Members of the Shi'ite Hazara minority in&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;who have blockaded a highway in Quetta with the bodies of slain coal miners said on Tuesday they will not withdraw until Prime Minister Imran Khan meets them and the killers are brought to justice.

Islamic State militants slit the throats of 11 miners in a residential compound near a mine site in&nbsp;Pakistan's Balochistan province on Sunday, filming the entire incident and later posting it online.

Thousands of Hazaras have since staged a protest, arranging the coffins across a highway in the provincial capital Quetta.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistani-hazara-families-refuse-to-bury-mach-massacre-victims-354545" hreflang="en">Pakistani Hazara families refuse to bury Mach massacre victims</a>

"We have become tired of picking up the bodies of our people," Syed Agha Raza, a Hazara Shi'ite political leader, told Reuters.

Masooma Yaqoob Ali told Reuters her elder brother along with four other relatives were among those killed.

“Now we have no male member [of our family] to take coffins of our brother and other relatives to the graveyard for burial,” she said, shedding tears as she spoke.

The protesters are refusing to bury the victims of the attack until demands, which include the resignation of the provincial government, are met. Protests also occurred on Tuesday in Karachi,&nbsp;Pakistan's large southern city.

Balochistan Home Secretary Hafiz Basid told Reuters at least nine of the victims were from neighbouring Afghanistan, and two bodies had thus far been taken there for burial. Afghanistan's Foreign Office said in a statement that seven of the dead were Afghan, and both sides were investigating the incident together.

Hazaras have faced persecution by extremists in both countries, where Sunni Islam predominates. Some Afghan Hazaras come to&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;for work in the winter, including at the coal mine in Balochistan.

Hundreds of Hazara have been killed over the last decade in attacks in&nbsp;Pakistan, including bombings in schools and crowded markets and brazen ambushes of buses along&nbsp;Pakistani roads.

Members of the Shi'ite Hazara minority in Pakistan who have blockaded a highway in Quetta with the bodies of slain coal miners said on Tuesday they will not withdraw until Prime Minister Imran Khan meets them and the killers are brought to justice.

Members of the Shi'ite Hazara minority in Pakistan who have blockaded a highway in Quetta with the bodies of slain coal miners said on Tuesday they will not withdraw until Prime Minister Imran Khan meets them and the killers are brought to justice. Islamic State militants slit the throats of 11 miners in a residential compound near a mine site in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Sunday, filming the entire incident and later posting it online. Thousands of Hazaras have since staged a protest, arranging the coffins across a highway in the provincial capital Quetta. Also read: Pakistani Hazara families refuse to bury Mach massacre victims "We have become tired of picking up the bodies of our people," Syed Agha Raza, a Hazara Shi'ite political leader, told Reuters. Masooma Yaqoob Ali told Reuters her elder brother along with four other relatives were among those killed. “Now we have no male member [of our family] to take coffins of our brother and other relatives to the graveyard for burial,” she said, shedding tears as she spoke. The protesters are refusing to bury the victims of the attack until demands, which include the resignation of the provincial government, are met. Protests also occurred on Tuesday in Karachi, Pakistan's large southern city. Balochistan Home Secretary Hafiz Basid told Reuters at least nine of the victims were from neighbouring Afghanistan, and two bodies had thus far been taken there for burial. Afghanistan's Foreign Office said in a statement that seven of the dead were Afghan, and both sides were investigating the incident together. Hazaras have faced persecution by extremists in both countries, where Sunni Islam predominates. Some Afghan Hazaras come to Pakistan for work in the winter, including at the coal mine in Balochistan. Hundreds of Hazara have been killed over the last decade in attacks in Pakistan, including bombings in schools and crowded markets and brazen ambushes of buses along Pakistani roads.

Pakistan's Hazara say no end to Quetta sit-in without justice for slain miners

The United States on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of UN-designated terrorist Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and urged Pakistan to hold him accountable for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Lakhvi was arrested on Saturday by Pakistan`s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) during a raid conducted in Lahore.

The department`s spokesperson said that Lakhvi was arrested during a raid for allegedly financing terrorists.

"We welcome Pakistan`s arrest of terrorist leader Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi as an important step in holding him responsible for his role in supporting terrorism and its financing," the United States Department of State Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs wrote on Twitter.

"We will follow his prosecution and sentencing closely and urge that he be held accountable for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks," it added.

The terrorist was behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 wherein 166 people were killed and 300 were left injured. Lakhvi was designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations under the United Nations Security Council Resolution in 2008 after the Mumbai attacks.

In April last year, Pakistan, which has long been accused of aiding and abetting terrorism, had removed about 1,800 names from its terrorist watchlist including that of 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, according to data collected by castellum.aI, a New York-based regulatory technology company.

