BBC News Briefing.

"Comey indictment escalates Trump's promise of political retribution."

Views expressed in this World and U.S. News update are those of the BBC.

Content and Source:  "BBC News Briefing."

 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzQcpwpPtlRnrfgkZBGchxLtWWpg

URL--https://www.bbc.co.uk.

Please check email link, URL, or scroll down to read your selections.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

View this email online 26 September, 2025

Alex Binley Hello. With one of US President Donald Trump's most vocal critics, ex-FBI director James Comey, charged with two offences, North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher assesses whether more prosecutions could follow. Plus, find out why the authorities in China want to keep killjoys off social media, and take a look at a skull that could rewrite the history of human evolution.

TOP OF THE AGENDA Comey indictment escalates Trump's promise of political retribution Comey said he has 'great confidence in the federal judicial system'. Credit: Getty Images Less than a week after Trump called for some of his most vocal critics to be prosecuted, one of those targeted has been formally charged. Prosecutors allege Comey lied to a Senate Committee in 2020 about whether he authorised a leak of classified information to the media, and have charged him with making false statements and the obstruction of justice. The 64-year-old maintains his innocence. The case raises concerns about whether the attorney general is "weaponising" the Department of Justice to target Trump's rivals, notes Anthony Zurcher, who questions whether this is "an individual event" to "placate a clearly angry president, or a sign of more prosecutions to come". Anthony's analysis Watch: "I'm not afraid", says Comey after indictment.   Charged: Here's what you need to know about the case.    Trump's frustration: Last week the president called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate his opponents.

Unlimited BBC access Subscribe today and get the BBC News channel live, 24/7. Subscribe now

WORLD HEADLINES Trump 'will not allow' Israel to annex West Bank Far-right Israelis view annexation as a means of preventing a Palestinian state being created. Read more > Greece extradites Moldova oligarch in $1bn fraud case Vladimir Plahotniuc is one of the main suspects in the case known as "the theft of the century". What happened > Tony Blair in talks to run transitional Gaza authority The proposal would see Blair lead a governing body with UN and Gulf support, before handing control to Palestinians. More on the plans > New tariffs on trucks, drugs and kitchen cabinets The new import taxes will come into effect on 1 October, the US president said, and will hit upholstered furniture too. The price hikes > S Korea legalises tattoos by non-medical professionals Many tattoo artists have operated illegally for the past 30 years, leaving them at the sharp end of the law. More on this >

NEWS FROM THE UK Digital ID cards: Under a new proposal by the government, the form of identification would be used to prove the right to work in the UK.   Ratmageddon: Rats are multiplying at speed in urban areas. So, what's really behind the boom - and is it now unstoppable?   Tree of the Year: A wildcard entry from Glasgow has scooped the award - take a look.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES China launches campaign to keep killjoys off the internet Social media giants have also found themselves penalised in China's campaign to clean up its internet. Credit: Getty Images Doomscrolling is getting harder in China, as a government campaign aims to target pessimistic social media posts. Authorities want to "rectify negative emotion" and disillusionment amongst young people over an economic slowdown, and cut-throat competition for colleges and jobs. But some warn that the campaign could backfire. Read more

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Sun, sea and trash Why many Caribbean islands are choking on rubbish. Here's why

And finally... A million-year-old human skull found in China could change our understanding of the human species and the timeline of evolution. A team of researchers say the skull did not belong to the Homo erectus species, but one that existed alongside it. Science correspondent Pallab Ghosh explains how the human family tree may have been redrawn.

Football Extra newsletter Get all the latest news, insights and analysis from the Premier League, every weekday to your inbox. Sign up here

MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS US Politics Unspun: Expert insight into what really matters from North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher, sent every Wednesday. Sign up.  World of Business: Gain the leading edge with global insights for the boardroom and beyond, every Wednesday. Sign up. Tech Decoded: Get timely, trusted tech news direct to your inbox, every Monday and Friday. Sign up.

Thank you, as ever, for reading. Send us suggestions for topics or areas of the world to cover in this newsletter. Tell your friends and family about it! They can sign up  here. You can take a look at all our newsletters here. By the way, you can add newsbriefing@email.bbc.com to your contacts list and, if you're on Gmail, pop the email into your “Primary” tab for uninterrupted service. Thanks for reading! – Alex     Follow us here   You've received this email because you've signed up to the BBC's News Briefing newsletter. Click here to unsubscribe To find out how we use your data, see the BBC Privacy Policy BBC Studios Distribution Limited. Registered Number: 01420028 England Registered office: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, W12 7FA, United Kingdom