El Salvador President Nayib Bukele defied the Supreme Court Wednesday after the nation’s highest judiciary issued an order for his administration to respect COVID-19 related rulings. In March the El Salvador government responded to the COVID-19 outbreak by ordering all citizens to undergo a mandatory month-long lockdown. Individuals found violating this order have been arrested [...]

Amnesty International on Thursday expressed human rights abuse concerns over emergency COVID–19 responses across Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Amnesty accused governments of broadening and abusing their police powers through emergency–pandemic measures intended to suppress political dissent, freedom of expression, and civil society. Daniel Balson, advocacy director for Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty, referred [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled Thursday that a lawsuit challenging the North Carolina General Assembly redistricting plans under the North Carolina constitution must be heard in state, not federal court. Plaintiffs allege that the redistricting plans are unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. Plaintiffs are 38 voters who are part of the North [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday denied Roger Stone’s motion for a new trial due to the alleged misconduct and bias by jury foreperson Tomeka Hart. Stone, a former advisor to President Donald Trump, had filed the motion a few days after being sentenced to 40 months in [...]

In a letter to the European Commission revealed Thursday, ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Spain proposed that a “binding mechanism” be added to the upcoming New Pact on Asylum and Migration to distribute asylum seekers. The proposal is an attempt to keep asylum reform on the agenda during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal states [...]

The German Constitutional Court on Thursday upheld citizens’ right to hold political protests after a group of activists in the state of Hesse petitioned the court with a document titled “Strengthen health instead of weakening fundamental rights – protection against viruses, not against humans.” The protesters hoped that the court would allow them to gather [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida entered a temporary injunction on Friday that halts the sale of an unproven, “potentially dangerous” coronavirus treatment product. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Genesis II Church of Health and Healing sold a product called Miracle Mineral Solution, which was sold [...]

US President Donald Trump unveiled new federal COVID-19 guidelines on Thursday in hopes of reopening American businesses. The guidelines, titled “Opening Up America Again,” outline a three-phased plan based on advice of public health experts, according to the White House plan. The phases are designed to allow people to slowly return to work if their [...]

Turkey’s parliament passed legislation Thursday allowing its sovereign wealth fund to assist companies in distress. The legislation will help the country survive the impact of COVID-19 by allowing the Turkiye Wealth Fund to send money in firms considered to be of strategic importance. The government will prevent excessive price increases by companies within the country. [...]

Republican lawmakers in Kentucky moved on Wednesday to pass House Bill 451, which would expand the power of Kentucky’s attorney general to seek civil and criminal penalties for violations relating to abortions and abortion facilities. The move places the bill in the hands of Governor Andy Beshear, the state’s new Democratic governor. Under current Kentucky [...]