Lakhvi is accused of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.&nbsp;

The United States on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of UN-designated terrorist Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and urged Pakistan to hold him accountable for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The United States on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of UN-designated terrorist Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and urged Pakistan to hold him accountable for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Lakhvi was arrested on Saturday by Pakistan`s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) during a raid conducted in Lahore. The department`s spokesperson said that Lakhvi was arrested during a raid for allegedly financing terrorists. "We welcome Pakistan`s arrest of terrorist leader Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi as an important step in holding him responsible for his role in supporting terrorism and its financing," the United States Department of State Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs wrote on Twitter. "We will follow his prosecution and sentencing closely and urge that he be held accountable for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks," it added. The terrorist was behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 wherein 166 people were killed and 300 were left injured. Lakhvi was designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations under the United Nations Security Council Resolution in 2008 after the Mumbai attacks. In April last year, Pakistan, which has long been accused of aiding and abetting terrorism, had removed about 1,800 names from its terrorist watchlist including that of 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, according to data collected by castellum.aI, a New York-based regulatory technology company. Lakhvi is accused of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

US urges Pak to hold designated terrorist LeT commander Lakhvi accountable for 26/11 Mumbai attacks

Neanderthal's 41,000-year-old skeleton all set to resolve the&nbsp;long-standing mystery why the Stone Age hominins intentionally buried their dead.

The origin of funerary practices has important implications for the emergence of so-called modern cognitive capacities and behaviour.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/all-modern-humans-possess-neanderthal-dna-study-278329">All modern humans possess Neanderthal DNA: Study</a>

The researchers from the University of Basque in Spain,&nbsp;French National Centre for Scientific Research and&nbsp;Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle have identified 47 bones belonging to a child's skeleton that were not identified before.

They confirmed that one of these bones was&nbsp;41,000 years old and belonged to a neanderthal after analysing the fragment's mitochondria DNA.

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In picture:&nbsp;A researcher from the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale in France examines material from excavations of the La Ferrassie Neanderthal site in southwestern France

Skeletons of dozens of&nbsp;neanderthals have been discovered in several parts of Europe over the course of the past 150 years.

Spanish and French researchers used modern technology to re-examine the remains and re-excavated the original archaeological site in&nbsp;La Ferrassie, southern France.&nbsp;They have yielded the largest collections of partial to complete Neandertal skeletons, interpreted as intentional burials.

They reached the conclusion that the corpse of a two-year-old was deliberately laid in a pit dug in sediment.

The&nbsp;researchers said the absence of marks from carnivores who tried to scavenge an uncovered body along with positions in which they were laid indicated that the skeleton was placed there intentionally.&nbsp;The sterile sediment removed previously would have been used to fill the pit and cover the child.&nbsp;

The study said, "The origin of funerary practices has important implications for the emergence of so-called modern cognitive capacities and behaviour."

"These new results provide important insights for the discussion about the chronology of the disappearance of the Neanderthals, and the behavioural capacity, including cultural and symbolic expression, of these humans."

&nbsp;

Neanderthal's 41,000-year-old skeleton all set to resolve the long-standing mystery why the Stone Age hominins intentionally buried their dead. The origin of funerary practices has important implications for the emergence of so-called modern cognitive capacities and behaviour.

Neanderthal's 41,000-year-old skeleton all set to resolve the long-standing mystery why the Stone Age hominins intentionally buried their dead. The origin of funerary practices has important implications for the emergence of so-called modern cognitive capacities and behaviour. Also read: All modern humans possess Neanderthal DNA: Study The researchers from the University of Basque in Spain, French National Centre for Scientific Research and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle have identified 47 bones belonging to a child's skeleton that were not identified before. They confirmed that one of these bones was 41,000 years old and belonged to a neanderthal after analysing the fragment's mitochondria DNA. In picture: A researcher from the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale in France examines material from excavations of the La Ferrassie Neanderthal site in southwestern France Skeletons of dozens of neanderthals have been discovered in several parts of Europe over the course of the past 150 years. Spanish and French researchers used modern technology to re-examine the remains and re-excavated the original archaeological site in La Ferrassie, southern France. They have yielded the largest collections of partial to complete Neandertal skeletons, interpreted as intentional burials. They reached the conclusion that the corpse of a two-year-old was deliberately laid in a pit dug in sediment. The researchers said the absence of marks from carnivores who tried to scavenge an uncovered body along with positions in which they were laid indicated that the skeleton was placed there intentionally. The sterile sediment removed previously would have been used to fill the pit and cover the child. The study said, "The origin of funerary practices has important implications for the emergence of so-called modern cognitive capacities and behaviour." "These new results provide important insights for the discussion about the chronology of the disappearance of the Neanderthals, and the behavioural capacity, including cultural and symbolic expression, of these humans."

Neanderthal's 41,000-year-old skeleton all set to resolve this long-standing mystery

Pakistani Hazara families of the victims, who were killed by unidentified men at the Mach coalfield, refused to bury their loved ones and continued their sit-in on the western bypass of Balochistan with the victims` bodies demanding the Balochistan government to either arrest the killers or resign.

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"No male member is alive in our family who could bury my elder brother and four other relatives," Dawn quoted Masooma Yaqoob Ali, a student of the third year who lost five members of her family in the tragedy.

Among her five siblings, her brother was the only son of her parents and the sole breadwinner of the family, Yaqoob Ali added.

Also read-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-attack-on-pakistans-shiite-hazara-minority-that-killed-11-354279" hreflang="en">Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Pakistan's Shi'ite Hazara</a>

"We have staged a sit-in for the protection of the Hazara people who have been facing such killings since long and have become fed up with the situation," Dawn quoted Syed Agha Raza, Balochistan Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) President.

