rss

Drone swarms and stealth submarines are playing a growing role in modern warfare, yet aircraft carriers remain a symbol of military might. That can be seen in China’s investment in the warships, as well as other countries including France, Turkey, India and Japan. China’s naval fleet has been expanding at a rapid pace, with its fourth aircraft carrier fast taking shape, according to the latest satellite images of the shipyard in Dalian in the country’s northeast, where it is being built. Those...

From China - South China Morning Post via This RSS Feed.

Plastics, medicines, cosmetics—there are very few everyday products that do not rely on using fossil resources. A European research team led by Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin is now aiming to revolutionize this cornerstone of the chemical industry: as part of the CarboNcare project, scientists are developing bacteria that can produce important chemical base materials from sustainable methanol—thereby replacing fossil resources.

From Biology News - Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology via This RSS Feed.

CAGAYAN DE ORO — A fishers’ group opposed the United States’ (US) funding for the development of the proposed Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) in Cavite.

Aside from potential adverse effects on their fishing activities, the Cavite chapter of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) raised concerns about the involvement of the US government, considering that the airport, a former US naval base located in Manila Bay, is near the West Philippine Sea, an area that is part of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) but where China claims authority.

“Fisherfolk have experiences where their livelihoods have been affected every time there are activities held by the US soldiers in our sea and coast,” Richard Catenza, Pamalakaya-Cavite president, said in a statement.

Read:Tacloban fishers slam Balikatan exercises

The US Trade and Development Agency announced on May 12 that it would support funding for a feasibility study on the proposed SPIA, perceived as a way to address the passenger congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The US agency awarded the funding to Cavitex Holdings Inc. The latter, meanwhile, chose California-based airport consulting firm The S-A-P Group, LLC (SAP) to conduct the study.

Aside from providing technical expertise, the consulting firm is expected to provide recommendations to the US for advanced security screening as the Sangley Airport could have direct flights to the US.

In a report by Reuters, a consortium led by China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC) won an auction in 2019 to partner with the Cavite government to develop the said airport. However, the award was cancelled due to the deficiency of the company’s documents and not because of the US sanction.

The CCCC was reportedly one of the Chinese firms blacklisted by the US over its alleged “roles in building military installations on submerged reefs in disputed areas of the South China Sea.”

Experts told the South China Morning Post that SPIA could become more than an aviation project due to “its access to the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, a critical corridor in any Taiwan-related contingency.”

Courtesy of Google Earth

“We don’t buy it. We are not ignorant of the sinister agenda of the US in funding the rehabilitation and ultimate transformation of the SPIA,” Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya national chairperson, said in a statement.

Catenza said that opposing this US support should also be done by residents near Manila Bay as they may be dragged into any conflict involving the US. (DAA)

The post Fisherfolk oppose US-funded Sangley airport development appeared first on Bulatlat.

From Bulatlat via This RSS Feed.

In early 2026, the EU extended its domestic carbon pricing to key products from beyond its borders. This is managed through the "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism" (CBAM). Exporters of polluting goods to the EU must pay a climate tariff, unless their country has its own pricing scheme.

From Earth News - Earth Science News, Earth Science, Climate Change via This RSS Feed.

To head off a public health crisis, China is stepping up efforts to find new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. As its population ages, the country already has more cases of these neurodegenerative diseases than anywhere else in the world and their prevalence is rising faster than the global average. Cases of Parkinson’s disease in China are forecast to rise from 3.6 million in 2024 to 10.5 million in 2050, while the number of people in China with dementia is projected...

From China - South China Morning Post via This RSS Feed.

