Novavax announced on Tuesday (March 22) that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted its coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine emergency-use authorisation for children aged 12 to 17 years.&nbsp;

In a statement published on its website, the company noted that DCGI has granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Novavax jabs for adolescents.&nbsp;

"The vaccine, also known as NVX-CoV2373, is manufactured and marketed in India by SII [Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.] under the brand name Covovax™ and is the first protein-based vaccine authorized for use in this age group in India," the statement read.&nbsp;

DCGI has issued permission for restricted use in an emergency situation for Covovax for active immunisation to prevent Covid caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals 12 years of age and older.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-may-expand-covid-booster-dose-for-all-adults-reports-464345">India may expand Covid booster dose for all adults: Reports</a>

Novavax last month said its vaccine was 80 per cent effective against Covid in a late-stage trial testing the shot in 2,247 teens aged 12 to 17 years.&nbsp;

The country's drug regulator in December authorised Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 18 years and above.

Covovax has also received Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization.&nbsp;

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Novavax and Serum Institute of India Announce First Emergency Use Authorization of Novavax' COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents ≥12 to &lt;18 in India: <a href="https://t.co/rYDgw9jNM0">https://t.co/rYDgw9jNM0</a>
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Stanley C Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax said, "We're proud of this first approval in adolescents given the efficacy and safety that our data show in this population and that our COVID-19 vaccine will provide an alternative protein-based vaccine option for individuals 12 years of age and older in India." &nbsp;

Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, Serum Institute of India, "The approval of Covovax for adolescents 12 and older in India marks another significant milestone in strengthening our immunization efforts across India and LMICs."&nbsp;

He added, "We are proud to deliver a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine with a favourable safety profile to the adolescents of our nation."&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Coronavirus cases surge in western Europe, France reports 90,000 average daily Covid-19 cases

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(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Novavax announced on Tuesday (March 22) that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted its coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine emergency-use authorisation for children aged 12 to 17 years.

Novavax announced on Tuesday (March 22) that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted its coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine emergency-use authorisation for children aged 12 to 17 years. In a statement published on its website, the company noted that DCGI has granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Novavax jabs for adolescents. "The vaccine, also known as NVX-CoV2373, is manufactured and marketed in India by SII [Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.] under the brand name Covovax™ and is the first protein-based vaccine authorized for use in this age group in India," the statement read. DCGI has issued permission for restricted use in an emergency situation for Covovax for active immunisation to prevent Covid caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals 12 years of age and older. ALSO READ | India may expand Covid booster dose for all adults: Reports Novavax last month said its vaccine was 80 per cent effective against Covid in a late-stage trial testing the shot in 2,247 teens aged 12 to 17 years. The country's drug regulator in December authorised Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 18 years and above. Covovax has also received Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization. Novavax and Serum Institute of India Announce First Emergency Use Authorization of Novavax' COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents ≥12 to <18 in India: https://t.co/rYDgw9jNM0 — Novavax (@Novavax) March 22, 2022 × Stanley C Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax said, "We're proud of this first approval in adolescents given the efficacy and safety that our data show in this population and that our COVID-19 vaccine will provide an alternative protein-based vaccine option for individuals 12 years of age and older in India." Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, Serum Institute of India, "The approval of Covovax for adolescents 12 and older in India marks another significant milestone in strengthening our immunization efforts across India and LMICs." He added, "We are proud to deliver a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine with a favourable safety profile to the adolescents of our nation." WATCH | Coronavirus cases surge in western Europe, France reports 90,000 average daily Covid-19 cases × (With inputs from agencies)

Novavax says its COVID-19 vaccine gets India authorisation for children aged 12 to 17 years

Russia would only use nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukraine conflict if it were facing an "existential threat," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during an interaction with CNN International on Tuesday (March 22).&nbsp;

Peskov said as quoted by the media outlet, "We have a concept of domestic security, and it's public. You can read all the reasons for nuclear arms to be used. So if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be used in accordance with our concept."&nbsp;

Peskov's crucial comments came on being asked whether he was "convinced or confident" that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not use the nuclear option in the Ukrainian context.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-due-to-visit-europe-today-expected-to-announce-new-sanctions-against-russia-464727">US President due to visit Europe today, expected to announce new sanctions against Russia</a>

Western allies fear that Russia might use weapons of mass destruction during its invasion of Ukraine. In the past, Putin hinted at using nuclear weapons against nations that he saw as a threat to Russia.&nbsp;

In February, Putin said in a televised statement: "No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history."&nbsp;

On February 28, Putin had also ordered the Minister of Defense and the chief of the General Staff to place the Russian Army Deterrence Force on "combat alert".&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/drone-warfare-in-ukraine-switchblade-buzzing-bee-drones-vs-russias-orlan-10-463449">Drone warfare in Ukraine: Switchblade 'buzzing bee' drones vs Russia's Orlan-10</a>

Russia has already admitted that it used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine. Russia's defence ministry said that they have used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on March 17 to destroy a weapons storage site in the country's west.&nbsp;

Important to note that Russia has never before admitted using high-precision weapons in combat. State news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.&nbsp;

When it comes to nuclear capability, Russia maintains the world's largest stockpile of nuclear warheads and has earned minimal support around the world for its attack on its ex-Soviet neighbour.&nbsp;

Asked about Peskov's statement, and Russia's&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;stance, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby called Moscow's rhetoric on the potential use of&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;weapons "dangerous."&nbsp;

"It's not the way a responsible&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;power should act," he told reporters.

That said, Kirby stressed that Pentagon officials "haven't seen anything that would lead us to conclude that we need to change our strategic deterrent posture."

"We monitor this as best we can every day," he added.

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Zelensky's conditions for Ukraine's neutrality

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&nbsp;

Russia would only use nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukraine conflict if it were facing an "existential threat," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during an interaction with CNN International on Tuesday (March 22).

