AnewZ Morning Brief - 16th August, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 16th of August, covering the latest developments you need to k...
Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal charges in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, as prosecutors move forward with plans to seek the death penalty.
Luigi Mangione, 26, entered a not guilty plea on Friday to federal charges related to the killing of Brian Thompson, the former CEO of UnitedHealth Group's insurance unit UnitedHealthcare. The plea was entered during an arraignment before U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in a packed Manhattan courtroom.
Mangione, dressed in a tan jail-issued t-shirt, had previously pleaded not guilty to separate state-level charges in New York over the same incident, which occurred on 4 December outside a midtown Manhattan hotel hosting a company investor event.
The shooting and subsequent five-day manhunt drew national attention, particularly after investigators discovered shell casings at the scene inscribed with the words "deny," "delay," and "depose"—a phrase some associate with criticism of U.S. health insurance practices.
Although the killing was broadly condemned by public officials, some members of the public expressed sympathy for Mangione, citing frustrations over the high cost of healthcare and the power wielded by insurers in claim decisions.
On Thursday, federal prosecutors formally announced their intention to pursue the death penalty, stating that Mangione poses an ongoing threat due to what they described as his plan to target the health insurance industry and provoke wider opposition through violence.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously declared the Justice Department’s intent to seek capital punishment earlier this month, a move Mangione’s defence team called "unapologetically political" and contrary to protocol for death penalty cases.
Should Mangione be convicted in federal court, a separate penalty phase would follow, during which the jury must unanimously agree on whether to recommend the death penalty. If they do, the judge would be required to impose it.
Mangione is currently being held at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn as he awaits trial.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
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.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 16th of August, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The death toll from weeks of torrential rains and flooding in Pakistan has risen above 300, local officials said on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him China would not invade Taiwan during Trump’s presidency, adding that Xi described himself and China as “very patient.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday that foreign companies are welcome to do business in Brazil, speaking at the opening of a Chinese automaker’s factory in Sao Paulo state.
Serbian police used teargas and crowd control vehicles in Belgrade on Friday evening to disperse anti-government protesters who threw firecrackers and flares at officers, marking a sharp escalation in the nine-month-long demonstrations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment