(2024-08-15). Record 39 candidates to run in Sri Lanka's presidential election. aljazeera.com Economy remains key issue after protesters angered by financial crisis toppled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022.
(2024-08-15). China reports growth in the consumer economy. ecns.cn China reported major economic data on Thursday that pointed to faster growth on the consumer side while both industrial production and investment grew at a slower pace in July.
(2024-08-15). Online visas to enhance business, tourism for Pakistan. ecns.cn Pakistan offering online visas for Chinese citizens signals closer economic cooperation and mutual exchanges between the South Asian nation and China, analysts said, adding that it can help enhance Pakistan's economy.
(2024-08-15). China to increase support for foreign businesses to attract investment: official. ecns.cn Ministry of Commerce will increase whole-process support for foreign-invested projects and will help to address issues facing foreign businesses in order to attract more foreign investment.
(2024-08-15). China's retail sales up 2.7% in July year-on-year. ecns.cn China's domestic consumption continued to expand in July, with consumption of services and upgraded industrial goods growing at a faster pace, showcasing the country's vast potential in ramping up consumption and economic growth.
(2024-08-15). China funding aids Africa development. ecns.cn Financial assistance from China has played a crucial role in infrastructure development in Africa since the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, or FOCAC, was established, paving the way for economic prosperity.
(2024-08-15). Trump slams Harris on economy ahead of major policy rollout. geo.tv 
Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks at a campaign event in Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. August 14, 2024. — Reuters
(2024-08-15). Makran, a watershed in Iran's sea-based economy plans. presstv.ir The geopolitical features of Iran are considered one of the most important indicators of its empowerment, including turning the country into a regional magnet for commerce and investment.
(2024-08-15). Amid Kursk Gamble, Zelensky Refuses To Repay Foreign Debt: Ukraine Economy Hit By Rating Downgrade. hindustantimes.com Ukraine's economy is on the brink of disaster as the war with Russia rages on and Western support weakens. In a shocking move, Ukraine has defaulted on a major debt repayment, prompting Fitch Ratings to downgrade the country to 'Restricted Default.' With billions in Western aid failing to stabilize the situation, could this be the beginning of Ukraine's economic collapse?>
(2024-08-15). Strengthening recessionary trends in global economy. wsws.org Investor sentiment seems to have "collapsed" in the eurozone and its largest economy, Germany, according to a recent survey.
(2024-08-15). Challenges before Yunus' interim government in Bangladesh. ummid.com The challenges at the frontiers of Yunus' interim government in Bangladeshare (unlucky) seven: law and order; economy; military, elections; justice; religious freedom; and freedom of expression.
(2024-08-15). China's interbank system promoted as safeguard against Swift consequences. scmp.com A senior researcher has encouraged China to expand the use of its interbank transfer protocol, warning of risks inherent in the use of Western systems like Swift.
(2024-08-15). China's Housing Market Faces Steep Decline Amid Lingering Economic Concerns. devdiscourse.com China's new home prices fell at their fastest pace in nine years in July, as a slew of support policies failed to stabilize prices and restore confidence in the struggling property sector. This prolonged housing market slump is weighing heavily on the world's second-largest economy and its consumers, raising questions over Beijing's 5% GDP target for 2024.
(2024-08-15). Chinese tile manufacturer in Mexico accused of illegal water use during drought. scmp.com Time Ceramics of Fujian province arrived in Hidalgo last year with hopes of boosting local economy, but residents say company's activities have hurt area's water supply.
(2024-08-15). What's the economic impact of immigrants? aljazeera.com The West is seeing record immigration inflows, but far-right groups are blaming their economic grievances on migrants.
(2024-08-15). China's reform, opening-up add certainty to world, Indonesian envoy says. ecns.cn China's high-quality development and high-level opening-up inject certainty to a world plagued by challenges including weak economic recovery and frequent regional conflicts, an Indonesian diplomat said.
(2024-08-15). Germany says Ukrainians sabotaged Nord Stream pipelines. ecns.cn This handout photo taken on September 28, 2022 from an aircraft of the Swedish Coast Guard (Kustbevakningen) shows the release of gas emanating from a leak on the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea.
(2024-08-15). China reaffirms support for a stable Myanmar. ecns.cn China firmly supports Myanmar in staying committed to domestic peace, stability, and economic development, and opposes chaos and wars in the country, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.
(2024-08-15). Managing the Double-Edged Sword of AI: Lessons from the EU. devdiscourse.com Governments around the globe are contending with the rapidly-evolving challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), which, while offering economic benefits and easing menial tasks, brings significant risks such as AI-enabled crime, misinformation, and privacy invasion.