Russia would only use nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukraine conflict if it were facing an "existential threat," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during an interaction with CNN International on Tuesday (March 22). Peskov said as quoted by the media outlet, "We have a concept of domestic security, and it's public. You can read all the reasons for nuclear arms to be used. So if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be used in accordance with our concept." Peskov's crucial comments came on being asked whether he was "convinced or confident" that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not use the nuclear option in the Ukrainian context. ALSO READ | US President due to visit Europe today, expected to announce new sanctions against Russia Western allies fear that Russia might use weapons of mass destruction during its invasion of Ukraine. In the past, Putin hinted at using nuclear weapons against nations that he saw as a threat to Russia. In February, Putin said in a televised statement: "No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history." On February 28, Putin had also ordered the Minister of Defense and the chief of the General Staff to place the Russian Army Deterrence Force on "combat alert". IN PICS | Drone warfare in Ukraine: Switchblade 'buzzing bee' drones vs Russia's Orlan-10 Russia has already admitted that it used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine. Russia's defence ministry said that they have used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on March 17 to destroy a weapons storage site in the country's west. Important to note that Russia has never before admitted using high-precision weapons in combat. State news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine. When it comes to nuclear capability, Russia maintains the world's largest stockpile of nuclear warheads and has earned minimal support around the world for its attack on its ex-Soviet neighbour. Asked about Peskov's statement, and Russia's nuclear stance, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby called Moscow's rhetoric on the potential use of nuclear weapons "dangerous." "It's not the way a responsible nuclear power should act," he told reporters. That said, Kirby stressed that Pentagon officials "haven't seen anything that would lead us to conclude that we need to change our strategic deterrent posture." "We monitor this as best we can every day," he added. WATCH | Gravitas: Zelensky's conditions for Ukraine's neutrality ×

'Russia would use nuclear weapons if...': Moscow warns West over Ukraine invasion

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, a number of cases show how Moscow has intensified its crackdown on media and dissenters in the country.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin had signed into law harsh new legislation to nab those who are being charged with spreading "fake news" about the military.&nbsp;

Putin has already banned Facebook and Instagram after labelling them as "extremist" and media reports have suggested that, to silence dissent, the Russian authorities have blocked or shut down independent media in the country. &nbsp;

The Russian leader last week promised that he will purge Russia of the "scum and traitors" who are opposing the special "military operation" in Ukraine.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sending-secretly-acquired-soviet-defence-equipment-to-ukraine-report-464796">US sending secretly acquired Soviet defence equipment to Ukraine: Report</a>

As per a report by Bloomberg published on Tuesday (March 22), Russian lawmakers have expanded legislation that punishes people with fines or imprisonment for publishing "fake news" about the military’s operations to cover all state agencies.&nbsp;

The move has been deemed as a major escalation of the crackdown on media coverage in Russia of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.&nbsp;

The report added that the State Duma lower house of parliament backed amendments criminalising the public dissemination of "knowingly false information about the activities of government bodies abroad in pursuing Russia's national interests".&nbsp;

A person charged with the offence can be slapped with a penalty ranging from fines of between 700,000 rubles ($6,800) and 5 million rubles to imprisonment of up to 15 years if the actions led to "grave consequences".&nbsp;

The Kremlin said on Wednesday (March 23) that it was vital to apply a new law.&nbsp;Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the specific case of journalist Alexander Nevzorov, whom investigators late on Tuesday accused of deliberately spreading knowingly false information about the actions of the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;military in Ukraine.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-oligarch-moved-wealth-before-sanctions-in-27-swiss-accounts-of-sister-464854">Russian oligarch moved wealth before sanctions in 27 Swiss accounts of sister</a>

Telegram gains popularity 

Meanwhile, Telegram has overtaken WhatsApp to become Russia's most popular messaging tool, the mobile operator Megafon said on Monday (March 21).&nbsp;

WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms Inc is embroiled in a Russian court case, with prosecutors seeking to label it an "extremist organisation", and authorities have actively promoted Telegram as they have banned other foreign platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Russia's military operation in Ukraine has added fuel to a simmering dispute between foreign digital platforms and Moscow.&nbsp;

Megafon, one of Russia's four main telecoms operators, said its analysis of mobile internet traffic showed that Telegram's share had jumped to 63% in the first two weeks of March from 48% in the first two weeks of February.&nbsp;

WhatsApp's share dropped to 32% from 48%, Megafon said. The average Telegram user consumed 101 MB of data a day, compared to 26 MB for WhatsApp.&nbsp;

Founded by Russian Pavel Durov, Telegram has long been a popular news platform in Russia, with almost all major media, government entities and public figures operating content channels.

WATCH |&nbsp;Russian court finds Alexei Navalny guilty of large scale frauds

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(With inputs from agencies)

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, a number of cases show how Moscow has intensified its crackdown on media and dissenters in the country. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin had signed into law harsh new legislation to nab those who are being charged with spreading "fake news" about the military.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, a number of cases show how Moscow has intensified its crackdown on media and dissenters in the country. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin had signed into law harsh new legislation to nab those who are being charged with spreading "fake news" about the military. Putin has already banned Facebook and Instagram after labelling them as "extremist" and media reports have suggested that, to silence dissent, the Russian authorities have blocked or shut down independent media in the country. The Russian leader last week promised that he will purge Russia of the "scum and traitors" who are opposing the special "military operation" in Ukraine. ALSO READ | US sending secretly acquired Soviet defence equipment to Ukraine: Report As per a report by Bloomberg published on Tuesday (March 22), Russian lawmakers have expanded legislation that punishes people with fines or imprisonment for publishing "fake news" about the military’s operations to cover all state agencies. The move has been deemed as a major escalation of the crackdown on media coverage in Russia of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The report added that the State Duma lower house of parliament backed amendments criminalising the public dissemination of "knowingly false information about the activities of government bodies abroad in pursuing Russia's national interests". A person charged with the offence can be slapped with a penalty ranging from fines of between 700,000 rubles ($6,800) and 5 million rubles to imprisonment of up to 15 years if the actions led to "grave consequences". The Kremlin said on Wednesday (March 23) that it was vital to apply a new law. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the specific case of journalist Alexander Nevzorov, whom investigators late on Tuesday accused of deliberately spreading knowingly false information about the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine. ALSO READ | Russian oligarch moved wealth before sanctions in 27 Swiss accounts of sister Telegram gains popularity Meanwhile, Telegram has overtaken WhatsApp to become Russia's most popular messaging tool, the mobile operator Megafon said on Monday (March 21). WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms Inc is embroiled in a Russian court case, with prosecutors seeking to label it an "extremist organisation", and authorities have actively promoted Telegram as they have banned other foreign platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Russia's military operation in Ukraine has added fuel to a simmering dispute between foreign digital platforms and Moscow. Megafon, one of Russia's four main telecoms operators, said its analysis of mobile internet traffic showed that Telegram's share had jumped to 63% in the first two weeks of March from 48% in the first two weeks of February. WhatsApp's share dropped to 32% from 48%, Megafon said. The average Telegram user consumed 101 MB of data a day, compared to 26 MB for WhatsApp. Founded by Russian Pavel Durov, Telegram has long been a popular news platform in Russia, with almost all major media, government entities and public figures operating content channels. WATCH | Russian court finds Alexei Navalny guilty of large scale frauds × (With inputs from agencies)

Imprisonment of up to 15 years? Amid Ukraine invasion, Russia intensifies crackdown on media

Have you ever wondered what if humans are able to communicate with animals and birds? With the help of the artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, scientists recently revealed that they translated pig grunts into emotions for the first time. It could help them monitor animal wellbeing.&nbsp;

Experts have claimed that the research, which was led by the University of Copenhagen, the ETH Zurich and France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) could also be used to better understand the emotions of other mammals.&nbsp;

It looks like researchers are already working on it. As per a report published by The Wall Street Journal, it has been revealed that researchers are using AI to parse the "speech" of animals.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turn-garbage-into-gold-uks-royal-mint-planning-to-extract-precious-metals-from-e-waste-464828">Turn garbage into gold: UK's Royal Mint planning to extract precious metals from e-waste</a>

The method will help scientists to create systems that decode animal sounds. For example, such algorithms might help to detect and monitor whale songs. So that the nearby ships can be alerted to avoid collisions.&nbsp;

As quoted by WSJ, Oren Etzioni, who is an AI researcher and head of the Allen Institute for AI, said, "It is fascinating that the tools of artificial intelligence, specifically deep learning, which is the hot new thing, do seem to be the natural tools to study this other kind of 'A.I.'—animal intelligence." Allen Institute for AI is a nonprofit, which was set up by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.&nbsp;

The report added that researchers on animal communication are using a branch of AI that "self-supervised learning". In recent years, self-supervised learning has proven effective for handling human language.&nbsp;

Self-supervised learning (SSL) is a method of machine learning. It learns from unlabeled sample data. It can be regarded as an intermediate form between supervised and unsupervised learning. It is based on an artificial neural network.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/decoding-pigs-emotions-scientists-can-now-tell-if-the-animal-is-happy-or-sad-464604">Decoding emotions: Scientists can now tell if a pig is happy or sad</a>

As per the report, "self-supervised learning" shows promise as a way to process the immense quantities of recordings of animal communication, captured in laboratories as well as natural environments.&nbsp;

With constant advancements in technology, there's is no exaggeration in saying that such results, where humans will be able to communicate with animals,&nbsp;are achievable in near future.&nbsp;

We have seen certain examples, researchers at Cornell University and the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany had developed an AI-based system, called BirdNET that can now recognise the calls of more than 3,000 different species of birds. &nbsp;

Have you ever wondered what if humans are able to communicate with animals and birds? With the help of the artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, scientists recently revealed that they translated pig grunts into emotions for the first time.

Have you ever wondered what if humans are able to communicate with animals and birds? With the help of the artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, scientists recently revealed that they translated pig grunts into emotions for the first time. It could help them monitor animal wellbeing. Experts have claimed that the research, which was led by the University of Copenhagen, the ETH Zurich and France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) could also be used to better understand the emotions of other mammals. It looks like researchers are already working on it. As per a report published by The Wall Street Journal, it has been revealed that researchers are using AI to parse the "speech" of animals. ALSO READ | Turn garbage into gold: UK's Royal Mint planning to extract precious metals from e-waste The method will help scientists to create systems that decode animal sounds. For example, such algorithms might help to detect and monitor whale songs. So that the nearby ships can be alerted to avoid collisions. As quoted by WSJ, Oren Etzioni, who is an AI researcher and head of the Allen Institute for AI, said, "It is fascinating that the tools of artificial intelligence, specifically deep learning, which is the hot new thing, do seem to be the natural tools to study this other kind of 'A.I.'—animal intelligence." Allen Institute for AI is a nonprofit, which was set up by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The report added that researchers on animal communication are using a branch of AI that "self-supervised learning". In recent years, self-supervised learning has proven effective for handling human language. Self-supervised learning (SSL) is a method of machine learning. It learns from unlabeled sample data. It can be regarded as an intermediate form between supervised and unsupervised learning. It is based on an artificial neural network. ALSO READ | Decoding emotions: Scientists can now tell if a pig is happy or sad As per the report, "self-supervised learning" shows promise as a way to process the immense quantities of recordings of animal communication, captured in laboratories as well as natural environments. With constant advancements in technology, there's is no exaggeration in saying that such results, where humans will be able to communicate with animals, are achievable in near future. We have seen certain examples, researchers at Cornell University and the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany had developed an AI-based system, called BirdNET that can now recognise the calls of more than 3,000 different species of birds.

What do those meowing and neighing mean? Will artificial intelligence tell us how animals communicate?

In a shocking incident, a 26-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the murder of her two-month-old daughter. The police on Tuesday (March 22) said that the body of the baby was found inside a microwave oven in the Chirag Dilli region of India's capital, New Delhi.&nbsp;

As per the police statement, the accused woman has been identified as Dimple, a resident of Chirag Dilli. She was found unconscious in her house on Monday.&nbsp;

The body of her infant daughter was found inside an oven on the second floor of the house. The initial report didn't reveal much but the police have said that the woman has been giving inconsistent statements since her arrest, becoming a key suspect in the baby's death.&nbsp;

Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Benita Mary Jaiker said, "She [the woman] seems to be disturbed." Jaiker added that she has been interrogated twice, Monday night and Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

Revealing further about the case, Jaiker said, "We received a missing report of a child on Monday around 4.30 pm (local time)."&nbsp;

"When our staff reached the house of the family, it was revealed that the infant had been found and shifted to Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital. We reached the hospital. There we were told she was declared brought dead," she added.&nbsp;

The post mortem of the child was conducted on Tuesday. Prima facie, the doctors have conjectured that the child was smothered, and might have died a day earlier, and not Monday when she was found.

But, Jaiker said, the exact cause of death can only be ascertained after the post mortem report. The infant had injury marks on her body when she was found, she said.

"It is clearly found that the victim was in her mother's custody. All circumstantial evidence point towards the mother. We have no reason to believe that she was not involved," Jaiker said.&nbsp;

As of now, no other person has been found involved in the incident. The body was put inside the oven in order to hide it from others, police said.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a shocking incident, a 26-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the murder of her two-month-old daughter. The police on Tuesday (March 22) said that the body of the baby was found inside a microwave oven in the Chirag Dilli region of India's capital, New Delhi.

