putin's latest economic assault on the West has sent wheat prices soaring and sparked fears of a global food crisis. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. When international grain prices rise, it becomes more expensive for poorer countries to import those commodities – so Russia's withdrawal from the UN's initiative has fueled policymakers' fears that there could be a worldwide food crisis.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, António Guterres, Josep Borrell, Hargreaves, Sophie Lund, Yates, Jamie Dimon, Putin Organizations: Service, Initiative, United Nations, UN, JPMorgan, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Europe, European

☆ Chocolate is set to get more expensive as cocoa prices soar to seven-year highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chocolate prices have risen by 14% in the past year, according to consumer intelligence database NielsenIQ. Chetvertakov foresees that the cocoa market could be dented by another deficit in the subsequent season, which runs from October to September next year. Spike in sugar and cocoa butter prices"As chocolate is made up primarily of cocoa butter, with some cocoa liquor included in dark or milk, the price of butter is the most direct reflection of how chocolate prices would move," said Mintec's Director of Commodity Insights Andrew Moriarty. Dark and milk chocolate bars arranged with cocoa beans, cocoa powder and cinnamon sticks. Amongst the different varieties of chocolate, prices of dark chocolate will be hardest hit.

Persons: Cindy Ord, Sergey Chetvertakov, Chetvertakov, Nino, Andrew Moriarty Organizations: Getty, P, CNBC, El, Bloomberg Locations: West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Azaguie, Ivory Coast, Europe

☆ 'We can't afford anything': Turkey's cost-of-living crisis threatens Erdogan's re-election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ali Kucukgocmen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But a cost-of-living crisis sparked by Erdogan's unorthodox economic programme over the past 1-1/2 years has eroded his popularity, posing the biggest electoral challenge to his 20-year hold on power. The parliamentary race remains on a razor edge, with the opposition seen potentially clinching a narrow majority. Food prices surged 54% year-on-year in April, with headline inflation dropping to 43.7% after peaking in October at 85.5%, the highest under Erdogan's rule. It began to surge after a currency crisis in late 2021, sparked by a series of interest rate cuts, in line with Erdogan's unorthodox views. But many AKP voters still believe only Erdogan can fix the economy, or blame other factors for its current state.

☆ Sugar prices spike to 11-year high and could rise further due to extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Orlando, Winter Park, Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop, chocolate bar display, Milky Way and Snickers. Raw sugar futures in recent days rose to 24 cents a pound and reaching an 11-year high. "Sugar fundamentals are quite bullish for the prices to remain elevated in the short to medium term," said Girish Chhimwal, a sugar analyst at S&P, citing weather risks plaguing top sugar producers. Rising costs could be passed on to consumers in the form of pricier candy. "The rising price of confectionary and sugar-based beverages will incorporate rising sugar values," said John Stansfield, a senior sugar analyst at commodity data platform DNEXT.

☆ Wickremesinghe delivers IMF deal for Sri Lanka despite public mistrust
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Only 4% were satisfied with the way things were going in Sri Lanka, down from 7% in October but higher than 2% in June. The Paris Club of creditors, which includes Japan, earlier this year gave financing assurances to support the IMF deal. A Japan-funded $1.8 billion light-railway project, which was suspended in 2019, is among infrastructure projects that Sri Lanka is now trying to restart. But Sri Lanka still needs to renegotiate its debt, a potentially drawn-out process where Wickremesinghe, who is also the finance minister, will have to deal with demands from China, India and other creditors. A crisis-weary public may still have to absorb years of continuing hardship as Sri Lanka tries to fix its economy during the four-year IMF programme, warned Jayadeva Uyangoda, a senior political analyst.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Thursday: Banks, Fed, TikTok and Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Shares of FRC drop roughly 30% in premarket trading despite the Swiss National Bank extending a lifeline to embattled Credit Suisse (CS). Susquehanna upgrades chipmaker and Club stock Qualcomm (QCOM) to buy. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Indonesia's Dec inflation inches up to 5.51% y/y
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Indonesia's inflation rose slightly in December and remained above the central bank's target range for the seventh successive month, official data showed on Monday, as household spending rose during the year-end holidays. The headline annual inflation rate picked up to 5.51% in December, compared with 5.42% in November and 5.39% expected by analysts polled by Reuters. Bank Indonesia's (BI) inflation target range is 2% to 4%. BI raised the key policy rate by a total of 200 basis points in August to December to bring inflation to within its target range this year. December's prices were propped up by higher prices of fuel, air fares, house rents and foodstuff such as rice and eggs, Statistics Indonesia chief Margo Yuwono told a news conference.

☆ Ukraine's front line comes under further pressure; UN warns of rising food prices after export deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Turkey's representative to the United Nations called for "common sense" at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council regarding Russia's suspension of its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. "Today we call for common sense, common sense in recognizing the need for restraint, common sense in upholding our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable populations of the world who have turned to the United Nations," representative Feridun Sinirlioğlu said. "The Black Sea Grain Initiative marked a turning point in how we put the needs of those furthest behind first, even at times of war," Sinirlioğlu said. "Turkey hopes that reason will prevail and the Black Sea Grain Initiative will remain intact and in place," he said. Turkey has been in contact with both Ukraine and Russia to ensure the continuation of the deal, according to Sinirlioğlu.

☆ Most Gulf markets retreat on falling oil prices
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Most stock markets in the Gulf fell on Monday with lower oil prices, although the Saudi index erased early losses to close higher. Crude prices, a key catalyst for Gulf markets, slid after Chinese data showed that demand from the world's largest crude importer remained lacklustre in September as strict COVID-19 policies and fuel export curbs depressed consumption. In Abu Dhabi, the index (<.FTFADGI>) dropped 0.5% with the country's biggest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank (<FAB.AD>) down 0.6%. The Dubai stock market is seeing some volatility while global sentiment remains uncertain, said Wael Makarem, senior market strategist at Exness. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (<.EGX30>) gained 0.6%, led by a 2.5% rise in Commercial International Bank Egypt (<COMI.CA>).

☆ Factbox: Government measures to ease inflation pain
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In August, the government offered debt relief to former students and unveiled the $430 billion "Inflation Reduction Act". * Canada on Sept. 13 announced a C$4.5 billion ($3.29 billion) relief package. * Poland will spend over 30 billion zlotys ($6.07 billion) to freeze power prices and support companies. * The Czech Republic will cap electricity and gas prices next year. * Croatia will cap electricity prices from Oct. 1 until March.

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