Another not very successful bread
I’ve lost my bread mojo.
First, I tried to make bagels. Using the same recipe as always, but MAN did they fail. They didn’t rise, at all, and were just sad little things. Compact, hard – I threw the whole thing out, didn’t even bother baking them, it wouldn’t have worked. I’m guessing possibly my yeast was too old… even though I have no idea how, since I used dry yeast like I always do for those. It *did* come out of an open sachet though, so maybe that’s why. Anyway. No bagels.
And then I tried this sourdough bread, which I *will* return to, but on this day it didn’t rise properly either. I didn’t get those large holes and the right texture. Still a good bread, but not what I wanted.
Maybe it’s just too cold to bake right now? (Another reason to hope for spring – soon!) Or, I need a super-reliable recipe to bring me back. Wanna share your favorite? Leave a comment!
Japan opens 98th national airport
By Roland Buerk
BBC News, Tokyo
Japan’s 98th airport has begun operations – offering just one flight a day.
Ibaraki airport cost 22bn Yen ($220m, £147m) to build and is being seen in Japan as a prime example of wasteful public expenditure.
It is located 80km (50 miles) and a long bus ride north of Tokyo.
The airport was conceived as a hub for budget carriers but the check-in counters were almost deserted as operations began.
There is just one plane a day, to South Korea. Another flight, to the Japanese city of Kobe, will begin next month.
The airport has become a symbol of decades of public spending to prop up the economy that has left Japan studded with bridges to nowhere and unneeded dams.
The new centre-left government, which came to power last year, has criticised the links between previous conservative administrations and the construction industry, and vowed to cut waste.
International travellers tired of long queues and crowded departure lounges should perhaps consider flying to Ibaraki.
But Ibaraki itself has little to commend it to Korean tourists who might be thinking of catching the single daily flight from Seoul.
Apart from one well-known Japanese garden the prefecture’s main claim to fame is the locals’ skill in making natto, a fermented soy bean dish that many consider an acquired taste.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Greeks stage fresh general strike
By Malcolm Brabant
BBC News, Athens
Greece is expected to grind to a halt for the second time in a month as hundreds of thousands of state and private workers stage a general strike.
The stoppage is in protest at the country’s austerity measures.
The head of the employers’ federation has accused the strikers of trying to make Greece into a charity case.
More groups of workers are staging industrial action and officers from the police, fire and customs services are planning to join the street protests.
Greece’s links to the outside world have been severed.
Air traffic controllers have closed the country’s airspace for 24 hours and ferries are stuck in harbours as maritime unions join the strike.
The government says it sympathises with public anger over the tax rises and wage cuts, but it is refusing to water down the measures.
Belt tightening
Potential rebels within the governing socialist party who have objected to the belt tightening have been forced to toe the official line.
In his first major public pronouncement, the head of Greece’s employers’ association has denounced the street protests.
Dimitris Daskalopoulos said the government had no alternative but to start again and reform the country.
He condemned what he called the perpetrators of demonstrations, agitation and violence.
He said they wanted to maintain the deplorable conditions that had forced Greece to look for charity from foreign markets.</p
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Vladimir Putin set to visit India
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has arrived in India for talks expected to focus on arms and energy contracts.
The two sides are due to sign two deals worth over $10bn in defence and civilian nuclear reactors and Russia will refit an aircraft carrier.
They will also try to boost bilateral trade, which is currently worth $8bn.
The two countries traditionally have had close links since Soviet times, with India remaining a top buyer of Russian weaponry.
However, the relationship faces new challenges, including competition from the West and the growing economic and military might of China.
Mr Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov has told reporters that Russia expects the "signing of 14-15 agreements after the talks and contracts worth over $10bn" during the prime minister’s two-day visit.
He said the two sides would hold talks on civilian nuclear energy, arms and production of telecom equipment.
The two sides also plan to sign agreements on retrofitting a Russian aircraft carrier, supply of additional 29 fighter aircraft and a deal to jointly develop transport aircraft.
Russia will build a number of nuclear reactors in energy-hungry India as well as increase atomic fuel exports to it.
Russia is among a number of countries seeking to expand their activities in India following its landmark nuclear deal with the US in 2005.
