Protesters filled the streets of Algiers on Friday as the pro-democracy Hirak movement regained momentum after a year-long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hirak, meaning “movement” in Arabic, was formed in 2019 to oppose former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s run for a fifth term. The non-partisan movement aims for systemic change that includes judicial independence and the rule [...]

The US Supreme Court granted injunctive relief in an order Friday to a group of churches in Santa Clara County, California, who sought to continue holding indoor worship services in spite of COVID-19 bans. Under the Santa Clara County guidelines, “ worship service is categorized by the County as a ‘gathering,’ and gatherings are prohibited. [...]

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte signed the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 into law on Friday, giving vaccine makers indemnity if their COVID-19 vaccines cause adverse side effects. Although the number of COVID-19 infections in Philippines is one of the highest in Asia, the Philippines is one of the last Southeastern Asian countries to receive [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on Thursday struck down the CDC-issued moratorium on residential evictions, stating that the federal government does not have the authority to implement the ban. Judge John Campell Barker wrote the 21-page opinion, rejecting the argument that the CDC order is within the [...]

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health on Thursday revised a controversial mandatory cremation order for persons who have died from COVID-19. The government had issued the cremation order at the beginning of the global pandemic last year, over concerns that burying bodies of COVID-19 victims could potentially contaminate ground water. World Health Organization guidance from the same [...]