(2022-03-06). Gas Prices: Why EU and UK Sanctions Game Will See No Winners. sputniknews.com Eight and half million households may end up in fuel poverty, being forced to pay over £3,000 (about $4,000) a year to heat their homes amid the European energy crisis, which has been further exacerbated by sweeping anti-Russian sanctions. However, it's only the beginning, economic observers have warned.
(2022-03-06). Ukraine appears to confirm death of negotiator dubbed 'traitor' by media. rt.com 
The former banker participated in peace talks with Russia from Kiev's side | Kiev has said that Denis Kireev, a secret agent on a mission from Ukraine's Defense Ministry, has died. Earlier reports claimed that a man with the same name was killed by Ukrainian secret services as a suspected traitor. | Ukraine's Chief Directorate of Intelligence said on Saturday that Kireev was among three agents killed in the line of duty. "They have died, protecting Ukraine," the military intelligence agency wrote on social media, without elaborating. | News of Kireev's death has caused some confusion after Ukrainian media init…
(2022-03-06). Embajada de Rusia informa sobre los primeros turistas rusos evacuados en Cuba. cubadebate.cu En un mensaje publicado en Twitter, la sede diplomática rusa en La Habana confirmó que los 300 turistas volaron a su país en una aeronave de Aeroflot, que arribó a La Habana para colaborar en la evacuación de los turistas de su país.
(2022-03-06). BoJo Urged by MPs to Reverse Fracking Ban in the Name of Forging a 'Path to Energy Independence'. sputniknews.com In early February, in a joint letter to Boris Johnson, MPs called on the PM to abandon the "unconservative" fracking ban, claiming it would allow the UK to combat the "cost of living crisis", while reducing reliance on imported gas and stabilising energy prices.
(2022-03-06). Russian banks switch to Chinese UnionPay. rt.com 
Move supposed to soften effect on Russian card holders due to Visa and MasterCard withdrawal | On Sunday, several Russian banks announced plans to start issuing cards using the Chinese UnionPay card operator system. | The step, which came shortly after Mastercard and Visa pledged to cease operations in Russia and disconnect all the country's banks from their payment systems, will enable the holders of new cards to use them for paying and withdrawing cash abroad. | On Saturday, international financial service providers Visa and Mastercard said they would suspend operations in Russia within the next several days…
(2022-03-06). Inflation in Venezuela at its Lowest Since 2014 (+Colombia). orinocotribune.com 
Caracas, March 5, 2022 ( Venezuela has suffered chronic inflation for several decades. From 2017 until December 2021 the inflation worsened, and Venezuela entered into a hyperinflation cycle ignited by Washington and Europe's blockade, with monthly…
(2022-03-06). Russian companies are now allowed to pay foreign creditors in rubles. rt.com 
Putin approves pay procedures to Russian firms' foreign creditors | Russia and Russian companies are now allowed to pay foreign creditors in rubles as a tool to avoid defaults while capital controls remain in place. | The decree, signed by President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, sets out temporary regulations for sovereign and corporate debtors to provide payments to creditors from "countries that engage in hostile activities" against Russia, its companies, and citizens. The list of such nations will be released by the Russian government within two days. | The new requirement, which comes three weeks after Washi…
(2022-03-06). In Haiti, misery breeds resistance. iacenter.org By G. Dunkel March 3, 2022 Thousands of Haitian garment workers, mainly women, have hit the streets in February demanding that the government raise their minimum wage to 1,500 gourdes (about $14) for a 9-hour day. They currently make 500 gourdes (about $4.80) a day. The workers, mostly women who spend over half their salaries on transportation to and from the factories, are demanding a raise. credit: Konbit Journalis These low wages, and a bourgeoisie more than willing to intensely exploit workers, are what has drawn big companies like Gap, Old Navy, H&M, JCPenney and Zara to hire Haitian companies in duty-free "
(2022-03-06). US state-run media outlet halts operations in Russia. rt.com 
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty accused Moscow of "an assault on the truth" | US government-controlled news organization Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has become yet another Western outlet to suspend operations in Russia, amid the country's ongoing attack against Ukraine. | "It is with the deepest regret that I announce the suspension of our physical operations in Moscow today," RFE/RL President & CEO Jamie Fly said in a statement early Sunday. | "This is not a decision that RFE/RL has taken of its own accord, but one that has been forced upon us by the Putin regime's assault on the truth," he state…
(2022-03-06). MARCH for PEACE in UKRAINE; Global Day of Action. indybay.org Co-sponsored by CODEPINK & Democratic Socialists of America, and other allies. | Join us in a march through the streets of San Francisco to Stand in Solidarity for Peace in Ukraine. Our shared demands are:…
(2022-03-06). EU comments on warplanes for Kiev. rt.com 
Ukraine insists it needs jet fighters to repel the Russian attack | European Council President Charles Michel has said that the bloc's military aid to Ukraine will not include jet fighters, which Kiev has insisted it badly needs to fend off the ongoing Russian invasion. | "The European Union is definitely not at war with Russia. A war is what Russia has launched against Ukraine, a country very friendly and very close to the EU. That is why we support Ukraine on all levels," Michel said in an interview with several European newspapers on Saturday. | The chief of the EU's top political body confirmed that the EU…
(2022-03-05). Ukraine War: Who's To Blame And What's The Solution? A Socialist View. popularresistance.org Intense bombing and fighting continues throughout Ukraine as Russia's war enters its second week. Western countries have imposed a sanctions regime on Russia that is battering the economy and hitting workers the hardest. Eugene Puryear and Brian Becker discuss the latest on the war and explore the essential historical context, establishing five basic principles and points of unity for progressive forces in the West. They also discuss how the question of war and imperialism has served as an essential litmus test for socialists in the past.
