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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
science for all: 64% of carnivores' homes facing high human pressure
Big carnivores like wolves, tigers, and wolverines help keep ecosystems healthy yet many of them are disappearing. To understand where these declines are most pronounced, a new study in Science Advances has reported where on the earth the world's 257 land‑dwelling carnivore species live and how much of their home ranges are safe versus where they are threatened by people building roads, farms, and cities. The authors of the study, an international team from institutes around the world, downloaded the latest range maps for every living carnivore from the IUCN Red List and retained 257 strictly terrestrial species for their analysis. Then, they combined each range map with the 2018 Human Footprint layer, a grid of 1 sq. km cells that scored eight kinds of human activity, from population density to railways, on a 0 to 50 scale. Scores of 4 or higher marked land that had been heavily altered by human activities. They overlaid three global datasets on this grid: Protected Areas listed by the IUCN, Indigenous peoples' lands managed by native communities, and wilderness areas (large tracts with almost no human pressure). When they analysed these composite maps, they found that 64% of all carnivore habitats worldwide are currently in high‑pressure hotspots. The pattern was the same for species already on the IUCN threatened list and those still considered stable. They also found Indigenous peoples' lands shelter 26% of global carnivore range, wilderness areas 16%, and Protect Areas 10% — and together they cover about 35% of carnivore habitat, meaning most carnivore territory lies outside areas set aside for nature. More specifically, most canids, felids, mongooses, and mustelids each had far less than 40% of their ranges in any protected category. Unsurprisingly, already shrinking animal populations had the biggest share of their habitats in high‑pressure zones, confirming human activity is a major driver of their decline. Statistical tests also indicated carnivores generally occupy larger, unprotected areas outside conservation lands. '[W]e found that the overlap between Protected Areas and wilderness areas is minimal in the Indo-Malay region, covering only 0.2% of the area, while the highest overlap occurs in the Neotropic region at 7%,' the team wrote in its paper. Taken together, the study showed that most carnivores live where people are changing the landscape fastest, and formal reserves alone are not large or connected enough to keep these predators safe. While Indigenous territories are critical havens, they also face growing pressures. From the Science pages Question Corner Where is the centre of the universe? Find out here Flora and fauna
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Trump Administration Ends 25-Year Migrant Protections for Two Countries
The Trump administration is ending 25 years of protections for immigrants from two countries: Nicaragua and Honduras. In notices published in the Federal Register on Monday morning, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would allow the current Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for both countries to lapse as of July 5. The move comes after several other TPS designations have also been cancelled by DHS in recent months. This is a breaking story. More updates to follow. Related Articles California Man Detained by ICE After Overstaying Visa for Seven YearsTrump Admin Touts 'Win' After South Sudan Deportations CompletedTrump Admin Monitoring DHS Detention Facilities Attacks: 'Zero Tolerance'Could Children Be Detained At 'Alligator Alcatraz'? What We Know 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
As Trump ends TPS, Haitians say returning home would be a 'death sentence'
The Trump administration says conditions in Haiti have improved enough that it is safe for migrants to return to the Caribbean nation. Haitians, Ohio governor disagree. Thousands of Haitian immigrants living in Ohio on Temporary Protected Status are making plans to leave the country after the Trump administration announced the end of the deportation protection. But they aren't going back to their home country. The Trump administration says conditions in Haiti have improved enough that it is safe for those living in America with the special temporary status to return to the Caribbean nation. But going back to Haiti is a "death sentence," say community leaders and advocates. Instead, Haitians living in central Ohio are scrambling to find a safe third country like Canada or Mexico to go to, said Jean Manuel, a Haitian American businessman and advocate who helps some of the approximately 30,000 Haitians living in Columbus. But that can be difficult, too. To legally immigrate to Canada, they must have family members living there to receive them, said Vilés Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, in Springfield, home to 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian immigrants. Haitians with TPS, which protects