(2022-02-27). Putin orders Russian nuclear deterrent forces to be on highest alert. rt.com 
The move comes in response to 'hostile' rhetoric by top NATO officials, Russia's president has explained | President Vladimir Putin placed the country's strategic deterrence forces on "special" alert on Sunday, announcing the move during a meeting with Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov. | "Western countries are not only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic area. I'm speaking about the illegitimate sanctions that everyone is well aware of. However, the top officials of the leading NATO countries also make aggressive statements against our countr…
(2022-02-27). China lifts all restrictions on wheat imports from Russia. rt.com 
The move could ease the impact of western sanctions against Moscow | China is now fully open to Russian wheat deliveries, as all import restrictions have been lifted, the South China Morning Post has reported, citing the country's General Administration of Customs. | The announcement was made public on Thursday, hours after Russia began its military operation in Ukraine, the paper says, adding that the deal could provide a lifeline to the Russian economy as it faces tough economic sanctions from the EU and the US, and at the same time addresses China's need to enhance food security. | China previously restrict…
(2022-02-27). Russia-Europe Gas Transit Through Ukraine to Remain at Near Maximum Capacity, Operator Says. sputniknews.com The Russian military operation in Ukraine has sent energy prices on a rollercoaster of volatility, with oil surging past $100 a barrel and spot prices for gas jumping 60 percent or more Thursday before leveling out Friday.
(2022-02-27). Russia's vast offshore reserves could roil international money markets. rt.com 
Moscow holds $300 billion abroad, a Credit Suisse strategist estimates | The world's money markets will suffer if Ukraine-related sanctions target Russia's huge offshore reserves, according to Credit Suisse as reported by Bloomberg on Thursday. | The Swiss banking giant says Moscow has about $300 billion of foreign currency held abroad — enough to disrupt money markets if the reserves are frozen or if Moscow is forced to suddenly move them due to sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine, the business outlet quotes Credit Suisse Group AG strategist Zoltan Pozsar as saying. | "When flows change, spreads can gap…
(2022-02-27). The Left has Culture, but the World Still Belongs to the Banks. orinocotribune.com 
By Vijay Prashad — Feb 10, 2022 | 'There is great intellectual poverty on the part of the right wing', Héctor Béjar says in our latest Béjar speaks with a great deal of authority on these matters because, for the past sixty years, he has been intimately involved in the intellectual and political debates which have taken place in his native Peru and across Latin America. 'In the cul…
(2022-02-27). As West Slaps Another Package of Sanctions on Russia, Analyst Mulls Over Their Effectiveness. sputniknews.com Although Western sanctions did harm the Iranian economy, they failed to curb Tehran's nuclear drive. They also failed to result in the overthrow of the current Iranian leadership. Will the same scenario unfold in Russia?
(2022-02-27). Bank of Russia responds to Western threats. rt.com 
The regulator pledges to protect the nation's economy | The Bank of Russia (the Central Bank) will provide domestic banks with cash and non-cash liquidity in rubles in order to maintain financial stability and protect the economy from the impact of the latest Ukraine-related Western sanctions, the regulator said in a statement on Sunday. | "The Bank of Russia will continuously provide banks with cash and non-cash liquidity in rubles. The REPO (repurchase agreement) auction on Monday will be held on an unlimited basis, with full satisfaction of all applications received from banks," the statement released by th…
(2022-02-27). White House: Venezuela Will Feel the Pressure of Sanctions Against Russia (+Missile Crisis). orinocotribune.com Caracas, February 26, 2022 ( "The sanctions on Russia are so robust that they will have an impact on those governments with economic links with Russia," stated González. "And that is by design, so Venez…
(2022-02-27). Chinese FM elaborates China's basic position on Ukrainian issue. ecns.cn Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday elaborated China's basic position on the Ukrainian issue.
(2022-02-27). SEIU 1021VP Dawkins Opposes Building John Fisher's A's Stadium In Port of Oakland. indybay.org SEIU 1021 VP for Organizing Brandon Dawkins spoke out about the closure of public schools in Oakland and also opposed billionaire A's over John Fisher's stadium in the Port of Oakland.
