Chechen Leader Hospitalized With COVID-19
There was mounting uncertainty Saturday over the health of Chechen autocratic leader Ramzan Kadyrov after conflicting reports over whether he suffers from the coronavirus disease COVID-19.
virus
Trump ‘Orders’ U.S. States To Reopen Churches
Tensions were rising Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that states allow churches and other houses of worship to reopen from stay-at-home restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Saying America needed more prayer, Trump threatened to override governors’ orders though he faced constitutional limits to enforce these policies.
Pakistan Plane Crash Kills 97 (Update)
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crashed into a residential area of Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi on Friday, killing all 107 people on board, the city’s mayor confirmed.
U.S. Pentecostal Church Destroyed In Arson Attack
A Pentecostal church in the U.S. state of Mississippi, which challenges coronavirus restrictions, has been destroyed by a suspected arson fire.
US pledges $1.2B for 300M doses of coronavirus vaccine being developed in UK
The United States has committed $1.2 billion to secure the supply of 300 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed in the United Kingdom.
Justice Department says California Restrictions on Churches are Unfair
The Justice Department has told California Gov. Gavin Newsom that his current COVID-19 order prohibiting worship services amounts to “unequal treatment of faith communities,” the Washington Examiner reports. In a letter sent Tuesday by the Department’s Civil Rights Division, the governor was told it is apparently unfair that church should be closed when “non-essential” businesses have opened in phase two of California’s Reopening Plan.
Scores Dead As Cyclone Hits India and Bangladesh
Scores of people have died, hundreds of thousands are homeless, and millions face flooding and power shortages in India and Bangladesh after one of the region’s fiercest cyclones in a decade.
U.S. Cities Seen Losing $360 Billion of Revenue From Economic Rout
U.S. cities are projected to lose about $360 billion of revenue through 2022 because of the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented loss that would trigger deep spending and job cuts, according to a National League of Cities analysis released Thursday.
Hungary Passes Transgender Law
Hungary’s Parliament has approved legislation that bans transgender people from changing the gender they were assigned at birth on official documents.
U.S. Birthrate Hits Record Low
The United States hit a record low birthrate amid broader concerns over the economy, U.S. health authorities revealed Wednesday.
Spain Extends Wearing Of Masks To Curb Virus
Spain’s government on Wednesday sought to extend a state of emergency and made wearing masks compulsory where social distancing is not possible.
Millions Hide as Super Cyclone Roars India and Bangladesh
Millions of people have fled to shelters in India and neighboring Bangladesh as the fiercest cyclone in decades hit the region, which also faces a coronavirus pandemic.
Trump signs executive order to cut regulations hampering economic recovery
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday seeking to cut regulations that hamper economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Court Overturns Worship Ban In France
An administrative court in France has overturned a government ban on meetings in churches and other places of worship. The case underscored broader tensions in coronavirus-hit Europe over religious freedom amid an ongoing pandemic.
Israeli Laboratory Hopes to Produce a Coronavirus Vaccine in a Year
A laboratory run by Israel’s Defense Ministry has said it may have a functioning COVID-19 vaccine in a year or less, the Times of Israel reports. The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) reported that it completed a successful coronavirus vaccine test on rodents and will move on to trials with other animals before starting on humans.
US President Trump Takes Malaria Drug against COVID-19
US President Donald Trump says he has been taking a malaria drug to protect against the new coronavirus COVID-19, despite warnings from his health officials. “What do you have to lose?” he told reporters on Monday.
China: ‘108 Million People In Lockdown’ As Virus Spreads Again
While several nations began to reopen after months of lockdowns, China put a whopping 108 million people under a stay-at-home order.
Montenegro Releases Bishop and Priests After Protests
Montenegro has released a Serbian Orthodox Church bishop and at least seven priests whose detention sparked protests and riots with police.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules ‘Unilateral’ Extension of Executive Lockdown Order is Unlawful
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled three to four Wednesday that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’s administration had no authority to extend a coronavirus stay-at-home order to the end of May, Fox News reports. Evers’ executive order was due to end on April 24, but Health Secretary Andrea Palm extended it to May 26. After Republicans filed suit, the Court found the extension amounted to an emergency rule which Palm had no power to enact unilaterally.
Operation Warp Speed sets ‘goal’ of 300 million coronavirus vaccines by January 2021
The Defense Department took pains Friday to emphasize that President Trump’s promise to produce 300 million coronavirus vaccines by January 2021 is a “goal,” while a spokesman also told the Washington Examiner that a shake-up of the Pentagon team acquiring medical equipment did not signify a change in direction.