immigrants from certain countries from deportation and allows them to work legally in the United States, will lose that protection as of Sept. 2, according to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. In February, Noem ended a Biden-era extension of TPS for Haitians that was to expire in February 2026, and, on June 27, she announced the status will officially end on August 3. That means protections will end in September. As of July 2024, more than 520,000 Haitians were eligible for TPS, according to Homeland Security. Homeland Security said it has reviewed conditions in Haiti and determined it doesn't meet the requirements for TPS designation. TPS is designated for countries involved in ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, epidemics or other extraordinary and temporary conditions, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A DPS spokesperson said the decision to end TPS for Haitians is meant to ensure the immigration status remains temporary. The TPS system has been "exploited and abused" for decades, according to a February release from the Department of Homeland Security on ending the Biden administration's extension of TPS. But Haiti remains unstable, Columbus' Manuel said, disputing the government's claim that conditions have improved there. "Every neighborhood has a gang, every neighborhood is controlled by a gang member. They're vicious: burning buildings, killing kids, cleaning out neighborhoods," he said. "That's the kind of life they're going to (if they return to Haiti). They're going to a death sentence." Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, recently agreed. "Haiti is not safe … It's one of the most dangerous places in the world,' DeWine told the Statehouse News Bureau. 'It's a horribly, horribly violent place today, and things have not gotten better. They've actually gotten worse. Those are just the facts.' Ohio is home to thousands of Haitian immigrants Springfield's Haitian population gained national attention during the 2024 presidential election when, in a vice presidential debate, Vice President J.D. Vance spread the false rumor that Haitian immigrants there were eating their neighbors' pets. Community leaders have said most of the thousands of Haitian immigrants in the city are here with legal status — likely TPS — and have moved to the city of about 60,000 in recent years. Following the rumor, repeated by others including Trump, Springfield schools, businesses and public buildings faced bomb threats and evacuations. Springfield, Ohio: Trump pledges to deport Haitians in Ohio city, but most are in US legally DeWine also defended Haitians after Vance's comments. "They came to Springfield to work," the governor said at the time. "Ohio is on the move and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in." On June 28, DeWine reportedly said Haitians are critical to the Springfield workforce. 'We talked to the management of those companies, and they basically said, look, if we didn't have these Haitians, we couldn't fill these slots, and we can't produce what we need to produce,' he told Statehouse News. Manuel agreed, saying that Ohio's Haitians typically work in hotels, factories and supermarkets. "They are the people that do the hard work." Since the February announcement that TPS wouldn't remain in place for Haitians for long, employers have laid off Haitian employees, Manuel and Dorsainvil said, knowing they won't be around long. So, in addition to intense fear for their futures, some Haitians with TPS don't have money to feed their families and pay rent, Manuel said. "The people here, they're here to work and to better their life," Manuel said. They aren't criminals and just seek peaceful places to raise their families and live, he and Dorsainvil said. Why Haitians have TPS A 2010 earthquake ‒ which killed more than 220,000 Haitian people and destroyed much of the nation's infrastructure ‒ prompted the federal government to qualify Haitians for TPS. Since then, the country has experienced "cascading crises," according to the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a nonprofit that advocates for migrant rights. The Biden administration renewed and extended TPS for Haitians in July 2024, saying gang activity was causing economic, security, political and health crises. Those conditions have not changed, Guerline Jozef, executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance said in a statement. The nation is also plagued by hunger, homelessness and a lack of employment for residents, according to advocates and the United Nations. Haiti has not had a president since the former one was assassinated in 2021. The country's prime minister resigned in 2024. The decision to end TPS 'is not just cruel ‒ it's state-sanctioned endangerment,' Jozef said. 'Sending back hundreds of thousands of people to a country overrun by gangs, where hospitals are shuttered and food is scarce, is a direct assault on Black immigrant communities," she continued. "It's not about policy. It's about dehumanization.' Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@ or on X at @DanaeKing.