The bodies would not be buried until demands of the community are not fulfilled, Agha Raza said. Demanding the government`s resignation, Agha Raza said the Balochistan government had repeatedly failed to protect the people of the Hazara community.

"We will continue the sit-in till the resignation of the provincial government," Agha Raza said, adding that a judicial commission comprising retired and sitting judges of the apex court should be appointed for conducting a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Islamic&nbsp;State had claimed responsibility for an attack on Sunday that killed 11 miners from Pakistan’s minority Shi’ite Hazaras in Baluchistan province.

The attack took place early on Sunday morning in the Mach area of Bolan district around 100 kms southeast of Baluchistan's capital Quetta, killing the miners who were in a shared residential room near the coal mine where they worked, officials said.

As per the Geo News, police said the armed men took the coal miners to nearby mountains and opened fire. Eleven were confirmed dead by police while others injured were reported to be in critical condition.

Pakistani Hazara families of the victims, who were killed by unidentified men at the Mach coalfield, refused to bury their loved ones and continued their sit-in on the western bypass of Balochistan with the victims` bodies demanding the Balochistan government to either arrest the killers or resign.

Pakistani Hazara families of the victims, who were killed by unidentified men at the Mach coalfield, refused to bury their loved ones and continued their sit-in on the western bypass of Balochistan with the victims` bodies demanding the Balochistan government to either arrest the killers or resign. "No male member is alive in our family who could bury my elder brother and four other relatives," Dawn quoted Masooma Yaqoob Ali, a student of the third year who lost five members of her family in the tragedy. Among her five siblings, her brother was the only son of her parents and the sole breadwinner of the family, Yaqoob Ali added. Also read-Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Pakistan's Shi'ite Hazara "We have staged a sit-in for the protection of the Hazara people who have been facing such killings since long and have become fed up with the situation," Dawn quoted Syed Agha Raza, Balochistan Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) President. The bodies would not be buried until demands of the community are not fulfilled, Agha Raza said. Demanding the government`s resignation, Agha Raza said the Balochistan government had repeatedly failed to protect the people of the Hazara community. "We will continue the sit-in till the resignation of the provincial government," Agha Raza said, adding that a judicial commission comprising retired and sitting judges of the apex court should be appointed for conducting a judicial inquiry into the incident. Islamic State had claimed responsibility for an attack on Sunday that killed 11 miners from Pakistan’s minority Shi’ite Hazaras in Baluchistan province. The attack took place early on Sunday morning in the Mach area of Bolan district around 100 kms southeast of Baluchistan's capital Quetta, killing the miners who were in a shared residential room near the coal mine where they worked, officials said. As per the Geo News, police said the armed men took the coal miners to nearby mountains and opened fire. Eleven were confirmed dead by police while others injured were reported to be in critical condition.

Pakistani Hazara families refuse to bury Mach massacre victims

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday that the new&nbsp;variant of coronavirus in South Africa is ''more of a problem'' than the mutation found in the UK.

Both Britain and&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;have discovered new, more infectious variants in the coronavirus in recent weeks that have driven a surge in cases.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-covid-19-mutant-found-in-south-africa-spreads-more-swiftly-351972">New Covid-19 mutant found in South Africa spreads more swiftly</a>

“I’m incredibly worried about the South African variant, and that’s why we took the action that we did to restrict all flights from South Africa,”&nbsp;Hancock said in an interview with the local media.

“This is a very, very significant problem ... and it’s even more of a problem than the UK&nbsp;new variant.”

The new strain, called the 501.V2 Variant, was first discovered in South African province Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape

Scientists are not fully confident that COVID-19 vaccines will work on a new variant of the coronavirus found in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa. They fear that it is more contagious than other versions of the virus.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-announces-another-national-lockdown-354504/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Scientists including BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin and John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, have said they are testing the vaccines on the new variants and say they could make any required tweaks in around six weeks.

Public Health England said there was currently no evidence to suggest that vaccines will not be effective against the new strain. The health ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

The world's richest countries have started vaccinating their populations to safeguard against a virus that has killed 1.8 million people and crushed the global economy.

There are currently 60 vaccine candidates in trials, including those that are already being rolled out from AstraZeneca and Oxford, Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, Russia's Sputnik V and China's Sinopharm.

That has helped to lift global financial markets, but the discovery of the new variants has raised a fresh alarm.

Scientists say the new&nbsp;South&nbsp;African variant has multiple mutations in the important "spike" protein that the virus uses to infect human cells.

It has also been associated with a higher viral load, meaning a higher concentration of virus particles in patients' bodies, possibly contributing to higher levels of transmission.

Oxford's Bell, who advises the government's vaccine task force, said on Sunday he thought vaccines would work on the British variant but said there was a "big question mark" as to whether they would work on the&nbsp;South&nbsp;African variant.

He told Times Radio that the shots could be adapted and "it might take a month or six weeks to get a new vaccine".

BioNTech's Sahin told Spiegel in an interview published on Friday that their vaccine, which uses messenger RNA to instruct the human immune system to fight the coronavirus, should be able to cope with the variant first detected in Britain.

