Civilians Trapped in Raqqa's "Deadly Labyrinth": HRW Daily Brief
Civilians trapped in Raqqa's "deadly labyrinth"; Yemen's humanitarian crisis; "dictator hunter" to take on Gambia's Yahya Jammeh; US military aid cut to Egypt; India's Supreme Court rules privacy is a fundamental right; private sector demands action on "killer robots"; Hong Kong's "Umbrella Three"; and the power of a question in Germany.
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The Trump administration has detailed plans for excluding transgender people from United States military service. Trump announced the ban last month in a series of tweets, citing cost and "disruption" as reasons behind it. But make no mistake: this despicable move is about little more than discrimination.
Saudi Arabia has announced plans to expel migrants working or living illegally in the kingdom. This could mean that up to 500,000 Ethiopian nationals are at risk of being deported. But when they return to Ethiopia, they face detention, torture, and extreme poverty.
Italian police this week used violence and water cannons while evicting hundreds of squatters in Rome, most of them refugees. Authorities in Italy should immediately investigate this egregious use of violence by police against a vulnerable group.
Qatar’s adoption of a new law on domestic workers provides labor rights for domestic workers for the first time. It is a positive step, if long overdue, to protect its almost 200,000 domestic workers.
Josefina C. was released from 18 months of detention the day she turned 49. Instead of joy, she felt only sadness. Release was followed quickly by deportation and separation from her two daughters and 20 years of her life in the United States.
From earlier today: Thousands of civilians are "trapped in a deadly labyrinth" inside the Syrian city of Raqqa and coming under fire from all sides, Amnesty International said in a new report today. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and injured since an offensive began in June to recapture the city from Islamic State.