Legislation and Loss: Immigration Crackdown, Controversial Pardons, and a Nashville School Tragedy

Good Morning,

The United States’ House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act, requiring the detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes, President Donald Trump pardoned two Washington police officers convicted in the 2020 death of Karon Hylton-Brown during a reckless pursuit, and a shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville left a 16-year-old student dead, another injured, and the 17-year-old gunman dead by suicide.

Top Stories

● House passes immigrant detention bill that would be Trump’s first law to sign (AP)

● Trump pardons two police officers convicted in murder of Black man in Washington (Reuters)

● Teen fatally shoots a female student and himself at Antioch High School in Nashville, police say (AP)

● CNN to lay off hundreds of employees as post-inauguration transformation begins, sources say (CNBC)

● Israeli forces surround Palestinian hospital and refugee camp in West Bank (The Guardian)

United States and Canada

● Cracks emerge in House GOP after speaker’s threat to saddle California wildfire aid with conditions (AP)

● Bloomberg to fund UN climate body after Donald Trump’s Paris exit (AJ)

● US military to send additional 1,500 troops to border (Reuters)

● Trump to relist Yemen’s Houthis as ‘terrorist’ organisation (AJ)

● 4 San Antonio police officers shot, wounded by barricaded suspect, officials say (CBS News)

● Former Arkansas officer arrested, charged with assault in beating of handcuffed inmate (AP)

Central America

● Mexican border states prepare migrant shelters as Trump begins deportation campaign (AP)

● Mauricio Funes, former Salvadoran president, dies in Nicaragua (Reuters)

● Colombia seeks to reassert control as rebel fighting kills over 100 (AJ)

● Mexico has not agreed to accept non-Mexican US asylum seekers, says president (Reuters)

Africa

● As gold prices surge, Ghana faces ‘looming crisis’ over illegal mining (AJ)

● Outrage in Italy over release of Libyan warlord due to legal error (AN)

● A rebel group is advancing on eastern Congo’s largest city and over 100,000 people have fled (AP)

● Alliance of Sahel States to form 5,000-troop military unit (AN)

● West Africa’s junta-led nations announce deployment of a joint force as extremist violence spikes (AP)

● Over a million people flee to South Sudan as Sudan conflict grinds on: UN (AJ)

Middle East

● Saudi crown prince says kingdom intends to invest $600 billion in US during call with Trump (AP)

● Iran tries to calm nuclear concerns as UN warns on enrichment (Reuters)

● Davos-Syria's economy will be open for foreign investment, foreign minister says (Reuters)

● Iran says Swiss national who died in custody photographed military sites (AJ)

● Israel’s top general resigns over Oct. 7 failures, adding to pressure on Netanyahu (AP)

● EU's Kallas says she hopes for political agreement on easing Syria sanctions (Reuters)

Indo-Pacific

● Vietnam police announce dismantling of $1.2bn money laundering ring (AJ)

● Gunmen kill 2 soldiers, wound 12 others deployed to secure a UN project in the southern Philippines (AP)

● Trump administration promises ‘ironclad’ support for Philippines’ security (AJ)

● 1 person is killed and 2 injured in stabbing outside Nagano station in central Japan (AP)

Europe

● Irish parliament delays vote for prime minister after speaking rights row (AJ)

● Two killed in German park in stabbing attack; Afghan suspect arrested (Reuters)

● Balkan air pollution crisis threatens public health, EU membership goals (Reuters)

● One dead, 31 wounded in Russian strike on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia (Reuters)

● Netherlands ordered by court to slash nitrogen emissions by 2030 (Reuters)

● NATO chief says Russian victory over Ukraine would have a costly impact on alliance’s credibility (AP)

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