(2024-02-17). Correspondence] Economic crises and cancer care in Pakistan—timely action saves lives. thelancet.com Cancer treatment is often ignored during economic crises; Sri Lankans are still striving to stabilise their health-care system.1 Currently, the health systems in low-income and middle-income countries are least prepared to operate independently in emergencies and combat global cancer inequities. Alarmingly, in Pakistan, political turmoil has contributed to a catastrophic decline in the economy and looming bankruptcy.2 Being the world's fifth most populous country (with a population of >232 million people), due to depleting reserves, rising inflation, and calamitous recent floods, the value of currency in Pakis…
(2024-02-16). Wednesday 2/28: Virtual Meeting: Local Peace Economy. indybay.org
(2024-02-16). Open-air markets bolster Beijing's street vending economy. ecns.cn Spring Festival decorations such as lanterns and couplets are sold at the Shahe Market on Jan 7."Together, we have located more such markets in the suburbs of Beijing, and I am planning to visit them one by one.""ÄÄ"ÄÄA visitor gets a taste of the market.
(2024-02-16). International experts expect further advances in China | Spring Festival Goes Global. ecns.cn As the world celebrates the coming of the Year of the Dragon, global experts send their greetings."China has made the right kinds of investments for the real economy to prosper," said David Blair, vice president and senior economist at the Center for China and Globalization, in an interview with China News Network. He expects the Chinese economy to grow further over the next decade.
(2024-02-16). International experts expect the Chinese economy to flourish with more technological breakthroughs | Spring Festival Goes Global. ecns.cn As the world celebrates the coming of the Year of the Dragon, global experts send their greetings. Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, expects the Chinese economy to prosper in the years to come by opening markets, maintaining regional stability, and deepening cooperation.
(2024-02-16). Defusing The Derivatives Time Bomb: Some Proposed Solutions. popularresistance.org This is a sequel to a Jan. 15 article titled "Casino Capitalism and the Derivatives Market: Time for Another 'Lehman Moment'?", discussing the threat of a 2024 "black swan" event that could pop the derivatives bubble. That bubble is now over ten times the GDP of the world and is so interconnected and fragile that an unanticipated crisis could trigger the collapse not just of the bubble but of the economy. To avoid that result, in the event of the bankruptcy of a major financial institution, derivative claimants are put first in line to grab the assets — not just the deposits of customers but their stocks an…
(2024-02-16). UK falls into recession in huge blow to PM Sunak. presstv.ir Britain's economy fell into a recession, a tough backdrop ahead of election for PM Rishi Sunak .
(2024-02-16). Immigrants do Work that Might Not Otherwise Get Done, Bolstering the US economy. counterpunch.org 
Although Congress is failing to pass laws to restrict the number of migrants arriving in the U.S., a majority of Americans — about 6 in 10 — believe there's an immigration crisis along the Mexico-U.S. border. Politicians who want fewer people to move here often cast those arriving without prior authorization as a burden on
(2024-02-16). Why the US Is Reimposing Sanctions on Venezuela. dissidentvoice.org Even the US business magazine Forbes expressed surprise at the reimposition of US sanctions on Venezuela's gold sales and its threat to do the same with oil. The oil sanctions especially, if reinstated, would precipitate higher gas prices and further debilitate the Venezuelan economy, forcing more people to leave the country out of economic necessity. …
(2024-02-17). Tucker Carlson mocks US amid visiting Russia's affordable, clean Moscow grocery store. albawaba.com Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host and outspoken defender of Vladimir Putin, has sparked controversy with his latest video from Moscow, where he is reportedly preparing to interview the Russian president.In the video, Carlson claims that he was "radicalized" by visiting a grocery store in Moscow and finding low prices and abundant food, despite the US sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine."We've been told sanctions on Russia have had a devastating effect on its economy. We visited a grocery store in Moscow and found a very different situation," Carlson says in the video, which he posted on his X…
(2024-02-17). Lack of support to vulnerable sectors will be denounced in Argentina. plenglish.com Buenos Aires, Feb 17 (Prensa Latina) The Argentine movement Somos Barrios de Pie confirmed that it will hold a protest in front of the Ministry of Economy to denounce the lack of support from the Government in the face of the existing food emergency.
(2024-02-17). Open-air markets bolster Beijing's street vending economy. ecns.cn Spring Festival decorations such as lanterns and couplets are sold at the Shahe Market on Jan 7."Together, we have located more such markets in the suburbs of Beijing, and I am planning to visit them one by one.""ÄÄ"ÄÄA visitor gets a taste of the market.
