India’s disgruntled youth are becoming cockroaches
A Kafkaesque political metamorphosis is unfolding across India as millions of disaffected Gen Z’ers are turning into cockroaches – that is, members of the new Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The party, an online protest movement created by a 30-year old recent graduate from Boston University, was inspired by India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant, who called jobless young people “cockroaches.” It has swiftly amassed tens of millions of followers on Instagram and more than a million registered members, drawing support from young, educated Indians struggling to find work even as the country’s GDP surges ahead. The government has tried to stamp out the infestation, even ordering X to block the CJP handle on national security grounds. But, true to form, roaches are hard to kill – the party simply created a new account that remains active. Analysts say the party won’t have a direct political impact unless it builds an offline presence, but its emergence signals a deep youth frustration that India’s traditional parties ignore at their peril.
Netanyahu further squeezes Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Israeli military to expand its control of Gaza to 70% of the tiny enclave, he announced Thursday. This is up from the 53% that it held under the terms of the ceasefire agreement that it reached with the militant group Hamas back in October, thereby breaching the deal. Hamas accused Israel of breaking the agreement, but the war hasn’t restarted. In further expanding its control, Israel will force the 2 million Palestinians who live in Gaza to live in an increasingly confined space, since they have been told not to approach the Israeli portion of the land. Does the PM ultimately want to annex the land? He didn’t deny that this could be his eventual goal when asked about it on Thursday, but his most immediate goal is disarming Hamas – another condition of the ceasefire deal.
Brazilian crime orgs allegedly take notes from Ukrainian drone operators
Suspected members of a Brazilian organized crime group have allegedly been traveling to Ukraine to study advanced drone techniques, police told news outlets this week. The “Comando Vermelho” – the Red Command – is the latest group, along with the US and Gulf states, hoping to learn from Ukrainian drone operators, who have become experts in drone warfare since Russia’s full-scale invasion four years ago. The Comando Vermelho also isn’t the only non-state actor interested in drones: there are more than 65 non-state actors known to possess drone arsenals, and that number is expected to rise as drone technology becomes cheaper and more accessible. Just last year, the Brazilian group used drones for the first time to counter police raids in Rio de Janeiro, joining other criminal organizations in the region who are incorporating drones into their weapons arsenals.
