US judge throws out criminal cases against James Comey and Letitia James | First Thing

Good morning. A federal judge threw out the criminal cases against James Comey and Letitia James yesterday, concluding that the prosecutor handling the cases was unlawfully appointed. Lindsey Halligan, whom Trump named the interim US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia in September, had “no lawful authority to present the indictment” against the former FBI director and the New York attorney general, judge Cameron McGowan Currie wrote in her opinion. The decision is a major win for Comey, who was charged with lying to Congress five years ago, and James, who was charged with mortgage fraud. Both unequivocally deny wrongdoing and said the cases were a thinly veiled effort by the Trump administration to punish them for opposing the president. What did the judge say? “I conclude that the attorney general’s attempt to install Ms Halligan as interim US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia was invalid and that Ms Halligan has been unlawfully serving in that role since 22 September 2025,” wrote Currie, who was appointed to the bench by Bill Clinton. Russia launches deadly strikes on Kyiv as new US-brokered peace talks begin Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight, killing six people and injuring 14 in Kyiv as a fresh round of US-brokered peace negotiations began in Abu Dhabi. A total of 22 missiles, including four hypersonic Kinzhals, and 464 drones, were fired by Russia in attacks that principally targeted Kyiv and the surrounding area, according to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “All partners must remember that lives need to be saved every single day,” said Zelenskyy. “Weapons and air defence systems are important, as is the sanctions pressure on the aggressor. There can be no pauses in assistance.” When did the talks begin? Reports emerged that a fresh round of US-brokered peace talks had begun on last night in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with Dan Driscoll, the US army secretary, flying in to meet a Russian delegation and a Ukrainian team led by Kyrylo Budanov. This is a developing story. Follow our liveblog here. Venezuela accuses US of using ‘narco-terrorism’ allegations to justify regime change Venezuela’s government has accused the US of peddling “ridiculous hogwash” about its supposed role in sponsoring “narco-terrorism”, as Washington continued to turn up the heat on Nicolás Maduro’s regime, and leftwing European politicians warned that South America faced being plunged into “a torrent of bloodshed”. On Monday, the Trump administration officially designated a Venezuelan group known as the “Cartel de los Soles” (the Cartel of the Suns) a terrorist organization – despite widespread doubts over its actual existence. What might happen next? Observers believe yesterday’s decision by the US state department – which accuses Maduro of leading the putative Cartel of the Suns – could open the door for some kind of imminent US military intervention on Venezuela soil. In other news … Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told Donald Trump that Beijing’s claims to Taiwan remain unchanged, in a phone call that came amid rising tensions over the self-governing island. The Trump administration announced it will cancel temporary asylum for about 10,000 Myanmar nationals, despite the country being ruled by a military dictatorship with a record of executing dissidents. A prominent Canadian-American author who has long claimed Indigenous ancestry said he has learned from a genealogist that he has no Cherokee ancestry. Stat of the day: Former Phoenix news anchor sentenced to 10 years for $63m fraud in Covid relief scheme A former Phoenix news anchor has been sentenced to 10 years after being found guilty of participating in a fraudulent $63m Covid 19 relief scheme alongside her husband who plead guilty in August. Stephanie Hockridge’s sentence on Friday came after a jury convicted her in June. Don’t miss this: Northwestern Mutual sold college grads a dream job. They left in ruin and debt In the corridors of US colleges and business schools, Northwestern recruiters push the dream of a blue chip career in finance. Recruiters in polo shirts sit at tables asking students if they would like to be financial advisers. But some hires say they were “gaslit” into peddling “terrible” life insurance to all their contacts. … or this: Hollywood’s dark era – where did all the color from movies go? We all know the late-night slog of finding something to watch. And then a few minutes later, you’re squinting or playing around with TV settings – it’s a night-time scene and you’re unable to make out what’s going on. So when did everything on our screens get so dark? Climate check: ‘Fossil fuel giants finally in the crosshairs’ – Cop30 avoids total failure with last-ditch deal Dozens of ministers representing 17 groups of countries, from the poorest to the richest, sat together in a room for 12 hours urged by the Brazilian hosts to accept a settlement cooked up the day before. The negotiations almost collapsed. It took some oblique wording, but Saudi Arabia finally made a last-minute decision to sign a deal that marks a departure for Cop. Last Thing: Thai woman found alive in coffin before temple cremation A woman in Thailand shocked temple staff when she started moving in her coffin after being brought in for cremation. Pairat Soodthoop from the temple said they heard a faint knock coming from the box. “I was a bit surprised, so I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled,” he said. Sign up Sign up for the US morning briefing First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now. Get in touch If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com