(2024-02-17). International experts expect further advances in China | Spring Festival Goes Global. ecns.cn As the world celebrates the coming of the Year of the Dragon, global experts send their greetings."China has made the right kinds of investments for the real economy to prosper," said David Blair, vice president and senior economist at the Center for China and Globalization, in an interview with China News Network. He expects the Chinese economy to grow further over the next decade.
(2024-02-17). International experts expect the Chinese economy to flourish with more technological breakthroughs | Spring Festival Goes Global. ecns.cn As the world celebrates the coming of the Year of the Dragon, global experts send their greetings. Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, expects the Chinese economy to prosper in the years to come by opening markets, maintaining regional stability, and deepening cooperation.
(2024-02-17). Defusing the Derivatives Time Bomb: Some Proposed Solutions. dissidentvoice.org The "protected class" is granted "safe harbor" only because their bets are so risky that to let them fail could crash the economy. But why let them bet at all? This is a sequel to a January 15 article titled "Casino Capitalism and the Derivatives Market: Time for Another 'Lehman Moment'?", discussing the threat of …
(2024-02-17). It's Important To Focus On Companies Using Inflation To Jack Up Prices. popularresistance.org If you buy groceries, you know that prices are high. And if you read the paper, you've probably heard that prices are high because of, well, "inflation," and "shocks to the supply chain," and other language you understand, but don't quite understand. | One article told me that | economists see pandemic-related spending meant to stabilize the economy as a factor, along with war-impacted supply chains and steps taken by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates | —all of which may be true, but still doesn't really help me see why four sticks of butter now cost $8. | Not to mention that the same piece talks…
(2024-02-16). The British Economy Struggles while Billions of Pounds of Military Aid Are Funnelled to Ukraine. globalresearch.ca
(2024-02-16). Strategic integrated projects. sanews.gov.za Strategic integrated projects | By Nomonde Mnukwa | It is often said that water is life, and this is indeed the case as no life can be sustained without water. However, very few people give a second thought about the infrastructure required to ensure clean, drinkable water. | In South Africa government is undertaking a massive infrastructure investment and build programme in the form of Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs), which are aimed at improving the quality of life for all South Africans. | Government is working to transform key sectors of our economy such as electricity, rail, ports and telecommunications…
(2024-02-17). Outlining Existential Challenges Facing World, Secretary-General Stresses Need for 'Global Economy That Works for Everyone, Everywhere', in Remarks to Security Forum. reliefweb.int Countries: Libya, Myanmar, occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, Ukraine, World, Yemen | Source: UN Secretary-General | SG/SM/22135 | Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres' remarks to the Munich Security Conference today: | It's a pleasure to be here in Munich. | As the title of our discussion implies, today's global order is not working for everyone. In fact, I would go further and say: it's not working for anyone. | Our world is facing existential challenges, but the global community is more fragmented and divided than at any time during the past 75 years. | Even the cold war era was, in some…
(2024-02-17). Egypt starts getting rid of the US Dollar. albawaba.com ALBAWABA – Egypt has initiated a formal step within the current strategy of the BRICS group aimed at reducing its reliance on the US dollar, according to various reports.Egypt wants to use their own money more for trading instead of relying on the dollar. They say it will help them deal with financial pressures better.This move shows that Egypt, along with other countries in BRICS, is trying to change how they do business globally. They want to be less dependent on the US dollar, especially with all the problems happening in the US economy.According to "Watcher Guru", this decision reflects a broader trend among…
(2024-02-17). Wednesday 2/28: Virtual Meeting: Local Peace Economy. indybay.org
(2024-02-16). Tucker Carlson mocks US amid visiting Russia's affordable, clean Moscow grocery store. albawaba.com Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host and outspoken defender of Vladimir Putin, has sparked controversy with his latest video from Moscow, where he is reportedly preparing to interview the Russian president.In the video, Carlson claims that he was "radicalized" by visiting a grocery store in Moscow and finding low prices and abundant food, despite the US sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine."We've been told sanctions on Russia have had a devastating effect on its economy. We visited a grocery store in Moscow and found a very different situation," Carlson says in the video, which he posted on his X…
(2024-02-16). Insights丨Former official of WEF: China's economic shift promising through sustainable development. ecns.cn Claude Smadja, Former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, noted during an exclusive interview with China News Network that China has achieved tremendous progress in many areas including artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and electric cars.
