COVID Court Delays Affecting Justice for Defendants

Some of America's busiest courts have gone virtual or delayed creating backlogs, increased surveillance and false guilty pleas, advocates say.

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  • Saudi de facto ruler approved operation that led to Khashoggi's death: U.S.

    Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler approved an operation to capture or kill murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, according to U.S. intelligence released on Friday as the United States imposed sanctions on some of those involved but spared the crown prince himself in an effort to preserve relations with the kingdom. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies, was killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. The Saudi government, which has denied any involvement by the crown prince, issued a statement rejecting the U.S. report's findings and repeating its previous statements that Khashoggi's killing was a heinous crime by a rogue group.

  • Brazil death toll tops 250,000, virus still running rampant

    Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll, which surpassed 250,000 on Thursday, is the world’s second-highest for the same reason its second wave has yet to fade: Prevention was never made a priority, experts say. Since the pandemic's start, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro scoffed at the “little flu” and lambasted local leaders for imposing restrictions on activity; he said the economy must keep humming along to prevent worse hardship.

  • Lady Gaga dognapping: FBI ‘investigating political motives’

    Singer’s dogwalker was shot and her two French bulldogs stolen

  • Former SNP minister demands release of Salmond documents and says Sturgeon must go if they show conspiracy

    A former SNP minister has called for secret documents about the Alex Salmond affair to be made public and said Nicola Sturgeon should resign if they prove allegations of a conspiracy. Alex Neil, an MSP who held senior cabinet posts in Edinburgh under both Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon, called for transparency from both the Scottish Government and the Crown Office, which have both been criticised for withholding evidence. Mr Salmond has alleged that senior figures in the SNP, including Ms Sturgeon’s husband and her chief of staff, conspired against him by using sexual assault allegations to attempt to ruin his political career and potentially imprison him. Ms Sturgeon has said claims of a conspiracy involving not only the SNP but the prosecution service and other public bodies are ridiculous.

  • Biden USTR nominee Tai vows to end trade 'race to the bottom,' counter China

    Katherine Tai, President Joe Biden's top trade nominee, backed tariffs as a "legitimate tool" to counter China's state-driven economic model and vowed to hold Beijing to its prior commitments, while promising a sweeping new approach to U.S. trade. At her Senate confirmation hearing to become U.S. Trade Representative, Tai also called for a revamp of global trade rules to eliminate what she called "gray areas" exploited by China and end a "race to the bottom" that she said had hurt workers and the environment.

  • UK 4G smartphone owners may be due £480m payout

    Some 29 million people in the UK could be entitled to up to £30 back on Apple or Samsung smartphones.

  • Italy holds state funeral for Congo ambassador

    Italy held a state funeral for its ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo and his bodyguard on Thursday (February 24) who were killed in an ambush along with their driver.The men were kidnapped while travelling in a United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) convoy in eastern Congo.Ambassador Luca Attanasio, his bodyguard Vittorio Iacovacci and WFP driver Mustapha Milambo were all killed. The Italian funeral was attended by Prime Minister Mario Draghi at a church used for services for national leaders and cultural figures.The caskets, draped in the Italian flag, were given a military salute as they were removed from hearses. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis said the deaths should prompt everyone to "hear the cry of the people of Congo, cruelly devastated by violence as it sees its sons and daughters die every day."There are around 120 armed groups operating in eastern Congo.And the country's interior ministry has blamed a Rwandan ethnic Hutu rebel militia called the FDLR for this attack. The group has denied responsibility for what it called a "cowardly assassination".Italian investigators have flown to Congo to liaise with the police and Italian prosecutors are expected to open a full investigation when they return.

  • McConnell to support Trump if party picks him as its 2024 nominee

    Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who excoriated former President Donald Trump over the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot less than two weeks ago, said on Thursday that he would "absolutely" vote for Trump if he became the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. McConnell, who Trump blasted last week as "a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack," said he expects to see an open contest for the Republican White House nomination in 2024 but showed no hesitation in backing Trump when asked whether he would vote for him as nominee.

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Liz Cheney ‘a fool’ for criticising Trump

    Controversial congresswoman previously said the Republican party belong to former president

  • Biden raises human rights in call with Saudi king as intelligence officials to release report on Khashoggi killing

    President Joe Biden has spoken with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia ahead of the release of a report from US intelligence officials that is expected to reveal that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved and likely ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. A White House report of their phone call on Thursday did not disclose whether they discussed the findings in the report. The leaders “discussed regional security, including the renewed diplomatic efforts led by the United Nations and the United States to end the war in Yemen, and the US commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory as it faces attacks from Iranian-aligned groups,” according to a readout of their call.

  • Libyan PM-designate proposes unity government plan

    Libya's designated prime minister, chosen via a U.N.-facilitated process last month, said on Thursday he had proposed a governing plan to the country's divided parliament as part of a peace process. The new interim government is intended to replace Libya's two rival administrations and oversee the run-up to national elections planned for December in a roadmap to end years of chronic chaos and violence. "It will be a government of technocrats representing the whole Libyan spectrum," designated prime minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh told a news conference in Tripoli, adding that he had attempted a "fair distribution" of posts between the west, east and south of the country.