(2024-08-15). Harris to focus on grocery costs, child tax credit in economic agenda, advisers say. gnnhd.tv 
Harris will call for a federal law banning corporations from setting excessive prices…
(2024-08-15). Radhika Desai: Peak Hindutva? newleftreview.org As Modi's BJP loses its overall majority, Radhika Desai examines the part played by India's capitalist conglomerates in his rise—and the contradictions on which their strategy has foundered. The economic crisis of the parched countryside as brake on Hindutva's forward march.
(2024-08-15). Semiconductor Tech Is a New Battlefield in the US—China Rivalry. fairobserver.com Semiconductor chips, or microchips, are the tiny brains that run countless devices we use each day. These marvels power everything from refrigerators to smartphones, car navigation to wearable tech. The ever-growing demand for smart devices has created a desire for smaller, faster and more efficient chips. This pursuit of miniaturization has propelled the semiconductor industry…
(2024-08-15). Xi hails China, Brazil as like-minded good friends. ecns.cn Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China and Brazil, both major developing countries and key emerging markets, are like-minded good friends.
(2024-08-15). Pakistan Celebrates Independence Day on August 14. pressenza.com by Irshad Ahmad Mughal | The 14th of August is the Independence Day of Pakistan. There are lots of flags all around. Dangerous demonstrations are made on the roads due to the one-wheeling of motorcyclists. A 12-gun salute is fired by the Army and messages are given on the day by the Chief of Army Staff, the President and the Prime Minister. | For the past several decades, Pakistan has not had the same splendor of the day as it used to. You can say that common people suffer from inflation, terrorism, lawlessness, bribery, unemployment, and political corruption. All these diseases have made them emaciated. | They a…
(2024-08-15). Rail drivers in England should reject ASLEF's Labour-backed sellout deal. wsws.org ASLEF leader Whelan's claim to have averted a "land grab" on working conditions is bogus. The plan is that these will be negotiated away once the dispute is over as part of the Great British Railways agenda of the Labour government.
(2024-08-15). Owen Hatherley: Labourism: In and Against? newleftreview.org Owen Hatherley on Andy Beckett, The Searchers. Interlinked portraits of the Labour Party's Bennite bloc, from 1968 to the Corbyn leadership.
(2024-08-15). Hamas Gets Powerful Company In Gaza As IDF Suffers Multiple Attacks Simultaneously | Iran | Haniyeh. hindustantimes.com Hamas and its allies seem to have equipped a new 'attack strategy' against Israeli forces. Al Jazeera, citing war monitors, said multiple Palestinian armed groups have collaborated in the Gaza Strip. The groups are reportedly carrying out combined attacks on IDF forces and their command posts. Watch for more.
(2024-08-15). Capitalism, Imperialism, The 2024 French Olympics & The Working Class. indybay.org The 2024 Olympics in France should the role of profiteering and capitalism as well as nationalism and imperialism as tools used by the US and other major imperialist countries.
(2024-08-15). Audubon Society good to birds but awful to its own staff. peoplesworld.org 
NEW YORK—When it comes to treatment of its unionized staffers, the Audubon Society is in trouble with the National Labor Relations Board. It has also forced the 260 unionized Audubon staffers, members of the "Bird Union" unit of Communications Workers Local 1180, to take to the streets, and not just to aid bird watchers. They'll …
(2024-08-15). KZN CoGTA budget to empower traditional leadership, enhance local governance. sanews.gov.za KZN CoGTA budget to empower traditional leadership, enhance local governance | KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has presented the department's R1.8 billion, which is aimed at bolstering traditional leadership, enhancing local governance, and driving community development in the province. | Tabling the department's budget before the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature this week, Buthelezi said one of the cornerstones of the budget is the empowerment of amakhosi as cultural custodians. | To foster collaboration and address challenges faced by traditional communit…
(2024-08-15). NSG hosts symposium on China-Africa relations. sanews.gov.za NSG hosts symposium on China-Africa relations | China-Africa Media and Publishing, in collaboration with the National School of Government of South Africa, is set to hold a symposium titled: "The Governance of China: Forging a Closer China-Africa Community of a Shared Future, in Pretoria on Thursday. | Thursday's event will bring together South African and Chinese government officials, scholars, experts, and journalists for a robust exchange of ideas and insights. | The seminar serves as a critical forum to discuss and shape the future of China-Africa relations and is a side precursor event to the upcoming Beij…
(2024-08-15). teleSUR anuncia el concurso "Sur Influyente" telesurtv.net El concurso invita a jóvenes, mayores de edad, creadores de contenidos a elaborar piezas audiovisuales de máximo 60 segundos en formato vertical (9: 16).