In a shocking incident, a 26-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the murder of her two-month-old daughter. The police on Tuesday (March 22) said that the body of the baby was found inside a microwave oven in the Chirag Dilli region of India's capital, New Delhi. As per the police statement, the accused woman has been identified as Dimple, a resident of Chirag Dilli. She was found unconscious in her house on Monday. The body of her infant daughter was found inside an oven on the second floor of the house. The initial report didn't reveal much but the police have said that the woman has been giving inconsistent statements since her arrest, becoming a key suspect in the baby's death. Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Benita Mary Jaiker said, "She [the woman] seems to be disturbed." Jaiker added that she has been interrogated twice, Monday night and Tuesday morning. Revealing further about the case, Jaiker said, "We received a missing report of a child on Monday around 4.30 pm (local time)." "When our staff reached the house of the family, it was revealed that the infant had been found and shifted to Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital. We reached the hospital. There we were told she was declared brought dead," she added. The post mortem of the child was conducted on Tuesday. Prima facie, the doctors have conjectured that the child was smothered, and might have died a day earlier, and not Monday when she was found. But, Jaiker said, the exact cause of death can only be ascertained after the post mortem report. The infant had injury marks on her body when she was found, she said. "It is clearly found that the victim was in her mother's custody. All circumstantial evidence point towards the mother. We have no reason to believe that she was not involved," Jaiker said. As of now, no other person has been found involved in the incident. The body was put inside the oven in order to hide it from others, police said. (With inputs from agencies)

New Delhi: Mother key suspect in death of two-month-old baby in microwave oven, say police

The tropics are a paradise for everyone but a skeleton. Humidity keeps rainforests green but does little to preserve bodies, leading to a dearth of ancient skeletal remains in neotropical regions such as Central America.

But deep in the jungles of Belize, under the dry refuge of two rock shelters, the skeletons of people who died as many as 9,600 years ago have been exceptionally well preserved. Their bones offer a rare glimpse into the region’s ancient genetic history, which is largely unknown.

A group of scientists has extracted these ancient people’s DNA, offering new insight into the genetic history of people in the Maya region. The paper was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers identified a previously unknown mass migration from the south more than 5,600 years ago that preceded the advent of intensive maize farming in the region. This migration of people, who are most closely related to present-day speakers of the Chibchan languages, contributed more than 50% of the ancestry of Mayan-speaking peoples today.

Lisa Lucero, an anthropologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who specializes in the ancestral Maya and was not involved with the research, said the new results “have the potential to revise and rewrite the early history of the First Americans.”

Xavier Roca-Rada, a doctoral student at the University of Adelaide, said the results “fill a gap between the oldest previously studied individuals from the Maya region and the time before the settling of Mesoamerica.”

The new paper emerged from ongoing excavations led by authors Keith Prufer, an environmental archaeologist at the University of New Mexico, and Douglas Kennett, an archaeologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The researchers have been excavating two rock shelters in the Bladen Nature Reserve, a remote and protected area of Belize that kept the sites, which were used as cemeteries, undisturbed for thousands of years. “People just kept going back to them over and over and over again and burying the dead,” Prufer said.

The shelters were also occupied by the living, who made tools and cooked, evidenced by the buried bones of armadillos, deer and a type of rodent called a paca, Prufer said. The bottom of the excavated pit held a piece of a giant sloth, which may have even predated human occupation of the shelter, he said.

The excavations also revealed a secret, formerly slimy layer of protection underground. Around 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, before the classic period of the Maya, people harvested tiny Pachychilus snails for food. “They would boil them and lop off the end of the shell and eat the flesh out of them,” Prufer said. Whoever inhabited these shelters feasted on these snails, and their discarded shells shielded bodies buried below. “This layer of snails actually protected the lower burials from the Maya digging through them,” he said.

Kennett and Prufer study these early burials to understand how the region transitioned from hunting and gathering to the development of intensive agriculture of maize, chili peppers and manioc (also called cassava). In a 2020 paper, they described evidence of maize consumption in the bones of individuals who lived 4,000 to 4,700 years ago.

David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School, led the extraction of ancient DNA from 20 individuals buried in the shelters over the course of 6,000 years. The analysis revealed several human migrations into the Maya region, in what is now southeastern Mexico and northern Central America.

They found three distinct groups: one living 7,300 to 9,600 years ago, another living between 3,700 and 5,600 years ago and a third group of modern Maya people. The first group appears genetically linked to a southward migration through the Americas during the Pleistocene. But the second group was related genetically to the ancestors of Chibchan speakers living farther south.

The authors hypothesize that this population turnover came from a mass migration from the south. “That was the spectacular result,” Kennett said.

The finding overturns an old assumption that farming technology spread through the Americas by the diffusion of crops and practices — the spread of knowledge as opposed to the spread of people, Reich said. The new results suggest this migration was critical to spreading farming, such as a scenario in which Chibchan speakers migrated northward with varieties of maize, which they then cultivated and spread in local populations, the authors wrote.

“People were actually moving into the region from the south, carrying these domesticated plants and also the systems of knowledge about how to grow them,” Kennett said.

David Mora-Marín, a linguistic anthropologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an author on the paper, conducted an analysis of early Chibchan and Mayan languages. He found that a term for maize had diffused from the Chibchan language into Mayan languages, further supporting the idea of a Chibchan origin of maize.

The field of ancient DNA has been criticized for a lack of ethics or appropriate engagement with communities that may be descended from the ancient humans being studied.

Kennett and Prufer conducted their archaeological research with the Ya’axché Conservation Trust, a Belizean nongovernmental organization that is largely staffed by descendants of Maya communities. The researchers consulted with these communities, presented results from studies and translated summaries of findings into the Mopan and Q’eqchi’ languages at the locals’ request. In the discussions, the communities expressed a desire to learn more about the diets and precolonial family units of the ancient people living in the cave. Because of these conversations, the authors placed a greater emphasis on these topics in the paper, Kennett said.

Krystal Tsosie, a genetics researcher at Vanderbilt University, said she wanted to see a more detailed description of how the community’s feedback influenced the paper. Tsosie added, “The process of proper engagement also means properly and transparently crediting the community members for informing and enriching the research.”

Ripan Malhi, a genetic anthropologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, noted that the authors uploaded the ancient DNA data to a public database “with no safeguards or limitations on use indicated.” Ancient DNA can offer a shortcut to the DNA of modern communities without their consent. “This may have implications for the present-day Maya in the region,” he said.

Lucero and Roca-Rada said that more data was needed to prove the researchers’ hypothesis that a southern migration had brought maize to the Maya region. To Lucero, the question is whether researchers should acquire that data. “Should we dig up ancestors?” he asked. “Would we want someone to dig up ours to answer interesting yet nonvital research questions?”

Kennett and Prufer last visited Belize in January 2020 to present the preliminary results from the new paper to Maya communities. The pandemic has since prohibited the researchers’ return, but Prufer said they hoped to go back this summer to continue excavating and “keep our promise to return each year that we work and update everybody.”

The tropics are a paradise for everyone but a skeleton. Humidity keeps rainforests green but does little to preserve bodies, leading to a dearth of ancient skeletal remains in neotropical regions such as Central America.