  • 60% of Republican voters support Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, poll finds

    Although Republican lawmakers have largely opposed Biden's costly stimulus plan, it seems Republican voters overwhelmingly support the legislation.

  • Jets spoil Dominique Ducharme’s debut as Montreal’s coach

    Kyle Connor scored twice and the Winnipeg Jets spoiled Dominique Ducharme's debut as Montreal's coach, rallying to beat the Canadiens 6-3 on Thursday night to open a two-game series. The Jets rallied after Montreal took a 2-0 lead into the second period.

  • Special report: Navalny's time in Germany

    Just over two weeks after being poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in Siberia,Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny woke up from a drug-induced comaand began responding to the words of his wife Yulia.He had been evacuated here for emergency treatment - Berlin’s Charite hospital - and he was weak.He would later describe it as a period of appalling hallucinations.It was September 2020 – almost five months before his eventual return to Russia.Reuters spoke to more than a dozen people who visited Navalny or communicated with him during his time in Germany.These people gave insights into the funding of his political operations.They also recounted that he never wavered in his single-minded mission: to displace Vladimir Putin.In mid-October 2020, Navalny moved from Berlin at night, by helicopter to the village of Ibach in the Black Forest – set in a high valley.He, his wife and his son lived in an apartment guarded by armed police. That’s according to three people who visited him there.Here Navalny spent about two months to drive himself back to physical fitness with intense workouts.23-year-old Bjoern Leber became his personal trainer."He had a few problems with his co-ordination, well more than a few. At the beginning he had problems getting into the car and that was when I first realized it. So on our first fitness plans I focused in co-ordination and then strength. Because he had been lying for so long he barely had any strength and could only just manage five press ups and they were pretty shaky."The two men spent hours boxing, juggling and running in the apartment. They also used a counter-current swimming pool in the basement spa.When not exercising, Leber said Navalny worked on his MacBook, had physiotherapy, or went sightseeing."I taught him a bit of German and by the end he could count really well, from one to 20. Then I motivated him in German because he asked me to and he taught me a few Russian words. I can't remember much though. I asked him whether he thought going back to Russia was a good idea and at one point he said: If I don't try I will never know.”By early December, Navalny and his team were in Freiburg near the French border.It was here that he secretly began work on a feature length film with Putin as its target.'A Palace for Putin' would allege that Putin is the owner of a sprawling estate on Russia’s Black Sea coast.It was released on YouTube on January 19, two days after Navalny’s arrest, and has been watched at least 113 million times.The team filmed in various locations, including Dresden - outside the apartment Putin lived in in the 80s as a KGB agent.In Berlin - where Navalny visited the archives of the Stasi secret police to see Putin's identity card.And also at the Black Forest Studios – where staff were sworn to secrecy.The Kremlin has dismissed the report.[Russian President, Vladimir Putin] "I have not seen this movie, simply because of the lack of spare time. But I had a look at video-digest my assistant brought me. I want to answer your question straight away: nothing named there in the video as my property belongs to me or my close relatives, and never did. Never. " Some of Navalny’s supporters hoped he would stay out of Russia, at least for a while.Russian authorities dropped unambiguous hints that he would be jailed if he returned.But a German official confirmed to Reuters that Navalny made no request to stay.Navalny used Instagram to announce his planned return to Russia,writing “Russia is my country, Moscow is my city and I miss it.”Upon landing his arrest was swift.A couple of weeks later, a Moscow court jailed Navalny for nearly three years for parole violationsignoring a Western outcry over his treatment and nationwide protests that had attracted tens of thousands in the middle of winter.Some supporters wondered if he should have waited longer before returning.Those who got to know Navalny in Germany, meanwhile, are focused on his personal fate.Personal trainer Leber sent Navalny a text saying, "'Stay strong.'"But he only got one tick, the message wasn’t read.

  • Teen in hospital for sledding injury dies after dad died visiting her, Ohio mom says

    “Her daddy got to heaven just before she did.”

  • She taught piano to kids in NC for years. Then her daughter accused her of sex crimes.

    This is the shocking story of the alleged sexual abuses that led to the January arrest of Sandra Hiler — aka Charlotte piano teacher Keiko Aloe — as told by her 21-year-old daughter.

  • FBI pinpoints a single suspect in the death of US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick

    Federal investigators zeroed in on the assailant after video footage showed the suspect attacking officers with bear spray, The Times reported.

  • Thousands rally in Armenia after PM warns of coup attempt

    Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned of an attempted military coup against him on Thursday, and thousands took to the streets of the capital to support him after the army demanded he and his government resign. Russia, an ally of Armenia which has a military base in Armenia, said it was alarmed by events in the former Soviet republic and called for the situation to be resolved peacefully and within the constitution. Pashinyan, 45, has faced calls to quit since November after what critics said was his disastrous handling of a six-week conflict between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and surrounding areas.

  • Residents of an Indian slum thought they were getting vaccinated like everyone else but were unknowingly part of a clinical trial

    After a white van advertised COVID-19 vaccines to a central-Indian slum, many of its residents feel duped after finding out they were in a trial.

  • Ted Cruz rants about comedians, late-night TV, and mask-wearing before shouting at people to 'just have fun' in wild CPAC speech

    "Orlando is awesome. It's not as nice as Cancún, but it's nice," Cruz said, referring to the scandal he sparked by leaving Texas for Mexico.