US lawmakers strike deal to avert government shutdown, again
By Agence France-Presse
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill on Tuesday reached a deal after weeks of fraught negotiations to keep federal agencies funded and operating through mid-March, thus averting a costly government shutdown before the holidays.
The so-called “continuing resolution” - expected to be the last major bill Congress passes this year - must be adopted in the Republican-led House of Representatives before heading to the Senate, which must vote before week’s end.
The compromise draft would then be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.
The House has a rule stipulating that no bill can be considered on the floor less than 72 hours before the text is released. This means a House vote will likely come on Friday, with the Senate potentially following suit the same day.
Negotiations had been bogged down in Congress as Republicans pushed for billions of dollars in new economic help for farmers, with the shutdown deadline fast approaching.
Democrats pushed for several of their own add-ons, from cash to cover the cost of rebuilding a destroyed bridge in Baltimore and museums in Washington to honor women and Hispanics.
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By Agence France-Presse
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill on Tuesday reached a deal after weeks of fraught negotiations to keep federal agencies funded and operating through mid-March, thus averting a costly government shutdown before the holidays.
The so-called “continuing resolution” - expected to be the last major bill Congress passes this year - must be adopted in the Republican-led House of Representatives before heading to the Senate, which must vote before week’s end.
The compromise draft would then be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.
The House has a rule stipulating that no bill can be considered on the floor less than 72 hours before the text is released. This means a House vote will likely come on Friday, with the Senate potentially following suit the same day.
Negotiations had been bogged down in Congress as Republicans pushed for billions of dollars in new economic help for farmers, with the shutdown deadline fast approaching.
Democrats pushed for several of their own add-ons, from cash to cover the cost of rebuilding a destroyed bridge in Baltimore and museums in Washington to honor women and Hispanics.
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Death row Filipino arrives home from Indonesia, then goes straight to jail
By Agence France-Presse
A Filipino woman who spent nearly 15 years on Indonesia’s death row landed in Manila on Wednesday morning where she was taken to a local prison following a repatriation deal years in the making.
Mother of two Mary Jane Veloso, 39, was arrested and sentenced to death in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6kg (5.7 pounds) of heroin, in a case that sparked uproar in the Philippines.
A commercial plane carrying Veloso and Philippine correctional officials arrived in Manila at daybreak, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said, following a handover agreement that removed the possibility of her execution.
She was taken to a Manila prison for women about an hour later, journalists on the scene saw.
“This is a new life for me, and I will have a new beginning in the Philippines,” a tearful Veloso had earlier told a press conference in Jakarta, adding she wanted to spend Christmas with her family.
“I have to go home because I have a family there, I have my children waiting for me.”
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By Agence France-Presse
A Filipino woman who spent nearly 15 years on Indonesia’s death row landed in Manila on Wednesday morning where she was taken to a local prison following a repatriation deal years in the making.
Mother of two Mary Jane Veloso, 39, was arrested and sentenced to death in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6kg (5.7 pounds) of heroin, in a case that sparked uproar in the Philippines.
A commercial plane carrying Veloso and Philippine correctional officials arrived in Manila at daybreak, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said, following a handover agreement that removed the possibility of her execution.
She was taken to a Manila prison for women about an hour later, journalists on the scene saw.
“This is a new life for me, and I will have a new beginning in the Philippines,” a tearful Veloso had earlier told a press conference in Jakarta, adding she wanted to spend Christmas with her family.
“I have to go home because I have a family there, I have my children waiting for me.”
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Ireland fines Meta €251 million for data breach impacting 29 million users
By Bloomberg
Ireland’s data protection commission (DPC) fined Meta Platforms’ Irish arm €251 million (US$264 million) following two inquiries into a personal data breach that it said impacted 29 million users worldwide.
The breach was reported by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (MPIL) in September 2018. It impacted data including full names, email addresses, phone numbers, posts on timeliness and groups of which the user was a member, according to a statement by the watchdog Tuesday. Around three million of the users impacted were based in the European Union and European Economic Area, the statement added.
The breach arose from the exploitation by unauthorised third parties of user tokens on Facebook, the statement added. It was remedied by MPIL and its US parent company shortly after its discovery, it added.
The DPC found that the tech giant infringed General Data Protection Regulation rules by failing to document facts relating to breaches and the steps taken to remedy them. It also noted that it failed in its obligations to ensure that, by default, only personal data necessary for specific purposes are processed, the statement said.
“We took immediate action to fix the problem as soon as it was identified, and we proactively informed people impacted as well as the Irish Data Protection Commission. We have a wide range of industry-leading measures in place to protect people across our platforms,” a Meta company representative said in an emailed statement.