(2024-02-16). ECLAC launches Observatory to support digital development processes. plenglish.com Santiago, Chile, Feb 16 (Prensa Latina) The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) virtually launched the Digital Development Observatory (ODD) in Chile on Thursday to measure the progress of countries in the use of modern technologies.
(2024-02-16). Panamanian reports exodos of students from private to public sector. plenglish.com Panama, Feb 16 (Prensa Latina) Reports from Panama's Ministry of Education (Meduca) confirm the growing exodus of students from private schools to the public sector, mainly due to economic factors.
(2024-02-16). Here's how they are forcing us to stay prisoners in our homes. expose-news.com In his 2023 book 'They want your money and your life', Dr. Vernon Coleman offers an in-depth analysis of the economic and social chaos which now faces every nation and every citizen. …
(2024-02-16). Mounting economic problems for Chinese government. wsws.org This year's National People's Congress will be particularly significant because the Xi Jinping regime confronts a worsening economic situation with no sign of a turnaround in sight.
(2024-02-17). Insights丨Former official of WEF: China's economic shift promising through sustainable development. ecns.cn Claude Smadja, Former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, noted during an exclusive interview with China News Network that China has achieved tremendous progress in many areas including artificial intelligence, e-commerce, and electric cars.
(2024-02-16). Call for women economic empowerment to end GBV. sanews.gov.za Call for women economic empowerment to end GBV | Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Deputy Minister, Nokuzola Tolashe, has called for the socio-economic empowerment of women, youth, and people with disabilities to end gender-based violence (GBV). | "Socio-economic challenges for women, youth and persons with disabilities remain persistent to this day and it is for the same reason that the department calls for 40% preferential procurement in the public sector," Tolashe said. | She made the remarks after President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the State of the Nation Address, which highlighted myriad achieveme…
(2024-02-16). Cuba's fuel shortage. america.cgtn.com 
For the past three years, Cubans have endured an economic crisis that includes a lack of electricity and fuel shortages. It's been particularly tough in the last few of months with frequent power outages that have had an economic impact on much of the population. | CGTN's Luis Chirino reports on the energy shortage in the Caribbean nation.
(2024-02-16). Pakistan election aftermath: Coalition government, economic challenges, and the struggle for substantive solutions. peoplesdispatch.org Pakistan's recent elections led to a PML-N and PPP coalition, overshadowed by economic challenges and a focus on personalities. However, the overarching question persists: can these parties provide a substantial alternative for the people?
(2024-02-17). Correspondence] Successful local science in low-income and middle-income countries. thelancet.com Richard Horton's Offline about the north—south differences in science are eloquent of a reality that we live with daily at universities in countries with little financial support for research.1 Although some contributions to elite science, ie, science with high global impact and real new knowledge, originated from researchers from low-income and middle-income countries, they hardly amount to a minimum proportion of scientific and technological advances. A good example is the Nobel prize,2 for which rich countries have most of the prizes in science, leaving countries with few financial resources the prizes f…
(2024-02-17). Correspondence] Small vulnerable newborns in Nepal: the need for data. thelancet.com The Lancet Series on small vulnerable newborns (SVNs) highlights a key issue in Nepal and across low-income and middle-income countries: the inconsistent data impede the ability of health systems to deliver care proactively and proportionately. We would like to share the complexities of the current system in Nepal and suggested solutions.
(2024-02-16). World Cancer Day: Making a commitment to close the cancer care gap. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) recognizes World Cancer Day annually on February 4. The UICC's 2024 theme for World Cancer Day is "Close the Care Gap." The care gap is the gap between people who can obtain healthcare related to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer and those who cannot. The factors that create this gap include income, education and geographical location barriers. Discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age,…
(2024-02-16). Income Tax dept freezes Congress' accounts, party cries foul. muslimmirror.com New Delhi : The Income Tax department has frozen the Congress' main bank accounts on "flimsy grounds", treasurer Ajay Maken claimed on Friday and said this has affected all political activity of the party barely two weeks before general elections are announced. The party is unable to use even the funds received under its crowdfunding …
(2024-02-16). Health workers prominent at Australian protests against Gaza genocide: "I'd never vote Labor again" wsws.org "They're not all that different from the Liberal Party. Labor has become a non-labour party."
