By analyzing data across 32 countries, researchers have mapped the "mortality burden" of climate inequality in Europe. Their findings are stark: economic status is often the deciding factor in who survives the continent's increasingly volatile weather.
The study suggests that eliminating "severe material and social deprivation" to the extent seen in central Switzerland could prevent estimated 59,000 deaths each year. Even more striking is the role of the Gini index—the standard measure of wealth disparity. If the index was slashed to levels now found in Slovenia (Europe’s lowest), roughly 110,000 lives would be saved annually.
The single greatest risk factor identified was the inability to keep home warm. Researchers warn that if this metric slipped to the worst levels currently found in Europe, the continent could face 220,000 deaths more each year.
While exposure to coldness remains the leading temperature-related killer in Europe, mortality from extreme heat is surging as the climate crisis intensifies.
The study suggests that eliminating "severe material and social deprivation" to the extent seen in central Switzerland could prevent estimated 59,000 deaths each year. Even more striking is the role of the Gini index—the standard measure of wealth disparity. If the index was slashed to levels now found in Slovenia (Europe’s lowest), roughly 110,000 lives would be saved annually.
The single greatest risk factor identified was the inability to keep home warm. Researchers warn that if this metric slipped to the worst levels currently found in Europe, the continent could face 220,000 deaths more each year.
While exposure to coldness remains the leading temperature-related killer in Europe, mortality from extreme heat is surging as the climate crisis intensifies.
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Cuban energy minister Vicente de la O Levy said the country’s power grid is in a “critical state,” with blackouts now lasting up to 22 hours a day. He said fuel reserves are “absolutely” exhausted and much of the island’s solar output is being lost to the unstable grid.
“This dramatic worsening has a single cause: the genocidal energy blockade to which the United States subjects our country,” President Miguel Díaz‑Canel said in a separate televised address.
Since January, the US has maintained a near total energy embargo against the island nation, leveraging sanctions and tariffs on its fuel suppliers. The threats have choked off imports from Venezuela and Mexico, which previously provided two-thirds of the island nation's energy needs. Only one Russian oil tanker has docked in Cuba since the blockade began.
UN rapporteurs last week called the embargo unlawful, saying it violated the Cubans' right to development while undermining their rights to food, education, health, and water and sanitation.
“This dramatic worsening has a single cause: the genocidal energy blockade to which the United States subjects our country,” President Miguel Díaz‑Canel said in a separate televised address.
Since January, the US has maintained a near total energy embargo against the island nation, leveraging sanctions and tariffs on its fuel suppliers. The threats have choked off imports from Venezuela and Mexico, which previously provided two-thirds of the island nation's energy needs. Only one Russian oil tanker has docked in Cuba since the blockade began.
UN rapporteurs last week called the embargo unlawful, saying it violated the Cubans' right to development while undermining their rights to food, education, health, and water and sanitation.
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A bitter row erupted between Portuguese lawmakers after months-long tripartite talks between the government, unions and employer bodies collapsed.
Socialists say the minority government has lost credibility driving its “law of the jungle” Labor XXI reform. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro mocked unions as “20th‑century frameworks,” vowing to hammer the reform through Parliament with support from liberals and the far-right Chega Party.
As the center-right government’s flagship initiative, Labor XXI proposes over 100 changes to the labor code. Its provisions include expanding temporary contracts, loosening dismissal rules, and hardening minimum service obligations—measures unions say erode worker protections and the right to strike. Montenegro argues the overhaul would "modernize" the economy, replacing rigid rules with “boldness" and "agility."
In response, two largest labor confederations called a new general strike for June 3, following a massive walkout of up to 3 million people on December 11, 2025.
Socialists say the minority government has lost credibility driving its “law of the jungle” Labor XXI reform. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro mocked unions as “20th‑century frameworks,” vowing to hammer the reform through Parliament with support from liberals and the far-right Chega Party.
As the center-right government’s flagship initiative, Labor XXI proposes over 100 changes to the labor code. Its provisions include expanding temporary contracts, loosening dismissal rules, and hardening minimum service obligations—measures unions say erode worker protections and the right to strike. Montenegro argues the overhaul would "modernize" the economy, replacing rigid rules with “boldness" and "agility."