"We are testing whether our vaccine can also neutralise this variant and will soon know more," he said.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday that the new variant of coronavirus in South Africa is ''more of a problem'' than the mutation found in the UK.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday that the new variant of coronavirus in South Africa is ''more of a problem'' than the mutation found in the UK. Both Britain and South Africa have discovered new, more infectious variants in the coronavirus in recent weeks that have driven a surge in cases. Also read: New Covid-19 mutant found in South Africa spreads more swiftly “I’m incredibly worried about the South African variant, and that’s why we took the action that we did to restrict all flights from South Africa,” Hancock said in an interview with the local media. “This is a very, very significant problem ... and it’s even more of a problem than the UK new variant.” The new strain, called the 501.V2 Variant, was first discovered in South African province Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape Scientists are not fully confident that COVID-19 vaccines will work on a new variant of the coronavirus found in South Africa. They fear that it is more contagious than other versions of the virus. Scientists including BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin and John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, have said they are testing the vaccines on the new variants and say they could make any required tweaks in around six weeks. Public Health England said there was currently no evidence to suggest that vaccines will not be effective against the new strain. The health ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. The world's richest countries have started vaccinating their populations to safeguard against a virus that has killed 1.8 million people and crushed the global economy. There are currently 60 vaccine candidates in trials, including those that are already being rolled out from AstraZeneca and Oxford, Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, Russia's Sputnik V and China's Sinopharm. That has helped to lift global financial markets, but the discovery of the new variants has raised a fresh alarm. Scientists say the new South African variant has multiple mutations in the important "spike" protein that the virus uses to infect human cells. It has also been associated with a higher viral load, meaning a higher concentration of virus particles in patients' bodies, possibly contributing to higher levels of transmission. Oxford's Bell, who advises the government's vaccine task force, said on Sunday he thought vaccines would work on the British variant but said there was a "big question mark" as to whether they would work on the South African variant. He told Times Radio that the shots could be adapted and "it might take a month or six weeks to get a new vaccine". BioNTech's Sahin told Spiegel in an interview published on Friday that their vaccine, which uses messenger RNA to instruct the human immune system to fight the coronavirus, should be able to cope with the variant first detected in Britain. "We are testing whether our vaccine can also neutralise this variant and will soon know more," he said.

South Africa coronavirus variant 'more of a problem' than the one in UK, says official

India recorded 16,375 new cases of coronavirus, the lowest in over six months, taking the country's COVID-19 caseload to 1,03,56,844, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

The death toll increased to 1,49,850 with 201 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The number of people who have recuperated from coronavirus&nbsp;surged to 99,75,958 pushing the national recovery rate to 96.32 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent.

The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh for the 15th consecutive day.

There are 2,31,036 active coronavirus infections in the country which&nbsp;comprises&nbsp;2.23 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28,&nbsp;70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

According to the ICMR, 17,65,31,997 samples have been tested up to January 4 with 8,96,236 samples being tested on Monday.

The 201 new fatalities include 29 from Maharashtra,&nbsp;25 from West Bengal, 24&nbsp;from Punjab, 19 from Kerala and 12? each from Delhi and Chhattisgarh.

A total of 1,49,850 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 49,695 from Maharashtra followed by 12,166 from Tamil Nadu, 12,110 from Karnataka, 10,597, from Delhi, 9,817 from West Bengal, 8,413 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,118 from Andhra Pradesh and 5,400 from Punjab.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of? Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.&nbsp;

India recorded 16,375 new cases of coronavirus, the lowest in over six months, taking the country's COVID-19 caseload to 1,03,56,844, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

India recorded 16,375 new cases of coronavirus, the lowest in over six months, taking the country's COVID-19 caseload to 1,03,56,844, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death toll increased to 1,49,850 with 201 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. The number of people who have recuperated from coronavirus surged to 99,75,958 pushing the national recovery rate to 96.32 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent. The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh for the 15th consecutive day. There are 2,31,036 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 2.23 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. According to the ICMR, 17,65,31,997 samples have been tested up to January 4 with 8,96,236 samples being tested on Monday. The 201 new fatalities include 29 from Maharashtra, 25 from West Bengal, 24 from Punjab, 19 from Kerala and 12? each from Delhi and Chhattisgarh. A total of 1,49,850 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 49,695 from Maharashtra followed by 12,166 from Tamil Nadu, 12,110 from Karnataka, 10,597, from Delhi, 9,817 from West Bengal, 8,413 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,118 from Andhra Pradesh and 5,400 from Punjab. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of? Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

COVID-19: India records lowest daily cases in over six months

Vietnam, the world's third biggest exporter of rice, has started buying the grain from rival India for the first time in decades after local prices jumped to their highest in nine years amid limited domestic supplies, four industry officials told Reuters.

The purchases highlight tightening supplies in Asia, which could lift rice prices in 2021 and even force traditional buyers of rice from Thailand and&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;to switch to India, the world's biggest exporter of the grain.

Indian traders have been contracted to export 70,000 tonnes of 100 per cent&nbsp;broken rice for January and February shipments at around $310 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, the industry officials say.

"For the first time we are exporting to&nbsp;Vietnam," B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters on Monday. "Indian prices are very attractive. The huge price difference is making exports possible."

Dwindling supplies and continued Philippine buying have lifted&nbsp;Vietnamese rice export prices to a fresh nine-year high.

Vietnam's 5 per cent&nbsp;broken rice is offered around $500-$505 per tonne, significantly higher compared to Indian prices of $381-$387.