(2024-02-17). New Labour MP is married to former Israeli spy recruiter. electronicintifada.net Damien Egan's ex-soldier husband Yossi Felberbaum recruited Unit 8200 officers.
(2024-02-16). Forget Elections. Build Your Union. inthesetimes.com
(2024-02-16). Flight Attendants Rally Globally To Demand Living Wages & Contract For 100,000 Workers. indybay.org Hundreds of flight attendants from all major unions rallied globally on February 13, 2023. At SFO they marched and spoke out abut their struggle for living wages. While the airlines are making billions they have taken pay cuts.
(2024-02-16). Pilots Got Their Payday; Now Flight Attendants Push For Higher Wages. popularresistance.org Airline pilots won pay raises worth billions of dollars in new labor deals last year. Flight attendants are now pushing for similar improvements. | Flight attendants from United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and others picketed Tuesday at dozens of airports around the U.S., demanding higher wages and a better quality of life. | "We have been in a period of austerity for 20 years, and it's time the industry paid up," said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents cabin crews at United, Spirit, Frontier and others. | The demonstrations ma…
(2024-02-16). The AFL-CIO Can Be Reformed, Locally And From The Bottom-Up! popularresistance.org Changing the leadership, structure, or functioning of any U.S. labor organization is no easy task. Activists and experts have long argued about whether dysfunctional unions are best reformed from the top-down, bottom-up, or some mix of the two approaches. | For the past 65 years, the main locus of union democracy and reform struggles in the U.S. has been local unions, which hold leadership elections every three years and are closest to the membership. Thousands of rank-and-file workers have campaigned for more militant unionism by running for and winning local office. | Some have had the backing of national netwo…
(2024-02-16). The AFL-CIO can be Reformed, Locally and from the Bottom-Up! counterpunch.org 
Changing the leadership, structure, or functioning of any U.S. labor organization is no easy task. Activists and experts have long argued about whether dysfunctional unions are best reformed from the top-down, bottom up, or some mix of the two approaches. For the past 65 years, the main locus of union democracy and reform struggles in the
(2024-02-16). Sunday 3/10: Fred Glass "California Labor: Yesterday & Today" indybay.org 1187 Franklin Street, San Francisco CA 94109 | Join Zoom Meeting | zoom.us/j/91759639495?pwd=ZkViMWRyblZpRS8rTjdYSjBOTVQ2dz09…
(2024-02-16). On Verdi: Lufthansa's "house union" wsws.org In the current contract negotiations with Lufthansa, the warning strikes organised by Verdi have been organized to "blow off steam" to provide space for their collaboration with management to continue undisturbed.
(2024-02-17). Unions Added 139,000 Members In 2023, But Density Remains Stubbornly Low. popularresistance.org Unions added 139,000 more workers in historic gains in 2023, but union density remains stubbornly low, with only 10 percent of American workers represented by a union as of the end of the year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. | This is an all-time low and a big surprise to many, given the historic strikes by auto workers, Hollywood creatives and Kaiser healthcare workers, according to a Washington Post analysis. | Union density vs. union membership is a frustrating comparison. Even with the historic membership growth, the country added 2.7 million jobs in 2023, many of them non-union, meaning the membe…
(2024-02-17). 'US, allies' academia collaborated with Iran university on drone research'. presstv.ir Report says academics from prestigious universities in the US, the UK, and Australia collaborated with a prominent Iranian university on drone research.
(2024-02-17). UAE, Brazil and Cuba announce food security initiative. tvbrics.com 
It is part of a collaborative effort to develop sustainable food systems, agriculture and promote climate action…
(2024-02-16). Interview with Michael D. Yates on Labor—Organization, Negotiation, and Education (Parts 3 — 4). mronline.org 
Begin by Asking Questions about One's Own Life Circumstances.
(2024-02-16). Interview with Michael D. Yates on Labor—Organization, Negotiation, and Education (Parts 3 -4). mronline.org Begin by Asking Questions about One's Own Life Circumstances.
(2024-02-17). Strikes and a Boycott Win a Better Deal from Macy's. labornotes.org
(2024-02-17). Sunday 3/10: Fred Glass "California Labor: Yesterday & Today" indybay.org 1187 Franklin Street, San Francisco CA 94109 | Join Zoom Meeting | zoom.us/j/91759639495?pwd=ZkViMWRyblZpRS8rTjdYSjBOTVQ2dz09…
(2024-02-16). Argentine Government is blamed for Wage Council's failure. plenglish.com Buenos Aires, Feb 16 (Prensa Latina) The leader of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) Héctor Daer accused the Argentine government and business people of the failure of negotiations on the Minimum, Vital and Mobile Wage Council.