Ireland’s watchdog already chided the platform this year, slapping it with a €91 million fine in September over an investigation into password storing by the company.
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By Bloomberg
Ireland’s data protection commission (DPC) fined Meta Platforms’ Irish arm €251 million (US$264 million) following two inquiries into a personal data breach that it said impacted 29 million users worldwide.
The breach was reported by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (MPIL) in September 2018. It impacted data including full names, email addresses, phone numbers, posts on timeliness and groups of which the user was a member, according to a statement by the watchdog Tuesday. Around three million of the users impacted were based in the European Union and European Economic Area, the statement added.
The breach arose from the exploitation by unauthorised third parties of user tokens on Facebook, the statement added. It was remedied by MPIL and its US parent company shortly after its discovery, it added.
The DPC found that the tech giant infringed General Data Protection Regulation rules by failing to document facts relating to breaches and the steps taken to remedy them. It also noted that it failed in its obligations to ensure that, by default, only personal data necessary for specific purposes are processed, the statement said.
“We took immediate action to fix the problem as soon as it was identified, and we proactively informed people impacted as well as the Irish Data Protection Commission. We have a wide range of industry-leading measures in place to protect people across our platforms,” a Meta company representative said in an emailed statement.
Ireland’s watchdog already chided the platform this year, slapping it with a €91 million fine in September over an investigation into password storing by the company.
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China’s ‘lingerie capital’ may face trouble if Trump holds true to US tariff promise
By Yannis Tan
China’s “lingerie capital” Lianyungang, once a thriving farming community in Jiangsu province, has enjoyed a meteoric rise fuelled by a US tariff exemption known as the “de minimis” rule.
However, US president-elect Donald Trump has promised to end the exemption some lawmakers have labelled a “loophole”.
Factory owners in Lianyungang have expressed fear their businesses will suffer if he does, considering their main market is in North America.
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By Yannis Tan
China’s “lingerie capital” Lianyungang, once a thriving farming community in Jiangsu province, has enjoyed a meteoric rise fuelled by a US tariff exemption known as the “de minimis” rule.
However, US president-elect Donald Trump has promised to end the exemption some lawmakers have labelled a “loophole”.
Factory owners in Lianyungang have expressed fear their businesses will suffer if he does, considering their main market is in North America.
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Chinese astronauts complete world record-breaking spacewalk at 9 hours
By Ling Xin
Two Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have broken the world record for the longest single spacewalk, set more than two decades ago by the US space programme.
At 9.57pm Beijing time on Tuesday, Shenzhou-19 crew members Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong completed a nine-hour extravehicular activity (EVA), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Cai and Song installed space debris protection devices and conducted maintenance tasks outside the T-shaped space station during the EVA, the Chinese space agency said on Wednesday.
The previous record was set on March 11, 2001, when American astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms spent eight hours and 56 minutes outside the space shuttle Discovery during a mission to the International Space Station, according to Nasa.
The nine-hour EVA also marks a milestone in China’s spacewalk history. Earlier this year, Shenzhou-18 astronauts Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu completed a similar mission, spending eight hours and 23 minutes outside Tiangong.
State broadcaster CCTV reported at the time that the second-generation “Feitian” spacesuits worn by the astronauts during the EVA in May were capable of supporting up to eight hours of external work – double the duration of the first-generation suits.
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By Ling Xin
Two Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have broken the world record for the longest single spacewalk, set more than two decades ago by the US space programme.
At 9.57pm Beijing time on Tuesday, Shenzhou-19 crew members Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong completed a nine-hour extravehicular activity (EVA), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Cai and Song installed space debris protection devices and conducted maintenance tasks outside the T-shaped space station during the EVA, the Chinese space agency said on Wednesday.
The previous record was set on March 11, 2001, when American astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms spent eight hours and 56 minutes outside the space shuttle Discovery during a mission to the International Space Station, according to Nasa.
The nine-hour EVA also marks a milestone in China’s spacewalk history. Earlier this year, Shenzhou-18 astronauts Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu completed a similar mission, spending eight hours and 23 minutes outside Tiangong.
State broadcaster CCTV reported at the time that the second-generation “Feitian” spacesuits worn by the astronauts during the EVA in May were capable of supporting up to eight hours of external work – double the duration of the first-generation suits.
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China’s scientific breakthroughs can lead to linguistic ones too
By April Zhang
In June, new frontiers opened when the Chang’e-6 probe mission brought back the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon and triggered a debate in the scientific community on what language the historic findings should be written in – English or Chinese.