In response, two largest labor confederations called a new general strike for June 3, following a massive walkout of up to 3 million people on December 11, 2025.
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The Bolivian government sent 3,500 soldiers and police on Saturday to tear down road blocks that have isolated La Paz amid a paralyzing nationwide strike. Dubbed Operation "Humanitarian Corridor," the crackdown began a day after a deal with miners, a key faction alongside farmers, unions, and indigenous organizations.
After violent clashes and 57 arrests on the highways, the Bolivian Workers’ Central (COB) and other groups vowed to continue the mobilizarion. Authorities say 22 blockades are already re-erected, and hundreds of supply trucks stranded again.
The two-week civil unrest is the biggest challenge to President Rodrigo Paz since he took office last November after decades of Movement for Socialism rule. Driven by a severe fuel crisis and inflation, protesters demand wage increases, subsidies, and an end to privatizations. On Wednesday, Paz backed off from a controversial agrarian reform that would have enabled mortgaging small farms, but failed to calm the protestors who now call for his resignation.
After violent clashes and 57 arrests on the highways, the Bolivian Workers’ Central (COB) and other groups vowed to continue the mobilizarion. Authorities say 22 blockades are already re-erected, and hundreds of supply trucks stranded again.
The two-week civil unrest is the biggest challenge to President Rodrigo Paz since he took office last November after decades of Movement for Socialism rule. Driven by a severe fuel crisis and inflation, protesters demand wage increases, subsidies, and an end to privatizations. On Wednesday, Paz backed off from a controversial agrarian reform that would have enabled mortgaging small farms, but failed to calm the protestors who now call for his resignation.
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The Global Sumud Flotilla coalition stated that the Israeli navy encircled its fleet off Cyprus on Monday morning, four days after departing Marmaris, Turkey. Social media footage and live streams indicate multiple simultaneous boardings, including a commando unit boarding one vessel and striking an activist’s camera. Another boat, the Holy Blue, lost connection 250 nautical miles off Gaza after a military speedboat approached.
The violent takeovers follow an April incident near Crete where Israeli forces intercepted over 20 flotilla ships, detaining 181 participants. Two activists, Thiago Ávila and Saif Abu Keshek, were abducted to Israel, where they reported torture before being deported. Following those detentions, over 500 people continued on 54 aid vessels toward Gaza, where Israel has used the denial of food and medicine as instruments of genocide.
The interception has sparked immediate protest calls across Europe, including a nationwide strike declared by Italy’s USB.
The violent takeovers follow an April incident near Crete where Israeli forces intercepted over 20 flotilla ships, detaining 181 participants. Two activists, Thiago Ávila and Saif Abu Keshek, were abducted to Israel, where they reported torture before being deported. Following those detentions, over 500 people continued on 54 aid vessels toward Gaza, where Israel has used the denial of food and medicine as instruments of genocide.
The interception has sparked immediate protest calls across Europe, including a nationwide strike declared by Italy’s USB.
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China commands roughly 90% of the global solar market, and its export data shows Cuba has driven a record‑fast solar transition over the past two years. Its monthly investments in solar panels and related components jumped to $37.8 million in late 2025 from roughly $1 million a year earlier.
Cuban officials recently said renewables met 10% of the country's energy needs in 2025—a 350% annual surge driven by more than 1,000 new photovoltaic installations. The Energy Ministry now aims for 15% by the end of 2026 and 24% by 2030.
The rapid transition occurs under a severe US‑led trade embargo that has targeted Cuban infrastructure since 1962. The island’s energy crisis intensified drastically in January after the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and tariff threats that choked off vital oil imports from Venezuela and Mexico. Much of the new solar output is now lost to an unstable grid as daily blackouts stretch up to 22 hours and a devastating humanitarian crisis unfolds on the besieged island.
Cuban officials recently said renewables met 10% of the country's energy needs in 2025—a 350% annual surge driven by more than 1,000 new photovoltaic installations. The Energy Ministry now aims for 15% by the end of 2026 and 24% by 2030.
