World's Oldest Bread Found in Turkey, Dating Back 8,600 Years

In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists in Turkey unearthed what they believe to be the world's oldest bread. The find dates back to an impressive 6600 BC and was located at Catalhoyuk, an archaeological site in southern Turkey's Konya province. 

The bread residue was found near a partially destroyed oven structure in an area called "Mekan 66," surrounded by ancient mudbrick houses. According to a press release from Turkey's Necmettin Erbakan University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BITAM), the bread appears to be a round, spongy remnant and was identified through analysis.

It was determined that the organic residue was 8,600-year-old, uncooked, fermented bread, CNN reported. 

"We can say that this finds at Catalhoyuk is the oldest bread in the world," archaeologist Ali Umut Turkcan, head of the Excavation Delegation and an associate professor at Anadolu University in Turkey, told Turkish state news outlet Anadolu Agency Wednesday.

"It is a smaller version of a loaf of bread. It has a finger pressed in the center, it has not been baked, but it has been fermented and has survived to the present day with the starches inside. There is no similar example of something like this to date," he added.

Microscopic analysis confirmed the team's suspicions. Images from a scanning electron microscope revealed air spaces and identifiable starch granules within the sample. Salih Kavak, a biologist at Gaziantep University in Turkey, explained in the press release that this finding "eliminated our doubts" about the bread's authenticity.

Further analysis revealed the chemical makeup of the sample, including both plant material and indicators of fermentation. This suggests that flour and water were combined to create the dough, which was then prepared near the oven and likely stored for some time.

"It is an exciting discovery for Turkey and the world," Kavak said.

A thin layer of clay encasing the structure acted as a preservative for organic materials like wood and bread, explains archaeologist Turkcan.

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Czech Republic's Krystyna Pyszkova Wins Miss World 2024

Czech Republic's Krystyna Pyszkova on Saturday won the coveted Miss World 2024 title at a grand event in Mumbai, which saw Indian contestant Sini Shetty only making it to the top 8.

Miss Lebanon Yasmina Zaytoun was named the first runner-up.

Reigning Miss World Karolina Bielawska from Poland crowned her successor at the star-studded finale.

Pyszkova is the second Miss World from Czech Republic after 2006 pageant winner Tatana Kucharova.

According to the official Miss World website, Pyszkova is a Czech model who is pursuing separate degrees in law and business administration.

Pyszkova, who is in her 20s, is also the founder of the Krystyna Pyszko Foundation. The model, who is fluent in English, Polish, Slovak, and German languages, is an advocate for sustainable development through education.

"Her proudest moment was opening an English school for underprivileged children in Tanzania where she also volunteered. She enjoys playing the transverse flute and the violin, and has a passion for music and art having spent nine years in an art academy," read Pyszkova's profile on the website.

India, which hosted the event after 28 years, was represented by 22-year-old Shetty.

Mumbai-born Shetty, who was crowned Femina Miss India World in 2022, was bested by Zaytoun who claimed the last spot in the top 4 of the competition.

India has won the prestigious title six times -- Reita Faria Powell (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (2000), and Manushi Chillar (2017).

The 71st Miss World pageant, which witnessed participation of contestants from 112 countries, was held at the Jio World Convention Centre in BKC.

Part of the 12-judge panel for the finale included film producer Sajid Nadiadwala; actors Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde; cricketer Harbhajan Singh; news personality Rajat Sharma, social worker Amruta Fadnavis; Vineet Jain, MD of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Limited; Julia Morley, Chairperson and CEO of the Miss World Organization; Jamil Saidi, Strategic Partner & Host - Miss World India, and three former Miss Worlds, including Chillar.

Filmmaker Karan Johar and former Miss World Megan Young hosted the event, which kickstarted on a high note with performances by singers Shaan, Neha Kakkar, and Tony Kakkar.

A video message by Chopra Jonas highlighting the importance of 'beauty with purpose', a tagline associated with the Miss World pageant, was also played at the event.

Earlier, the cast of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's maiden web series "Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar" -- Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh -- walked the stage with 13 fast-track Miss World contestants on the show's newly released song "Sakal Ban".

The month-long Miss World contest commenced with "The Opening Ceremony" and "India Welcomes the World Gala" by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) in New Delhi on February 20.

It featured a series of rigorous competitions, including talent showcases, sports challenges, and charitable initiatives -- all aimed at highlighting the qualities that make these competitors the ambassadors of change.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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India's Sini Shetty Out Of Miss World 2024 Race

India's Sini Shetty is out of the Miss World 2024 race. At the grand finale of the 71st edition of the pageant, being held in India after 28 years, Ms Shetty was bested by Miss Lebanon who made it to the top 4.

Ms Shetty, a 22-year-old trained Bharatanatyam dancer born and raised in Mumbai, was crowned Miss India World in 2022.

A 12-member jury consisting of Miss World 2017 winner Manushi Chhillar, actors Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde, Julia Morley, chairperson and CEO of the Miss World Organisation, film producer Sajid Nadiadwala, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, and news personality Rajat Sharma presided over the Miss World 2024 pageant.

