BBC News Briefing

22 November, 2024

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. US President-elect Donald Trump was quick to announce a new pick for attorney general after his first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration. Aoife Walsh details new nominee Pam Bondi's longstanding ties to Trump. In DR Congo, Anne Soy surveys the difference a vaccination programme has made in the fight against mpox. My picks of the week include a closer look at Russia's new Oreshnik missile. And finally, the latest volcanic explosion in Iceland is seen in all its mesmerising power. But first, have a go at the weekly news quiz.

GET UP TO SPEED

An Alabama man convicted of murdering a female hitchhiker in 1994 became the third person in US history to be executed by nitrogen gas.

A woman who accused Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor of raping her has won her claim against him for damages in a civil case.

A town council in Canada is at a standstill after its newly elected members refused to pledge allegiance to King Charles III as required in the swearing-in ceremony.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

A relationship that goes back years

Pam Bondi addresses the Republican National Convention

Bondi has served as the first female attorney general of Florida. Credit: EPA

Donald Trump has named Pam Bondi as his new nominee for attorney general. If confirmed by the Senate, she would play a key role in defending legal challenges to Trump policies and implementing his vow to remake the justice department.

Aoife Walsh, BBC News

What is Bondi's background?

Born in Tampa, Florida, Bondi graduated with a degree in criminal justice from the University of Florida in 1987, before going on to receive a professional degree from Stetson University College of Law three years later. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1991. Before entering politics, Bondi spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor at the Hillsborough county state attorney’s office, trying cases "ranging from domestic violence to capital murder", according to a profile on her lobbying firm's website.

When did she enter politics?

She was elected as Florida's first female attorney general in 2010 - having won the support of former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin - zoning in on opioid abuse, synthetic drugs and human trafficking.

What role has she played in Trump's network?

Bondi is a chair at America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank founded by former Trump staff members, where she leads its legal arm. She previously served on Trump's opioid and drug abuse commission. Bondi was part of his legal team during his first impeachment trial and when he made false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen from him due to voter fraud. She also publicly supported him by showing up at court during his hush money trial in New York, which ended in May with a conviction on 34 counts of fraud.

More on their ties

Trump's court cases: A New York judge has delayed Trump's scheduled sentencing as his attorneys continue to push for his conviction to be tossed out.

Gaetz's future: The Florida lawmaker who withdrew from consideration for attorney general said he will not return to his seat in the House of Representatives.

Trump's team: On the outside they appear united by one thing - loyalty to the top man. But beneath the surface, there are competing agendas.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

A woman and two men wearing coats with the hoods up stand in front of a one-story building with a destroyed roof and windows

What we know about Russia's Oreshnik missile

There seems to be no clear consensus about what the new missile, whose codename means "hazel tree" in Russian, actually is. Here's what experts have said.

Find out more >

Aerial view of a field filled with dozens of rows of solar panels

Will China lead on climate action if US backtracks?

China deciding to take a more central role in climate action, just as the US is stepping back, would mark a tectonic shift in the COP process.

Here's how >

Gautam Adani has a black moustache and wears a black suit and white shirt

Gautam Adani faces new challenge

The 62-year-old Indian billionaire, a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, faces US fraud charges that could potentially jeopardise his global ambitions.

Read now >

An illustration shows a white megaphone popping out of a phone screen and people's hands trying to grab it

Your weekend listening: Speech influencers

The Global Story podcast considers how internet culture is influencing the way many of us speak, as traditional media loses its grip on standard discourse.

Listen now >

AT THE SCENE

Lwiro, DR Congo

Progress against mpox after vaccines

Nurse Jackson Murhula wears a blue facemask and a medical gown

Nurse Jackson Murhula says Lwiro clinic is only receiving two or three mpox cases a day at the moment. Credit: BBC

At least 900 people in DR Congo are thought to have died because of mpox this year. But after a vaccination programme, the number of infections appears to have dropped. While it is too soon to declare the outbreak over, medical professionals sound cautiously optimistic.

Anne Soy, senior Africa correspondent

Among the children being treated this week is three-year-old Atukuzwe Banissa. He groans in pain, his eyes shut and face covered in whitish spots left behind by the healing sores. His mother, 25-year-old Julienne Mwinja, says his symptoms began with teary eyes. She administered eye drops, but within a day, the little boy developed sores in his mouth, face and body.

‌

"He looked like he'd been scalded by hot water," the mother of three told the BBC. That is when she brought him to Lwiro hospital where he was admitted for more than a week. For the medics at Lwrio, it is heartening that people are now tending to come to the clinic as soon as they get symptoms rather than first going to traditional healers.

Keep reading

What is mpox: Find answers to commonly asked questions about the highly contagious disease.

Assessing the threat: The World Health Organization is due to hold a meeting to decide whether the spread of the disease in parts of Africa should continue to be considered a global emergency.

In Burundi: In August, Mercy Juma reported from the country about its unique challenges in tackling the spread of mpox.

A screenshot drom Gladiators shows a man standing on a rhino as he enters the Colosseum

FOR YOUR DOWNTIME

Not a documentary

Roman history experts separate fact from fiction in Gladiator II.

Find out more

And finally... in Iceland

The car park at the world-famous Blue Lagoon has been engulfed in lava, after a nearby volcano erupted for the seventh time in less than a year - footage from the scene is a mesmerising spectacle.

Six Steps to Calm

Discover a calmer future with this course of six science-backed techniques, weekly to your inbox.

Subscribe here

MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS

US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the US presidential election and its global impact, every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe.

World of Business: Gain the leading edge with global insights for the boardroom and beyond, every Wednesday. Subscribe.

The Essential List: The best of the BBC, handpicked by our editors, in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe.

Thanks, as ever, for reading. Send us what you think of this newsletter. We read everything, even when we don’t have the time to reply. And feel free to send it to your friends and family, who can subscribe by clicking this link.

Also, 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!

‌

– Sofia

You've received this email because you've signed up to the BBC 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