(2022-02-27). West cuts Russians' access to 'golden passports'. rt.com 
Wealthy citizens will no longer be able to buy European citizenship | Western countries pledged to limit the 'Golden Passport' program, which allows Russians to obtain European citizenship by investment. | "We commit to acting against the people and entities who facilitate the war in Ukraine and the harmful activities of the Russian government. Specifically, we commit to taking measures to limit the sale of citizenship — so called golden passports — that let wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens of our countries and gain access to our financial systems," the leaders of…
(2022-02-27). SWIFT preparing to disconnect Russia. rt.com 
US, Canada and European countries earlier agreed to cut several banks from the system | The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) announced on Saturday that it was preparing to comply with orders from Western powers to disconnect Russia from its system. | In a
(2022-02-27). China's listed companies see strong growth in 2021. ecns.cn Listed enterprises in China registered robust growth in market value and profits last year, the latest data showed.
(2022-02-27). China's textile sector sees strong growth in 2021. ecns.cn China's textile industry posted robust expansion last year, with both revenue and profits logging double-digit growth, official data showed.
(2022-02-27). 'He Gave $417 Million. What The Hell is Going On?' Trump Urges Audit of Zuckerberg Election Funding. sputniknews.com Last October former POTUS Donald Trump insisted new analysis showed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's donation of roughly $419.5 million to election offices through a pair of nonprofits was "illegal", having purportedly boosted Democratic turnout in key areas.
(2022-02-26). Australia suspends RT broadcast. rt.com 
Australia's satellite operator said the move has been made out of "concern about the situation in Ukraine" | Australia's satellite operator, Foxtel, has notified RT on Saturday that it is suspending the channel's broadcast distribution in Australia as part of its services "in view of concern about the situation in Ukraine." The operator will then further "consider" its rights under the channel license agreement, it added, without elaborating on any potential additional measures. | Foxtel is a satellite operator covering all of Australia's territory and has its own over-the-top (OTT) server allowing media servi…
(2022-02-26). US Plans to Destroy Taiwan to "Save" It. newatlas.report 
February 26, 2022 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — Tensions between the United States and China exist across a wide spectrum of areas, from economics to geopolitics. Among the many flashpoint issues defining this growing confrontation is the "Taiwan question." Officially, the United States recognizes what is known as the "One China Policy." The US State …
(2022-02-26). Russia, Ukraine and the chronicle of a war foretold. mronline.org 
After the fall of the Soviet Union, there was a near-universal understanding among political leaders that NATO expansion would be a foolish provocation against Russia. How naive we were to think the military-industrial complex would allow such sanity to prevail.
(2022-02-26). Berlin antiwar rally exposes Washington's lies. iacenter.org By John Catalinotto February 25, 2022 Despite gale warnings, the Berlin Peace Coordination drew a thousand people to a Feb. 18 antiwar rally on the Platz des 18. Mà§rz at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, under the slogans "Stop the media warmongering and NATO aggression policy" and "Disarmament and peace with Russia." Among the participants were members of the Left Party, the German Communist Party and the Friends of Nature. Left Party representative in Bundestag, Sevim Dagdelen, at Feb. 18 antiwar rally. Friko (Peace Coordination) Left Party member of the Bundestag, Sevim Dagdelen, to the cheers of the crowd…
(2022-02-26). Herd immunity in Northern Ireland: "My family has been torn apart" wsws.org "The moneymen in government don't care how many families suffer, as long as profits keep rolling and the economy is booming."
(2022-02-26). Macron says Ukraine conflict 'will last'. rt.com 
The French president is convening the country's defense council on Saturday | The conflict between Russia and Ukraine "will last," so France is bracing for the economic impact — that's the conclusion President Emmanuel Macron made on Saturday. | "War has returned to Europe," he said while speaking at an agricultural show. "In a certain way there will be consequences in our exports for the major sectors." | Macron also said the French defense council will gather on Saturday afternoon to discuss the situation in Ukraine. | After Russia began its operation to "demilitarize" Ukraine earlier this week, France…
(2022-02-26). [Comment] Offline: There is no right to lie. thelancet.com Perhaps the most curious aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the flourishing of anti-science movements, despite the demonstrable triumphs of science in producing life-saving antivirals and vaccines. Mistrust of science is spreading well beyond COVID-19. Political challenges to climate action, notably the goal of net zero emissions, are growing, especially as economic stress impoverishes millions. 5G remains a target for many science sceptics. And libertarian politicians condemn scientists as unelected threats to democratic freedoms.
(2022-02-26). How economic 'reforms' plundered India. peoplesdispatch.org Capitalism is based on big lies — that the West is prosperous because of the Industrial revolution and free market policies. In reality the riches of the developed world is based entirely on draining wealth from the poorer countries. It is a process that has continued even after the end of colonies. In fact, this plunder has increased since the 1980s, when neoliberal economics came to rule the world.
