Sanction Saudi Leaders for Yemen Blockade: Daily Brief

The Saudi-led coalition’s blockade of aid to Yemen's civilian population is worsening the country’s humanitarian catastrophe, HRW has warned. If restrictions are not lifted straight away, asset freezes and travel bans should be considered. Staying with sanctions, the US House of Representatives has condemned the "ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya" in Burma, and passed a resolution calling for an end to the attacks. The resolution is the first step in congressional action that could eventually include a stand-alone sanctions bill aimed at senior military figures. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel continues to draw global criticism. Protests have already broken out in parts of Gaza and the West Bank. Sufi religious sites are under assault in Libya, with two mosques in Tripoli heavily damaged by unidentified forces over the past two months. Meanwhile in Iraq, authorities there should limit trials of suspected Islamic State members amid concerns over due process. Same-sex marriage will become legal in Australia after a historic bill was passed in the House of Representatives. This week's killing of Yemen's former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, was unjust of course, but his violent death also deprives his countless victims of the opportunity to see him face justice. A Muslim man in India has been hacked with an axe and then burned alive in a gruesome attack - captured on video - which was apparently motivated by religious hatred.