"Start Worrying About Comey's Replacement" As FBI Chief Fired: HRW Daily Brief

Many immigrant families in the US have been exposed to harsh immigration enforcement in the past, but rather than making progress to end abuse, President Trump's administration appears poised to further entrench and expand disastrous policies. A new bill in Texas amounts to one of the United States' strictest laws on sanctuary cities. The law compels local police to honor requests by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold people beyond the time they would be held for any criminal charges. Its backers claim the bill will keep communities safe, it will likely do little more than sew mistrust and fear of police among immigrant communities. FIFA, the world football federation, is considering postponing a decision on whether to instruct its Israeli affiliate (IFA) to stop holding games in West Bank settlements. Six IFA clubs are based in settlements, on land unlawfully taken from, and off-limits to, Palestinians. Their presence on this land would appear to violate FIFA's own rules, so why the delay in ordering the IFA to stop hosting games in settlements? Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded strongly to a recent chemical weapons attack in Syria that killed at least 92 people, including 30 children. So then why is Turkey hosting a Russian state-owned arms firm that supplies the Syrian government with weapons that regularly kill civilians? The Jakarta court that sentenced governor Basuki “Ahok” Purnama to two years’ imprisonment for blasphemy against Islam has sent a chilling message to non-Muslims in Indonesia. If someone powerful and once popular like Ahok could be jailed for blasphemy, who is next? Elections in Iran are slated to take place on May 19. But presidential and local candidates are failing to mention the country's numerous political prisoners. Many of these prisoners are on hunger strike to protest their arrest, detention, and mistreatment. But by ignoring their plight, Iran's political candidates are casting aside a rare opportunity to show commitment to rights reforms. From earlier today: US President Donald Trump has fired the director of the FBI over his handling of the inquiry into Hillary Clinton's emails, the administration says. In a shock announcement, James Comey was terminated with immediate effect last night. But Democrats say he was fired because the FBI was investigating alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia. Either way, it's time to start worrying about Comey's replacement.