(2022-02-26). REI Workers In SoHo Schedule First Union Vote. popularresistance.org More than 100 retail workers at the national outdoor gear chain Recreational Equipment, Inc. will decide whether to form a union during an in-person vote on March 2, paving the way for what could become the company's first unionized store. | The workers are campaigning to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union in order to help workers address issues related to wages, paid-time off scheduling, training and workplace safety concerns, organizers said. Union organizers announced the vote Wednesday night and records from the National Labor Relations Board confirmed the election will be held throughout t…
(2022-02-26). Union files complaint: Is Amazon trying to rig the Bessemer election AGAIN? liberationnews.org 
The Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union released a statement announcing the filing of Unfair Labor Practice charges against Amazon alleging illegal union-busting actions by the company in the re-run union election in Bessemer, Alabama.
(2022-02-26). Immune to Irony: Nazi Collaborators and Authoritarian Personalities Denounce Russia. dissidentvoice.org O would some Power the gift to give usTo see ourselves as others see us! — Robert Burns, To a Louse, 1786 This famous quote by the great Scottish poet Robert Burns stands as one of the clearest reminders of a precondition for any matured identity. Burns understood that without having learned to use our …
(2022-02-26). Asteroid 'Taller Than Dubai Skyscraper, Wider than The Vatican' to Skim Past Earth. sputniknews.com NASA had earlier warned that a kilometre-plus wide, potentially hazardous asteroid would be passing near Earth in early March. The agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) considers any asteroid of at least 150 metres in diameter passing within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth to be potentially hazardous.
(2022-02-26). Russia's space agency responds to Western sanctions. rt.com 
The Russian space agency has turned to China with a collaboration proposal | Roscosmos will cease work on joint space projects with Europe and the United States and instead seek cooperation with China, the head of the Russian space agency Dmitry Rogozin announced on Saturday. | Rogozin told Tass news agency on Saturday that he had given his team an order to start negotiations with Beijing on coordination and mutual technical support of all deep space missions, including the 'Venera-D' project, the first Russian mission to Venus since Soviet times. | "Under the conditions of sanctions, US participation in the p…
(2022-02-26). Ukraine: Partisans and Collaborators. libya360.wordpress.com Apparatchik As a result of the present confrontation in Ukraine, much discussion has taken place about the possibility of an insurgency against Russian forces. At the same time, the extent of far-right entanglement with…
(2022-02-26). Russian Military Operation Prevented Launch Of U.S. Bio-Laboratories In Ukraine. Kiev Hiding Evidence. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The Russian military special operation in Ukraine coincided with the planned launch of U.S. military biolaboratories in Kiev and Odessa. On February 26, the US Embassy in Ukraine rushed to delete all documents about 11 Pentagon-funded bio-laboratories in Ukraine from its website. All these documents (now deleted by the Embassy), you can read In October 2021, the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department…
(2022-02-26). US-Backed Fighters Occupied Syrian Government Building In Al-Qamishli. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image, source: sdf-press.com | On February 26, fighters from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) occupied a building of the Damascus government in the northeastern Syrian town of al-Qamishli. | According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, SDF fighters took over the Social Insurance and Labor building in the town's center by force."A groups of SDF fighters took control of the three-story Social Security and Labor building after breaking the door locks then began to guard the main entranc…
(2022-02-26). SWP takes truckers' fight in Canada to working class. themilitant.com 
Members of the Socialist Workers Party have been building on the momentum of the recently concluded successful renewal campaign to introduce the paper and the party's election campaign to workers and farmers at plant gates, strike picket lines, political events and on their doorsteps. | They're making special efforts to meet truckers to discuss the conditions they face and how working people can defend ourselves. | "Fuel prices are high, freight is low. And the shippers and receivers keep us waiting for 13, 14 hours and we don't get paid. I'm for the Canadian truckers," Chris Weber told Eleanor García, SWP candid…
(2022-02-26). Hedges: Assange Affirms the Existence of Another Kind of Human Nature. scheerpost.com 
Original illustration by Mr. Fish | By Chris Hedges / A Statement made at the We know what Julian did. We know the great public service he provided. We know that he and WikiLeaks, aided by courageous figures such as Chelsea Manning, gave us the most important journalist coup of our generation, ripping back the veil erected by the ruling political, military, and financial elites to expose their mendacity, their corruption, and their crimes. We know that populations around the world, from Haiti to Tunisia, w…
(2022-02-26). Chinese banks limit financing for Russian purchases — media. rt.com 
The two largest lenders reportedly restricted funding for the purchase of Russian commodities | China's largest public financial institutions are reportedly limiting financing to purchase raw materials from Russia under the threat of sanctions from the US and allies over the military operation in Ukraine. | The step, which might only be temporary, was taken by at least two of China's largest state-controlled banks, ICBC and Bank of China, which are at major risk of secondary sanctions from Washington, Bloomberg news agency reported on Saturday, citing unidentified sources. | ICBC, the world's biggest bank by a…
(2022-02-26). Argentina Expects Agreement With IMF in the Near Future. telesurenglish.net The divergent points between the Casa Rosada and the international organization lie in the way to reduce the fiscal deficit, with the objective of reducing the 2.5 percent of GDP set for 2022 to 0.9 percent in 2024. | As IMF staff and Argentina advance on talks for a new agreement, the lender's board is closely following whether the country meets four key criteria that would allow it to receive a large loan. Feb. 26, 2022.