The tropics are a paradise for everyone but a skeleton. Humidity keeps rainforests green but does little to preserve bodies, leading to a dearth of ancient skeletal remains in neotropical regions such as Central America. But deep in the jungles of Belize, under the dry refuge of two rock shelters, the skeletons of people who died as many as 9,600 years ago have been exceptionally well preserved. Their bones offer a rare glimpse into the region’s ancient genetic history, which is largely unknown. A group of scientists has extracted these ancient people’s DNA, offering new insight into the genetic history of people in the Maya region. The paper was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers identified a previously unknown mass migration from the south more than 5,600 years ago that preceded the advent of intensive maize farming in the region. This migration of people, who are most closely related to present-day speakers of the Chibchan languages, contributed more than 50% of the ancestry of Mayan-speaking peoples today. Lisa Lucero, an anthropologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who specializes in the ancestral Maya and was not involved with the research, said the new results “have the potential to revise and rewrite the early history of the First Americans.” Xavier Roca-Rada, a doctoral student at the University of Adelaide, said the results “fill a gap between the oldest previously studied individuals from the Maya region and the time before the settling of Mesoamerica.” The new paper emerged from ongoing excavations led by authors Keith Prufer, an environmental archaeologist at the University of New Mexico, and Douglas Kennett, an archaeologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The researchers have been excavating two rock shelters in the Bladen Nature Reserve, a remote and protected area of Belize that kept the sites, which were used as cemeteries, undisturbed for thousands of years. “People just kept going back to them over and over and over again and burying the dead,” Prufer said. The shelters were also occupied by the living, who made tools and cooked, evidenced by the buried bones of armadillos, deer and a type of rodent called a paca, Prufer said. The bottom of the excavated pit held a piece of a giant sloth, which may have even predated human occupation of the shelter, he said. The excavations also revealed a secret, formerly slimy layer of protection underground. Around 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, before the classic period of the Maya, people harvested tiny Pachychilus snails for food. “They would boil them and lop off the end of the shell and eat the flesh out of them,” Prufer said. Whoever inhabited these shelters feasted on these snails, and their discarded shells shielded bodies buried below. “This layer of snails actually protected the lower burials from the Maya digging through them,” he said. Kennett and Prufer study these early burials to understand how the region transitioned from hunting and gathering to the development of intensive agriculture of maize, chili peppers and manioc (also called cassava). In a 2020 paper, they described evidence of maize consumption in the bones of individuals who lived 4,000 to 4,700 years ago. David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School, led the extraction of ancient DNA from 20 individuals buried in the shelters over the course of 6,000 years. The analysis revealed several human migrations into the Maya region, in what is now southeastern Mexico and northern Central America. They found three distinct groups: one living 7,300 to 9,600 years ago, another living between 3,700 and 5,600 years ago and a third group of modern Maya people. The first group appears genetically linked to a southward migration through the Americas during the Pleistocene. But the second group was related genetically to the ancestors of Chibchan speakers living farther south. The authors hypothesize that this population turnover came from a mass migration from the south. “That was the spectacular result,” Kennett said. The finding overturns an old assumption that farming technology spread through the Americas by the diffusion of crops and practices — the spread of knowledge as opposed to the spread of people, Reich said. The new results suggest this migration was critical to spreading farming, such as a scenario in which Chibchan speakers migrated northward with varieties of maize, which they then cultivated and spread in local populations, the authors wrote. “People were actually moving into the region from the south, carrying these domesticated plants and also the systems of knowledge about how to grow them,” Kennett said. David Mora-Marín, a linguistic anthropologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an author on the paper, conducted an analysis of early Chibchan and Mayan languages. He found that a term for maize had diffused from the Chibchan language into Mayan languages, further supporting the idea of a Chibchan origin of maize. The field of ancient DNA has been criticized for a lack of ethics or appropriate engagement with communities that may be descended from the ancient humans being studied. Kennett and Prufer conducted their archaeological research with the Ya’axché Conservation Trust, a Belizean nongovernmental organization that is largely staffed by descendants of Maya communities. The researchers consulted with these communities, presented results from studies and translated summaries of findings into the Mopan and Q’eqchi’ languages at the locals’ request. In the discussions, the communities expressed a desire to learn more about the diets and precolonial family units of the ancient people living in the cave. Because of these conversations, the authors placed a greater emphasis on these topics in the paper, Kennett said. Krystal Tsosie, a genetics researcher at Vanderbilt University, said she wanted to see a more detailed description of how the community’s feedback influenced the paper. Tsosie added, “The process of proper engagement also means properly and transparently crediting the community members for informing and enriching the research.” Ripan Malhi, a genetic anthropologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, noted that the authors uploaded the ancient DNA data to a public database “with no safeguards or limitations on use indicated.” Ancient DNA can offer a shortcut to the DNA of modern communities without their consent. “This may have implications for the present-day Maya in the region,” he said. Lucero and Roca-Rada said that more data was needed to prove the researchers’ hypothesis that a southern migration had brought maize to the Maya region. To Lucero, the question is whether researchers should acquire that data. “Should we dig up ancestors?” he asked. “Would we want someone to dig up ours to answer interesting yet nonvital research questions?” Kennett and Prufer last visited Belize in January 2020 to present the preliminary results from the new paper to Maya communities. The pandemic has since prohibited the researchers’ return, but Prufer said they hoped to go back this summer to continue excavating and “keep our promise to return each year that we work and update everybody.”

Human migration brought maize to Maya region, study finds

Almost 100,000 people are trapped among the ruins of the Ukrainian city of&nbsp;Mariupol, facing starvation, thirst and relentless Russian bombardment, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as the UN sharpened demands for Moscow to end its "absurd" and "unwinnable" war.

Tens of thousands of residents have already fled the besieged southern port city, bringing harrowing testimony of a "freezing hellscape riddled with dead bodies and destroyed buildings", according to Human Rights Watch.

In his latest video address Tuesday, Zelensky said more than 7,000 people had escaped in the last 24 hours alone, but one group travelling along an agreed humanitarian route west of the city were "simply captured by the occupiers."

He warned that many thousands more were unable to leave as the humanitarian situation worsens.

"Today, the city still has nearly 100,000 people in inhumane conditions. In a total siege. Without food, water, medication, under constant shelling and under constant bombing," he said, renewing calls for Russia to allow&nbsp;safe humanitarian corridors for civilians to escape.

Satellite images of&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;released by private company Maxar showed a charred landscape, with several buildings ablaze and smoke billowing from the city.

The Pentagon has said Russia is now pummelling&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;using artillery, long-range missiles and from naval ships deployed in the nearby Sea of Azov.

Local Ukrainian forces also report "heavy" ground fighting with Russian "infantry storming the city" after they rejected a Monday ultimatum to surrender.

