The Independent (World)
진보 성향
기타
Spread of flesh-eating parasites sparks new rules in Southern US
The USDA confirmed in early June that the New World Screwworm has spread into the US
"PARASITES" · 총 9건
필터 보기현재 지수
49.5
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 77,574건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 49.5(균형)입니다. 긍정 9,634건(12.4%)·중립 56,070건(72.3%)·부정 11,870건(15.3%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 19.8(중도 균형)입니다.
The USDA confirmed in early June that the New World Screwworm has spread into the US
Flesh-eating screwworm parasites are flies that deposit eggs in open wounds or mucous membranes of warm-blooded animals.
The founder of India’s satirical online “Cockroach People’s Party” said he was flying back to New Delhi on Friday, to take the viral social media campaign to the streets. Abhijeet Dipke, the 30-year-old Boston University graduate behind the online movement, said he was flying back from the United States to seek police permission for a peaceful protest on Saturday against the education minister. The parody “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) — echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — has won millions of online followers on social media since its launch last month. CJP was set up after India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly called young people who criticised the government “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a hearing. Kant later said his comments were taken out of context. Dipke, a political communications strategist who formerly worked with the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), created the fictional party online on May 16. Its popularity has soared, using the slogan “a political front for the youth, by the youth, for the youth”. ‘Overwhelming response’ Dipke has called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has faced criticism over alleged irregularities in several key examinations. “On my way to India … Leaving my fate in the hands of the Constitution,” Dipke wrote in a post on X on Friday. Sonam Wangchuk, 59, a prominent activist from occupied Ladakh, who spent six months in detention after being arrested in September following deadly protests demanding autonomy for the Himalayan territory, has said he will join the protests. India tightly regulates social media content, and some of the CJP’s social media handles have been blocked. But its Instagram handle, still online in India, has more than 22 million followers — more than double the BJP’s 9m followers on the same site, as well as the main opposition Congress Party’s 13m followers. Dipke earlier called on followers not to gather at the airport upon his arrival. “The overwhelming response from those who want the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan to our call to join us at Delhi Airport was beyond our imagination,” he said, in a video message on X, posted on Thursday. “It is not feasible for so many people to assemble at the airport as it would cause inconvenience to the public and the security forces,” he said. He said he would go immediately to the police “to seek permission directly for our peaceful protest” on Saturday. “We are law abiding citizens and have to act responsibly,” he added. “So, please, be mindful that nobody should create any kind of disturbance.”
Former President López Obrador resurfaced this week to accuse the U.S. of plotting to destroy Morena — and urged Trump to "send to hell the parasites that surround him." The post Former President AMLO blasts US interference and backs Sheinbaum in rare public statement appeared first on Mexico News Daily
A mother in Florida is suing Campbell Soup Company and Walmart after saying she found moving parasites in a can of SpaghettiOs that she shared with her daughter
Depuis plus de 40 ans, la coopérative Savéol, dans le Finistère, élève plusieurs dizaines de millions d'insectes pour les utiliser contre les parasites dans les plants de tomates .
A boy holds a hamburger made with a doughnut bun at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, California September 4, 2013. — Reuters GENEVA: Food contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals kills 1.5 million people worldwide each year, with young children worst...
The largest online expression of dissent against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12-year rule began with a satirical riposte to a jibe about young people, triggering death threats to its founder and pushback from ruling party politicians. The rapid fame of 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke and his Cockroach Janta Party, which says it represents “the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct”, is driven by the concerns of the young in a country where those below 30 are estimated to number more than half a population of 1.42 billion. Political analysts say the group’s enormous popularity has begun to dent Modi’s image, despite his party’s recent victories in key state elections, even as wider frustration grows over rising fuel prices and gas shortages brought by the Iran war. “If all was well with the country and the economy, 20 million young people would not rally around something like this,” said political activist Yogendra Yadav, who was a top leader of a national movement against corruption in 2011. “This is a critical moment that tells us something about the state of our polity: underlying all the claims of total dominance, there is a latent but widespread disquiet.” The 75-year-old Modi has so dominated Indian politics since coming to power in 2014 on the back of massive street protests against government corruption that few analysts expect him to cede ground easily to any dissenter. But the new movement, fuelled by persistently high