by Logan McMillen
The Trump administration has already cut off Cuba’s access to oil. Now it’s attempting to starve the Cuban people, targeting the country’s capacity to grow, process, and import food — unless it buys from US corporations.by Brian Kaller
Hot composting offers a faster way to turn household and garden waste into useful soil. Also known as Berkeley composting, the method relies on heat-generating aerobic bacteria, supported by a careful balance of carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. With proper preparation and regular turning, a compost pile can reach temperatures high enough to destroy weed seeds and many plant diseases, while processing organic waste in weeks rather than months. Brian Kaller explains the principles behind hot composting, the materials and ratios involved, temperature management, and possible uses for the heat generated. The method also offers practical benefits for reducing household waste and fossil-fuel use.by Rahul Banerjee
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s target of 10 million medical tourists a year won’t create new capacity in Indian healthcare, it will pull capacity out of a public system that’s already short on itby Prof. Suresh Deman
Xi Jinping’s China cannot be understood simply as a return to Mao or a continuation of Deng Xiaoping. This article examines how Xi’s leadership is responding to contradictions produced by decades of reform and rapid economic development. It traces Mao’s concern with bureaucratic privilege and Party accountability, Deng’s emphasis on developing productive forces, and Xi’s focus on Party discipline, anti-corruption, national sovereignty and Common Prosperity. The article argues that Xi has retained the economic and technological foundations built since 1978 while revisiting questions of socialist distribution, political discipline and ideological purpose. At the centre is Mao’s unfinished question of how the Communist Party can supervise itself.by Eman Abusidu
Tension between American control and Venezuelan sovereignty lies at the heart of a broader geopolitical struggle over who will shape the country’s economic and strategic future.by Pablo Stefanoni
Bolivia’s new era has also produced a powerful image: the exile of Morales in the Chapare, the subtropical region of the Cochabamba Department known for its coca leaf crops. Coca-growing peasant unions, which function like militias, are protecting the former president from arrest stemming from several ongoing judicial proceedings—including one involving the alleged abuse of a minor, a partner said to be underage when the relationship began.by Ramon Capote
So far in 2026, Cuba has received a single shipment of oil: some 100,000 metric tons of crude donated by Russia—and nothing else.by Vijay Prashad
Brazil holds around 23 percent of the world’s known rare-earth reserves but produces only a small share and lacks the industrial capacity to process these minerals into high-value products. As foreign companies move to secure Brazilian deposits, the country risks repeating a familiar pattern of exporting raw materials while retaining environmental costs and limited economic value. Vijay Prashad examines the growing rare-earth rush, its impact on rural and quilombola communities, and the technological choices shaping extraction. He argues for stronger public oversight, domestic processing, technology transfer, environmental safeguards, and investment in Brazilian research and manufacturing capacity.by Claudia López Pardo
Bolivia’s persistent fuel shortages are exposing the limits of an economy built on hydrocarbon extraction. Long queues for gasoline, diesel and propane are affecting households, farmers and rural communities, while preferential access for agro-industrial businesses highlights unequal distribution. At the center of the debate is the Tariquía Flora and Fauna Reserve, where the government is promoting gas exploration despite opposition from communities that depend on the forest and its ecosystems. Claudia López Pardo examines the links between fuel scarcity, extractivism, energy policy and social reproduction, arguing for an energy transition that reduces Bolivia’s dependence on fossil-fuel revenues and protects territories andcommunities.by Jessica Corbett
The American people do not want American military integration with a country responsible for war crimes, international law violations, and mass killings amounting to genocide.by Hugh J. Curran
Hugh J Curran examines persistent myths about slavery and the attempt to distribute responsibility for the transatlantic slave trade equally among Africans and Europeans. He distinguishes forms of servitude within Africa from the racialized, hereditary chattel slavery developed in the Americas, while acknowledging African participation in slave capture and trade. The article traces the role of European commercial interests, weapons, colonial plantation economies and racial ideology in expanding the Atlantic trade. It also considers resistance to enslavement, slavery in Muslim societies, Britain’s abolition laws, compensation to slave owners, and the growing international debate over reparations and historical responsibility.by Dr Shirin Akhter