The rapid transition occurs under a severe US‑led trade embargo that has targeted Cuban infrastructure since 1962. The island’s energy crisis intensified drastically in January after the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and tariff threats that choked off vital oil imports from Venezuela and Mexico. Much of the new solar output is now lost to an unstable grid as daily blackouts stretch up to 22 hours and a devastating humanitarian crisis unfolds on the besieged island.
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The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) suspended a 18-day strike targeting the world’s largest memory chip producer, following a draft deal with the company late last night.
The dispute began in April after Samsung recorded a 750% surge in its memory‑chip profits amid global data‑center boom. The looming strike rattled South Korea’s economic establishment as Samsung drives nearly a quarter of national exports. The government threatened to issue a rare emergency arbitration order—a heavy-handed measure to freeze all strike actions for 30 days—effectively treating the semiconductor industry as "critical infrastructure" alongside hospitals and aviation.
The draft deal grants employees a 6.2% average wage increase and improved housing and child support benefits. It also addresses long-standing bonus disparities between Samsung and its rivals, allocating 10.5% of profits to workers and promising transparent payout rules. The NSEU suspended the walkout to allow members to vote on the draft until May 28.
The dispute began in April after Samsung recorded a 750% surge in its memory‑chip profits amid global data‑center boom. The looming strike rattled South Korea’s economic establishment as Samsung drives nearly a quarter of national exports. The government threatened to issue a rare emergency arbitration order—a heavy-handed measure to freeze all strike actions for 30 days—effectively treating the semiconductor industry as "critical infrastructure" alongside hospitals and aviation.
The draft deal grants employees a 6.2% average wage increase and improved housing and child support benefits. It also addresses long-standing bonus disparities between Samsung and its rivals, allocating 10.5% of profits to workers and promising transparent payout rules. The NSEU suspended the walkout to allow members to vote on the draft until May 28.
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A new UN report affirms long-standing findings of systemic abuse in Israeli prisons, documenting 85 cases of torture, mistreatment, and sexual violence.
Currently, approximately 9,500 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel. Roughly 40% of them are held in "administrative detention," a practice that allows for indefinite imprisonment without trial or formal charges.
Earlier this week, international activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla also reported torture and sexual violence while in Israeli custody. Their photographs show severe injuries, including burns, lacerations, and signs of electric shocks.
After Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared a video of troops humiliating shackled detainees, several EU countries lodged formal protests. Notably, Italy's foreign minister called for sanctions against the minister. On May 11, the EU sanctioned several violent settler networks in Occupied Palistinian Territories but removed Ben-Gvir from the list at the last minute to pass the package unanimously.
Currently, approximately 9,500 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel. Roughly 40% of them are held in "administrative detention," a practice that allows for indefinite imprisonment without trial or formal charges.
Earlier this week, international activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla also reported torture and sexual violence while in Israeli custody. Their photographs show severe injuries, including burns, lacerations, and signs of electric shocks.
After Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared a video of troops humiliating shackled detainees, several EU countries lodged formal protests. Notably, Italy's foreign minister called for sanctions against the minister. On May 11, the EU sanctioned several violent settler networks in Occupied Palistinian Territories but removed Ben-Gvir from the list at the last minute to pass the package unanimously.
Ravenna's port operator Sapir Group revamped its ethics code on May 21, following months of coordinated action by dock workers and watchdog organizations to block over 1,000 tons of Israel-bound military supplies across Italian ports.
With the new guidelines, one of the key logistical hubs on the Adriatic Sea formally commits to promoting peace and human rights throughout its operations. The dock workers' Autonomous Port Committee (CAP) noted that while the move is mainaly political and symbolic, it represents an important step toward "a safe port that follows the will of its workers."
The friction in Ravenna began in March 2025, when the port workers understood that intermediaries without proper licenses tried to traffic 14 tons of cannon parts to an Israeli army supplier. After a similar incident in September 2025, public stakeholders urged the terminal operator to explore all possible actions to halt weapons shipments to countries involved in wars and systemic human rights abuses.