BOGOR, Indonesia — In a village bordering Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park on the Indonesian island of Java, local people browse a row of fabrics carrying impressions of plants and the silhouette of the forest’s silvery gibbon. They are made by the women-led Ambu Halimun collective, whose name translates to “mothers of Halimun” in the local dialect. The project focused on boiling and pressing distinctive local plants into motifs on fabric, which drew women like Mirna Maharani into closer observation of the vegetation surrounding the village of Citalahab. Species once overlooked, even dismissed as weeds, have since acquired new value as sources of color, pattern and identity, Mirna explained. “Now, we are preserving them,” said Mirna, 30, a mother of two. Formed in 2020 during the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the goal of Ambu Halimun was to engage women in conservation while providing an arena to uplift economic agency and professional development. Ambu Halimun is a women’s empowerment group that produces eco-friendly textiles in Bogor, West Java. Image by Falahi Mubarok/Mongabay Indonesia. Primatologist Rahayu Oktaviani, co-founder of the Kiara Foundation, which came up with the Ambu Halimun initiative, said she wanted to seed an original approach to conservation that would benefit women in Citalahab. “The forest isn’t something that is separate to them,” Rahayu told Mongabay Indonesia. “That’s why we’re building a sense of ownership.” Last year, Rahayu received the Whitley Award in recognition of her organization’s grassroots conservation work with Java’s silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch), which included the work…This article was originally published on Mongabay

From Conservation news via This RSS Feed.

In December 2025, Indonesia quietly abandoned plans to close the Cirebon-1 coal power plant.

From Earth News - Earth Science News, Earth Science, Climate Change via This RSS Feed.

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Over the last two weeks, the Venezuelan government has facilitated the return of 1,097 nationals through the Return to the Homeland (Vuelta a la Patria) program. These latest arrivals at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía represent a continued commitment to providing a dignified path home for those escaping the aggressive deportation policies and systemic racism.

This humanitarian initiative, governed by bilateral frameworks, remains a critical lifeline for Venezuelans seeking to escape labor exploitation, xenophobia or deportation by hosting countries. The program continues to serve as a direct response to the displacement caused by the illegal US blockade, which has consistently weaponized migration to destabilize Venezuela.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ministerio Relaciones Interiores, Justicia y Paz (@minjusticia_ve)

Humanitarian oversight and flight logistics
Upon arrival, Venezuelan security agents and Return to the Homeland program officials oversee protocols to ensure every returnee receives comprehensive social care, including medical screenings, psychological counseling, and guidance on socioeconomic integration.

With eight flights arriving over the last two weeks, the total number of repatriated citizens in 2026 has reached 8,871 across 54 flights. These flights add to the 23,067 individuals who previously returned under the current 2025 Venezuela-US agreement.

With tactics expanding to address shifting regional migration dynamics, the total number of repatriated citizens has continued to grow steadily throughout 2026. The data for the eight most recent arrivals is as follows:

• Flight 145: Arrived Friday, May 15, from Miami, Florida, carrying 162 migrants. The group consisted of seven minors, 25 women, and 130 men. Flight operator information was not provided.
• Flight 146: Arrived Monday, May 18, from Miami, Florida, carrying 133 migrants. The group consisted of 15 minors, 25 women, and 93 men. Flight operator information was not provided.
• Flight 147: Arrived Wednesday, May 20, from Miami, Florida, carrying 145 deportees. The group consisted of 11 minors, 22 women, and 112 men. Flight operator information was not provided.
• Flight 148: Arrived Friday, May 22, from Panama, carrying 134 citizens. The group consisted of 47 minors, 30 women, and 57 men. It was operated by the Ecuadorian airline Aeroregional.
• Flight 149: Arrived Friday, May 22, from Opa Locka, Florida, carrying 151 deported migrants. The group consisted of 34 minors, 27 women, and 90 men. Flight operator information was not provided.
• Flight 151: Arrived Monday, May 25, from Opa Locka, Florida, carrying 126 migrants. The group consisted of five minors, 11 women, and 110 men. Flight operator information was not provided.
• Flight 152: Arrived Wednesday, May 27, from Miami, Florida, carrying 115 deportees. The group consisted of 18 minors, 17 women, and 80 men. It was operated by the US-based Eastern Airlines.
• Flight 154: Arrived Friday, May 29, from Opa Locka, Florida, carrying 131 deportees. The group consisted of 12 minors, 29 women, and 90 men. Flight operator information was not provided.

No information regarding flights 150 and 153 was provided.