That accord ended India’s nuclear isolation after it tested an atom bomb in 1974. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
India rebel offensive intensifies
By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta
Indian security forces have stepped up their operations against Maoist rebels, officials say.
Thousands of newly-arrived federal forces have joined those already in ground in three eastern states where rebels have a formidable presence.
A major security offensive -Operation Green Hunt- to flush out the rebels is already underway in several states.
More than 6,000 people have died during the rebels’ 20-year fight for communist rule in many Indian states.
The rebels now have a presence in 223 of India’s 600-odd districts.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist insurgency as India’s "greatest internal security challenge".
The newly-arrived federal forces are now moving into the jungles of West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand states that may house a number of rebel hideouts.
West Bengal police chief Bhupinder Singh said 6,000 new forces had arrived in the state’s Purulia and West Midnapore districts, which have seen rebel violence.
In neighbouring Jharkhand state, police chief Neyaz Ahmed said that federal forces along with local armed police had begun attacking rebels hideouts in the jungles.
"We have seized a lot of explosives and destroyed a few rebel camps," he said.
With chances of peaceful negotiations with the government fading, the Maoist military wing chief Koteswara Rao has threatened to attack targets in the cities of Bengal and Orissa.
Mr Rao said his offer of a 72-day ceasefire with government forces stands. He has also named three "intellectuals" to mediate between the government and the rebels.
The federal government has not reacted to the latest demand of the rebels, and called some of their demands "bizarre".</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Burma election laws condemned
Election laws announced by Burma’s military rulers have provoked a storm of condemnation.
A United States State Department spokesman, Philip Crowley, said it made a mockery of the democratic process.
Burma has prohibited political prisoners – including the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi – from participating in forthcoming elections.
However, several offices of her National League for Democracy were re-opened for the first time since 2003.
"Maybe they want to show some flexibility," said NLD spokesman Nyan Win, adding that about 100 branch offices had been reopened across the country, including several in the main city, Rangoon.
‘Farce’
The government had sealed NLD branch offices with red wax after a deadly attack on Ms Suu Kyi’s convoy by pro-regime elements on 30 May 2003.
"It’s a complete farce and therefore contrary to their roadmap to democracy"
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo
"Yes, it’s a positive step," he said. "I think they want us to take part in the election, but we still haven’t made up our mind about this. We still need to talk it over among the top leaders, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi."
But he described the latest laws as "completely unacceptable". Not only do they bar Ms Suu Kyi, but require participants to follow the 2008 constitution, which the NLD rejects and campaigned against. "It’s completely impossible for us," Nyan Win said.
Condemnation came from one Asian neighbour, the Philippines, as well as from the US, the UN and Britain.
"Unless they release Aung San Suu Kyi and allow her and her party to participate in elections, it’s a complete farce and therefore contrary to their roadmap to democracy," Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo told The Associated Press.
The Philippines is a partner with Burma in Asean, whose 10 members rarely voice criticism of each other.
"The political party registration law makes a mockery of the democratic process and ensures the upcoming election will be devoid of credibility," US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.
"Our engagement with Burma will have to continue until we can make clear that… the results thus far are not what we had expected and that they’re going to have to do better," he added.
Mr Obama met the Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein on the sidelines of a recent summit of the Association of South East Asean Nations (Asean).
Gun power
The US and Asean had called for the planned elections top be free, fair and "inclusive" – code for the participation of Ms Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy which she leads.
"We’re going to need to study the election laws carefully once they’ve all been released," British Ambassador Andrew Heyn said.
"So many of us suspected this wasn’t about bringing any real change to Burma, but it is surprising how nakedly they’re going about it"
Sean Turnell of Australia’s Macquarie University
"But it’s regrettable and very disappointing that the laws are not based on a dialogue with a range of political opinion."
"They’ve used so many devices. It’s like using a machine gun to kill a mosquito," said Sean Turnell of Australia’s Macquarie University.
"So many of us suspected this wasn’t about bringing any real change to Burma, but it is surprising how nakedly they’re going about it."
Ms Suu Kyi has been detained on various charges for most of the past 20 years, after winning the last polls in 1990.
She was already excluded from political office by a constitutional bar on people with foreign spouses.
The regime enacted five election-related laws on Monday, two of which have now been made public. Three more are to be unveiled in coming days.
