Thousands Trapped By ISIS In Mosul, Iraq: HRW Daily Brief

Results of the United Kingdom general election will soon be out. Reeling from recent attacks, the UK is at a critical moment. But combating terrorism should not include trampling over human rights. They should instead remain a bulwark against hatred and intolerance. Ousted United States FBI director Comey testified before the US Senate today about his previous conversations with President Trump. Comey's account paints the portrait of a president who assumes that the rule of law can be bent to his will. But it is critically important that the integrity and independence of the FBI be protected. Good news from the US! New York State has cleared one of the last hurdles in ending child marriage for good in the state. A bill to raise the legal age of marriage in New York to 17-years-old with parental or judicial consent from 14-years-old is now at the governor's desk. He should sign it immediately. And more good news, as Hugo Boss has agreed to go transparent and publish information about its suppliers. It's a significant step toward linking clothes we buy with the conditions in which they are made. Now it's time for other companies to do the same. Help us tell them to #GoTransparent. From earlier today: The looming battle involving Iraqi and US-led coalition forces against the Islamic State in west Mosul poses a considerable threat to the estimated 200,000 civilians still stuck there within in a two-square-kilometer area, a coalition of NGOs said today. ISIS’s unlawful use of civilians as “human shields” and the difficulty of identifying civilians in buildings increases the risk of civilian casualties, aid and rights groups have warned. A civil rights group is asking German authorities to issue an arrest warrant for the recently appointed deputy director of the CIA, Gina Haspel, over claims she oversaw the torture of terrorism suspects 15 years ago.