(2024-02-17). Judge laughing verdict on Donald Trump $364 million fraud case sparks outrage. albawaba.com A New York judge who ordered former President Donald Trump to pay $364 million in a civil fraud case has sparked outrage among Trump's supporters and critics alike after he shrugged, laughed and smirked to the camera in court.Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the 2 Ω-month trial, issued a blistering decision that accused Trump and his company of engaging in a "yearslong scheme to dupe banks and others with financial statements that inflated the former president's wealth".Engoron also barred Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or other legal entity for three years.N…
(2024-02-16). SA records an increase in research and development expenditure after COVID-19. sanews.gov.za SA records an increase in research and development expenditure after COVID-19 | Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) has increased in real terms for the first time in four years. | GERD as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 0.62% in 2021/22, up from 0.60% in the previous year, indicating a slight improvement in research and development (R&D) intensity. | This represents a 6.9% year-on-year increase from R25.965 billion in 2020/21 to R27.756 billion in 2021/22, in terms of 2015 prices. | This is according to the latest South African National Survey of Research and Exp…
(2024-02-16). Greek Farmers Continue Their Protest. popularresistance.org The protesting farmers in Greece decided to continue their agitations across the country with demands such as duty-free agricultural diesel, reduced electricity costs, and subsidies on supplies and animal feed, as negotiations with the government on February 13 yielded no results. A week-long protest, including rallies and blockades in major motorways across Greece, forced the New Democracy (ND) government to call the farmers' groups for negotiations on Tuesday. | The farmer's unions rejected the meager concessions on electricity prices offered by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. They demanded effective measur…
(2024-02-16). Drug Prices Should be Controlled. counterpunch.org 
Pharmaceutical companies are angry with Bernie Sanders. The Vermont senator has vowed to force pharma CEOs to publicly answer for why their drug prices are so much higher in the United States than in other nations. Brazenly, the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson and Merck initially refused. An attorney for Johnson & Johnson accused the senator of
(2024-02-17). Indian police fire tear gas at farmers as protests enter 4th day. presstv.ir Indian police fired tear gas at farmers demanding higher prices for their crops on Friday, as the protests entered their fourth day…
(2024-02-16). What's driving the rise in grocery prices—and what the Government can do about it. mronline.org 
Skyrocketing grocery prices in America highlight how precarious our supply chains are, giving corporations ample opportunity to take advantage of consumers in the midst of minor supply shocks and major global crises. Unless we aggressively confront climate change, corporate consolidation, and profiteering, food prices will remain high and continue to climb.
(2024-02-17). Difficult agricultural negotiations expected at international forum. plenglish.com Geneva, Feb 17 (Prensa Latina) The next ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) might be the scene of difficult agricultural negotiations, given the current military confrontations, inflation and rising food prices, an expert said.
(2024-02-16). Indian police fire tear gas at farmers as protests enter 4th day. presstv.ir Indian police fired tear gas at farmers demanding higher prices for their crops on Friday, as the protests entered their fourth day…
(2024-02-16). Why the Marshall Plan ? cadtm.org In July 2024, the World Bank and the IMF will be 80 years old. 80 years of financial neo-colonialism and the imposition of austerity policies in the name of debt repayment. 80 years is enough! The Bretton Woods institutions must be abolished and replaced by democratic institutions serving an ecological, feminist and anti-racist bifurcation. To mark these 80 years, we are republishing a series of articles every Wednesday until July, looking in detail at the history and damage caused by these (…) | – | / |
(2024-02-17). Horoscope Today, February 17, 2024. albawaba.com 
ALBAWABA Today's horoscope, February 17, 2024, offers insights into the cosmic energies influencing each zodiac sign, guiding individuals through their day with clarity and foresight.Horoscope Today Saturday, February 17, 2024Aries (March 21 – April 19): | Your dynamic energy is on full display today, Aries. Channel this vitality into your projects and pursuits, but be mindful not to overlook important details. Stay focused to make the most of the opportunities that come your way.Taurus (April 20 – May 20): | Financial matters may require your attention today, Taurus. Take a practical approach to budgeting and lo…
(2024-02-17). UNRWA Will Face 'Negative Cashflow' If US-Led Blockade Continues. popularresistance.org The severe funding crisis facing the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), thanks to US-led cuts, is expected to worsen significantly in the coming months. | UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini asked the countries that recently suspended financial support for UNRWA to "urgently rescind that decision" during a news conference in Ireland on 15 February. | "Our operation will start to be compromised as from March, but April will be really the month where we will be under deep, deep, deep negative cashflow," Lazzarini said, emphasizing that the agency is facing an "existential threat.