Representatives from 112 countries participated in the event being held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai's BKC. It was hosted by Karan Johar and Megan Young, the winner of the Miss World 2013 pageant.

Manushi Chhillar is the most recent Indian to win the pageant. Earlier, Reita Faria Powell, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Diana Hayden, Yukta Mookhey, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas had won the competition.

India last hosted the event in 1996 which saw Irene Skliva of Greece win the coveted title.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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"I Have Lovely Memories With Her": Vindu Dara Singh On Ex-Wife Farah

Actor Vindu Dara Singh recently opened up about his divorce from Naseeb Apna Apna actress Farah Naaz. In conversation with Siddharth Kannan, the star revealed that his father, the late actor Dara Singh, advised him to think before marrying a girl from a different religion. Recalling that his father has always given him the right advice, Vindu said, “Always…Jo bhi vo kehte the sahi hota tha. [Whatever he used to say was always right]. I remember I was in love with Farah, and we were going to get married and Dad said, ‘Vindu sochle acchi tarah. Love tak to thik hai, par shaadi jab hoti hai…When it's different religions—Hindu and Muslim—jab shadi hoti hai it's a little hard. [Vindu think once because love is fine but when the marriage takes place between two religions, Hindu and Muslim, it gets a little hard].' I said, ‘Ni dad kuch hard nahi hai [No, dad nothing is hard] because we were both in love and we didn't care much about religion.'”

Vindu Dara Singh added, “But aagey chalke [moving forward] you realise that what dad has said was right. When religion comes into the picture things change, equations change. Tabhi hum bolte hain Hindu aur Muslim mein shadi karna theek nahi hai. Agar agey chalkr koi ek bhi zada religious hogaya to dusre ko problem ajati hai because they were born in that religion. [That is why we say, it is not right for Hindus and Muslims to get married. If moving forward one becomes more religious it is hard for the other one].”

Vindu Dara Singh added that his marriage had both pros and cons. The actor said, “Vo dad ki baat mujhe aaj bhi strike hoti hai. [I still remember my father's words]. But I have a beautiful, fantastic son from that marriage [Fateh Randhawa] and I have very lovely memories with her [Farah Naaz], which I cherish. We are friends. And I have the best son, I couldn't get anything better than that. Fateh is a darling. Iske pros and cons dono ho gaye. Ek to dad ki baat and jo 4-5 sal maine Farah ke sath bitaaye the, they were brilliant. [This has both pros and cons. Firstly, I regret not listening to my father's advice and secondly, I have spent a brilliant 4-5 years with Farah].”

When asked if the split was because of religion, Vindu Dara Singh said, “When we met she never cared about her religion. She also used to smoke. No one else in our family used to smoke. I used to ask her to quit smoking. But one day, she said to me ‘You send for Hajj then I will quit smoking.' I was like what is the big thing in that? I made all the settings and sent her for Hajj. When she came back from Hajj, she was a completely different woman. Everything about her was changed. That's when I remembered whatever Dad said to me. From there, things started to go downhill. But it is ok.” 

Vindu Dara Singh added that after their divorce Farah Naaz didn't allow him to visit their son for six months. He said, “We were fighting. For six months, she didn't let me see my son. But my system is that I forget the previous day after waking up from sleep. She herself called me after a few months. And after that, there was no problem between us. She is a wonderful lady. She is a wonderful mother.”

For the unversed, Vindu Dara Singh got married to Farah Naaz in 1996. In 1997, the couple was blessed with a son. Vindu and Farah parted ways in 2002.

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Dakota Johnson, Coldplay's Chris Martin Engaged: Report

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Fifty Shades Of Grey actress Dakota Johnson are reportedly preparing to walk down the aisle after six years of dating, according to Mirror UK. As per the report, the couple got engaged but have kept details of their relationship private. Chris Martin reportedly proposed to Dakota Johnson, with blessings from his ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow and their children, Apple and Moses. The couple, who have been together for several years, have often been seen enjoying holidays together. A source close to the couple revealed, “The couple got engaged a while ago and have kept the news private. But now they are being open about it with their circles. They have been besotted with each other from day one so taking this next step was inevitable. They are in no rush to plan the wedding but are just enjoying making their commitment official.”

The way I never knew that Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin have been dating for Almost SEVEN Years ??? pic.twitter.com/G4vMEaE5Fy

— S 🇵🇸 (@VELVETHERHYTHM) March 7, 2024

Madame Web actress Dakota Johnson was spotted wearing an emerald green ring on her wedding finger at her 34th birthday celebration in LA last October, fueling speculation about their engagement. Additionally, Dakota Johnson recently expressed her desire for motherhood in an interview with Bustle Magazine. She said, "I love those kids like my life depends on it. With all my heart. How do I feel about motherhood? I'm so open to that. I've gotten to this place where I really want to experience everything life has to offer. And especially being a woman, I'm like: ‘What a magical thing to do. What a crazy, magical, wild experience. If that's meant to happen for me, I'm totally down for it. We're not here for very long, so if I'm meant to be a mother, bring it on.”

Last year, Chris Martin's ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow shared a selfie with Dakota Johnson on social media. Gwyneth Paltrow, who described Dakota Johnson as a "very good friend" during an Instagram Story Q&A in October 2023, further solidified their connection with another photo the following month, where they were seen smiling while holding hands. Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow married in 2003 and "consciously uncoupled" in 2014 before finalising their divorce in 2016. For the unversed, Chris Martin began dating Dakota Johnson in 2017, according to People magazine.

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Rahul Gandhi's Top Aide, KC Venugopal, To Contest From Alappuzha

In a sign of the Congress's focus on the southern states, where it is perceived to be in a much stronger position than arch-rival BJP, the party has decided to field KC Venugopal from Alappuzha in Kerala despite him being a sitting Rajya Sabha MP.

Mr Venugopal, who had held the seat since 2009, had opted not to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections because he was playing a key role in the Congress' overall strategy for all 543 constituencies. The Congress had ended up losing the seat to the CPM that year.

When he was asked why he was contesting the Lok Sabha polls again, the Congress General Secretary said on Friday, "Brother, our priority is to win the maximum Lok Sabha seats to defeat Narendra Modi in the next elections. Our target is to win the maximum number of parliament seats for the Congress party."

Seen as a top organisation man as well as the right-hand man of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Mr Venugopal has been a three-time MLA and a two-term MP. He was a cabinet minister in the Kerala government as well as a junior minister in the Union government twice. 

In the list of 39 candidates announced by the Congress on Friday, 16 are from Kerala. Apart from Mr Venugopal, another name that stands out is that of Shashi Tharoor, who will be contesting from Thiruvananthapuram.

Mr Tharoor, who has held the seat since 2004, will face off against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP, who will be making his electoral debut. 

The Congress is in power in three states in the south - Karnataka and Telangana, where it has a majority on its own, and Tamil Nadu, where it shares power with the DMK. 

The BJP, on the other hand, does not have a government in any southern state. It had also won only 29 of the 129 seats (130 including Puducherry). These had come from Karnataka and Telangana, where it is expected to face a stiffer challenge this time around. 

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Biden Warns Against Trump's "Revenge, Retribution" In High-Stakes Speech

US President Joe Biden will use his State of the Union address Thursday to attack election rival Donald Trump for plotting "revenge and retribution" while offering skeptical voters his own optimistic version of an American comeback.

In one of the most important speeches of his long political career, the 81-year-old Democrat will try to ease growing concerns among voters about his age by painting himself as the only alternative to to anti-democratic Trump in November's election.

"My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy," Biden was to say in the primetime speech starting at 9:00 pm (0200 GMT), according to excerpts released by the White House.

"Now some other people my age, see a different story," he said in a clear dig at Trump, although without mentioning his name. "An American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That's not me."

The oldest president in US history, Biden narrowly trails in the polls behind Republican former president Trump, who at 77 is just four years younger than him.

Biden routinely paints Trump -- who was impeached twice and faces multiple criminal indictments including for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss -- as a threat to the survival of US democracy.

In his speech, Biden was also to slam Republican abortion opponents, saying they have "no clue about the power of women in America," in what Democrats see as a key vote-winning issue.

With many Americans struggling from high prices, Biden was to say of the US economy that "in thousands of cities and towns the American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told."

Biden was also set to use the annual speech on the floor of Congress to overcome doubts about US support for Israel's war on Hamas, and for Washington's backing for Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

Biden was to announce during the speech that he has ordered the US military to set up a port on Gaza's coast to bring in more aid, reflecting the acute political pressure from many in his own party on the issue.

Biden's age under scrutiny

However, the millions of Americans tuning in to the spectacle will be watching not just what Biden says in the joint session of Congress, but how he says it.

Will he stumble, for example? Or will he mix up the names of people and countries, deepening concerns fueled by a recent special counsel report that described him as elderly and forgetful?

The White House said Biden was fully prepared for the speech -- and ready for any repeat of last year's heckling by Trump allies, which he successfully parried with spirited ripostes.

Ahead of the speech, Trump said Biden was "on the run from his record" and accused him of "horrific devastation" during his three years so far in office.

Trump vowed a "rapid response" to Biden during the speech.

"It's time to tell Crooked Joe Biden -- you're fired," Trump said in a video "prebuttal", making a well-worn reference to the catchphrase of his former TV reality show "The Apprentice."

Trump, who is seeking a historic White House comeback, continually mocks Biden's health and mental acuity, despite his own repeated verbal slips.

The White House meanwhile released a light-hearted video showing Biden talking to Hollywood stars who have previously played US presidents, including Geena Davis, Michael Douglas and Morgan Freeman.

In line with tradition, First Lady Jill Biden will host a number of guests chosen to highlight the White House's priorities. 

This year they include a Texan woman forced to leave the state for an abortion, auto workers leader Shawn Fain, whose union recently backed Biden, and the prime minister of Sweden, which became NATO newest member on Thursday.

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska and the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were both invited but were unable to attend, the White House said.

The speech comes two days after Trump and Biden all-but set up a rematch of the 2020 election with their sweeping wins in this week's "Super Tuesday" primaries -- but it is a sequel that polls show many US voters do not actually want.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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