Withdraw Hillsborough law amendment, urge Liverpool and Manchester mayors 17. January 2026 (17:56) Draft creates ‘too broad an opt-out’ for intelligence chiefs to decide what information is released after major incidentThe mayors of Liverpool and Manchester have said an amendment to the Hillsborough law should be withdrawn, saying it did not do enough to prevent future cover-ups.The Liverpool city region mayor, Steve Rotheram, and the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, said the amendment “creates too broad an opt-out” by allowing intelligence officials to decide what information is released to investigators after a major incident. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Brainwashing’: the shocking case of a Native American healer accused of sexual abuse 17. January 2026 (16:00) Nathan Chasing Horse, who had part in Dances with Wolves, accused in trial that spotlights influence of ‘medicine men’After learning she was of Lakota descent around 1996, Melissa Leone, who was adopted, hungered to connect to her Native American tribe.“I was grabbing a hold of any and all connections that felt good or safe,” she said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump campaign manager quietly drops defamation suit against the Daily Beast 17. January 2026 (16:00) Chris LaCivita sued news outlet over 2024 story about large payments from Trump campaign to his consulting firmA manager for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election bid has abandoned a high-profile lawsuit against the Daily Beast, 10 months after complaining the news outlet had defamed him in reporting on campaign expenditures.Chris LaCivita, who co-managed the campaign that led to Trump’s second presidency, quietly dropped his legal action on Friday, the Daily Beast said. The outlet said it had not retracted the story, made no apology and had not made any cash payment to LaCivita. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
London nursery worker convicted of child sexual abuse faces 15 more charges 17. January 2026 (15:47) Vincent Chan, who already pleaded guilty to 26 offences, accused of possessing indecent images of childrenA nursery worker who was convicted of dozens of sexual attacks on children left in his care has been charged with a further 15 offences.Vincent Chan, 45, previously pleaded guilty to 26 offences between 2022 and 2024, including sexually assaulting four girls aged between two and four at the north London nursery where he worked, and offences relating to more than 25,000 indecent images of children. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump pardons Florida fraudster after commuting her sentence during his first term 17. January 2026 (15:41) President’s pardon of Adriana Camberos comes amid a flurry of other pardons Trump issued on ThursdayDonald Trump has pardoned a woman who ended up imprisoned for fraud a second time after he afforded her clemency during his first presidency.Adriana Camberos initially had a sentence commuted by Trump just before his first stint in the White House ended in 2021. That came after she was convicted as part of an effort to divert 5-Hour Energy drink bottles acquired for resale in Mexico and instead keep them in the US. Prosecutors said she and several co-conspirators attached counterfeit labels and filled the bottles with a phony liquid before selling them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Buddhist monks pass halfway mark on 2,300-mile Walk for Peace through US 17. January 2026 (15:00) Despite injuries, walkers and pet dog continue trek to promote ‘peace, loving kindness and compassion’ in the USA group of Buddhist monks has passed the halfway mark on a 2,300-mile Walk for Peace, as they seek to raise awareness of “peace, loving kindness and compassion” in the US and the world.The 18 monks, two of whom are following a Buddhist practice of never lying down during the three-month journey, were in North Carolina on Saturday, their 83rd day on the road. Led by the Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra, who is conducting the walk barefoot, they have already overcome a serious injury to one member of the group as they head towards Washington DC. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Senior Iranian cleric calls for protester executions in defiance of Trump claims 17. January 2026 (14:25) Hardline Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami is not alone among regime voices calling for harsh response to unrest, say rights groupsA senior Iranian cleric has demanded the execution of protesters after a brutal crackdown raised the death toll in Iran and quelled the nationwide protest movement.In a sermon on Friday, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami railed against demonstrators, saying “armed hypocrites should be put to death”. He described protesters as “butlers” and “soldiers” of Israel and the US, vowing that neither country should “expect peace”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Confidence runs high in London’s Little Morocco as Afcon glory beckons 17. January 2026 (14:00) Atlas Lions face Senegal in final of Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday and Moroccan diaspora scents victoryLondon’s Little Morocco is brimming with pride and anticipation. The Moroccan diaspora in North Kensington is in no doubt that on Sunday the Atlas Lions will triumph against Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.“There’s not just an excitement, it has completely taken over everything else,” said Souad Talsi, who runs the Al-Hasaniya Moroccan women’s centre at the base of 31-storey Trellick Tower, at the north end of Golborne Road. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US federal forces blind two protesters shot in face with ‘less-lethal’ munitions 17. January 2026 (14:00) Kaden Rummler and Britain Rodriguez tell KTLA and LA Times of being shot at close range during California protestTwo protesters have been blinded by so-called “less-lethal” munitions deployed by federal officers during an anti-ICE protest last week in Santa Ana, California, according to reports.The blindings come amid rising scrutiny of federal authorities’ use-of-force policies, after the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer set off nationwide protests. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump inauguration anniversary walkouts: here’s what to know 17. January 2026 (14:00) Amid escalating ICE raids and attacks on gender-affirming care, organizers ask people to join ‘Free America Walkout’On 20 January, the anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration, grassroots organizers are calling on people across the United States to walk out of their offices, schools and businesses to protest the administration and call for “a free America”.In the wake of escalating ICE raids, attacks on gender-affirming care, cuts to healthcare and the deployment of national guard troops in US cities, the organizers behind the Women’s March are asking Americans to participate in the “Free America Walkout”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