Nearly 600 Venezuelans Repatriated From US in New Return to the Homeland Flights

The arrival of flight 148 represents a significant change in the trend of arrivals from the United States. This change now opens a path for the return of Venezuelans in Panama—a long-awaited necessity that was previously not feasible due to illegal US sanctions. Concurrently, Venezuelan migrants in Chile, as well as the new far-right Chilean government, have been requesting the resumption of Return to the Homeland flights to facilitate their return home.

Since its inception in 2018, the program has protected over one million Venezuelans from the harsh realities of carceral detention, exploitation, and xenophobia in the US and other countries. The program upholds the right of citizens to return and rebuild their lives in their own homeland.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

OT/JRE/SF

From Orinoco Tribune via This RSS Feed.

Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda will advance to the second round of Colombia’s presidential elections after neither candidate won over half of the votes in the first round held this Sunday, May 31.

Far-right lawyer De la Espriella came in first place, obtaining 10,338,440 votes, equivalent to 43.73%. Meanwhile, left-wing candidate Cepeda received 9,673,390 votes, representing 40.91% of the popular support.

Colombia’s National Registry reported a 57.77% voter turnout, equivalent to 23,933,224 voters. This figure surpasses the 54.9% recorded in the first round of the 2022 presidential elections.

Thus, on June 21, the governing Historical Pact, whose ticket comprises Iván Cepeda and Aida Quilcué, will face off against the Defenders of the Homeland party’s ticket of Abelardo De la Espriella and José Manuel Restrepo. The winner of the election will succeed President Gustavo Petro and assume the Colombian presidency for the 2026-2030 term.

The far-right Uribista movement came in third place in the first round, with a ticket of Paloma Valencia and Juan Oviedo. The movement won only 1,633,217 votes, or 6.92%, representing a historic defeat for Colombia’s traditional right wing. The Democratic Center candidates obtained a result far lower than predicted by opinion polls, and even lower than the 3,200,000 votes they received on March 8 in the right-wing primary, in which Valencia was chosen as the official Uribista candidate.

The centrist duo Sergio Fajardo and Edna Bonilla came in fourth place, with 4.26% of the vote in the first round of the elections. The remaining nine candidates—including former Bogotá mayor Claudia López—did not surpass 1% of the vote.

Irregularities
On Sunday, Iván Cepeda denounced a series of alleged irregularities that he claimed had affected his candidacy. He cited 850,000 additional voters on the electoral roll and an undetermined number of polling stations with “atypical” results. For this reason, both Cepeda and his running mate, Aida Quilcué, announced that they will wait for the final results issued by the electoral commissions before taking a position on the election outcome.

Hours earlier, Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed his disagreement with the preliminary election results on social media. He questioned why a private company, rather than the state, owned the software used in the voting and counting process. The president had already voiced this concern earlier that morning after casting his vote.

Election day without major incidents
According to a report from authorities on Sunday afternoon, the voting process proceeded peacefully and without incidents. For the election, 408,000 members of the security forces were deployed at key locations throughout Colombia to protect the right to vote of over 41 million eligible voters.

In these crucial elections, 118,346 polling stations were set up in 13,489 locations (6,010 in urban areas and 7,479 in rural areas) across the country.

Context, Proposals, and Change as a Variable Offer: the Final Stretch of Colombia’s Elections

Minor incidents were reported in the northeastern Catatumbo region and in the southern department of Caquetá, according to the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE). However, the organization stated that “none of these affected the normal development of the day.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio reported an undeniable increase in the participation of citizens residing abroad during the presidential elections, for which 3,700 polling stations were set up in 116 consulates in over 60 countries.

(Alba Ciudad)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/SF

From Orinoco Tribune via This RSS Feed.

Happy Pride Comrades!

From Lady Izdihar via This RSS Feed.

Nathan Richardson on the economic impact of the Hormuz Blockage on the US working class.

From Cosmonaut - From the fields to the stars! via This RSS Feed.

Tracing how Žižek’s own crisis diagnostics increasingly lead toward a politics of institutional preservation and securitarian mediation, Raphael F. Alvarenga argues instead that universality emerges through political struggle, institutional transformation, and class recomposition across difference.

From Cosmonaut - From the fields to the stars! via This RSS Feed.