Fears of More Violence in Hong Kong: Daily Brief
Hong Kong police should stop using excessive force against pro-democracy protesters; "hundreds" detained in disputed Kashmir region; athlete Caster Semenya bemoans lack of women's support; almost 2,000 killed in 2 years in eastern DR Congo; new Myanmar dam could displace thousands; Ethiopians who flee to Saudi Arabia via Yemen face torture and abuse; and good news as ship carrying rescued migrants is finally allowed to dock in Italy...
With Hong Kong paralyzed by mass protests, fears of armed intervention from Beijing, once unthinkable, are rising by the day. New satellite photos show what appear to be armoured personnel carriers belonging to the China’s paramilitary People’s Armed police parked in a sports stadium in the city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, with some interpreting the move as Beijing threatening increased force against pro-democracy protesters.
A government official says at least 500 local leaders and activists have been arrested or detained across Kashmir since the beginning of last week. Indian authorities began detaining local leaders and activists in Kashmir some 11 days ago, shortly after the region’s special status was withdrawn.
Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya, who has been locked in a battle over her testosterone levels with athletics authorities, said this week that she has not felt supported by other women in sport.
Understanding who is committing atrocities in DR Congo's eastern Kivu provinces is the first step towards ending the abuses there and stemming the bloodshed.
A new dam planned for Myanmar could displace up to 7,000 people, human rights groups say.
Ethiopians undertaking the perilous journey by boat across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden face exploitation and torture in Yemen by a network of trafficking groups, new HRW research has shown.
And finally some good news: the Spanish humanitarian ship Open Arms is headed for the Italian island of Lampedusa today with 147 rescued migrants on board. The ship will be allowed to dock after a judge in Rome suspended far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini’s decree banning the vessel from Italy’s territorial waters.