BBC News Briefing

24 November, 2025

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Alex Binley

Hello. Cases against two high-profile critics of US President Donald Trump have been dismissed by a judge - we'll bring you the latest. A father in Nigeria has spoken of how he felt powerless as he watched gunmen abduct his son and dozens of other pupils from a school on Friday. And finally, watch as a new freediving record is set.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Judge dismisses cases against ex-FBI boss Comey and NY Attorney General James

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Both James and Comey argued that the charges against them were politically motivated. Credit: Reuters

A judge has dismissed charges against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that the prosecutor in the case was appointed illegally. Trump had handpicked his former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan to be interim US attorney and she brought the cases. Halligan was selected after her predecessor said there was not enough evidence for any indictments against Comey and James, both of whom the president has long disliked after they brought high-profile investigations against him. The pair had pleaded not guilty to their respective charges last month - Comey was accused of lying to Congress during a 2020 hearing and James was charged with alleged mortgage fraud.

Get the latest

GET UP TO SPEED

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Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff dies, aged 81

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More on his legacy >

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US labels Cartel de los Soles terrorist organisation

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What you need to know >

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Updated peace plan could be a deal Ukraine will take

The proposed plan is said to have been significantly changed since Sunday - but key sticking points are likely to remain.

Correspondent analysis >

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Australia senator condemned for burka stunt

Pauline Hanson provoked anger after donning a black burka as she sought to push for a ban on the garment.

What happened >

AT THE SCENE

Papiri, Niger State, Nigeria

'I watched helplessly as Nigeria gunmen snatched my son'

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Many parents, including Theo, are frustrated with the government's response to the abductions.

In the early hours of Friday, Theo was woken up by noise outside his home in Niger State, Nigeria. When he went to see what was happening, he saw that dozens of children, including his own son, were being abducted by gunmen on motorbikes from a nearby boarding school.

Madina Maishanu, BBC Africa

"They [the children] were being trafficked on foot the way shepherds control their herds. Some children were falling and the men would kick them and instruct them to stand up. The gunmen were on about 50 motorcycles while controlling them," Theo said.

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Speaking to the BBC in the dormitory where his son used to sleep, Theo said he was in no position to stop the abduction. "I felt like going [to help] but I thought better of it. Even if I did go, what could I do? I couldn't do anything." He called the police but it was too late by the time they arrived.

Keep reading

Schoolboy's escape: A teenager who was amongst 280 students taken from a school in 2024, told how he hid in long grass to escape.

Ransom negotiator: Paying for hostages' release in Nigeria is illegal, but often the only way to get them back, according to a negotiator.

Persecution claims: Trump says thousands of Christians are being killed in Nigeria - is it true? And where has he got the numbers from?

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