The shrinking supplies will heighten concerns about food insecurity with sub-Saharan Africa among the areas where import demand has been increasing due partly to population growth.

Chronic and acute hunger is on the rise, impacting vulnerable households in almost every country, with the COVID-19 pandemic reducing incomes and disrupting supply chains, according to the World Bank.

Stockpiling

Traders said the global pandemic has also prompted&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;and other countries to stockpile rice.

Vietnam&nbsp;announced last year it would stockpile 270,000 tonnes of rice to ensure food availability amid coronavirus-driven supply chain disruptions worldwide.

Traders in&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;said the rice from India had been stockpiled in government reserves since 2016/17 and its relatively cheap price reflected low quality.

"The rice quality is so poor that it is not good for direct consumption for humans, but only for producing animal feeds and beer," said a rice trader based in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam's total paddy output in 2020 fell 1.85% to 42.69 million tonnes, equivalent to around 21.35 million tonnes of rice, preliminary data from the government's General Statistics Office showed.

The country's rice exports in 2020 were forecast to have fallen by 3.5&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to 6.15 million tonnes.

Robust demand from Asian and African countries has also been lifting Indian prices but they are still very competitive due to ample stocks, said Nitin&nbsp;Gupta, vice president of Olam India's rice&nbsp;business.

Vietnam&nbsp;could make more purchases as long as the price difference remains, Gupta said.

In December, the world's biggest rice importer China started buying Indian rice for the first time in at least three decades due to tightening supplies from Thailand, Myanmar and&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;and an offer of sharply discounted prices.

In 2020 India exported a record 14 million tonnes of rice, provisional data from the trade ministry showed.

Vietnam, the world's third biggest exporter of rice, has started buying the grain from rival India for the first time in decades after local prices jumped to their highest in nine years amid limited domestic supplies, four industry officials told Reuters.

Vietnam, the world's third biggest exporter of rice, has started buying the grain from rival India for the first time in decades after local prices jumped to their highest in nine years amid limited domestic supplies, four industry officials told Reuters. The purchases highlight tightening supplies in Asia, which could lift rice prices in 2021 and even force traditional buyers of rice from Thailand and Vietnam to switch to India, the world's biggest exporter of the grain. Indian traders have been contracted to export 70,000 tonnes of 100 per cent broken rice for January and February shipments at around $310 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, the industry officials say. "For the first time we are exporting to Vietnam," B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters on Monday. "Indian prices are very attractive. The huge price difference is making exports possible." Dwindling supplies and continued Philippine buying have lifted Vietnamese rice export prices to a fresh nine-year high. Vietnam's 5 per cent broken rice is offered around $500-$505 per tonne, significantly higher compared to Indian prices of $381-$387. The shrinking supplies will heighten concerns about food insecurity with sub-Saharan Africa among the areas where import demand has been increasing due partly to population growth. Chronic and acute hunger is on the rise, impacting vulnerable households in almost every country, with the COVID-19 pandemic reducing incomes and disrupting supply chains, according to the World Bank. Stockpiling Traders said the global pandemic has also prompted Vietnam and other countries to stockpile rice. Vietnam announced last year it would stockpile 270,000 tonnes of rice to ensure food availability amid coronavirus-driven supply chain disruptions worldwide. Traders in Vietnam said the rice from India had been stockpiled in government reserves since 2016/17 and its relatively cheap price reflected low quality. "The rice quality is so poor that it is not good for direct consumption for humans, but only for producing animal feeds and beer," said a rice trader based in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam's total paddy output in 2020 fell 1.85% to 42.69 million tonnes, equivalent to around 21.35 million tonnes of rice, preliminary data from the government's General Statistics Office showed. The country's rice exports in 2020 were forecast to have fallen by 3.5 per cent to 6.15 million tonnes. Robust demand from Asian and African countries has also been lifting Indian prices but they are still very competitive due to ample stocks, said Nitin Gupta, vice president of Olam India's rice business. Vietnam could make more purchases as long as the price difference remains, Gupta said. In December, the world's biggest rice importer China started buying Indian rice for the first time in at least three decades due to tightening supplies from Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam and an offer of sharply discounted prices. In 2020 India exported a record 14 million tonnes of rice, provisional data from the trade ministry showed.

Vietnam buys Indian rice for first time in decades

Samples of Avian influenza has been confirmed in 1800 migratory birds in Himachal Pradesh, making it the fifth state to report cases of the bird flu.

Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Archana Sharma said the laboratory at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly detected avian influenza in the samples of dead birds while citing the information conveyed by the Centre.

At the same time, she said that her department was awaiting confirmation by the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, as it was the nodal body for testing this disease.

The local administration has already sounded an alert by banning all the human activities within a 10-km radius of the Pong wetlands in Kangra district.

Earlier, Haryana, Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh confirmed bird flu to be the cause of death for hundreds of birds.

According to the Bird Count India, a partnership comprising organizations and groups, over the past seven-10 days there have been reports of wild birds dying in separate incidents at different locations in the country.

