Honestly I ain’t got shit for today. It’s been a very slow Friday/Saturday, at least in terms of significant events going on around the world. There’s still a large amount of Cop27 coverage but nothing to take seriously given current fossil fuel trends. Plus midterms and their aftermath. And some prep for ASEAN and the G20 - apparently Biden is meeting up with Xi, not sure what that’s gonna achieve.
A few things:
Monthly Review: Commune or nothing! Venezuela’s transition to socialism
A small piece on Venezuela’s communes.
Multipolarista: Corruption exposed: US meddled in Ecuador’s election, using Julian Assange as bargaining chip
A former minister of Ecuador testified that the US government conspired with a right-wing political party to run a disinformation campaign against the leftist Correísta movement, backing a millionaire banker for president in exchange for giving up journalist Julian Assange, who had asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy.
WSWS: Western Australian state Labor government applies to Industrial Relations Commission to shut down nurses’ action
The Western Australian (WA) state Labor government has applied to the industrial courts to stop the ongoing action of public nurses and midwives in the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF) over a new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA). Nurses voted last week to reject the governments’ offer for a second time.
WSWS: Sri Lankan plantation workers union to join President Wickremesinghe’s government
Jeevan Thondaman, leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Sri Lanka’s largest trade union of plantation workers, has informed President Wickremesinghe that it is willing “to accept a cabinet portfolio in the government.” The CWC also functions as a political party.
In an interview with the Daily Mirror on Thursday, Thondaman said that the CWC “feels that President Wickremesinghe can help address the issues faced by the upcountry people.” The CWC’s participation in the cabinet, however, would depend on the portfolio it was offered, he said.
RT: First batch of blocked Russian fertilizers allowed to leave EU port
The first batch of Russian fertilizers, which have been blocked at EU ports amid Ukraine-related sanctions, has been given permission to leave next week, the UN announced on Friday.
RT: NATO hopeful reveals stance on hosting nuclear arms
Sweden will not permit NATO to position nuclear weapons on its soil, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told local news outlet TT on Friday, clarifying comments made earlier this month by the country’s defense minister.
I mean, it’s Finland that really matters. But not being a target in a nuclear war is also nice.
RT: Pakistan keen to trade in national currencies with Russia
The Pakistani trade mission has asked the Russian Trade Ministry to introduce a currency swap arrangement to strengthen economic ties between the two countries, the mission’s head, Muhammad Shaukat Hayat, said on Friday.
“I have initiated a proposal to sign a pact on a currency swap and sent an official letter to the respective ministry. Now the ball is in Russia’s court. We are waiting for a response. It can be any mechanism – trading in rubles or barter trade,” he said.