The catastrophic floods and debris flows in Nepal and Tibet on 26 August have exposed the growing vulnerability of the Himalayan region. The disaster comes amid rapid glacier loss, expanding glacial lakes, destabilising mountain terrain and increasing development in fragile valleys. Soumya Dutta examines how climate change is interacting with infrastructure expansion to create more complex and potentially cascading hazards. The article looks at lessons from recent disasters in Sikkim and Uttarakhand and argues for stronger transboundary monitoring, real-time early-warning systems, comprehensive hazard mapping and climate-resilient development. It calls for reconsidering infrastructure and settlements located in high-risk Himalayan corridors.
Nepalis and Tibetans must not pay the price – with their lives, livelihoods and money meant for education and health – for global heating caused by wealthy states.
The Save Silent Valley Movement remains one of India's defining environmental struggles. Faced with a proposed hydroelectric dam that threatened an ancient rainforest in Kerala, scientists, writers, activists and local communities united to protect one of the Western Ghats' richest ecosystems. Their sustained campaign led to the cancellation of the project and the declaration of Silent Valley as a National Park. This article revisits the history of the movement, the people who shaped it, and the enduring lessons it offers for balancing development with ecological conservation and protecting irreplaceable natural heritage for future generations.
Dr Ramzy Baroud examines Israel’s expanding diplomatic counter-offensive as governments in Colombia, Venezuela, Slovenia and elsewhere move to reverse or weaken policies supportive of Palestine. He argues that Israel is seeking to overcome growing international isolation through changes in government, diplomatic pressure and strategic alliances. The article places these developments against the wider global response to the Gaza war and Israel’s conduct across the Middle East. It also considers the role of Arab states in preserving positions on Palestine and occupied territories, arguing that diplomatic statements alone are insufficient. The struggle over Israel’s international standing is entering a decisive phase.
Since 2012, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has implemented a collaborative food storage programme. In this, regional reserves “allow countries to pool resources, spread fiscal burdens, collaboratively achieve efficiency gains, and reduce overall stockpile sizes.”
Russia says it is Cuba’s strategic ally. They repeat it at every summit. In every communiqué. On every anniversary of our bilateral relations. But the oil is not arriving. The ships do not appear. And the electric power blackouts continue to happen.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of the onset of the civil war and revolution in Spain. In this essay I suggest that the efforts of the Spanish working class in that epic conflict provide elements for building a model of socialism based on direct working-class control and participatory, democratic planning of a socialized economy.
Five years after the Taliban returned to power, Afghanistan presents a mixed picture of consolidation and crisis. Large-scale violence has declined, security has improved, and the Taliban have pursued major infrastructure and connectivity projects while expanding ties with neighbouring countries. At the same time, the economy remains fragile, unemployment is high, and millions of returning refugees are placing additional pressure on limited resources. Relations with Pakistan have deteriorated sharply, while the exclusion of women and girls from education, employment and public life remains the most serious human rights issue. Murtaza Shibli examines the Taliban’s record, evolving regional relationships and the challenges shaping Afghanistan’s future.
On August 7, a shadowy figure took office as president of Colombia. He has been implicated in various drug trafficking and money laundering scandals, but because he is a friend of the convicted U.S. president, Donald Trump, and other far-right figures in that northern nation, his crimes were swept under the rug.
Six months after the United States intensified pressure on countries supplying oil to Cuba, the island faces a deepening energy and economic crisis. Fuel shortages have contributed to prolonged power cuts, disrupted public transport, strained hospitals and water systems, and made it harder to move food from rural areas to cities. Vijay Prashad examines the unequal impact of the crisis and argues that humanitarian relief must be separated from political coercion. He outlines a path centred on predictable fuel supplies, international cooperation, negotiated de-escalation, diversified energy sources and investment in renewable, decentralised power systems that can strengthen Cuba’s energy sovereignty.
Openly discussing degrowth can be a great activity both for those who think about it a lot as well as those who never imagined that life can improve with less stuff. Our group examination proved a great way to let a thousand flowers bloom in people’s minds. Removing the ills of the old society is critical for survival but will come to nothing without provoking a cascade of ideas for building a new one.
The export-oriented extractivist model imposed on Our America since the 1990s poses a major threat to populations, ecosystems, and water resources. In response, communities and peoples have been proclaiming that water is worth more than gold, copper, lithium, uranium, and rare earths.
In Gaza’s displacement camps, access to a safe and private toilet has become a serious health and safety concern. At al-Deira camp, around 70 displaced families share three makeshift toilets without plumbing or sewage systems. Many women avoid using them at night because of fear, poor lighting, roaming dogs, bombing, lack of privacy and unsanitary conditions. Some restrict their water intake and hold their urine for long periods, contributing to urinary tract infections, kidney stones and other health problems. Rima al-Swisi reports on the daily realities faced by displaced women whose basic sanitation needs remain largely unmet amid the destruction of Gaza’s housing andinfrastructure.
The USS Abraham Lincoln’s prolonged deployment near Iran offers a view of the human costs beneath America’s global military posture. While policymakers and strategists discuss deterrence, readiness and strategic flexibility, sailors face extended periods at sea, exhaustion, psychological strain and prolonged separation from their families. Junaid S. Ahmad examines the widening gap between the projection of American military power and the conditions experienced by those who sustain it. The article places the Lincoln’s deployment within a broader critique of US military overstretch, permanent overseas commitments and the class dynamics of war, where decisions made by political elites impose lasting burdens on military personnel.
The amount of materials needed to sustain an electrified future at the world’s continued pace of economic growth is as remarkable as it is troubling. By one estimate, at least 384 new mines will be needed by 2035.
Household experience is currently about the closest thing we have to operating pilot projects. So, go solar. But notice how much energy you use and what you use it for; also, pay attention to what energy you can control, and what you can’t. You may discover that your most impactful efforts to reduce your carbon footprint involve simply reducing your travel and consumption.
This year we commemorate the centennial of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro. Like few others, Fidel embodies human dignity and the defense of principles as unyielding values for building that other possible and necessary world of justice, equality, and peace.
This article was produced by Globetrotter.
21 hours 25 minutes ago
Produce less. Distribute it fairly. Create a greener world for all.