With the new guidelines, one of the key logistical hubs on the Adriatic Sea formally commits to promoting peace and human rights throughout its operations. The dock workers' Autonomous Port Committee (CAP) noted that while the move is mainaly political and symbolic, it represents an important step toward "a safe port that follows the will of its workers."
The friction in Ravenna began in March 2025, when the port workers understood that intermediaries without proper licenses tried to traffic 14 tons of cannon parts to an Israeli army supplier. After a similar incident in September 2025, public stakeholders urged the terminal operator to explore all possible actions to halt weapons shipments to countries involved in wars and systemic human rights abuses.
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According to WIRED, a U.S.-based technology magazine, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are quietly shifting their focus to combat an anticipated wave of "anti-tech extremism." Though the term does not appear in any public materials, it is a recurring theme in over 1,000 pages of internal reports obtained by the magazine.
"The chaotic atmosphere that may result from emergent AI technology in the next five years may fuel large-scale protests that devolve into civil unrest and anti-tech violent extremist activity," one of the report states.
Data center protests have become one of the most bipartisan movements in the US. In Virginia, the industry's epicenter, 92% of voters say politicians are failing to manage the sector's growth and environmental impact. Another recent estimate found that data center protests had became a "national political force," stalling $156 billion worth of construction projects due to nationwide opposition.
"The chaotic atmosphere that may result from emergent AI technology in the next five years may fuel large-scale protests that devolve into civil unrest and anti-tech violent extremist activity," one of the report states.
Data center protests have become one of the most bipartisan movements in the US. In Virginia, the industry's epicenter, 92% of voters say politicians are failing to manage the sector's growth and environmental impact. Another recent estimate found that data center protests had became a "national political force," stalling $156 billion worth of construction projects due to nationwide opposition.
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The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says that 363 million people worldwide are now at risk of acute hunger, with 45 million facing acute food shortages due to the Middle East conflict and soaring oil prices.
The crisis has worsened due to a 40% drop in donations after funding was cut last year. The US, the largest donor, has cut its contribution by more than half. With total donor contributions of only $2.8 billion against a need of $13 billion this year, the WFP's acting executive director said the organization is now forced to "take from the hungry to feed the starving."
The war has disrupted global supply chains, including a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. As western oil and arms industries reap record profits, the world’s poorest populations are bearing the heaviest burden, including raising transport costs and a 33% cut of global seaborne fertilizer supply which now threatens East Africa's upcoming planting season.
The crisis has worsened due to a 40% drop in donations after funding was cut last year. The US, the largest donor, has cut its contribution by more than half. With total donor contributions of only $2.8 billion against a need of $13 billion this year, the WFP's acting executive director said the organization is now forced to "take from the hungry to feed the starving."
The war has disrupted global supply chains, including a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. As western oil and arms industries reap record profits, the world’s poorest populations are bearing the heaviest burden, including raising transport costs and a 33% cut of global seaborne fertilizer supply which now threatens East Africa's upcoming planting season.
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Lin Mei, 42, has worked in elderly care in Hangzhou for nearly a decade. The end of every shift now looks increasingly the same: charging devices, reconnecting failed systems, checking alerts, and fixing small technical failures that machines were supposed to eliminate.
“The robot tells me [the patient] didn’t take her medicine, but I already knew,” Mei says with a quiet laugh. “I could see it from the way she was sitting. Sometimes I feel like I am helping the machine more than the machine is helping me.”
Read more on how new technologies are transforming care work on the front lines of AI-adoption in healthcare, in China.
✍Gaia Guatri
“The robot tells me [the patient] didn’t take her medicine, but I already knew,” Mei says with a quiet laugh. “I could see it from the way she was sitting. Sometimes I feel like I am helping the machine more than the machine is helping me.”
Read more on how new technologies are transforming care work on the front lines of AI-adoption in healthcare, in China.
✍Gaia Guatri
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Pope Leo XIV used his first papal manifesto, knowns as Encyclical, to question the social, political, and military implications of AI development.
