President Donald Trump is being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller for possible obstruction of justice. US media say senior intelligence officials will be interviewed on whether Mr Trump tried to end an inquiry into his sacked national security adviser, and about the firing of FBI chief James Comey in May. Mr Trump's legal team said the latest leak to the media was ‘outrageous’, and the president has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia, calling the ongoing inquiry a witch-hunt. The Washington Post sees Mr Mueller’s decision as a major turning point in his investigation, which until recently focused on the Russian angle. Mr Comey, who had previously been leading the Russia inquiries, told Congress last week that Mr Trump had pressured him to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Rev’d Kuwa Shamal, Rev’d Hassan Abduraheem, Mr Petr Jašek, and Mr Abdulmonem Abdumawla were arrested in December 2015 and held in prison on charges of national security crimes. They were charged with helping fund medical treatment for a student injured in a demonstration. The trial, which started in August 2016, has been subject to several delays and postponements. Rev’d Shamal was acquitted on 2 January 2017, and released due to lack of evidence. Christian Solidarity Worldwide said: ‘We continue to press for the immediate release of these three men and are deeply concerned at the unnecessary delays. They have committed no crimes and have been held unjustly for over a year, simply for an act of kindness.’