UN relief agencies estimate there have been around 20,000 civilian casualties in the city, and perhaps 3,000 killed, but they stress "the actual figure remains unknown."

Mariupol's former mayor&nbsp;Sergiy Taruta vowed the city would never forgive Russia's siege.&nbsp;

"There will never be enough rage. There will never be enough revenge. There will never be enough retribution," he said in a Facebook post.&nbsp;

"For all the lives taken, the fates broken, for all the children killed, tears and suffering, each of the occupiers will never be at peace."

The almost month-long siege of&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;has brought ever-harsher international condemnation.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for Russia to end its "absurd war."

"Even if&nbsp;Mariupol&nbsp;falls, Ukraine cannot be conquered city by city, street by street, house by house," he said.

"This war is unwinnable.&nbsp;Sooner or later, it will have to move from the battlefield to the peace table. That is inevitable."

Mariupol&nbsp;is a pivotal target in President Vladimir Putin's war -- providing a land bridge between Russian forces in Crimea to the southwest and Russian-controlled territory to the north and east.

'We live here'&nbsp;

As US President Joe Biden readied to visit allies in Europe, he warned that with Russia's offensive stalling, Putin was considering using chemical and biological weapons.&nbsp;

"Now Putin's back is against the wall," Biden said. "And the more his back is against the wall, the greater the severity of the tactics he may employ."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that Russia would use nuclear weapons if under "existential threat."&nbsp;

Biden is due to travel to Brussels on Thursday for a series of summits gathering NATO, EU and G7 leaders, before heading to Poland, which has received the bulk of more than 3.5 million Ukrainians fleeing war in their country.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States would consult with allies about Russia's G20 membership.

"We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community," he&nbsp;told a press briefing Tuesday.

Washington has also not observed any Chinese arms shipments to Russia since Biden held a call with President Xi Jinping last week in which he raised concerns about Beijing's support for Moscow, Sullivan said.

"We have not seen... the provision of military equipment by China to Russia. But of course, this is something we are monitoring closely," he said.

On the ground, Russia's defence ministry has reported some advances in the southeast of Ukraine and boasted of strikes against "military infrastructure" across the country.

But Ukraine and its allies have claimed Russian forces are severely depleted, poorly supplied and still unable to carry out complex operations.

In the face of intense Ukrainian resistance, the Pentagon believes as much as 10 percent of Russian forces committed to Ukraine may have been knocked out of the war in just four weeks of fighting.

Ukraine's army command said it believes Russian troops now had enough ammunition, food and fuel to last just three days and there are reports of hundreds of Russian soldiers defecting.

For the first time, there are signs that Ukrainian forces are going on the offensive, retaking a town near Kyiv and attacking Russian forces in the south of the country.

In the southern city of Mykolaiv, one bulwark of the fierce fightback, residents said they were determined to stay and defend it despite incessant bombardment.

At the burial of soldier Igor Dundukov, 46, his brother Sergei wept as he kissed his sibling's swollen, blood-stained face.&nbsp;

"We supported his commitment to defending our homeland," Sergei told AFP. "This is our land. We live here. Where would we run to? We grew up here."

Amid the bloodshed, Moscow and Kyiv have begun holding peace negotiations remotely after in-person talks between delegations meeting on the border of Belarus and Ukraine made little progress.

Russia has said it wants "more substantial" discussion and Zelensky has said all issues would be on the table if Putin agreed to direct talks.

More sanctions

Since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, at least 117 children have been killed in the war, Ukraine's federal prosecutor said.

Some 548 schools have been damaged and 72 destroyed.

Russia has pushed on with its assaults, in the face of unprecedented Western sanctions that have led international companies to pull out of the country.

More sanctions against Russia and tightening of existing measures will be announced Thursday when Biden meets European allies in Brussels.

In the capital Kyiv, a 35-hour curfew came into effect from Monday evening after Russian strikes laid waste to the Retroville shopping complex, killing at least eight people.

Russia claimed the mall was being used to store rocket systems and ammunition.

With businesses closed and residents told to stay home, Kyiv was a ghost town Tuesday, with air sirens and the distant sound of explosions regularly punching through the silence.

Maxim Kostetskyi, 29, a lawyer, said residents were using the "pause" imposed by the lockdown to regroup.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine conflict: Putin plans to attend G20 Summit

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&nbsp;

Almost 100,000 people are trapped among the ruins of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, facing starvation, thirst and relentless Russian bombardment, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as the UN sharpened demands for Moscow to end its "absurd" and "unwinnable" war.

