Trial begins for Charleston church shooting Trump prioritizes defeating Isis over foreign interventions; China asks US not to let Taiwan president visit; Indonesia earthquake death roll rises to 97 people Photos of the nine victims of the Charleston church shooting are held up by congregants during a prayer vigil in June 2015. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images Nicole Puglise @nicolepuglise Charleston congregants prepare for Dylann Roof trial Opening arguments in the federal trial of Dylann Roof begin on Wednesday, and the mood is sombre at the Mother Emanuel AME church. Last year, Roof, an avowed white supremacist, had sat with the congregation's weekly Bible study class before he pulled out a Glock pistol and opened fire, killing nine people, including the church's pastor Clementa Pinckney, uttering racial slurs as he fled. "We pray for those who are still in pain for the horrific events that happened here a little over a year ago, and we pray for this congregation for indeed we are still in mourning," the Rev Edward Ducree said as he led the morning prayer at the church on Sunday. Some were unsure what outcome they were hoping for. Others fear Roof's trial will revive horrific memories they are still struggling to come to terms with, just as the nation reckons with a resurgence of white supremacy and racialised rhetoric under incoming president Donald Trump, Oliver Laughland writes. 'We are still in mourning': Charleston congregants prepare for Dylann Roof trial Trump: 'We will stop racing to topple foreign regimes' Speaking at the latest stop on his 'thank you tour' in Fayetteville, North Carolina, President-elect Donald Trump laid out a US military policy that would avoid interventions in foreign conflicts and instead focus heavily on defeating the Islamic State militant group. During his campaign, Trump vowed to "bomb the shit out of" Islamic State, and also suggested that terrorists were entering the US disguised as refugees and proposed policies such as a ban on Muslim immigration. The president-elect's remarks came a few hours after Barack Obama delivered what was billed as the final national security address of his presidency. Obama didn't mention Donald Trump by name in his speech, but tacitly criticized his stated inclinations on counterterrorism and issued a plea not to sacrifice fundamental American values in the name of national security. Donald Trump: 'We will stop racing to topple foreign regimes' Flynn Jr loses transition team job for spreading fake news Michael Flynn Jr, the son of Donald Trump's pick for national security adviser, has lost his job in the president-elect's transition team after he tweeted a false conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton. Fake news stories alleged that Clinton's allies had been running a child sex ring in the Comet Ping Pong pizza parlor in Washington led to threats against the restaurant and a gunman storming in to "self-investigate" and firing an assault rifle on Sunday. Trump adviser's son loses transition team job for spreading fake news China asks US to block Taiwan president trip China has urged Washington to deny Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's president, entry to the US after Donald Trump's protocol-shedding conversation with her. Tsai is expected to fly through the US next month en route to Central America, and there has been speculation that she may stop in New York to meet with the president-elect – though this has been denied by a number of Trump advisers. Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its own territory and does not recognize Tsai's authority over the self-ruled island, called on the US to prevent that happening. The call from China came as it emerged that former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole may have played a role in setting up the controversial 10-minute conversation between Trump and Tsai. China asks US to block Taiwan president trip after talk of Donald Trump meeting Death toll in Indonesia earthquake rises to 97 The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday has risen to 97, with more people feared trapped in collapsed buildings. Search and rescue teams in Aceh province, an area previously devastated by a massive quake and tsunami in 2004, used tractors to shift the rubble in attempts to reach people buried in their houses. The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake hit just north of the small town of Reuleuet, according to the US Geological Survey. Indonesia earthquake kills dozens in Aceh province Support the Guardian's fearless journalism Never has the US needed fearless independent media more. Help us hold the new president to account, sort fact from fiction, amplify underrepresented voices and understand the forces behind this divisive election – and what happens next. Support the Guardian by becoming a member or making a contribution. Lawsuit accuses Stanford of ignoring sexual assault complaints Stanford University ignored complaints about sexual assault, dismissed victims with disturbing allegations and failed to discipline a "known predator" allowing the student to violently attack multiple women, according to a federal lawsuit filed by advocacy group Equal Rights Advocates on behalf of a current Stanford graduate student. A spokesperson for Stanford declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing privacy laws, but issued a lengthy statement defending the university's record. Stanford accused in lawsuit of ignoring complaints about serial sexual 'predator' Company behind Dakota Access pipeline takes battle to court After the Army Corps of Engineers' denied a key permit to Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, the battle over the controversial oil pipeline has moved to the courts. In documents filed in a US district court in Washington DC on Monday, lawyers for Energy Transfer Partners argued that the denial of permission by the US army corps of engineers represented a "transparent capitulation to political pressure", which they implored the court to overrule and grant them permission to complete the pipeline. On Sunday, the corps announced it would not grant the permit but would instead conduct an environmental impact statement and explore alternate routes for the pipeline. Dakota Access company takes its battle to finish oil pipeline to court In case you missed it ... Amy Schumer has defended her credentials to play Barbie after the announcement that she was in negotiations to play the lead in the Mattel film was met with criticism online. Some complained that the comedian didn't meet the physical beauty standards embodied by the plastic doll. Schumer addressed her critics on Instagram: "I want to thank them for making it so evident that I am a great choice. It's that kind of response that let's you know something's wrong with our culture and we all need to work together to change it." Amy Schumer says trolls' backlash over Barbie casting shows she's right for role Manage your emails | Unsubscribe | Trouble viewing? You are receiving this email because you are a subscriber to Guardian US Briefing. Guardian News & Media Limited - a member of Guardian Media Group PLC. Registered Office: 222 Broadway, 22nd and 23rd Floors, New York, New York, 10038