Why should 5, 7 or 9 per cent growth ultimately matter unless sustained growth gives us more productive jobs, greater investment in education and health, rising real incomes, greater household savings and asset ownership, better public services, declining vulnerability and a progressively wider distribution of economic security?by Rezgar Akrawi
A Call for a Democratic Citizenship State, Social Justice and a Socialist Horizon.by John P. Ruehl
As wars, extreme weather, fuel shortages and rising electricity demand strain aging power systems, decentralized energy is gaining importance. Solar panels, batteries, smaller generators and microgrids can reduce dependence on vulnerable centralized grids and help maintain essential services during disruptions. In Ukraine, distributed systems are supporting hospitals and water infrastructure amid attacks. Puerto Rico is integrating household batteries into its grid, while Cuba is expanding solar generation as fuel shortages deepen. These experiences show both the potential and limitations of decentralized energy. Scaling remains difficult, but localized generation and storage are emerging as practical tools for improving resilience in increasingly insecure energy systems.by Thomas Shivers
In the mountains of Eswatini, Warren has built a garden around indigenous plants, permaculture and local ecological knowledge. But the landscape he has carefully cultivated is facing a changing climate. He has witnessed heavier and less predictable rains, flooding, soil erosion, crop failures and the spread of invasive species. His response combines practical adaptation with conservation: cultivating native plants, restoring degraded land, reducing invasive wattle, reusing waste and producing organic compost. Working with like-minded neighbours, Warren hopes to develop a nature reserve around Sibebe Rock. His experience offers a grounded account of grassroots climate adaptation and the challenges of building resilience in a vulnerable rural community.by Julian Bokser
Javier Milei’s government has faced setbacks both in the streets and in Congress over its plans to liberalize foreign ownership of land and weaken environmental protections. Mass protests against the proposed land law were met with police repression, while the government failed to secure enough parliamentary support to pass key provisions as presented. The article examines these developments as signs of growing resistance to austerity, privatization and the transfer of control over Argentina’s land and resources. It also explores the role of sovereignty, the Malvinas issue and football in popular political consciousness, and the challenge of turning street mobilization into sustained political organization.by Norman Solomon
But 25 years ago, the impulse to avenge the horrors of 9/11 was instant. Fear and rage blended into high octane for war machinery.by Theresa Leisgang and Gerriet Schwen
Climate communication has often emphasized hope, success and the possibility of staying within the 1.5°C threshold. Theresa Leisgang and Gerriet Schwen argue that this approach can obscure the severity of the climate crisis. Drawing on climate science, research and conversations with scientists, journalists and activists, they examine the growing evidence of ecological and social breakdown and the limits of optimistic narratives. They call for more honest communication about climate overshoot, systemic risks and the possibility of profound disruption. Rather than abandoning action, they argue for a form of hope grounded in realism: acting to protect life, prepare for crises and pursue meaningful gains even when outcomes remain uncertain.by Stacy Malkan
Twenty years ago, the Gates and Rockefeller foundations launched the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), promising agricultural transformation from improved seeds, synthetic fertilizers, mechanization, and commercial markets. Now, nearly 20 years of data are in, and AGRA’s results fall far short of its promises. They raise fundamental questions about AGRA, the Gates Foundation and their influence on African governments and institutions.by Feroze Mithiborwala
Greece is witnessing growing public opposition to the government’s strategic relationship with Israel. The backlash has spread across political parties, trade unions, port workers, civil society groups and local communities. Dockworkers have blocked shipments of military equipment, while left-wing parties have called for an arms embargo and an end to military cooperation. Protests have also targeted Israeli investment in Greek real estate and the impact of foreign capital on housing. As the 2027 national elections approach, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s pro-Israel policies are facing increasing scrutiny. Feroze Mithiborwala examines the political, economic and social forces behind this growingopposition.
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