(2022-02-26). Russian Space Agency Suspends Cooperation With Europe on Launches in Kourou Spaceport. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian space agency Roscosmos is suspending cooperation with Europe on launches from the Kourou cosmodrome and is recalling its employees from French Guiana in response to sanctions imposed by the European Union, the head of the agency, Dmitry Rogozin, said on Saturday.
(2022-02-26). [Correspondence] Have we really failed to roll back malaria? thelancet.com The World Malaria Report (WMR) 2021 estimates that there were 241 million (95% CI 218—269) malaria cases in the world in 2020, which is the same number as in 2000 (241 [226—260] million).1 Has the global burden of malaria really not changed over 20 years, after spending more than US$30 billion on malaria control activities, and after distributing more than 2 ∑5 billion insecticide-treated bednets, 3 billion rapid diagnostic tests, and 3 ∑5 billion artemisinin combination treatments?
(2022-02-26). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and New Zealand. wsws.org India: Tamil Nadu state transport workers demonstrate over working conditions; Punjab fire fighters workers protest sackings; Pakistan: Quetta municipal workers demand unpaid wages; West Australian Newspaper print workers still locked out; CHEP pallet workers continue strikes in New Zealand…
(2022-02-26). How Ukraine is helping Turkey become world military power. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Ahmedabad MirrorFebruary 19, 2022 How Ukraine Is Helping Turkey To Become A Formidable Military PowerAditi Bhaduri In a rare move, a Chinese company Skyrizon at the end of 2021 filed an application to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration over the failed purchase of Ukraine's Motor Sich, one of the worlds advanced military aircraft engine …
(2022-02-26). Declaración del PSL sobre la intervención militar de Rusia en Ucrania. liberationnews.org 
La operación militar rusa en Ucrania pone de manifiesto que el mundo ha llegado a una peligrosa bifurcación.
(2022-02-26). Chinese translation of "2022: Year Three of the pandemic and the emerging global class struggle" wsws.org The perspective outlines a socialist and internationalist perspective for the global working class and is of immense relevance to workers and young people in China, as well as the millions around the world who also read Mandarin.
(2022-02-26). Defend the independence of Ukraine! Moscow out now! themilitant.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin Feb. 21 declared that the Moscow-backed "People's Republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk set up in Ukraine in 2014 were independent countries and ordered Russian troops to go in as "peacekeepers." The Kremlin's invasion is backed by the largest military mobilization on the European continent since World War II. | "The Socialist Workers Party demands Moscow pull its tanks and troops out of Ukraine and respect the sovereignty of Ukraine," Joanne Kuniansky, Socialist Workers Party leader and candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey, told the press the next day. "Sin…
(2022-02-26). Protest Canadian rulers' Emergencies Act attack on workers' protests, rights! themilitant.com 
MONTREAL — "The sweeping police operation carried out under the anti-working-class Emergencies Act against the three-week protest in Ottawa, Canada's capital, by truckers and others opposed to vaccine mandates is an assault on the political rights of all working people," said Philippe Tessier, Communist League candidate in a Quebec provincial by-election in the riding of Marie-Victorin. "It is one of the largest acts of police repression in modern Canadian history and should be opposed by all unions and supporters of democratic rights. | "As of today — Feb. 22 — even though the cops have shut do…
(2022-02-26). Communist Party of Russia Calls for Increased Nationalization, Dedollarization, an End to Digital ID and Mass Vaccinations. libya360.wordpress.com "The answer to external pressure should be a radical change in domestic policy". The 2014 coup d'état in Ukraine was carried out with the support of the United States and the European Union. It brought to power extremely reactionary forces imbued with the poison of Banderite Nazism and Russophobia. The burning of people in the…