(2022-03-05). NYT Fact-Check Goes Full Loon Tune to Trash Biden. cepr.net In his State of the Union Address, President Biden claimed the economy creating over 6.5 million jobs in his first year in office, which he said was the most ever. The New York Times boasted about fact-checking this claim. It rated it "partially true." The fact-check said: "Biden is correct on the numbers. But the …
(2022-03-05). NYT Fact-Check Goes Full Looney Tunes to Trash Biden. cepr.net In his State of the Union Address, President Biden claimed the economy creating over 6.5 million jobs in his first year in office, which he said was the most ever. The New York Times The fact-check said: "Biden is correct on the numbers. But the government only started collecting this [sic] data in 1939." | Okay folks, at the start of 1939, when the government started publishing this series, we had fewer than 30 million jobs by this measure (non-farm, payroll employment). An…
(2022-03-05). China to provide priority support for key projects in 14th Five-Year Plan: draft budget report. ecns.cn In optimizing the structure of government spending, China will provide priority support for key projects that have been included in the 14th Five-Year Plan and specific plans in key areas, according to a draft budget report submitted to China's top legislature on Saturday.
(2022-03-05). Daniel H. Rosen's Argument Revisited on Post-Covid China. moderndiplomacy.eu According to Daniel H. Rosen's article "Xi Is Running Out of Time: China's Economy Heads for a Hard Landing," China's economy is on the verge of a "hard landing" and the Chinese Communist Party is in danger of losing its power. Some people are worried that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has missed an opportunity …
(2022-03-05). UK advises its citizens to get out of Russia. rt.com 
The Foreign Office has warned about the lack of available flights and increased volatility of the Russian economy | London has told British nationals to consider leaving Russia, which has been slapped with harsh sanctions following its decision to invade Ukraine. | "If your presence in Russia is not essential, we strongly advise that you consider leaving by remaining commercial routes," the Foreign Office said on its website on Saturday. | It also advised UK citizens against all travel to the country, citing "the lack of available flight options to return to the UK, and the increased volatility in the Russian…
(2022-03-05). Follow the Money: How Russia will Bypass Western Economic Warfare. orinocotribune.com By Pepe Escobar — Mar 01, 2022 | The US and EU are over-reaching on Russian sanctions. The end result could be the de-dollarization of the global economy and massive commodity shortages worldwide. | So a congregation of NATO's top brass ensconced in their echo chambers target the Russian Central Bank with sanctions and expect what? Cookies? | What they got instead was Russia's deterrence forces bumped up to "a special regime of duty" — which means the Northern and Pacific fleets, the Long-Range Aviation Command, strategic bombers and the entire Russian nuclear apparatus on maximum alert. | One Pentagon…
(2022-03-05). News on China | No. 89. dissidentvoice.org China criticizes NATO expansion, supports national sovereignty. It calls for both sides, Russia and Ukraine, to end the war. China restates its opposition to unilateral economic sanctions. The de-dollarization of China-Russia trade is about to increase. China is the world leader in transitioning to clean energy. The rate of urbanization slows down.
(2022-03-05). For African and Colonized Peoples, to Understand Ukraine: De-Center Europe and Focus on Imperialism (Statement). orinocotribune.com
(2022-03-05). Twitch halts payments for Russian streamers. rt.com 
The platform has banned transactions in compliance with international sanctions | Online streaming platform Twitch banned Russian streamers from transferring their money to Russian bank cards on Saturday, gamers reported. | The decision was made known by Russian streamer Alexei Gubanov, also known as JesusAVGN, on his Telegram account. The streamer uploaded a screenshot of an official Twitch response about the issue. | "Twitch complies with the terms of economic sanctions imposed by the US and other governments, and takes into account the sanctions introduced due to the attack on Ukraine. These sanctions can l…
(2022-03-05). China capable of meeting its growth target, head of top economic regulator says. ecns.cn China is capable of meeting its economic growth target of around 5.5 percent in 2022, according to the country's top economic regulator.
