Sri Lanka’s proposed anti-terrorism law does not meet the threshold of democratic quality, poet Ahnaf Jazeem petitions the Supreme Court
By Sanjaya Jayasekera This week, poet Ahnaf Jazeem, a former victim of Sri Lanka’s draconian terrorism law, filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the government’s proposed new Anti-Terrorism Bill. This new law is to replace the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which, since its enactment in 1979 by
US Supreme Court to hear case on banning or restricting abortion pill
By Kevin Reed. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of the United States announced it would hear a case on the availability of medication commonly used to terminate a pregnancy, its first abortion litigation since the far-right dominated court overturned the constitutional right in Roe v. Wade last year. The case was brought to the
Australian Labor government pushes social media censorship
By Oscar Grenfell The Australian Labor government is carrying out a crackdown on social media aimed at limiting the ability to discuss social and political issues free from state interference and censorship. Late last month, Labor unveiled draft legislation that would greatly increase the regulation of content on social media. Under
2022: A year of deepening economic and financial crisis
By Nick Beams The year 2022 has seen a sea change in the global economy and financial system, setting in motion tendencies that will continue and deepen in 2023. The most significant shift in the economic and financial landscape has been the development of global inflation to the highest level in four
World Economic League Table 2023
World Economic League Table 2023 by The Centre for Economics and Business Research 26 December 2022 Highlights of the Report: We expect world GDP will continue to recover. We estimate that it will amount to $102 trillion for 2022 as a whole and will roughly double to $206 trillion in 2037.
Punitive middle class tax rises will backfire
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, income taxes rose to such stratospheric levels that they led to an exodus of the super-rich. The marginal top rate at one point was 98 per cent applied to incomes over £20,000,equivalent to about £222,000 today. Most well-off people paid 60p in the pound until
ILO Report confirms wages caused no inflation
By Nick Beams A report issued by the International Labour Organisation has blown apart the claims by capitalist governments and central bankers around the world that interest rate hikes, now threatening to drive significant areas of the world economy into recession, are necessary to “fight inflation” by suppressing wage demands. The ILO’s
Is the world in a Long Depression?
Re-published below is an article by Marxist economist Michael Roberts on what he calls the Long Depression. His book titled the same is a must read. Roberts' article was originally published in his blog on 13 March 2022 One of my basic theses about modern capitalism is that since 2008, the
Biden administration grants immunity to Saudi crown prince, murderer of Jamal Khashoggi
By Patrick Martin US State Department has granted immunity to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, shielding him from prosecution for the murder of Saudi political dissident and legal permanent US resident Jamal Khashoggi. The decision was disclosed last week and widely reported on Friday. This action shows that the Biden administration’s
Wickremasinghe Government to employ school-going youth in “part time” jobs
By Sanjaya W. Jayasekera Wickremasinghe government's neo-liberal labour liberalization process has started. The government is about to amend existing labour laws to remove restrictions imposed on youth and women employment. Under Sri Lankan law "young persons" have been defined as those between the age range of 16 to 18 years, while