While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 17
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Chief justice, senators sworn in as Trump impeachment trial gets under way
Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in on Thursday to preside over President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, then immediately administered the oath to the full Senate to ensure "impartial justice" as jurors for only the third such proceeding in American. history.
Roberts made the short trip across the street from the Supreme Court before being ushered to the Senate chamber.
"Will all senators now stand, and remain standing, and raise their right hand," Roberts said.
"Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you God?"
Senate passes US-Canada-Mexico trade deal, a Trump priority
The Senate overwhelmingly approved a new North American trade agreement on Thursday that rewrites the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico and gives President Donald Trump a major policy win before senators turn their full attention to his impeachment trial.
The vote was 89-10. The measure goes to Trump for his signature. It would replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, known as Nafta, which tore down most trade barriers and triggered a surge in trade.
But Trump and other critics blamed that pact for encouraging US companies to move their manufacturing plants south of the border to take advantage of low-wage Mexican labourers.
Britain's Prince Harry appears in public for first time since royal split
Britain's Prince Harry made his first public appearance on Thursday since Queen Elizabeth acceded to the wishes of her grandson and his American wife, Meghan, to step back from their senior royal roles and seek a more independent future.
The Prince, sixth in line to the throne, watched children playing rugby league in the back garden of Buckingham Palace ahead of making the draw for the sport's World Cup next year.
The event is his last scheduled royal engagement before he and Meghan begin a "period of transition" to their new roles.
British government appeals 'unduly lenient' sentence for rapist Reynhard Sinaga
Britain's attorney-general on Thursday appealed against a minimum 30-year prison term given to an Indonesian man described as the country's worst-known sex offender, calling it "unduly lenient".
Geoffrey Cox asked the Court of Appeal to consider imposing a "whole life order" on mature student Reynhard Sinaga, 36, so he is never eligible for release from jail.
Sinaga was convicted of 159 offences in total, including 136 rapes and eight attempted rapes, at four separate trials which began in June 2018 and ended last December.
Gigi Hadid nixed as juror, as lawyers seek to move Weinstein 'circus' trial
Harvey Weinstein's lawyers went to court Thursday with a last-minute demand to halt jury selection and move his rape trial out of New York City, where they say intense media coverage, protesters and even the consideration of supermodel Gigi Hadid as a juror have turned the case into a "media and entertainment circus."
Weinstein's lawyers detoured to the Manhattan appellate court for oral arguments hours after the 24-year-old Hadid was dismissed from the jury pool and as jurors were starting to be picked for the case.
By lunchtime on Thursday, five jurors had been selected - three men and two women - from about 145 potential jurors who were invited back for additional questioning.