(2022-03-05). China will strive to achieve stable macroeconomic performance: Government work report. ecns.cn China will strive to achieve stable macroeconomic performance and keep major economic indicators within the appropriate range, according to a government work report submitted Saturday to the national legislature for deliberation.
(2022-03-05). Embargo on Russian Oil Could Hit Global Energy Markets Hard, Kremlin Says. sputniknews.com According to the Kremlin's spokesman, Russia has been watching the situation on international energy markets closely.
(2022-03-05). Skyrocketing Energy Bills Could Plunge 8.5 Million UK Households Into Fuel Poverty. sputniknews.com Last week, European energy prices jumped almost 70% shortly after the EU's announcement of new tough anti-Russian sanctions over the beginning of Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine to protect the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.
(2022-03-05). [Perspectives] Sally Grantham-McGregor: pioneer in early childhood development. thelancet.com "I can still be horrified by the poverty in the world and how it affects children's development", says Sally Grantham-McGregor, Emeritus Professor of International Child Health at University College London (UCL), UK, and the doyenne of early childhood development (ECD). In pioneering work in Jamaica, she developed a low-cost early childhood intervention and showed that it can have long-term benefits for children. Now called Reach Up, it has been implemented in 16 countries, with several, including China and Peru, rolling it out as a national programme.
(2022-03-05). 11 million new jobs, improvements for flexibly employed unveiled in report. ecns.cn It stated that the government aims to create more than 11 million new jobs in urban areas this year and to keep the unemployment rate in urban areas under 5.5 percent.
(2022-03-05). [Perspectives] The modern medical memoir. thelancet.com This Is Going To Hurt, and so it did. Adam Kay's book of the same name with its snappy writing, drama, and vicious humour has done so well that it has been adapted into a BBC television series, starring Ben Wishaw, handsome in scrubs, but also often covered in blood and desperate with fatigue. The series seems to have divided opinion. Some viewers have objected to the misogynistic language and demeaning way that women in labour are often treated and portrayed. Others find the series darkly funny, making public those things previously confined to the doctors' mess.
(2022-03-05). US Ambassador James Story Causes More Fractures in Venezuelan Opposition. orinocotribune.com The recent meeting in Bogota between three Venezuelan opposition governors and the fake "US ambassador" to Venezuela James Story seems to be enlarging the fractures of the already divided right-wing political groups in Venezuela. The meeting has unleashed a series of criticism and hesitations amongst the opposition factions themselves. | For example, statements of José Ignacio Hernández, one of Juan Guaidó's close collaborators and "special attorney" of the so-called interim government, highlighted the discrepancies amongst right-wing sectors. Hernández dismissed the meeting between James Story and the governors…
(2022-03-05). Crude could hit $200 in case of Moscow energy embargo — US shale boss. rt.com 
The head of Pioneer Natural Resources warns that the US won't be able to replace Russia's shortfall | Global prices for crude may surge to $200 per barrel if Russian oil and gas are banned, warns Scott Sheffield, the chief executive of the US' biggest shale oil operator, Pioneer Natural Resources. | "The only way to stop Putin is to ban oil and gas exports," Sheffield said, as quoted by the Financial Times. "[But] if the Western world announces that we're going to ban Russian oil and gas, oil is going to go to $200 a barrel, probably — $150 to $200 easy." | Sheffield warned that the US would be unable to…
(2022-03-05). India wants to bypass dollar to keep trading with Russia. rt.com 
New Delhi considering switching to rupee-ruble settlements amid sanctions on Moscow | India is in search of efficient tools to skirt around the latest penalties imposed on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, as New Delhi looks to keep trade with Moscow going, Indian media reports. | Among the options reportedly being considered are making settlements via foreign financial institutions that don't operate in countries that have supported the punitive measures against Russia, routing payments through minor Russian lenders unaffected by the SWIFT ban, and boosting its rupee-ruble arrangement. | Russian banking ma…
(2022-03-05). US senator blasts Wall Street for 'undermining' anti-Russia sanctions. rt.com 
Elizabeth Warren accuses investment banks of helping Moscow by buying up Russia's corporate bonds | One of the most vociferous critics of Wall Street, US Senator and former presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren, has accused American financial institutions of "undermining" the sanctions imposed on Moscow by Washington and its allies over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. | "Giant Wall Street banks like JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs never miss out on an opportunity to get richer even if it means capitalizing on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and undermining sanctions placed on Russian businesses," Warren said in a statem…
(2022-03-05). €4.5bn allocated to strengthen Iran's defense power. en.mehrnews.com The government was obliged to allocate €4.5 billion to strengthen defense power and strategic defense research using the financial resources of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).