Critics say the elections, the first to be held in Burma for 20 years, will be a sham designed to entrench the military’s grip on power.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Nigeria charges over Jos killings
Nigerian police say 49 people are to be charged with murder after communal violence left scores of villagers dead.
Most of those facing charges are Muslims from the Fulani group, police spokesman Mohammed Lerama told the BBC.
The number of those arrested since the killings near the city of Jos has risen to 200, he said.
Police say 109 people – thought to be mostly Christians – died in Sunday’s bloodshed. Earlier reports put the toll at more than 500.
The violence followed sectarian killings near Jos in January that left more than 300 dead, most of them believed to be Muslims.
Plateau State, in central Nigeria, sits between the mainly Christian south and the predominantly Muslim north.
International pressure
Officials say police and troops are patrolling the area to prevent further trouble.
Chief of police for Plateau State Ikechukwu Aduba said on Wednesday he had asked for extra help.
"Our urgent patrol efforts after the incident… have yielded good results," he said.
"We have requested reinforcements, and have been reassured… that reinforcement is on its way."
However, international pressure is growing on the Nigerian government to take further action.
On Wednesday Pope Benedict XVI denounced the bloodshed as "atrocious".
He urged civil and religious leaders "to work towards security and peaceful co-existence".
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions called on the Nigerian government to "move swiftly" to prevent further attacks.
Earlier, the governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, said security lapses had worsened the carnage in the three villages targeted.
He said he had warned the army about reports of suspicious people with weapons hours before they attacked, but they failed to take action.
"Three hours or so later, I was woken by a call that they [armed gangs] have started burning the village and people were being hacked to death," Mr Jang said.
"I tried to locate the commanders. I couldn’t get any of them on the telephone."
Mercenaries
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked the country’s national security adviser, Sarki Mukhtar, in an apparent response to the killings.
But the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said the villages should have been properly protected after the January killings.
The head of the northern area of Nigeria’s Christian Association has said he believed mercenaries were involved.
Saidu Dogo told the BBC that fighters from neighbouring Chad and Niger took part in the violence.
State information commissioner Gregory Yenlong said on Monday that more than 500 people were killed. That figure was also given by religious leaders and rights activists.
But state police commissioner Ikechukwu Aduba says 109 people are known to have died.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Pakistan drone raid ‘kills 12′
Two missile strikes by US drone aircraft have killed at least 12 suspected militants in north-west Pakistan, security officials say.
The attacks took place place in the tribal area of North Waziristan.
The identities of those killed in the attack, the latest of more than a dozen this year, are not yet known.
North and South Waziristan are known to provide sanctuary for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, who are often targeted by drones.
Locals say the attacks have destroyed many training camps and compounds. They have also killed dozens of local and foreign militants, officials say.
Wednesday’s first strike took place at Mizar Madakhel village, some 50km (30 miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan. This was followed by a second attack in the same area.
The first attack targeted a vehicle and a compound which were being used by suspected militants, killing eight of them, reports say.
The second strike targeted two vehicles, which killed another four.
Correspondents say the United States has stepped up drone attacks in the region since seven CIA officers died in a suicide bomb attack at a US base across the border in Afghanistan last December.
More than 700 people have died in nearly 80 drone strikes since August 2008.
Pakistan has publicly criticised drone attacks, saying they fuel support for militants, but observers say the authorities privately condone the strikes.
The American military does not routinely confirm drone operations, but analysts say the US is the only force capable of deploying such aircraft in the region.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Chile’s new leader to be sworn in
Chilean tycoon Sebastian Pinera is due to be sworn in as president of the country, which was recently devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami.
Mr Pinera not only faces the challenge of reconstruction, but takes over from a highly popular outgoing leader.
Michelle Bachelet leaves office with a record 84% popularity rating despite criticism of the government’s slow reaction to last month’s disaster.
Meanwhile, Chile’s disaster management chief has resigned over the response.
Carmen Fernandez is the second Chilean official to leave her post in the aftermath of the February 27 quake and ensuing tsunami that killed close to 500 people.
On Friday, Mrs Bachelet dismissed the head of the navy’s Oceanography Service for failing to provide a clear warning of the tsunami.
Incoming leader
Mrs Bachelet, Chile’s first woman president, was constitutionally-barred from seeking re-election.
The task of rebuilding now falls to her successor, Mr Pinera, whose presidential win ended 20 years of centre-left rule in Chile.
"We won’t be the government of the earthquake, we’ll be the government of reconstruction," the 60-year-old billionaire said recently.
Last month, the conservative leader named his cabinet, leaving out any figures linked with the former military ruler, Augusto Pinochet.
In his election campaign, Mr Pinera said he would focus on boosting economic growth and producing jobs while continuing with the outgoing president’s social policies.
Mr Pinera is one of the country’s richest men. He made his fortune introducing credit cards to Chile, then went on to buy a television channel, a stake in Chile’s most successful football club, and millions of dollars in other investments.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Mexican shakes up world rich list
Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim has topped Forbes magazine’s billionaire’s list – the first time since 1994 that an American has not led the rankings.
Mr Slim’s fortune rose by $18.5bn (£12.4bn) from last year to $53.5bn.
That beat Microsoft founder Bill Gates into second place, with US investor Warren Buffet in third.
After a tough year in 2009, when 332 names left the list, the total number of billionaires on rose from 793 to 1,0111, Forbes said.
Bill Gates’s fortune now totals $53bn, while investment guru Warren Buffet is worth $43bn.
The year’s biggest gainer, Brazilian mining tycoon Eike Batista, broke into the top 10 for the first time.
He came in at number seven, having boosting his wealth by $19.5bn to $27bn.
France’s Bernard Arnault ($27.5bn), the man behind the world’s biggest luxury goods firm LVMH, also moved back into the top 10 and number eight, increasing his fortune by $11bn to $27.5bn.
Their mounting wealth helped to push Ikea’s Ingvar Kamprad and Theo Albrecht – one of the men behind Aldi – out of the top 10.
Upturn
In a sign that the global economy could be seeing signs of improvement, the average net worth of the world’s billionaires is now $3.5bn, up $500m from last year.
Furthermore, 97 names made their debut while a record 164 returned to the list in 2010 – including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ($4bn) who also regained the title of youngest billionaire.
CARLOS SLIM- Full name – Carlos Slim Helu
- Age – 70
- Widower with six children
- Family empire now controls more than 200 companies
- Controls more than 90% of Mexico’s phone landlines
- Other interests include Inbursa financial group and the Grupo Carso industrial conglomerate
The news was a far cry from 2009 when the financial crisis took its toll on the world’s richest people, wiping 332 names off the list and an average of 23% off the wealth of the remaining billionaires.
Falling stock markets and collapsing commodity prices were blamed. Russia’s ultra-rich appear to have recovered from last year’s commodity-related losses, however, with 62 billionaires on the 2010 list, compared with 27 last year.
Consumer focus
In Europe, shopping dominated the money list with six of the top 10 European billionaires making their money in retail and three more in consumer products.
Top of the list was Bernard Arnault (7) from LVMH, closely followed by Amancio Ortego of clothes retailer Zara (9), Karl Albrecht of cut-price supermarket Aldi (10), Igvar Kamprad and family (11) of Ikea and Stefan Persson (13) of discount retailer Hennes & Mauritz.
In the UK, the sixth Duke of Westminster Gerald Grosvenor (45) remained the wealthiest Briton with a net worth of $12bn as he improved his finances by $1bn despite the UK property slump.
Meanwhile, two Britons also made their debut – real estate investor Xiuli Hawken ($2.4bn) and hedge fund manager Alan Howard ($1.8bn).
On the up
The improving health of the global economy meant that 55 countries were represented in the Forbes list – with Pakistan (Mian Muhammad Mansha, number 937) and Finland (Antti Herlin, number 773) adding their first billionaires.
Strengthening stock markets and several large public offerings during the past year helped Asia close the gap with Europe.
A total of 234 Asian billionaires were featured in the 2010 list compared with 248 from Europe.
Russia’s reversal of fortunes in the past 12 months also helped it inch up the league of cities that are home to the most billionaires after slipping to third place last year.
In 2010, New York remained at the top of the pile with 60 ultra-rich residents, Moscow was second with 50 billionaires and London third with 32.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.