 Salam, you're watching the International Daily Roundup by People Dispatch, where we bring you or we encapsulate some of the top stories from around the world. Let's first take a look at today's headlines. Workers across the United Kingdom protest cost of living crisis. Tesla faces racial discrimination lawsuit. Businesses continue to suffer from COVID crisis in Brazil. Our first story is from the United Kingdom, where working people are taking to the streets in large numbers today against the rise in the cost of living. The protests are organized under the banner of the People's Assembly against Austerity and have been endorsed by organizations such as the Communist Party of Britain, the Young Communist League, United Trade Union and Socialist Appeal. Mobilizations are happening or expected to happen in around 30 cities. The People's Assembly against Austerity has demanded that the Tory government freeze the energy prices in the country and increase wages and benefits. The people of the country have been going through a massive crisis based on the cost of living. Earlier this month, Britain's energy sector regulator, Off Gem, announced that its cap on the energy prices would rise by over 50% in April this year. Approximately 22 million people are likely to see an annual increase of about 700 British pounds on their energy bills due to the price cap rise. Meanwhile, Morningstar reported that the consumer price index is already at 7.5%, while workers are also seeing increases in their bills and national insurance payments as of the 1st of April. Next up we go to the US, where a California state regulator has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Tesla. The case is the result of a three-year investigation by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. It's found that evidence to show that the Tesla plant in Fremont was a racially segregated workplace. The lawsuit was filed at the Alameda County Superior Court on Feb 10. It covers horrific complaints of harassment filed by black workers dating back to as far as 2012. Tesla separated black workers into areas which other employees would call names, including the slave ship and the plantation. Black workers were also the only ones made to scrub floors on their hands and knees. Words and phrases including the KKK and Go Back to Africa were carved on the walls, benches and tables. Employees were also routinely subjected to racial slurs. The suit adds that black workers were denied promotions and paid less than other workers for the same jobs. Complaints were either dismissed or led to retaliatory harassment and termination. The lawsuit also suggests that Tesla's decision to move its offices to Texas is another attempt to avoid accountability for its actions. This is due to looser enforcement in that state. Tesla reportedly also hires most of its workers through staffing agencies who have to waive their rights to go to court. According to plain sight, over 160 sexual or racial harassment lawsuits have been filed against the company since 2006. And finally, Brazil is still in the throes of Omicron-fuelled COVID-19 surge, while cases declined significantly this week, the country still recorded over 160,000 new daily infections on Feb 10. The spread of Omicron has been accompanied by a surge in influenza cases. According to close care, over 50% of work absences in January were linked to these causes. Businesses that were somewhat able to cope with the previous waves are now finding it more difficult to maintain operations. Here's a video by Brazil Defato on the impact that the third wave of COVID has had on businesses in Fortaleza. The smell of bread waking up the neighborhood of this smaller seasonal bakery in Fortaleza, Sierra's capital city, wasn't appreciated for many days. The reason was that 70% of its employees were sick, including the bakery's owner. The place had to close its doors more than once in January this year. During the first COVID wave, we managed to keep an open. We had reduced the staff and made smaller batches of bread. On the second wave, we also managed to keep going. The spirit was when we didn't have many employees taking sick leaves. But now the third wave combined COVID and influenza. So since mid-December, workers have to take sick leaves. It didn't take much for all of them to present influenza symptoms, as the bakeries general helper Maria Angelica Barreto, she had to stay at home. I had a three days long headache. It was non-stop, plus fever, a scratchy throat, general sluggishness and no appetite. I went four days without eating properly. Cassius Bakery supplies food to small businesses of Sierra's capital city as Elena Homedes break fast business. The lack of products, like bread, isn't the only problem. Elena also copes with employees constantly taking sick leaves, a situation that keeps getting worse. There are a lot of difficulties in finding COVID tests or arranging a medical appointment in public health centers. Therefore, we decided to pay an extra amount to employees so they can get private COVID tests, isolate as soon as possible and recover from the disease. In health centers, we isolate for five days the patients who arrive there presenting influenza symptoms. And for seven days, those with COVID symptoms. It's important that before returning to the workplace, they must be asymptomatic or they can transmit the virus. That's all we have on this episode of the International Daily Roundup. For more details on all of these stories, you can visit our website peoplesespice.org. And do give us a follow on all the regular social media platforms for updates on the work we do. We'll be back again. See you then. Goodbye.