youth unemployment and recurring leaks of examination papers that threaten to derail the careers of millions of students, hints at cracks in a carefully cultivated image of stability and control. “This is their moment, but they need to walk carefully,” said prominent lawyer Prashant Bhushan, a founding figure of the anti-graft movement. “If they want to take it forward they will have to organise and then come on the streets protesting on the issues which they have been raising online.” Without such a presence, the movement risks fizzling out, analysts and supporters said, adding that Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, which draws much of its support from India’s Hindu majority, has steadily weakened the opposition. Critics say its tactics include wielding investigative agencies against senior opposition politicians, but the government has responded by saying authorities had been given a free hand to tackle corruption. Senior cabinet minister Kiren Rijiju has said Dipke’s group was undermining the worlds biggest democracy by choosing the name of an insect, while accusing it of seeking social media followers from Pakistan and the “anti-India gang”. Sleepness nights creating content In interactions with Reuters from the US, where he has lived for the past two years, Dipke described sleepless nights creating social media content and doing media interviews. “The Indian government has declared me a national security threat,” he said by telephone from Chicago. “They are trying to defame me. But democratically, within our constitutional rights, we will do what needs to be done.” He said he has worked to free his X account from a government block, regain control of his CJP Instagram page from unknown hackers, and ensure the safety of family members in both countries after receiving threats of physical harm on WhatsApp. Police in the western state of Maharashtra, from which he hails, have assured him they will ensure his family’s safety, he said. Dipke has publicly shared data showing about 95 per cent of the nearly 23m followers of the Instagram account are based in India, followed by countries such as the US, home to large groups of overseas Indians. More than two-thirds of these followers are Gen-Z, born between 1997 and 2007, said Dipke, a public relations strategist, who graduated from Boston University and was a social media intern with India’s opposition Aam Aadmi Party. “They know I started this as a joke, as satire,” Dipke said. “But the country’s Gen-Z wants me to actually do something. They don’t want this to be just another meme.” He has challenged the block of the X account in a Delhi court. X and India’s home and infotech ministries, as well as Modi’s office, did not respond to requests for comment. “The rise of web blocking in India shows how dissent and satire are being treated not as democratic expression, but as administrative threats,” said Apar Gupta, a lawyer and director of the Internet Freedom Foundation in New Delhi. Dipke said his followers want him to go beyond memes and he is discussing ways to turn the campaign into a credible movement, but no decision has been made on becoming a political party. ‘What if all cockroaches come together?’ The furore was set off by Dipke’s X post on May 16 that quickly went viral, asking, “What if all cockroaches come together?” He said the post was a response to comments by Indias top judge, Chief Justice Surya Kant of the Supreme Court, that compared some unemployed youth to cockroaches. Kant later said he did not mean to criticise young people but was referring to those with “fake and bogus degrees” whom he likened to “parasites”. CJP adopted a manifesto and took as its mascot the image of a cockroach on a mobile phone. With its message amplified by Indian social media influencers and content creators, it amassed a massive following on Instagram within days, far outpacing the 9.3m followers Modis BJP has built over more than a decade. Unemployment in 2025 stood at 3.1pc among those aged 15 and above, government data shows, but in the bracket from 15 to 29 it was much higher, at 9.9pc, and higher in urban areas, at 13.6pc, than the 8.3pc figure in rural regions. Dipke says this disenchanted group has flocked to his page. “I have an MBA degree, and I am overqualified for my job and also underpaid,” said Shurin Dixit, a 23-year-old who works in entry-level operations for a tech company in the northern city of Lucknow. “If the group calls for any protest, I am ready to join them.” CJPs burgeoning popularity has drawn comparisons to deadly Gen-Z-led uprisings in neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal that toppled governments, but Dipke cautioned against such parallels. He said 70pc of CJP’s followers were younger than 28 and apolitical people who do not align with any party. “They are frustrated with the government over unemployment and the quality of life in India,” he said. “But equally, they are frustrated with the opposition parties too, because the opposition has not done anything substantial to hold the government accountable.” Taking on entrenched parties with their financial might will not be easy, analysts said. “Physical presence, collecting funds, finding volunteers these are all major resource-based challenges, said Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. Moreover, taking to the streets brings its own risks, as authorities under Modi in the past have clamped down heavily on large demonstrations, with deadly consequences for protesters. But many well wishers are optimistic. “I hope they put forth some sort of organisational plan soon, because Gen-Z has a tendency to get over trends as quickly as it gets on them,” said content creator Madri Kakoti, popularly known online for reels questioning the government.
