December 25, 2020 – Page 2 – THE OVAL CIRCLE

USA

That’s OUR money! Dozen US states go to Supreme Court fighting over who gets to tax residents stuck working from home

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

New Jersey should tax its residents working from home, rather than New York where their offices sit empty, the state argued in a brief to the US Supreme Court, part of a broader battle over taxation sparked by Covid-19 lockdowns. … Read More >That’s OUR money! Dozen US states go to Supreme Court fighting over who gets to tax residents stuck working from home

No matter how much money Americans get under stimulus bill, it’s not enough to deal with their financial problems – Prof. Wolff

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

US lawmakers have finally agreed on a coronavirus relief package to help struggling businesses and workers, but President Donald Trump has criticized it, calling on the bill to give Americans larger stimulus checks. … Read More >No matter how much money Americans get under stimulus bill, it’s not enough to deal with their financial problems – Prof. Wolff

Russia avoided critical economic contraction in face of coronavirus crisis – Putin

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

The coronavirus pandemic did not result in a critical downturn for the Russian economy thanks to the support measures implemented by the government, President Vladimir Putin has stated. … Read More >Russia avoided critical economic contraction in face of coronavirus crisis – Putin

Russia’s weekly gold & foreign currency reserves jump by $6.5 billion

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

Russia’s foreign exchange holdings rose by over one percent in one week to reach a total of $593.6 billion, according to the latest central bank data. … Read More >Russia’s weekly gold & foreign currency reserves jump by $6.5 billion

Russia

Gearing up for a very Cold War? Russia reopens Soviet-era lab to develop weapons for icy Arctic conflict

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

A specialist research facility has been reopened in Russia, tasked with testing weapons that can withstand freezing temperatures and harsh weather at the ends of the world. … Read More >Gearing up for a very Cold War? Russia reopens Soviet-era lab to develop weapons for icy Arctic conflict

Beijing blasts US as ‘empire of hacking & theft,’ rebuffs claims that China will exploit Pacific cable project for ‘espionage’

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

The Chinese government has rejected allegations from two US senators that it seeks to leverage a multi-million-dollar undersea cable project for “espionage,” deeming the charges cover for Washington’s own global spying efforts. … Read More >Beijing blasts US as ‘empire of hacking & theft,’ rebuffs claims that China will exploit Pacific cable project for ‘espionage’

World

Risking American life abroad ‘won’t divert attention from catastrophic failures at home’: Iran blasts Trump’s threats

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

Military adventurism and threats against Tehran won’t help US President Donald Trump to divert attention from the “catastrophic failures” in America’s Covid-19 response, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has said. … Read More >Risking American life abroad ‘won’t divert attention from catastrophic failures at home’: Iran blasts Trump’s threats

Iran slams Trump’s ‘reckless’ accusations it fired rockets at US Embassy in Iraq, comparing him to Bush but ‘far worse’

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

Tehran has rejected Donald Trump’s claims that Iran was behind a rocket attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad, claiming the president’s foreign policy in the Middle East is far worse than the warmongering tactics of George W. Bush. … Read More >Iran slams Trump’s ‘reckless’ accusations it fired rockets at US Embassy in Iraq, comparing him to Bush but ‘far worse’

EU

Germany confirms first case of mutant Covid-19 strain that rampaged across UK forcing millions into near-lockdown

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

The first case of a mutated coronavirus variant that scientists believe spreads easier has been discovered in Germany, officials said on Thursday, as countries across the world start detecting the strain in their populations. … Read More >Germany confirms first case of mutant Covid-19 strain that rampaged across UK forcing millions into near-lockdown

World

Another variant of coronavirus ‘seems to have emerged’ in Nigeria – Africa’s disease control agency

Posted on December 25, 2020December 25, 2020By Editor

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday that a new strain of the coronavirus appears to have emerged in Nigeria, but further investigation is needed. … Read More >Another variant of coronavirus ‘seems to have emerged’ in Nigeria – Africa’s disease control agency