France’s national competition regulator on Friday issued a statement that urges Google to begin negotiating payment with publishers and news agencies for the re-use of their content. The statement calls on Google to begin negotiating within three months. The regulator agency states that press publishers and Agence-France Presse (AFP) complained that Google is infringing on [...]
The National Assembly of Cambodia passed a state of emergency bill on Friday due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is now being sent to the Senate. The bill passed in the lower house by 115 votes in favor and 10 abstentions. Justice Minister Koeut Rith wrote an initial draft of the bill and later added [...]
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Thursday in his remarks to the Security Council that the COVID-19 pandemic threatens global peace. “In some conflict settings, the uncertainty created by the pandemic may create incentives for some actors to promote further division and turmoil,” Guterres stated. “This could lead to an escalation of violence and possibly devastating [...]
The Swiss government announced Thursday that it will look at temporarily amending its bankruptcy laws during the coronavirus crisis to help companies that have encountered cash-flow problems and mounting debt. The government warned on Wednesday that the Swiss economy could shrink as much as 10.4 percent this year. Justice minister Karin Keller-Sutter said that companies [...]
A year after violent protests ousted Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, Human Rights Watch called upon the Sudanese government Friday for justice in the deaths of dozens of demonstrators. Al-Bashir was removed from power in a coup d’état in April 2019 after four months of protests against his administration. Pro-government police heavily repressed these protests through [...]
India’s new citizenship law and policies are causing discrimination against Muslims, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report Thursday. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) allows a fast-track to citizenship in India for undocumented immigrants who entered India before December 31, 2014. The CAA grants citizenship on the basis of religion, and allows persons “belonging [...]
Bangladeshi counter terrorism authorities arrested Abdul Majed in Dhaka on Tuesday. Majed faces the death penalty for the 1975 assassinations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family. Rahman played a significant role in Bangladesh’s independence movement and served as country’s first prime minister from 1971 to 1975. Of Rahman’s family, only his daughters Sheikh Hasina [...]
Guinea President Alpha Conde enacted a new constitution by decree Monday. Although voters supported the new constitution, a referendum on its changes last month spurred mass protests by the opposition. The US, the EU and France have questioned the validity of last month’s vote. Although Conde has been criticized as becoming increasingly authoritarian, he argues [...]
The Supreme Court of India ruled Wednesday that citizens must be given access to free COVID-19 testing, sparking concern from many experts. Many business leaders and health experts state that by placing a high financial burden on private medical firms, India could actually see a reduction in its COVID-19 testing. Small businesses currently do not [...]
Australian police reported Thursday that they have taken the “black box” of a cruise ship as part of a homicide investigation after 15 COVID-19 deaths were reportedly linked to the vessel. The ship, the Ruby Princess, was permitted to disembark 2,700 passengers last month without health checks. As a result, hundreds of passengers have tested [...]