While affirming the Church must "draw nourishment" from science, the 84-page letter repeatedly denounces "the idolatry of profit" and the military-industrial complex that, he argues, are defining features of the current political and economic landscape. At the heart of the document is a call to “disarm AI"—defined as freeing the technology from “the mentality of armed competition,” which he says has become a pervasive economic and cognitive phenomenon.
In a notable historical pivot, the Pope also condemned the Church's role in slavery, warning new forms of slavery are now fueled by "economic chains and digital infrastructures."
"Technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it," he wrote, urging a global effort to build pluralistic societies and free technology from monopolistic control.
While affirming the Church must "draw nourishment" from science, the 84-page letter repeatedly denounces "the idolatry of profit" and the military-industrial complex that, he argues, are defining features of the current political and economic landscape. At the heart of the document is a call to “disarm AI"—defined as freeing the technology from “the mentality of armed competition,” which he says has become a pervasive economic and cognitive phenomenon.
In a notable historical pivot, the Pope also condemned the Church's role in slavery, warning new forms of slavery are now fueled by "economic chains and digital infrastructures."
"Technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it," he wrote, urging a global effort to build pluralistic societies and free technology from monopolistic control.
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Who's torching the driverless taxis? How many AI features can people swallow before Google gets socialized? Why is kicking out ICE from neighborhoods a labor union issue?
In this Turning Point conversation, we explore the new horizons of labor struggles with Sarah Jaffe.
Listen here.
In this Turning Point conversation, we explore the new horizons of labor struggles with Sarah Jaffe.
Listen here.
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The EU Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement Monday on a new package of measures designed to accelerate the expulsion of people from EU territory.
The new EU law would grant national authorities expanded powers to penalize individuals whose asylum applications or residency have been rejected, including up to 24 months detention based on "flight risk." The most controversial provision establishes overseas "return hubs"—detention centers managed by non-EU countries where individuals can be sent even before exercising their right to appeal.
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), an alliance of 125 civil society and rights organizations, slammed the agreement on Tuesday, saying it reflects the member states' "obsession with return numbers." Labeling the overseas hubs "one of the most punitive and dangerous migration instruments in recent EU history," the alliance warned they would open a door to unprecedented violations of migrants' fundamental rights.
The new EU law would grant national authorities expanded powers to penalize individuals whose asylum applications or residency have been rejected, including up to 24 months detention based on "flight risk." The most controversial provision establishes overseas "return hubs"—detention centers managed by non-EU countries where individuals can be sent even before exercising their right to appeal.
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), an alliance of 125 civil society and rights organizations, slammed the agreement on Tuesday, saying it reflects the member states' "obsession with return numbers." Labeling the overseas hubs "one of the most punitive and dangerous migration instruments in recent EU history," the alliance warned they would open a door to unprecedented violations of migrants' fundamental rights.
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Thousands gathered in front of the Albanian prime minister's office on Thursday after four days of protests over a €1.4 billion luxury resort construction linked to the Trump family. The growing unrest centers on secretive government deals with Jared Kushner's real estate firm that aims to build up to 10,000 hotel rooms and villas in the Narta Lagoon nature reserve.
Environmental organizations say the area is one of the Mediterranean's most sensitive ecosystems, sheltering over 200 bird species and near-extinct Mediterranean monk seals. On Tuesday, Albanian anti-corruption authorities opened an investigation into the 2024 easing of environmental protections that cleared the way for Kushner's project.
The protests began on May 30 when locals found a private security firm fencing off part of the coast with barbed-wire. The demonstrations have since mobilized over 100,000 people across the country and in diaspora as environmental concerns fuse with anger over corruption and disregard for local communities.
Environmental organizations say the area is one of the Mediterranean's most sensitive ecosystems, sheltering over 200 bird species and near-extinct Mediterranean monk seals. On Tuesday, Albanian anti-corruption authorities opened an investigation into the 2024 easing of environmental protections that cleared the way for Kushner's project.
The protests began on May 30 when locals found a private security firm fencing off part of the coast with barbed-wire. The demonstrations have since mobilized over 100,000 people across the country and in diaspora as environmental concerns fuse with anger over corruption and disregard for local communities.
