BRAZIL: The country’s supreme court unanimously voted today that the armed forces have no constitutional power to intervene in disputes between government branches, a largely symbolic decision aimed at bolstering democracy after years of increasing threats of military intervention.

The court’s decision came in response to an argument that article 142 of Brazil’s constitution affords the military so-called “moderating power” between the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

GREECE: Michalis Chrisochoidis, Greece’s minister in charge of police, announced plans today to set up a nationwide network of domestic violence shelters, days after the fatal stabbing of a woman outside a police station.

The April 2 killing of Kyriaki Griva occurred as she was seeking police protection from her ex-boyfriend, and has refocused national attention on domestic violence.

POLAND: Polish local and regional elections on Sunday failed to give Prime Minister Donald Tusk the sweeping victory he had hoped for in his efforts to reverse eight years of rule by a right-wing party that was accused of eroding democratic norms.

Mr Tusk’s Civic Coalition appears to have done well in big cities, but the opposition Law and Justice party won more votes in elections for the country’s 16 regional assemblies.

SPAIN: The Spanish supreme court today called on fugitive former Catalonia president and separatist chief Carles Puigdemont to testify as a defendant in a terrorism investigation over protests linked to the region’s failed 2017 independence referendum.

A court statement said Mr Puigdemont, a European Parliament lawmaker, and Catalan regional lawmaker Ruben Wagensberg, have been summoned to testify voluntarily by video conference from their residences outside Spain.