Almost 100,000 people are trapped among the ruins of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, facing starvation, thirst and relentless Russian bombardment, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as the UN sharpened demands for Moscow to end its "absurd" and "unwinnable" war. Tens of thousands of residents have already fled the besieged southern port city, bringing harrowing testimony of a "freezing hellscape riddled with dead bodies and destroyed buildings", according to Human Rights Watch. In his latest video address Tuesday, Zelensky said more than 7,000 people had escaped in the last 24 hours alone, but one group travelling along an agreed humanitarian route west of the city were "simply captured by the occupiers." He warned that many thousands more were unable to leave as the humanitarian situation worsens. "Today, the city still has nearly 100,000 people in inhumane conditions. In a total siege. Without food, water, medication, under constant shelling and under constant bombing," he said, renewing calls for Russia to allow safe humanitarian corridors for civilians to escape. Satellite images of Mariupol released by private company Maxar showed a charred landscape, with several buildings ablaze and smoke billowing from the city. The Pentagon has said Russia is now pummelling Mariupol using artillery, long-range missiles and from naval ships deployed in the nearby Sea of Azov. Local Ukrainian forces also report "heavy" ground fighting with Russian "infantry storming the city" after they rejected a Monday ultimatum to surrender. UN relief agencies estimate there have been around 20,000 civilian casualties in the city, and perhaps 3,000 killed, but they stress "the actual figure remains unknown." Mariupol's former mayor Sergiy Taruta vowed the city would never forgive Russia's siege. "There will never be enough rage. There will never be enough revenge. There will never be enough retribution," he said in a Facebook post. "For all the lives taken, the fates broken, for all the children killed, tears and suffering, each of the occupiers will never be at peace." The almost month-long siege of Mariupol has brought ever-harsher international condemnation. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for Russia to end its "absurd war." "Even if Mariupol falls, Ukraine cannot be conquered city by city, street by street, house by house," he said. "This war is unwinnable. Sooner or later, it will have to move from the battlefield to the peace table. That is inevitable." Mariupol is a pivotal target in President Vladimir Putin's war -- providing a land bridge between Russian forces in Crimea to the southwest and Russian-controlled territory to the north and east. 'We live here' As US President Joe Biden readied to visit allies in Europe, he warned that with Russia's offensive stalling, Putin was considering using chemical and biological weapons. "Now Putin's back is against the wall," Biden said. "And the more his back is against the wall, the greater the severity of the tactics he may employ." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that Russia would use nuclear weapons if under "existential threat." Biden is due to travel to Brussels on Thursday for a series of summits gathering NATO, EU and G7 leaders, before heading to Poland, which has received the bulk of more than 3.5 million Ukrainians fleeing war in their country. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States would consult with allies about Russia's G20 membership. "We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community," he told a press briefing Tuesday. Washington has also not observed any Chinese arms shipments to Russia since Biden held a call with President Xi Jinping last week in which he raised concerns about Beijing's support for Moscow, Sullivan said. "We have not seen... the provision of military equipment by China to Russia. But of course, this is something we are monitoring closely," he said. On the ground, Russia's defence ministry has reported some advances in the southeast of Ukraine and boasted of strikes against "military infrastructure" across the country. But Ukraine and its allies have claimed Russian forces are severely depleted, poorly supplied and still unable to carry out complex operations. In the face of intense Ukrainian resistance, the Pentagon believes as much as 10 percent of Russian forces committed to Ukraine may have been knocked out of the war in just four weeks of fighting. Ukraine's army command said it believes Russian troops now had enough ammunition, food and fuel to last just three days and there are reports of hundreds of Russian soldiers defecting. For the first time, there are signs that Ukrainian forces are going on the offensive, retaking a town near Kyiv and attacking Russian forces in the south of the country. In the southern city of Mykolaiv, one bulwark of the fierce fightback, residents said they were determined to stay and defend it despite incessant bombardment. At the burial of soldier Igor Dundukov, 46, his brother Sergei wept as he kissed his sibling's swollen, blood-stained face. "We supported his commitment to defending our homeland," Sergei told AFP. "This is our land. We live here. Where would we run to? We grew up here." Amid the bloodshed, Moscow and Kyiv have begun holding peace negotiations remotely after in-person talks between delegations meeting on the border of Belarus and Ukraine made little progress. Russia has said it wants "more substantial" discussion and Zelensky has said all issues would be on the table if Putin agreed to direct talks. More sanctions Since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, at least 117 children have been killed in the war, Ukraine's federal prosecutor said. Some 548 schools have been damaged and 72 destroyed. Russia has pushed on with its assaults, in the face of unprecedented Western sanctions that have led international companies to pull out of the country. More sanctions against Russia and tightening of existing measures will be announced Thursday when Biden meets European allies in Brussels. In the capital Kyiv, a 35-hour curfew came into effect from Monday evening after Russian strikes laid waste to the Retroville shopping complex, killing at least eight people. Russia claimed the mall was being used to store rocket systems and ammunition. With businesses closed and residents told to stay home, Kyiv was a ghost town Tuesday, with air sirens and the distant sound of explosions regularly punching through the silence. Maxim Kostetskyi, 29, a lawyer, said residents were using the "pause" imposed by the lockdown to regroup. WATCH | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Putin plans to attend G20 Summit ×

Russia-Ukraine conflict: 'Hellscape' in Mariupol where 100,000 trapped

Royal Mint in the United Kingdom will start recovering hundreds of kilograms of gold and other precious metals from electronic waste and will use in its coins and bars.&nbsp;

Royal Mint is hopeful that its new plant in Llantrisant, South Wales, will start reclaiming the precious metal from the circuit boards of laptops and mobile phones next year.&nbsp;

For the unversed, gold, silver and other precious metals are embedded in circuit boards and other hardware. Such metals are highly conductive in small quantities.&nbsp;

These metals are never recovered as people usually throw away their discarded electronics in the landfills or incinerated.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Royal Mint, which is more than 1,100-year-old, said it had partnered with a Canadian start-up called Excir which has developed chemical solutions to extract the metals from the circuit boards.&nbsp;

Sean Millard, the mint's chief growth officer, said that disused electronics in households represent about seven per cent of the world’s gold.&nbsp;

As quoted by news agency Reuters, Millard said, "If you take all of the disused electronics around your home, that represents about seven per cent of the world's gold. That is a huge number and really gives us the initiative and imperative to start recycling those electronics."&nbsp;

Sky News reported that currently 99 per cent of the country's circuit boards are shipped overseas to be processed at high temperatures in smelters, as per the company estimates.&nbsp;

As quoted by the media outlet, Millard said, "As the volume of electronic waste increases each year, this problem is only set to become bigger."&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Japanese automaker Suzuki signs deal with SkyDrive to develop 'flying cars'

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(With inputs from agencies)

Royal Mint in the United Kingdom will start recovering hundreds of kilograms of gold and other precious metals from electronic waste and will use in its coins and bars.

Royal Mint in the United Kingdom will start recovering hundreds of kilograms of gold and other precious metals from electronic waste and will use in its coins and bars. Royal Mint is hopeful that its new plant in Llantrisant, South Wales, will start reclaiming the precious metal from the circuit boards of laptops and mobile phones next year. For the unversed, gold, silver and other precious metals are embedded in circuit boards and other hardware. Such metals are highly conductive in small quantities. These metals are never recovered as people usually throw away their discarded electronics in the landfills or incinerated. Royal Mint, which is more than 1,100-year-old, said it had partnered with a Canadian start-up called Excir which has developed chemical solutions to extract the metals from the circuit boards. Sean Millard, the mint's chief growth officer, said that disused electronics in households represent about seven per cent of the world’s gold. As quoted by news agency Reuters, Millard said, "If you take all of the disused electronics around your home, that represents about seven per cent of the world's gold. That is a huge number and really gives us the initiative and imperative to start recycling those electronics." Sky News reported that currently 99 per cent of the country's circuit boards are shipped overseas to be processed at high temperatures in smelters, as per the company estimates. As quoted by the media outlet, Millard said, "As the volume of electronic waste increases each year, this problem is only set to become bigger." WATCH | Japanese automaker Suzuki signs deal with SkyDrive to develop 'flying cars' × (With inputs from agencies)

Turn garbage into gold: UK's Royal Mint planning to extract precious metals from e-waste

'We can't endure this anymore': Miami Beach slaps curfew on spring break after shootings - see pics

In pics: Multiple forest fires erupt near Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine, say reports

Egypt has set a fixed price for unsubsidised&nbsp;bread&nbsp;in an effort to counter rising food prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine closed off access to lower-priced Black Sea wheat.

Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly on Monday set the price of commercially sold&nbsp;bread&nbsp;at 11.50 Egyptian pounds ($0.66) per kg, his office said in a statement.