"If you encounter a wild bird that is dead or dying, do not approach it, and under any circumstances do not touch it given the possibility (however small) that it might be infected with avian influenza. H5N1 is a highly contagious virus that can cause severe illness in people," it warned. 
&nbsp;

Samples of Avian influenza has been confirmed in 1800 migratory birds in Himachal Pradesh, making it the fifth state to report cases of the bird flu. Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well.

Samples of Avian influenza has been confirmed in 1800 migratory birds in Himachal Pradesh, making it the fifth state to report cases of the bird flu. Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Archana Sharma said the laboratory at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly detected avian influenza in the samples of dead birds while citing the information conveyed by the Centre. At the same time, she said that her department was awaiting confirmation by the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, as it was the nodal body for testing this disease. The local administration has already sounded an alert by banning all the human activities within a 10-km radius of the Pong wetlands in Kangra district. Earlier, Haryana, Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh confirmed bird flu to be the cause of death for hundreds of birds. According to the Bird Count India, a partnership comprising organizations and groups, over the past seven-10 days there have been reports of wild birds dying in separate incidents at different locations in the country. "If you encounter a wild bird that is dead or dying, do not approach it, and under any circumstances do not touch it given the possibility (however small) that it might be infected with avian influenza. H5N1 is a highly contagious virus that can cause severe illness in people," it warned.

1,800 migratory birds die due to Avian flu outbreak in Himachal Pradesh

The US military on Monday blamed the Taliban for a spate of assassinations of prominent Afghans, the first time Washington has directly accused the insurgent group of the killings.

The charge comes as the Afghan government and Taliban are due Tuesday to resume peace talks in Qatar, as both sides seek an end to the long-running conflict.

"The Taliban's campaign of unclaimed attacks and targeted killings of government officials, civil society leaders &amp; journalists must... cease for peace to succeed," Colonel Sonny Leggett, spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, said on Twitter.

The deputy governor of Kabul province, five journalists, and a prominent election activist have been among those assassinated since November.

Afghan officials blame the Taliban for the killings, but the hardline group has denied the charge, while the rival Islamic State group says its fighters were responsible for some of them.

Leggett's statement comes as the Taliban accused US forces of carrying out airstrikes against insurgents in Kandahar, Nangarhar and Helmand provinces in recent days.

The Taliban said the strikes violated an agreement signed in February that paved the way for the withdrawal of all foreign forces by May 2021.

Leggett said the US would continue to defend Afghan forces against Taliban attacks.

The State Department said that Zalmay Khalilzad, the veteran US diplomat who negotiated last year's agreement, was returning to Qatar where he would meet separately with the Taliban and Afghan government teams.

Khalilzad will seek "an immediate, significant reduction in violence and ceasefire and an agreement on a political roadmap and power-sharing as soon as possible," the State Department said.

Khalilzad will also travel to Kabul, Pakistan and Turkmenistan as he seeks to ensure broad international support for the peace process.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan, with the Taliban and government forces fighting daily across swathes of rural areas.

The Taliban carried out more than 18,000 attacks in 2020, Afghanistan's spy chief Ahmad Zia Siraj told lawmakers Monday.

Nishank Motwani of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit said the insurgents would not claim responsibility for the killings while peace talks were ongoing, but nevertheless wanted to demonstrate to its cadre "that the Taliban are who they are and have not changed".

The US military on Monday blamed the Taliban for a spate of assassinations of prominent Afghans, the first time Washington has directly accused the insurgent group of the killings.

The US military on Monday blamed the Taliban for a spate of assassinations of prominent Afghans, the first time Washington has directly accused the insurgent group of the killings. The charge comes as the Afghan government and Taliban are due Tuesday to resume peace talks in Qatar, as both sides seek an end to the long-running conflict. "The Taliban's campaign of unclaimed attacks and targeted killings of government officials, civil society leaders & journalists must... cease for peace to succeed," Colonel Sonny Leggett, spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, said on Twitter. The deputy governor of Kabul province, five journalists, and a prominent election activist have been among those assassinated since November. Afghan officials blame the Taliban for the killings, but the hardline group has denied the charge, while the rival Islamic State group says its fighters were responsible for some of them. Leggett's statement comes as the Taliban accused US forces of carrying out airstrikes against insurgents in Kandahar, Nangarhar and Helmand provinces in recent days. The Taliban said the strikes violated an agreement signed in February that paved the way for the withdrawal of all foreign forces by May 2021. Leggett said the US would continue to defend Afghan forces against Taliban attacks. The State Department said that Zalmay Khalilzad, the veteran US diplomat who negotiated last year's agreement, was returning to Qatar where he would meet separately with the Taliban and Afghan government teams. Khalilzad will seek "an immediate, significant reduction in violence and ceasefire and an agreement on a political roadmap and power-sharing as soon as possible," the State Department said. Khalilzad will also travel to Kabul, Pakistan and Turkmenistan as he seeks to ensure broad international support for the peace process. Violence has surged across Afghanistan, with the Taliban and government forces fighting daily across swathes of rural areas. The Taliban carried out more than 18,000 attacks in 2020, Afghanistan's spy chief Ahmad Zia Siraj told lawmakers Monday. Nishank Motwani of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit said the insurgents would not claim responsibility for the killings while peace talks were ongoing, but nevertheless wanted to demonstrate to its cadre "that the Taliban are who they are and have not changed".

