Evidence hidden in DNA may help solve the mystery of human ancestors who are absent from the fossil record but remain embedded in the genes of people alive today. Scientists established years ago that our species, Homo sapiens, interbred with extinct human relatives, including Neanderthals and Denisovans. Yet other ancestral groups have remained difficult to identify. Unlike Neanderthals and Denisovans, whose DNA has been extracted from prehistoric remains, these populations are genetic

CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Russian officials in Moscow against escalating tensions with US allies in NATO, particularly Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, amid Russia’s prolonged invasion of Ukraine. The US intelligence chief also used his rare, unofficial trip to the Russian capital to press Moscow to reduce its military and economic support for Iran, according to media reports citing informed sources. News of Ratcliffe’s visit, which the administration did not formally acknowledge until