January 5, 2021 – THE OVAL CIRCLE

EU

Calls for PROBE as Germany’s apparent failure to pre-order enough vaccines sparks rift within Merkel’s govt coalition

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

The bumpy start of Germany’s vaccination campaign against Covid has sowed discord within Angela Merkel’s coalition, as her party partners demand answers from her health minister and call for a special investigative commission. … Read More >Calls for PROBE as Germany’s apparent failure to pre-order enough vaccines sparks rift within Merkel’s govt coalition

EU

‘Restrict contact to absolute minimum’: Merkel extends German national lockdown until at least end January

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

Germans will have to limit contacts to a “minimum,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said, as she announced that the national Covid-19 lockdown is being both toughened and extended until the end of January, amid soaring infection numbers. … Read More >‘Restrict contact to absolute minimum’: Merkel extends German national lockdown until at least end January

Germany to face wave of bankruptcies & soaring unemployment with Berlin poised to extend Covid-19 lockdown – experts

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

The likely extension of Germany’s national lockdown will reportedly have a major negative impact on the country’s economy, turning 2021 into a year of economic frustration. … Read More >Germany to face wave of bankruptcies & soaring unemployment with Berlin poised to extend Covid-19 lockdown – experts

Oil rises to multi-month highs as OPEC+ likely to follow current production policy

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

Oil prices reached the highest levels in nearly a year on expectations that OPEC and allied producers led by Russia may keep the production quota in February unchanged amid weak oil demand caused by the global pandemic crisis. … Read More >Oil rises to multi-month highs as OPEC+ likely to follow current production policy

Russian stock market at all-time high as ruble shows stable growth

Posted on January 5, 2021By Editor

The Moscow stock exchange (MOEX) index reached a new all-time high on Monday, as Russia’s national currency, the ruble, opened the first trading day of 2021 with an upward move, triggered by rising oil prices. … Read More >Russian stock market at all-time high as ruble shows stable growth

UK

‘Journalists should be worried’: UK court’s ruling was victory for Assange but not for journalism, former Ecuadorian consul warns

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

The UK court has spared WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from extradition to the US, but Monday’s ruling came as a grim verdict for free speech, Fidel Narvaez, a former Consul at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, told RT. … Read More >‘Journalists should be worried’: UK court’s ruling was victory for Assange but not for journalism, former Ecuadorian consul warns

UK

The system won and spit him out: UN torture rapporteur blasts UK’s near-total embracement of US case for extraditing Assange

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

A UK court’s refusal to extradite Julian Assange to the US on medical grounds is a blow to journalism since the judge has sided with the US in its justification for prosecuting him, UN rapporteur Nils Melzer told RT. … Read More >The system won and spit him out: UN torture rapporteur blasts UK’s near-total embracement of US case for extraditing Assange

UK

‘It’s shocking’: China Daily chief calls out NYT, WaPo, & Australian PM for refusal to defend Julian Assange

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

China Daily EU bureau chief Chen Weihua publicly shamed the New York Times, Washington Post, and Australian PM Scott Morrison for their lack of support for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as he faced extradition to the US. … Read More >‘It’s shocking’: China Daily chief calls out NYT, WaPo, & Australian PM for refusal to defend Julian Assange

UK

London police hassle old woman for feeding birds, tell her to ‘DISPERSE’ because of Covid-19 restrictions

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag? Not in the new UK coronavirus lockdown. A video circulating on social media shows an elderly woman, who was feeding bread to pigeons, being told by London police to ‘disperse.’ … Read More >London police hassle old woman for feeding birds, tell her to ‘DISPERSE’ because of Covid-19 restrictions

USA

‘This can’t be real’: Democratic rep & pastor stirs up storm after he ends opening prayer in US House with ‘amen and AWOMAN’

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021By Editor

Missouri Democrat and United Methodist pastor Emanuel Cleaver has come under fire after he wrapped up his prayer in the US House by saying “amen” and “awoman” in an apparent nod to gender equality. … Read More >‘This can’t be real’: Democratic rep & pastor stirs up storm after he ends opening prayer in US House with ‘amen and AWOMAN’