(2024-02-16). Festive Season crime operations yield results. sanews.gov.za Festive Season crime operations yield results | Police Minister Bheki Cele says police went into the festive season well equipped to take on the task of tackling crime. | "For the third quarter (of this financial year), which includes the festive season, police officers were adequately resourced to deal decisively with criminals in all forms and shapes. | "We came into this festive period well prepared. We unleashed our Safer Festive Season operational plan on the 13th of October 2023, where we deployed various policing interventions," Cele said. | Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria to release the quarterly…
(2024-02-17). Trump ordered to pay $364 Million in civil fraud case. albawaba.com ALBAWABA – New York judge has ruled that Donald Trump has to pay a huge amount of money, $364 million, because he lied about how much his stuff was worth on financial papers.This all started with a lawsuit from the New York Attorney General, who said Trump and his friends made up numbers to make their business deals better and to make Trump seem richer than he really was.The judge found Trump and his friends guilty of lying on purpose about their money, so now they have to pay up. Trump has to pay most of it, about $354.9 million, while his sons have to pay a bit less, and the former CFO has to pay $1 million.On…
(2024-02-17). Why the Marshall Plan ? cadtm.org In July 2024, the World Bank and the IMF will be 80 years old. 80 years of financial neo-colonialism and the imposition of austerity policies in the name of debt repayment. 80 years is enough! The Bretton Woods institutions must be abolished and replaced by democratic institutions serving an ecological, feminist and anti-racist bifurcation. To mark these 80 years, we are republishing a series of articles every Wednesday until July, looking in detail at the history and damage caused by these (…) | – | / |
(2024-02-16). Horoscope Today, February 17, 2024. albawaba.com ALBAWABA Today's horoscope, February 17, 2024, offers insights into the cosmic energies influencing each zodiac sign, guiding individuals through their day with clarity and foresight.Horoscope Today Saturday, February 17, 2024Aries (March 21 – April 19): | Your dynamic energy is on full display today, Aries. Channel this vitality into your projects and pursuits, but be mindful not to overlook important details. Stay focused to make the most of the opportunities that come your way.Taurus (April 20 – May 20): | Financial matters may require your attention today, Taurus. Take a practical approach to budgeting and lo…
(2024-02-17). Venezuela Reports Lowest Monthly Inflation in 12 Years. orinocotribune.com Caracas ( The BCV also reported that the annual accumulated inflation is about to go below t…
(2024-02-17). Watch: Gaza's doctors are champions of resistance, with Dr. Mads Gilbert. electronicintifada.net Israeli forces relentlessly attack Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.
(2024-02-16). House Intelligence Committee chair sparks uproar over Russian "space weapons" wsws.org It is not clear whether Republican Mike Turner intended to pressure House Republicans to approve $60 billion in new spending on the war against Russia in Ukraine, or simply to stoke public fears like last year's "China balloon" scare.
(2024-02-16). Detroit club members protest Big Tech's Israel investments. cpusa.org For Valentine's Day, dozens of activists and Detroit residents gathered at Grand Circus Park located downtown to demonstrate for the The demonstration aimed to highlight the relationship between the big tech m…
(2024-02-16). Talking to the left. indybay.org Developing a common transformational project and building counter-power remains the central task of the left. Especially in areas of social infrastructure, such as housing and healthcare, profit maximization has a particularly devastating effect. The strategy of socialization, i.e. the transfer of private property into democratic structures, can provide orientation here.
(2024-02-16). Stellantis made $20 billion in 2023, as media reports temps will get no profit-sharing checks under UAW deal. wsws.org The record profits reported by Stellantis come straight off the backs of workers, who have been greeeted by a wave of layoffs in 2024.