We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realised then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes — something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view. These are the most moving lines from forester and philosopher Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, his breakthrough work in ecological preservation which was published in 1949, almost a year after his death and has since become a cornerstone of environmental ethics. At one point in time, wolves were persecuted in the United States to the extent that by 1926, Gray Wolves had completely vanished from Yellowstone National Park and the 2.2 million acres of wilderness was left to elk and deer who roamed freely without fear of an apex predator. The result was an ecological disaster. The massive elk feasted on the riverbanks, wiping out young trees, causing soil erosion and taking a toll on the biodiversity. The worst affected were the beaver colonies as fewer new trees meant they were losing both a source of food and building materials. With the beavers gone, there was no one left to stabilise the river which started to flow freely. The water table dropped, fish lost their home and riverbanks eroded. In 1995, however, the US decided to slowly re-introduce Gray Wolves to Yellowstone and 14 of them from Alberta were released into the wild with 17 more Canadian ones a year later. The results were remarkable. In no time, the elk and deer started to avoid the open valleys and riverbanks, trees started to grow again, the beavers returned, and fish populations started to grow. The riverbanks stabilised and the river changed its behaviour. A feared predator, the big bad wolf, had become the saviour of an entire ecosystem. The fading fire in the dying wolf’s eyes symbolised to Aldo Leopold the death of a symbiotic system, which Nature has woven for the benefit of its species. In Leopold’s mind, humans and nature do not exist in hierarchy but are bonded in a kinship in which each member does their part to preserve the entire community. This approach to the environment is known as the Land Ethic, which sees humans are part of the biotic community and not separate from it. This philosophy is the answer to countering the damage humans have done over centuries by disbalancing the system. The greatest example is their creation of cities which severed natural waterways, sealed soil under concrete, and drove out animals to make way for machines and bipeds. The irony is perhaps not lost on Pakistani readers who are watching this happen from the Malir River to the marble factories of Buner. Karachi’s land ethic At sundown, start looking up to notice the swarms of kites and crows returning to their nests after a day of scavenging. Living in Karachi is an easy business for these birds because Karachiites produce over 14,000 tonnes of garbage daily which is dumped in ways that delight these flocks. Kites and crows rule these skies because they attract no known predators, which alongside their scavenging business, makes them a threat to indigenous birds such as the Sparrow, Hoopoe, Myna, Koel, Rose-Necked Parakeet, Bulbul, Sunbird, Tailor Bird. All of these populations are declining under pressure from loss of habitat and the fierce dominance of kites and crows. Human activity is not the only reason they are suffering a loss of habitat; the growing numbers of kites and crows demand more nesting space. These smaller species can adjust to urban conditions if there is enough greenery to provide them protection and food but with the city’s green cover shrinking and the population of the kites and crows growing, Karachi is losing its smaller cheerful companions. Thanks to a few magnificent banyan trees near my house I see squirrels gleefully skittering about every few days. Elsewhere in the city, I had the luxury of seeing an owl once and wondered how many of us have. Otherwise, it seems all we have left in our dreary skies are Kites, Crows, and Feral Pigeons. Unfortunately, we are more sympathetic towards these birds as a visit to Native Jetty will prove. People feed the Kites and Crows with fresh meat to ward off evil, although I am not terribly certain how evil is managed by killing one animal and feeding it to another. We also love to feed kabutar or feral pigeons, for whom chowks and chowrangis are dedicated across the city. In some parts of the world, feral pigeons are referred to as flying rats and are considered to be dirty and carriers of disease. The famous Trafalgar Square in London became a kabutar chowk until the then mayor Ken Livingston banned bird feeding as their droppings have harmful bacteria and parasites which cause serious lung infections (histoplasmosis) among other serious illnesses. Our bias towards feral pigeons comes from our belief in doing good for that which is in greater numbers. But our bias makes us blind to the fact that not all birds live in flocks. We cannot expect Bulbuls, Koels and Mynas to come in staggering numbers to feast on our offerings, but this does not mean we cannot do something to make our city more hospitable for them. Not just birds Kites and crows are not the only scavengers of Karachi, they control its skies. On the ground, however, stray dogs, feral cats and rats roam free. Stray dogs are resilient animals who thrive on whatever is available. Fortunately for them, Karachi has a lot to offer with garbage dumps, roadside food stalls, meat markets and generous residents ensuring an unlimited supply of food. These mutts have fewer health problems as well given that their genetic makeup is sturdier than inbred pure breeds. Given our aversion to what we think are unclean and dangerous dogs, our attentions are much more sympathetic towards stray or feral cats. They are less dangerous than dogs, for sure, but no less swift and agile as natural predators. Their increasing numbers pose a threat to the dwindling numbers of indigenous small birds. All the birds that are under threat are integral members of Karachi’s ecology. It is obvious from the declining numbers of indigenous birds and small animals that Karachi is transforming into a lifeless corpse being feasted upon by scavengers. Our apathy has robbed Karachi of its natural wealth. There were times when Leopard and Deer were found in this area. Rapid urbanisation, hunting and environmental degradation have pushed most of the animals to more remote parts and many are on the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, the remaining few will be lost if we do not step up to protect them. This can perhaps only be done when we start seeing “land as a community to which we belong” and only then, “we may begin to see it with love and respect”. Leopold’s idea of land included “soil, water, plant and animals” and he believed that they are equally worthy of ethical consideration. The answer lies in the central principle of Leopold’s Land Ethic which states that “a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” We have tipped the natural balance in favour of some species, so the responsibility to make things right rests solely with us. I am not against the existence of scavengers for they play a role in the welfare of the ecosystem. What I am arguing for is creating balance which can be achieved if the human role is minimised. Through our actions we are an externality favouring some species over others. Fortunately, we do not have to go to extreme lengths as they did in Yellowstone by reintroducing the wolf. A lot can be done with a little course correction and we are already in a symbiotic relationship with scavengers as they feed on our waste. We could start with environmentally friendly garbage disposal which would bring the scavenger populations down automatically. Yes, someone might argue that I am recommending that poor animals should go hungry and starve to death. But we must also keep in mind that life in the wild has its own logics; there is never an abundance of food but fierce competition over meagre resources. We should think twice before upsetting these balances. Note: All images in the piece have been provided by the author.