China hosts largest ever SCO summit as South Caucasus draws attention
The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit began in Tianjin on 31 August, marking the largest gathering in the bloc’s history, with China dee...
The US Attorney-General has directed prosecutors to pursue the death penalty for the 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealth Group CEO. In official statement, Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo labeled the Attorney General’s move as “barbaric.”
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again,” - said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in released statement.
It is alleged that Luigi Mangione stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024.Thompson, who was reportedly in New York City for a conference, was shot outside his hotel. After a five-day nationwide manhunt, Mangione was captured and arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, PA, and extradited to New York City.
The murder is believed to have been "politically motivated". Mangione's actions were premeditated and involved significant planning. Furthermore, since the murder occurred in a public area with bystanders present, it may have posed a serious risk of harm to others nearby, , according to the statement.
Following federal murder charges handed down on Dec. 19, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case.
Following to Attorney General's statement, Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said: “By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric.”
“Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent,” Agnifilio said. “While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi. By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people.”
Agnifilio went to declare that Mangione’s team is ready to fight federal charges, labelling his case as an example of dysfunction and corruption at the hands of the government.
“We are prepared to fight these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the New York State charges, and the Pennsylvania charges, and anything else they want to pile on Luigi,” Agnifilio concluded.
“This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man’s life.”
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Malaysia marked its 68th National Day on Sunday with a vibrant parade in Putrajaya attended by over 14,000 participants and the country’s top leadership.
Norway will purchase a fleet of British-built frigates to reinforce its naval strength, the government confirmed on Sunday. The move marks a decisive step in what is expected to be the country’s largest-ever military procurement and a significant boost to NATO’s northern maritime defences.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday cancelled a planned visit to China as nationwide protests spread beyond Jakarta, with several regional parliament buildings set on fire.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 31th of August, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin on Sunday for a regional security summit, Chinese and Russian state media reported.
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