(2024-02-17). China's shipbuilding industry reports profit growth in 2023. tvbrics.com 
Shipbuilding companies accelerated digital transformation and increased their contribution to technological innovation…
(2024-02-17). Talking to the left. indybay.org Developing a common transformational project and building counter-power remains the central task of the left. Especially in areas of social infrastructure, such as housing and healthcare, profit maximization has a particularly devastating effect. The strategy of socialization, i.e. the transfer of private property into democratic structures, can provide orientation here.
(2024-02-16). South Africa's failed infrastructure privatisation and deregulation. cadtm.org Introduction
| The South African state is commonly said to be 'failing' — not only because yet again at the end of 2023, a recession hit. An alleged fiscal crisis, in the form of a public debt to GDP ratio in excess of 70 percent (mostly due to Covid-19 revenue shrinkage), prevents the kind of institutional rescue and expansion of infrastructure and services typical of prior eras of developmental- or welfare-state construction.
| A typical articulation of the terrain of infrastructure financing (…) | – |
(2024-02-16). AT&T Landlines Under Immediate Threat in California. indybay.org he California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is considering a formal request by AT&T to eliminate Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) regulations that require the company to provide landline telephone service to customers in its service area. Such a move would likely mean the end of the traditional telephone network for most residents in California, a controversial policy opposed by many consumer and safety groups, who say such a move is preposterous and that landlines are needed now more than ever, as climate emergencies worsen and the digital divide grows wider.
(2024-02-17). South Africa's failed infrastructure privatisation and deregulation. cadtm.org Introduction
| The South African state is commonly said to be 'failing' — not only because yet again at the end of 2023, a recession hit. An alleged fiscal crisis, in the form of a public debt to GDP ratio in excess of 70 percent (mostly due to Covid-19 revenue shrinkage), prevents the kind of institutional rescue and expansion of infrastructure and services typical of prior eras of developmental- or welfare-state construction.
| A typical articulation of the terrain of infrastructure financing (…) | – |
(2024-02-17). AT&T Landlines Under Immediate Threat in California. indybay.org he California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is considering a formal request by AT&T to eliminate Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) regulations that require the company to provide landline telephone service to customers in its service area. Such a move would likely mean the end of the traditional telephone network for most residents in California, a controversial policy opposed by many consumer and safety groups, who say such a move is preposterous and that landlines are needed now more than ever, as climate emergencies worsen and the digital divide grows wider.
(2024-02-17). A Letter to my Gazan Palestinian Son. By: Hebh Jamal>. midwesternmarx.com 
Dear Malik, I am sitting here in bed with you in my arms. It is 11: 59 PM, and you are fast asleep. Did you know you sleep talk? Yes at 21 months, you sleep talk. Sometimes you just chuckle and then roll to the other side, and other times you manage to touch my face and say "mama" while your eyes are closed.I am looking up at the ceiling fan and it's lying perfectly still. Our vases are on the shelves- we're not afraid of them falling. The windows are closed when w …
(2024-02-17). Planned BBC smear on UK Palestinians will rely on Israeli spy source By: Asa Winstanley. midwesternmarx.com 
Citing Israeli "terror" allegations, the BBC plans to broadcast an attack on prominent British Palestinians in a television program presented by pro-Israel reporter John Ware.The Electronic Intifada has learned that the episode of Panorama is likely to be based partly on "confidential evidence" which has almost certainly been provided by Israeli spies.The BBC and Panorama declined to comment when asked a series of detailed questio …
(2024-02-16). A Dementia Patient Is President Because It Doesn't Matter Who The President Is By: Caitlin Johnstone>. midwesternmarx.com 
So it turns out the dementia symptoms Biden's supporters have long dismissed as a "stutter" are actually exactly what they look like.The special counsel assigned to investigate Joe Biden for mishandling classified documents reports that investigators "uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen," but concludes that "no …
(2024-02-16). Eyes on the South: Low intensity conflict & escalation-risk in Lebanon. By: Sammy Ismail. midwesternmarx.com 
Hezbollah fighter, on border guard duty, sitting astride a motorbike blocking the pathway of an Israeli Merkava tank that had broken through the electric fence into Lebanese territories, the photo was taken by Al-Manar correspondent Ali Sheaib, Jalet al-Mahafer, 2022 (Illustrated by: Mahdi Rtail, Al Mayadeen English) More than 100 days have passed since the Al-Aqsa Flood came crashing down on the colonial outpost of US imperialism in West Asia; the tide has been …
(2024-02-16). "In The War Of Propaganda, It Is Very Difficult To Defeat The United States"By: Caitlin Johnstone. midwesternmarx.com 
One under-appreciated moment from Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Vladimir Putin came after Putin implied that NATO powers were behind the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream pipeline. Carlson responded by asking why Putin wouldn't present evidence of this to the world, so as to "win a propaganda victory.""In the war of propaganda it is very difficult to defeat the United States because the United States controls all the world's media and many European media," Putin re …
(2024-02-16). The International Court of Justice Censures Israel for Its Genocidal War. By: Vijay Prashad. midwesternmarx.com 
On January 26, 2024, the judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) released their 29-page order that found "plausible" (paragraph 54) evidence that Israel was conducting a genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza. The court intervened in that war due to South Africa's application that Israel had violated its obligations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948). South Africa came to the ICJ two months …
(2024-02-17). Pilots Got Their Payday. Now Flights Attendants Are Pushing Airlines for Higher Wages. portside.org
(2024-02-16). Capitalism and drug trafficking in Ecuador: Two sides of the same coin. cadtm.org
(2024-02-17). The WHO and the inability of capitalism to prevent future pandemics. wsws.org The international working class must assimilate the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, above all the inability of capitalism to organize on a global scale to address the current pandemic and prevent future ones.
(2024-02-16). Imperialism and Resistance in the Red Sea. libya360.wordpress.com Jesse Harasta Jesse Harasta describes the complex dynamics of contemporary imperialism and resistance. Understanding a world system divided into Core, Semi-Periphery and Periphery is essential to the workings of global capitalism. Harasta argues that Gulf states have engaged in an active imperial re-peripheralization of the Horn of Africa. Since the beginning of the 2023 Israeli…
(2024-02-17). Capitalism and drug trafficking in Ecuador: Two sides of the same coin. cadtm.org
(2024-02-16). Fossil fuel footprint: Corals reveal industrial pollution's deep sea impact. nationofchange.org New study uncovers historical pollutants from burning fossil fuels in Mediterranean corals, highlighting human influence on marine ecosystems.
(2024-02-16). Ecuador announces that Russia lifted veto on banana exporters. plenglish.com The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, Gabriela Sommerfeld, spoke on the X platform about the "good news" for the productive sector and stressed that "permanent dialogue and coordinated work bring results". | In a video shared by the Foreign Ministry, the Ecuadorian ambassador in Moscow, Juan Fernando Holguin, thanked the authorities of the Eurasian country for handling the issue from a technical point of view. | On February 2, Russia stopped the purchase of Ecuadorian bananas from five companies on the grounds of the systematic detection of the so-called humpback fly in the fruit, a pest considered…
(2024-02-17). Argentina is NOT for sale! Argentinians rise up against Milei's neoliberal plunder. liberationnews.org
(2024-02-16). Ukraine: 'Two years after the invasion, normalisation of war has led to a return of politics'. greenleft.org.au 
Green Left's Federico Fuentes interviewed Viktoriia Pihul , a council member of Ukrainian democratic socialist organisation Social Movement, regarding the situation in Ukraine two years after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
(2024-02-17). From Kolkata, IndiaUnite to end war and save Palestine. workers.org 
By Provas Ghosh Provas Ghosh, general secretary of the Socialist Unity Center of India (Communist), sent this message to the Lenin Centennial, held in New York City on Jan. 21. Dear Comrades, On the occasion of the centennial of the death of the great Lenin, remembering his teachings is of . . . |
(2024-02-16). It Is Dark Before the Dawn, But Israeli Settler Colonialism Is At an End. socialistproject.ca 
Professor Ilan Pappé spoke at Islamic Human Rights Commission's (IHRC) annual Genocide Memorial Day in London, UK, on 21st January 2024, on the need to understand that the genocide of Palestinians we are currently witnessing, as brutal as it is, is also the demise of the so-called Jewish state. We need to be ready to imagine a new world beyond it. | The idea that Zionism is settler colonialism is not new. Palestinian scholars in the 1960s working in Beirut in the PLO Research Centre had already understood that what they were facing in Palestine was not a classical colonial project. They did not frame Israel as…
(2024-02-17). Lenin, Amílcar Cabral and Palestine. workers.org 
Carlos Lopes Pereira, former member of the Secretariat of the liberation organization led by the late Amílcar Cabral and contributor to the newspaper Avante (organ of the Portuguese Communist Party), sent this message to the Lenin Centennial held in New York City on Jan. 21. This international anti-imperialist day marking . . . |