(2024-08-15). Harris to battle price-gouging at the grocery store. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is set to announce her plan to ban corporate price-gouging at the grocery store. Her boss Joe Biden's Federal Trade Commission is already working on it too. The agency's new Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing is tackling the issue. For several months on the campaign trail, Vice President …
(2024-08-15). Will Biden and Harris' 'historic' drug price deal resonate with US voters in November? scmp.com US residents face the highest prescription drug prices in the world, leaving many people to pay partly out of their own pocket, despite already exorbitant insurance premiums.
(2024-08-15). Biden Administration Announces Reduced Medicare Drug Prices in Historic Deal. devdiscourse.com The Biden administration is celebrating a ground-breaking deal with drug companies to reduce the prices of 10 widely-used Medicare drugs. Officials anticipate that US taxpayers will save $6 billion while seniors could save $1.5 billion, though specifics on the new prices have yet to be disclosed.
(2024-08-15). The US reasserts its support for Israel's massacres by selling it 20 billion in arms. peoplesdispatch.org While blaming Iran and its allies of threatening peace and security in the region, the US has provided Israel with the needed financial support to proceed with one of the most hideous genocides in history.
(2024-08-15). Israeli airline El Al rakes in record $147M in quarterly profits with help of Gaza war. haaretz.com Benefitting from decreased competition from foreign airlines operating in Israel, the company, which faced deep financial struggle at the start of the decade, was able to reduce its net financial debt from the end of 2022 in this year's second quarter by $1.089 billion…
(2024-08-15). Delhi Imams and Muezzins face financial hardship as salaries go unpaid for months. muslimmirror.com By Muslim Mirror Staff Hundreds of Imams and muezzins working in city mosques have not received their salaries for months, causing significant distress. Several Imams shared their struggles with media, expressing frustration with the city government's "apathy" towards their plight, which has made it challenging to sustain their livelihoods. "Receiving five months' pay in three …
(2024-08-15). Hesai's reported removal from Pentagon blacklist draws criticism from Republican senators. scmp.com Financial Times said the sensor maker has been dropped from a list of Chinese companies barred from defence contracts, but the Pentagon won't confirm or deny.
(2024-08-15). FINCA unveils Janet Mudoola as brand Ambassador to drive sustainable growth. independent.co.ug 
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | FINCA Uganda, a microfinance pioneer in Uganda has unveiled Janet Mudoola as its brand ambassador in a bid to further spread its financial and non-financial services to its clients. Mudoola was among the first customers served in the eastern district of Iganga by FINCA Uganda in 1992. She has signed …
(2024-08-15). Bloomberg says Pakistan has highest inflation in Asia. gnnhd.tv 
American media company says the ratio of electricity bills is higher than the house rent…
(2024-08-15). Most Americans don't know the country's biggest climate law helps the climate. grist.org 
(2024-08-15). Debunking ADF's 'Debanking' Conspiracy Theory. splcenter.org Anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is engaged in an ongoing crusade to force private businesses to adhere to conservative Christian theology, in part by spreading the false narrative that private sector banks have been dropping conservative religious clients since the Obama administration. The conspiratorial claim, which ADF calls "debanking," has arisen out of an ongoing effort from ADF to ban or disrupt private sector investments in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and environmental sustainability.
(2024-08-15). Federal ban on noncompete agreements comes under legal attack. whyy.org The federal government wants to make it easier for employees to quit a job and work for a competitor. But some companies say a new rule created by the Federal Trade Commission will make it hard to protect trade secrets and investments they make in their employees. | At least three companies have sued the FTC after it voted to ban noncompete agreements, which prevent employees from working for competitors for a period of time after leaving a job. Their cases are now pending in Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas and the issue could end up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. | Here's what you should know about noncompe…
(2024-08-15). MTN Uganda's unveils second phase of MTN Changemakers. independent.co.ug 
The company plans to invest Shs 500 million in 25 projects countrywide Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda, through the MTN Foundation has launched the second phase of the MTN Changemakers Initiative, a transformative program designed to drive positive social change across Uganda. This new phase will see an investment ofShs 500 million, dedicated …
(2024-08-15). Anatomy of America's wasteful prison-industrial complex. workers.org 
Bryant Arroyo (WW Photo: Joe Piette) Bryant Arroyo is a jailhouse lawyer, environmental activist and outspoken advocate for aging and elderly prisoners. He was a rank-and-file union worker before his unjust incarceration in 1994 and he repeatedly exposes the corporate interests which profit off the prison-industrial complex. Arroyo successfully organized . . . |
(2024-08-15). Tohono O'odham Ofelia Rivas 'The Pirates Who Stole My Words'. indybay.org Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham, points out that today more than 20 books use her words about O'odham and the border without her permission. The pirates range from the United Nations and book authors, to non-profits and corporate-paid activists. Ofelia's words and life work are often plagiarized for profit and self-promotion by those who do not live on the Tohono O'odham Nation.