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The Global Sumud Flotilla says ten of its activists are in a life‑threatening condition after five days of dry hunger strike to protest their “unlawful imprisonment and mistreatment” at a Libyan detention site.
The negotiation team was arrested on May 24 while trying to secure safe passage for the land aid convoy to Gaza. Their detention was extended by ften days on June 2 for alleged visa violations, which the organizers deny. Without access to medical or legal aid, the convoy’s detained medics are now treating their fellow hunger strikers.
The detainees—who include Argentinian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Tunisian, US, and Uruguayan nationals—are held near Benghazi, an area controlled by the warlord Khalifa Haftar. While Haftar’s self‑proclaimed government lacks international recognition, Italy, France, and the EU closely cooperate with his forces, supporting his “coast guard” and militias to act as anti‑migrant proxies on the central Mediterranean route.
The negotiation team was arrested on May 24 while trying to secure safe passage for the land aid convoy to Gaza. Their detention was extended by ften days on June 2 for alleged visa violations, which the organizers deny. Without access to medical or legal aid, the convoy’s detained medics are now treating their fellow hunger strikers.
The detainees—who include Argentinian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Tunisian, US, and Uruguayan nationals—are held near Benghazi, an area controlled by the warlord Khalifa Haftar. While Haftar’s self‑proclaimed government lacks international recognition, Italy, France, and the EU closely cooperate with his forces, supporting his “coast guard” and militias to act as anti‑migrant proxies on the central Mediterranean route.
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Shock and anger spread across France after the remains of a missing schoolgirl were found in an abandoned silo 15 km from her hometown of Fleurance. The 11-year-old was last seen on May 29 getting into the car of her classmate’s father. He has since been arrested as the prime suspect.
The man has been the subject of multiple criminal complaints for the sexual abuse of minors since 2017. Last August, the mother of an 11-year-old girl filed a complaint after her daughter said she had been repeatedly raped by the man. The police did not investigate him until last week's suspected femicide.
This case adds fuel to an ongoing scandal in France, where a high-profile trial has opened in Paris against a school assistant charged with sexually abusing minors. The trial has revealed that over 100 schools nationwide are under investigation for staff mistreatment and sexual violence.
The man has been the subject of multiple criminal complaints for the sexual abuse of minors since 2017. Last August, the mother of an 11-year-old girl filed a complaint after her daughter said she had been repeatedly raped by the man. The police did not investigate him until last week's suspected femicide.
This case adds fuel to an ongoing scandal in France, where a high-profile trial has opened in Paris against a school assistant charged with sexually abusing minors. The trial has revealed that over 100 schools nationwide are under investigation for staff mistreatment and sexual violence.
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On June 1, four seasonal workers were burned alive inside a minivan at a gas station in Amendolara, Calabria. Two Pakistani suspects have been arrested, and the sole survivor, Taj Mohammad Alamyar, testified that the victims were murdered for demanding unpaid wages.
On Saturday, 5,000 people protested the murders and "caporalato," a form of modern slavery, in Amendolara. The International Union of Foodworkers condemned the killings as "a horrifying reminder" of systemic violence, noting that 11 other migrant agricultural workers have died in Italy in the past three weeks.
Caporalato is a form of labor brokerage in which criminal middlemen (caporali) are used to recruit and control vulnerable workers and rip off part of their salaries. While workers may have contracts, in practice they are violently coerced into dehumanizing, slavery-like conditions. Though illegal in Italy, the system thrives in agricultural regions like Calabria, providing cheap labor for Europe’s food supply.
On Saturday, 5,000 people protested the murders and "caporalato," a form of modern slavery, in Amendolara. The International Union of Foodworkers condemned the killings as "a horrifying reminder" of systemic violence, noting that 11 other migrant agricultural workers have died in Italy in the past three weeks.
Caporalato is a form of labor brokerage in which criminal middlemen (caporali) are used to recruit and control vulnerable workers and rip off part of their salaries. While workers may have contracts, in practice they are violently coerced into dehumanizing, slavery-like conditions. Though illegal in Italy, the system thrives in agricultural regions like Calabria, providing cheap labor for Europe’s food supply.
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