(2022-03-05). How Does the Washington Post Know that Republicans Have "Concerns" About Federal Spending? cepr.net The way this should be reported is simply to tell readers what the Republicans say, for example refer to "complaints," rather than try to tell us what they think.
(2022-03-05). PayPal shuts down operations in Russia. rt.com 
The online payment service joins other tech and finance companies withdrawing amid the Ukraine conflict | PayPal Holdings Inc. halted its operations in Russia on Saturday morning. The online payments company has followed other finance and technology firms in leaving the country due to the military conflict in Ukraine. | "Under the current circumstances, we are suspending PayPal services in Russia," Chief Executive Dan Schulman said, adding that the company "stands with the international community in condemning Russia's violent military aggression in Ukraine." | A representative announced that the service would…
(2022-03-05). China will pursue stable growth of foreign trade and investment: Government work report. ecns.cn China will pursue higher-standard opening up and promote stable growth of foreign trade and investment, according to a government work report submitted Saturday to the national legislature for deliberation.
(2022-03-05). Turkey ends remaining pandemic measures as over 200 die every day. wsws.org This ending of public health measures is based not on science and protecting the health of the population but on the profit interests of the ruling capitalist class.
(2022-03-05). Australian workers face closure of Eraring coal-fired power plant by 2025. wsws.org Origin Energy's plan to bring forward the shutdown is motivated by flagging profits from fossil fuel energy, not concern for the environment.
(2022-03-05). The unknown paths of the late Marx. mronline.org 
An interview with Marcello Musto about the last decade of Marx's life.
(2022-03-05). Critical race theory: US right-wing wages a culture war, the people fight back. peoplesdispatch.org Conservatives are going after a new boogeyman, "critical race theory", or any attempt at teaching youth about the history of US racism…
(2022-03-05). Australian Education Union uses anti-democratic delegates' meetings to promote sellout agreement. wsws.org High school teacher and Committee For Public Education member Will Marshall exposed the union's claims on workload, wages, and provisions covering Education Support staff.
(2022-03-05). Our New Cloud-Based Ruling Class. zcomm.org Capital is everywhere, yet capitalism is on the wane…
(2022-03-05). [Comment] Gefapixant for chronic cough. thelancet.com Chronic cough is responsible for a decrease in quality of life. Chronic cough affects approximately 5—10% of the global population1,2 and might be complicated by incontinence, cough syncope, and dysphonia, leading to social embarrassment and subsequent social isolation and depression or anxiety.3,4 In some people, cough is associated with a treatable underlying disease such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Many of these individuals might respond to treatments targeting the primary cause.
(2022-03-05). NY meeting: Defend Ukraine, Cuba's socialist revolution! themilitant.com 
NEW YORK — "Tens of thousands of workers and others in Ukraine are throwing themselves into defending the sovereignty of their country. They are putting up a fierce resistance, against a murderous invasion by Vladimir Putin's regime in Russia aimed at conquering and obliterating their nation," Militant editor John Studer told a special meeting of over 100 people in New York City Feb. 27. "We want to join their defense, using the Militant and the Socialist Workers Party campaigns to tell the truth about what is unfolding there and the need for Putin's forces to be defeated." | Studer participated in three…
(2022-03-05). Join 'Militant' drive! Fight Moscow's war on Ukraine! themilitant.com 
In response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the Militant has launched a timely and needed international drive to expand the reach of the paper, win 1,600 new subscribers, sell 1,600 books by Socialist Workers Party and other revolutionary leaders presenting a communist program and marking the lessons from past working-class struggles, and to raise $165,000 for a Militant Fighting Fund for the paper. The campaign is already off and running and goes through May 17. We're asking our readers to join in! | In response to the first major war on the European continent in decades, with consequences for the toilers world…
(2022-03-05). How Greensboro Massacre Survivor Taught The Next Generation To Fight. popularresistance.org On November 3, 1979, Marty Nathan, Mike Nathan, and other members and supporters of the Communist Workers' Party were stationed along the route of a "Death to the Klan" march in Greensboro, North Carolina. This multiracial working-class movement's success organizing textile and hospital workers had attracted the attention of the Ku Klux Klan; "not surprisingly," Marty explained, "the Klan began to rise in 1979 … [in places] where hard-hitting union organizing and strikes were occurring." Not only were workers and organizers faced with resistance and threats from employers — they were also confronted with…
(2022-03-05). Xi takes part in deliberation of Inner Mongolia delegation at annual legislative session. ecns.cn President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Saturday afternoon took part in a deliberation with his fellow deputies from the delegation of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, at the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature.