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A federal grand jury has indicted Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing a top UnitedHealth executive in New York last year, paving the way for prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
Mangione, 26, is already facing state-level murder and firearms charges in New York — a state that does not allow capital punishment. But the new federal indictment, filed Thursday, significantly raises the stakes. It does not add new charges, but it formally enables the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue the death penalty.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have not responded to media inquiries, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment. A federal hearing is set for Friday.
The indictment outlines probable cause for charges of murder, stalking, and weapons possession, tied to the December 4 shooting of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance arm. Thompson was shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel just hours before the company’s investor conference.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on April 1 that the Justice Department would seek the death penalty — a move Mangione’s legal team has called “unapologetically political.” In a court filing last week, they urged the judge to block the pursuit of capital punishment, arguing it violates federal protocols.
If the bid fails and Mangione is convicted, a second phase of the trial would determine whether the death penalty is imposed. That decision would require unanimous agreement from the jury.
The case shocked the business and political world and triggered a five-day nationwide manhunt. Public officials condemned the violence, but online reactions were mixed. Some internet users cast Mangione as a misguided symbol, claiming his actions highlighted anger over soaring healthcare costs and insurer power.
UnitedHealth has not commented on the developments. Mangione remains in federal custody in Brooklyn.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S is in talks with the new Iranian regime. He said this in a post on his Truth Social account but warned that the U.S. will "Obliterate" Iran's electric and oil facilities if no deal is reached, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz closure.
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
The war in Iran has rapidly upended regional security, triggering spillover across the Middle East and raising fears of wider economic disruption that could threaten globalisation.
The Israeli military said on Monday that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched from Yemen for the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began on Tehran. It said two drones from Yemen were intercepted early 30 March but gave no further details.
Japan’s growing interest in Caspian crude reflects a pragmatic response to uncertainty in global energy markets and its continued reliance on the Middle East for more than 90% of its oil imports.
The UK will pay France £16.2 million to continue beach patrols for two months, as both sides race to agree a new deal to curb small boat crossings across the Channel amid rising migrant numbers and political pressure.
A Russian military An-26 aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
A U.S. judge has blocked President Donald Trump from moving ahead with plans to build a $400 million ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing of the White House, pausing one of the most high-profile efforts to reshape the presidential complex.
A Russia-flagged tanker carrying about 700,000 barrels of crude has arrived in Cuba’s Matanzas Bay, marking the first major oil delivery to the island since the Trump administration cut off its fuel supplies.
China and Kenya have agreed to revive a long-delayed railway project, signalling renewed momentum in infrastructure cooperation and a shift towards more sustainable financing models across Africa.
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