NDTV
28-06-2025
- Science
- NDTV
4,500-Year-Old Civilisation In Rajasthan Has Mythical River Saraswati Link
Deeg, Rajasthan: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed evidence of a civilisation dating back 4,500 years in Bahaj village of Deeg district, Rajasthan. The excavation, which began on January 10, 2024, has yielded several significant findings, including a 23-metre-deep paleo-channel which archaeologists are linking to the mythical Saraswati River, which is mentioned in the Rig Veda. This ancient river system likely supported early human settlements and connected Bahaj to the larger Saraswati basin culture. Over 800 artefacts have been unearthed in the excavation, including pottery, the oldest seals of Brahmi script, copper coins, Yajna Kund, Mauryan period sculptures, idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati, and tools made of bones. The excavation has revealed evidence of five different periods, including the Harappan post-period, the Mahabharata period, the Mauryan period, the Kushan period and the Gupta period. The recent findings suggest that the Braj region has been a centre of religious, cultural, and historical heritage. The excavation in Bahaj village reached a depth of about 23 meters, marking the deepest excavation ever conducted in Rajasthan to date. ASI site head Pawan Saraswat told NDTV the excavation uncovered an ancient river channel, or paleo channel, potentially linked to the Rigveda's Saraswati River. He said this water system likely supported early human settlements, connecting the Saraswati valley with the Mathura and Braj regions. According to the ASI team, the excavation also revealed Mahabharata-era layers with pottery and havan kunds, featuring rectangular and circular paintings and remains of fire rituals. The pottery matches descriptions of clothing and utensils from the Mahabharata period, officials said. Archaeologists believe that excavations at this site have yielded a statue dating back to 400 BC, which is believed to be the head of the Mauryan Mother Goddess. Mud walls and pillars of the Gupta architectural style, furnaces related to metallurgy, which indicated the use of raw materials of copper and iron. Tools made of bones, including needles, combs and moulds, have been found in this form for the first time in India. Other evidence found in the excavations includes terracotta statues of Shiva-Parvati, which are associated with the Shakti and Bhakti traditions. Conch shell bangles and semi-precious stone beads, which reflect the trade and beauty traditions of that period. More than 15 yajna kunds, which confirm the religious rituals of the Vedic and Uttarvedic periods. Apart from this, a human skeleton has also been found during the excavation, which has been sent to Israel for examination. The excavation offers a new direction to the understanding of the ancient history of not only Rajasthan but also the entire North India. The ASI has submitted a report to the Ministry of Culture, while the area is likely to be declared a National Archaeological Protected Area.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bicyclists upset at removal of Arizona Avenue protected bike lanes
WASHINGTON () — There's controversy in the District after the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) removed barriers from a bike lane in the Northwest neighborhood because it looked ugly. Bikers in the Palisades said it will make using Arizona Avenue more dangerous. DDOT said it's because neighbors don't like the way it looks, and it's not used much. Tariffs prompt uncertainty for many Vietnamese businesses owners in Northern Virginia The top half of Arizona Avenue was just repaved about two weeks ago, from Loughboro Road to Hawthorne Place. Orange cones now replace the bike lane's protected barriers. The bottom half to MacArthur Boulevard hasn't been repaved yet, so the protected bike lanes will remain until that construction starts. Protected bike lanes are a big reason Nathan Barbour ditched his car and bought a cargo bike. 'I was like, great. I take my son to school and back every day using the lane,' Barbour said. 'I do grocery shopping for our family of five up the lane every single — I'm on it daily.' But in testimony Tuesday, DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum said the protected bike lanes on Arizona Avenue from Loughboro Road to MacArthur Boulevard are going away. 'Today, it has very little usage because it doesn't take you anywhere. It takes you to a trailhead that is not bike accessible,' Kershbaum said. Neighbors disagree with that assessment. 'I use this every day, for exercise and for commuting with these awesome scooters,' said Willie Maiden. Immigrants and allies unite in DC to protest ICE raids and violence As Arizona Avenue gets resurfaced, the barriers aren't going to be replaced. 'The concrete blocks and flex posts are–I think there's very few people that are a fan of how those look aesthetically,' Kershbaum said. DDOT plans on painting five-foot-wide standard bike lanes in both directions. One will be along the curb on the north side and one adjacent to parked cars on the south side. Barbour isn't happy about the decision. 'You think I'm going to have my son ride up this bike lane with just paint? Paint isn't infrastructure. It doesn't protect anyone,' Barbour said. 'Aesthetics. There's no other reason given because there's no other impact of the lanes.' Tenants say church took down Pride decorations at DC apartment building Kershbaum said once the Capital Crescent Trail is done, which is more than a year off, they can revisit protected lanes on Arizona Avenue. Public comment can be filed in writing or by email by July 25 with the District Department of Transportation, Capital Planning Division, 250 M Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003, or by email to Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