(2024-08-15). Advertising body unveils 3rd edition of the annual industry Silverback Awards. independent.co.ug 
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Advertising Association (UAA) in partnership with Loeries and the Uganda Marketers Society (UMS) has officially unveiled the 3rd edition of the Silverback Awards 2024 to be held on November 23, 2024, in Kampala. Under the theme "Innovative Sustainable Marketing: Harnessing Ethics, Impact, and Profitability in the Digital Age" the …
(2024-08-15). India: Marxist Coordination Committee merges with CPI(ML) Liberation. links.org.au 
CPI(ML) Liberation — The unification of Jharkhand's two leading Left forces, CPI(ML) Liberation and Marxist Coordination Committee, was announced on 10 August.
(2024-08-15). More Australian workers and youth explain why they have joined the SEP as electoral members. wsws.org "As a Palestinian myself I've always felt that all these systems of oppression are interconnected. We see that in the most violent and blatant way in Israel and the occupied territories, but really the whole world is basically occupied by capitalism, by greed."
(2024-08-15). The Persistence of Global Capitalism's Long Depression. cadtm.org
(2024-08-15). Cédric Durand: Landscapes of Capital. newleftreview.org A critical engagement with the work of Brett Christophers, whose books—The New Enclosure, Rentier Capitalism, Our Lives in Their Portfolios and The Price Is Wrong—unfold a novel critique of the 'rentier stage' of contemporary capitalism, in the tradition of radical historical geography developed by Lefebvre, Harvey and Davis.
(2024-08-15). Scholars hail Zhejiang's green progress. ecns.cn Foreign experts lauded the progress Zhejiang province has made toward sustainable development during a recent visit to several sites focused on green energy and green industrial production.
(2024-08-15). US Defense Firms Reluctant to Cooperate with Ukraine Due to Safety, Corruption. globalresearch.ca US military contractors are concerned about corruption and the security of co-production in Ukraine and are therefore in no rush to sign contracts, a US State Department spokesperson said. Without the US being able to construct military-industrial infrastructure, Ukraine will …
(2024-08-15). Thursday 8/15: Webinar: The Border Industrial Complex in the Time of Elections. indybay.org Online | secure.everyaction.com/TpAKN-FrqkuUK6lI5JXRUQ2…
(2024-08-15). Boeing Board of Directors onboards defense industry veteran as new CEO. wsws.org Kelly Ortberg has been brought in to strengthen Boeing's connection to the US military-industrial complex.
(2024-08-15). Socialist autoworker Will Lehman proposes 3-point program to defend Warren Truck jobs. wsws.org A rebellion against the UAW bureaucrats is needed. Workers should replace them with leaders drawn from the shop floor, exercising leadership democratically through rank-and-file action committees.
(2024-08-15). Venezuela Today: Revolution and Elections. libya360.wordpress.com Chris Gilbert Celebrating Maduro's victory. (Rome Arrieche) In light of recent imperialist aggressions, Chris Gilbert reflects on the challenges and complexities of using elections as a tool for socialist construction. Hugo Chávez changed the way socialists viewed elections around the world. The left had long been skeptical about them. The main arguments were that elections…
(2024-08-15). Alerta Diosdado Cabello sobre nuevos planes violentos en Venezuela. radiohc.cu La Habana, 15 ago (RHC) El primer vicepresidente del Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, alertó sobre nuevos planes violentos orquestados por la ultraderecha para el venidero sábado, trascendió hoy en Caracas.
(2024-08-15). Free Bogdan Syrotiuk! wsws.org This resolution was unanimously adopted by the Eighth National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US), held from August 4 to August 9, 2024.
(2024-08-15). Japanese Communists defend decision excluding Israel from atomic bomb peace ceremony. peoplesworld.org 
NAGASAKI, Japan—Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira said at a press conference in Nagasaki on Aug. 9 that the city's decision not to invite Israel to its annual peace ceremony "should not be criticized." Koike said this when asked by reporters about the exclusion of Israeli government representatives from the peace event held to …
(2024-08-15). Vietnam president to visit China. ecns.cn To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnam's president, will pay a state visit to China from August 18 to 20, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Thursday.