Food prices had been rising in Egypt even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but now&nbsp;bread&nbsp;- a politically symbolic staple on which many Egyptians are heavily dependent - is becoming more expensive as Black Sea wheat exports are disrupted.

The price of unsubsidised&nbsp;bread&nbsp;has jumped by as much as 25%, from 1.00 to 1.25 Egyptian pounds a loaf, in some bakeries in the three weeks since Russia's invasion of its neighbour. Flour prices have risen by up to 15%, said Attia Hamad at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce.

The new fixed prices for flat, round balady&nbsp;bread&nbsp;have been set at 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 Egyptian pounds for loaves weighing 45, 65 and 90 grams respectively. Prices for 40, 60 and 80 gram small, white fino loaves were set at 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 Egyptian pounds respectively.

Violations of the fixed prices will result in fines between 100,000 and 5 million Egyptian pounds, with the fixed prices applying for three months, the statement said.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last week asked the government to set a price for unsubsidised&nbsp;bread&nbsp;because of the recent price increases.

More than 30% of Egypt's 103 million population rely on the private sector for&nbsp;bread, with the rest buying subsidised&nbsp;bread&nbsp;at a decades-old fixed price of 0.05 pounds per loaf.

Egypt is typically the world's largest wheat importer, buying more than 60% of its wheat from abroad, with Russia and Ukraine accounting for about 80% of government and private sector imports last year.

Recent wheat price increases could nearly double annual state spending on imports to $5.7 billion from about $3 billion, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute.

The Egyptian pound depreciated by almost 14% on Monday after weeks of pressure on the currency as foreign investors pulled out billions of dollars from Egyptian treasury markets following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Egypt has set a fixed price for unsubsidised bread in an effort to counter rising food prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine closed off access to lower-priced Black Sea wheat.

Egypt has set a fixed price for unsubsidised bread in an effort to counter rising food prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine closed off access to lower-priced Black Sea wheat. Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly on Monday set the price of commercially sold bread at 11.50 Egyptian pounds ($0.66) per kg, his office said in a statement. Food prices had been rising in Egypt even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but now bread - a politically symbolic staple on which many Egyptians are heavily dependent - is becoming more expensive as Black Sea wheat exports are disrupted. The price of unsubsidised bread has jumped by as much as 25%, from 1.00 to 1.25 Egyptian pounds a loaf, in some bakeries in the three weeks since Russia's invasion of its neighbour. Flour prices have risen by up to 15%, said Attia Hamad at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce. The new fixed prices for flat, round balady bread have been set at 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 Egyptian pounds for loaves weighing 45, 65 and 90 grams respectively. Prices for 40, 60 and 80 gram small, white fino loaves were set at 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 Egyptian pounds respectively. Violations of the fixed prices will result in fines between 100,000 and 5 million Egyptian pounds, with the fixed prices applying for three months, the statement said. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last week asked the government to set a price for unsubsidised bread because of the recent price increases. More than 30% of Egypt's 103 million population rely on the private sector for bread, with the rest buying subsidised bread at a decades-old fixed price of 0.05 pounds per loaf. Egypt is typically the world's largest wheat importer, buying more than 60% of its wheat from abroad, with Russia and Ukraine accounting for about 80% of government and private sector imports last year. Recent wheat price increases could nearly double annual state spending on imports to $5.7 billion from about $3 billion, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute. The Egyptian pound depreciated by almost 14% on Monday after weeks of pressure on the currency as foreign investors pulled out billions of dollars from Egyptian treasury markets following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly sets fixed price for unsubsidised bread

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued a bizarre warning to the party members who are planning to go against him in the no-confidence vote.&nbsp;

During a public rally on Sunday (March 20) in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Khan said, "Your children and families would lose respect and honour in society. No one will marry your children."&nbsp;

"People will neither trust you nor respect you. Masses are aware of the situation and what is happening in the country. This is the age of social media. It's difficult to hide anything from them," he added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/khalid-payenda-former-afghanistan-finance-minister-drives-taxi-in-us-464275">Khalid Payenda, former Afghanistan Finance minister, drives taxi in US</a>

The cricketer-turned-politician further said, "I would forgive you like a father, or face disrespect in the society."&nbsp;

Pakistan's PM is set to face a vote of no-confidence and the country's National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has summoned a session of the Lower House at the Parliament in Islamabad on March 25 for a no-trust motion against Khan.&nbsp;

Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is facing an internal revolt, with several Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) deserting it and joining the opposition ranks.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-army-asks-imran-khan-to-resign-after-oic-conference-say-reports-463978">Pakistan Army asks Imran Khan to resign after OIC conference, say reports</a>

The MNAs numbering about two dozen, fearing backlash from the PTI central leadership and the cadres, lodged themselves at the Sindh House.&nbsp;

European Times said in its report that the dissenters openly threatened to vote in favour of the no-confidence motion.

The nine-member opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Pakistan People Party (PPP) had signed the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government on March 8.&nbsp;

The lawmakers alleged that the PTI&nbsp;government led by Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Imran Khan's warning to PTI dissidents

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(With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued a bizarre warning to the party members who are planning to go against him in the no-confidence vote. During a public rally on Sunday (March 20) in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Khan said, "Your children and families would lose respect and honour in society.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has issued a bizarre warning to the party members who are planning to go against him in the no-confidence vote. During a public rally on Sunday (March 20) in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Khan said, "Your children and families would lose respect and honour in society. No one will marry your children." "People will neither trust you nor respect you. Masses are aware of the situation and what is happening in the country. This is the age of social media. It's difficult to hide anything from them," he added. ALSO READ | Khalid Payenda, former Afghanistan Finance minister, drives taxi in US The cricketer-turned-politician further said, "I would forgive you like a father, or face disrespect in the society." Pakistan's PM is set to face a vote of no-confidence and the country's National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has summoned a session of the Lower House at the Parliament in Islamabad on March 25 for a no-trust motion against Khan. Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is facing an internal revolt, with several Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) deserting it and joining the opposition ranks. ALSO READ | Pakistan Army asks Imran Khan to resign after OIC conference, say reports The MNAs numbering about two dozen, fearing backlash from the PTI central leadership and the cadres, lodged themselves at the Sindh House. European Times said in its report that the dissenters openly threatened to vote in favour of the no-confidence motion. The nine-member opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Pakistan People Party (PPP) had signed the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government on March 8. The lawmakers alleged that the PTI government led by Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country. WATCH | Gravitas: Imran Khan's warning to PTI dissidents × (With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of no-confidence vote, Imran Khan's bizarre warning to dissenters: 'No one will marry your children'

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Srishti Sisodia

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