US military blames Taliban for spate of Afghan assassinations

Trains on Moscow's famous metro subway system has hired female drivers for the first time in its recent history, following recent changes in controversial Russian legislation prohibiting women from many professions.

Women were allowed to drive trains from 1936, but a ban on hiring new female drivers in Moscow was introduced in the late 1980s. The legislation has been altered by&nbsp;Russia's ministry of labour.

The first 12 women have joined the ranks of&nbsp;Moscow&nbsp;metro drivers from January 1 after the&nbsp;decades-long ban.&nbsp;The changes have cut the list of jobs not available for women for so-called health reasons from 456 to 98.

The Russian capital's transport system, which oversees the sprawling metro system, said in a statement that "the first female electric train drivers in modern history started working for the&nbsp;Moscow&nbsp;metro."

Built in the Soviet era as a Communist showpiece, the metro's trains were historically operated by men because the work was listed on the government's register of jobs deemed harmful for women's health.

The ban on access for women to many professions was widely criticised and a labour ministry decree in September last year cut the number of exclusively male professions from 456 to around 100.

The justification that driving metro trains was dangerous because it meant being underground for long periods came under fire because the metro also employs women as cleaners, cashiers and escalator monitors.

The&nbsp;Moscow&nbsp;transport department said due to the automation of mechanical processes, operating trains is no longer "associated with heavy physical exertion".

The list has long been called outdated by women's rights activists who said that some jobs - including metro train drivers - are well paid and could be taken by skilled women without any limitations.

The job was listed among "hard jobs with harmful or dangerous conditions" which could not be filled by women. The ban led to at least one legal dispute in 2009 which was lost by a woman Anna Klevets.

Russian media reported that in 2010 only one out of around 2,000 train drivers in&nbsp;Moscow&nbsp;metro was female.

Due to the recent law changes, from January 1, 2021, Russian women can also be employed as tractor drivers, long-haul truckers, boatswain and able seamen, among other previously unavailable professions.

Russian legislation still bars women from working at certain chemical production lines as well as a number of physical jobs in mining and metallurgy, oil extraction and some other industries.

Moscow&nbsp;metro said, for now, female drivers will only be working on one underground line which has modern trains and lower levels of noise.

According to&nbsp;Moscow's deputy mayor in charge of transport Maksim Liksutov, 25 women have entered training to become train drivers last year, and less then a half of them graduated.

More women have already applied for the job, Liksutov said. He stressed that the first group of female train drivers were chosen from among metro employees who wanted to change their profession and that the second group will also be comprised of internal candidates.

Metro says it plans to make the job available for others sometime later.

Liksutov said&nbsp;Moscow&nbsp;metro has designed special uniforms for women and gave them a choice between a skirt and trousers.

Moscow&nbsp;metro, which is one of the most heavily travelled subway systems in the world, employs around 60,000 people with over 21,000 of them being women. The metro used to transport about 9 million people a day.

Trains on Moscow's famous metro subway system has hired female drivers for the first time in its recent history, following recent changes in controversial Russian legislation prohibiting women from many professions.

Trains on Moscow's famous metro subway system has hired female drivers for the first time in its recent history, following recent changes in controversial Russian legislation prohibiting women from many professions. Women were allowed to drive trains from 1936, but a ban on hiring new female drivers in Moscow was introduced in the late 1980s. The legislation has been altered by Russia's ministry of labour. The first 12 women have joined the ranks of Moscow metro drivers from January 1 after the decades-long ban. The changes have cut the list of jobs not available for women for so-called health reasons from 456 to 98. The Russian capital's transport system, which oversees the sprawling metro system, said in a statement that "the first female electric train drivers in modern history started working for the Moscow metro." Built in the Soviet era as a Communist showpiece, the metro's trains were historically operated by men because the work was listed on the government's register of jobs deemed harmful for women's health. The ban on access for women to many professions was widely criticised and a labour ministry decree in September last year cut the number of exclusively male professions from 456 to around 100. The justification that driving metro trains was dangerous because it meant being underground for long periods came under fire because the metro also employs women as cleaners, cashiers and escalator monitors. The Moscow transport department said due to the automation of mechanical processes, operating trains is no longer "associated with heavy physical exertion". The list has long been called outdated by women's rights activists who said that some jobs - including metro train drivers - are well paid and could be taken by skilled women without any limitations. The job was listed among "hard jobs with harmful or dangerous conditions" which could not be filled by women. The ban led to at least one legal dispute in 2009 which was lost by a woman Anna Klevets. Russian media reported that in 2010 only one out of around 2,000 train drivers in Moscow metro was female. Due to the recent law changes, from January 1, 2021, Russian women can also be employed as tractor drivers, long-haul truckers, boatswain and able seamen, among other previously unavailable professions. Russian legislation still bars women from working at certain chemical production lines as well as a number of physical jobs in mining and metallurgy, oil extraction and some other industries. Moscow metro said, for now, female drivers will only be working on one underground line which has modern trains and lower levels of noise. According to Moscow's deputy mayor in charge of transport Maksim Liksutov, 25 women have entered training to become train drivers last year, and less then a half of them graduated. More women have already applied for the job, Liksutov said. He stressed that the first group of female train drivers were chosen from among metro employees who wanted to change their profession and that the second group will also be comprised of internal candidates. Metro says it plans to make the job available for others sometime later. Liksutov said Moscow metro has designed special uniforms for women and gave them a choice between a skirt and trousers. Moscow metro, which is one of the most heavily travelled subway systems in the world, employs around 60,000 people with over 21,000 of them being women. The metro used to transport about 9 million people a day.

Moscow metro hires first female drivers after a decades-long ban

January 05 in history: Discovery of solar system's largest known dwarf planet and more

The United States on Monday denounced Iran's plan&nbsp;to step up uranium enrichment as "nuclear extortion,"&nbsp;breaching a 2015 nuclear pact with major powers and possibly complicating efforts by US&nbsp;President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal.

US State Department said, "Iran enriching uranium to 20 per cent at Fordow is a clear attempt to increase its campaign of nuclear extortion, an attempt that will continue to fail."

"We have confidence that the IAEA will monitor and report on any new Iranian nuclear activities," the spokesperson said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-has-started-enriching-uranium-to-20-confirms-iaea-354461">Iran has started enriching uranium to 20%, confirms IAEA</a>

The enrichment decision,&nbsp;Iran's latest contravention of the accord, coincides with increasing tensions between&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;and the United States in the last days of President Donald Trump's administration.

Tehran started violating the accord in 2019 in a step-by-step response to Trump's withdrawal from it in 2018 and the reimposition of US&nbsp;sanctions lifted under the deal.

The agreement's main aim was to extend the time&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb, if it chose to, to at least a year from roughly two to three months. It also lifted international sanctions against Tehran.

"A few minutes ago, the process of producing 20 per cent&nbsp;enriched uranium has started in Fordow enrichment complex," government spokesman Ali Rabiei told&nbsp;Iranian state media.

The UN watchdog confirmed that Iran stepped up the enrichment at its underground Fordow facility in Tehran's biggest breach yet of a 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama.

Trump withdrew from the deal and reimposed crippling sanctions in violation of the accord.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said after the enrichment announcement that his country would return to full compliance if all countries do,&nbsp;a signal to Biden to remove sanctions.

Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of&nbsp;Iran's arch-foe Israel, said the move was aimed at developing nuclear weapons and Israel would never allow Tehran to build them.

Tehran's move could hinder efforts to salvage the nuclear pact as its breaches have increasingly worried some of the deal's other parties, which have urged&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;to act responsibly.

However, it could also be accumulating bargaining chips that could be negotiated away in talks with the Biden administration.

Iran&nbsp;had earlier breached the deal's 3.67&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;limit on the purity to which it can enrich uranium, but it had only gone up to 4.5 per cent&nbsp;so far, well short of the 20&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;level and of the 90&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;that is weapons-grade.

US&nbsp;intelligence agencies and the IAEA believe&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;had a secret, coordinated nuclear weapons programme that it halted in 2003.&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;denies ever having had one.

The United States on Monday denounced Iran's plan to step up uranium enrichment as "nuclear extortion," breaching a 2015 nuclear pact with major powers and possibly complicating efforts by US President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal.

The United States on Monday denounced Iran's plan to step up uranium enrichment as "nuclear extortion," breaching a 2015 nuclear pact with major powers and possibly complicating efforts by US President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal. US State Department said, "Iran enriching uranium to 20 per cent at Fordow is a clear attempt to increase its campaign of nuclear extortion, an attempt that will continue to fail." "We have confidence that the IAEA will monitor and report on any new Iranian nuclear activities," the spokesperson said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Also read: Iran has started enriching uranium to 20%, confirms IAEA The enrichment decision, Iran's latest contravention of the accord, coincides with increasing tensions between Iran and the United States in the last days of President Donald Trump's administration. Tehran started violating the accord in 2019 in a step-by-step response to Trump's withdrawal from it in 2018 and the reimposition of US sanctions lifted under the deal. The agreement's main aim was to extend the time Iran would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb, if it chose to, to at least a year from roughly two to three months. It also lifted international sanctions against Tehran. "A few minutes ago, the process of producing 20 per cent enriched uranium has started in Fordow enrichment complex," government spokesman Ali Rabiei told Iranian state media. The UN watchdog confirmed that Iran stepped up the enrichment at its underground Fordow facility in Tehran's biggest breach yet of a 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama. Trump withdrew from the deal and reimposed crippling sanctions in violation of the accord. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said after the enrichment announcement that his country would return to full compliance if all countries do, a signal to Biden to remove sanctions. Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Iran's arch-foe Israel, said the move was aimed at developing nuclear weapons and Israel would never allow Tehran to build them. Tehran's move could hinder efforts to salvage the nuclear pact as its breaches have increasingly worried some of the deal's other parties, which have urged Iran to act responsibly. However, it could also be accumulating bargaining chips that could be negotiated away in talks with the Biden administration. Iran had earlier breached the deal's 3.67 per cent limit on the purity to which it can enrich uranium, but it had only gone up to 4.5 per cent so far, well short of the 20 per cent level and of the 90 per cent that is weapons-grade. US intelligence agencies and the IAEA believe Iran had a secret, coordinated nuclear weapons programme that it halted in 2003. Iran denies ever having had one.

'Nuclear extortion': US denounces Iran's plan to step up uranium enrichment

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