A pupil at Fangcaodi International School, which specialises in science education, suggested publishing in English first for global scientific collaboration and then in Chinese for national awareness.
The boy raised a great point. However, I would change the order with the following justification. Papers should be published in Chinese first for the advancement of the Chinese language and then in English for global scientific collaboration.
The paper was published in September under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Unfortunately, it was written in English without a Chinese translation. The young pupil was probably disappointed that Chinese students with a limited grasp of the English language were excluded from reading the findings themselves to learn about the latest discoveries. For me, it was a lost opportunity for the Chinese language to evolve with time.
It is understandable that researchers would want to publish in English. Since the 1950s, English has become the lingua franca of the international scientific community. Up to 98 per cent of scientific research published is in English. Using English is undoubtedly conducive to exchanging and disseminating knowledge in today’s world.
However, Chinese scientists and researchers can do more than just exchange and disseminate information. They can help advance the Chinese language.
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By April Zhang
In June, new frontiers opened when the Chang’e-6 probe mission brought back the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon and triggered a debate in the scientific community on what language the historic findings should be written in – English or Chinese.
A pupil at Fangcaodi International School, which specialises in science education, suggested publishing in English first for global scientific collaboration and then in Chinese for national awareness.
The boy raised a great point. However, I would change the order with the following justification. Papers should be published in Chinese first for the advancement of the Chinese language and then in English for global scientific collaboration.
The paper was published in September under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Unfortunately, it was written in English without a Chinese translation. The young pupil was probably disappointed that Chinese students with a limited grasp of the English language were excluded from reading the findings themselves to learn about the latest discoveries. For me, it was a lost opportunity for the Chinese language to evolve with time.
It is understandable that researchers would want to publish in English. Since the 1950s, English has become the lingua franca of the international scientific community. Up to 98 per cent of scientific research published is in English. Using English is undoubtedly conducive to exchanging and disseminating knowledge in today’s world.
However, Chinese scientists and researchers can do more than just exchange and disseminate information. They can help advance the Chinese language.
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China’s childbirth conundrum sees costs keep people from getting on board for baby boom
By Mandy Zuo
China should focus on childbirth support and lower the cost of raising children as it grapples with demographic issues that have not been seen elsewhere in the world, a Communist Party newspaper urged on Tuesday.
Supporting families with children, including putting more government resources into preschool education, should be prioritised in efforts to deal with a population that is shrinking and rapidly ageing, according to the Study Times, a publication under the Central Party School.
The call came amid authorities’ vow to build a “childbirth-friendly society” to encourage births as the country’s total population started declining two years ago and the birth rate fell to an all-time low of 6.39 for every 1,000 people last year.
“Various types of costs paid by families and individuals are the main factors impeding the desire to have children,” the newspaper said in an opinion piece by Du Yang, head of the Institute of Population and Labour Economics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
It pointed to the substantial gap between China and developed countries in public spending on preschool education, while stressing its significance to improving population quality – a vision that President Xi Jinping has reiterated.
It also called for optimising and expanding vocational education, which will help equip China’s workforce with the skills needed to drive productivity and sustain economic growth.
The world’s second-largest economy is facing unique demographic challenges that lack direct international comparisons, Du emphasised in the article.
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By Mandy Zuo
China should focus on childbirth support and lower the cost of raising children as it grapples with demographic issues that have not been seen elsewhere in the world, a Communist Party newspaper urged on Tuesday.
Supporting families with children, including putting more government resources into preschool education, should be prioritised in efforts to deal with a population that is shrinking and rapidly ageing, according to the Study Times, a publication under the Central Party School.
The call came amid authorities’ vow to build a “childbirth-friendly society” to encourage births as the country’s total population started declining two years ago and the birth rate fell to an all-time low of 6.39 for every 1,000 people last year.
“Various types of costs paid by families and individuals are the main factors impeding the desire to have children,” the newspaper said in an opinion piece by Du Yang, head of the Institute of Population and Labour Economics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
It pointed to the substantial gap between China and developed countries in public spending on preschool education, while stressing its significance to improving population quality – a vision that President Xi Jinping has reiterated.
It also called for optimising and expanding vocational education, which will help equip China’s workforce with the skills needed to drive productivity and sustain economic growth.
The world’s second-largest economy is facing unique demographic challenges that lack direct international comparisons, Du emphasised in the article.
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China ‘white mafia’ services help women handle difficult ex and tricky landlords
By Zoey Zhang
An increasing number of young women in China are enlisting the services of the so-called “white mafia” to assist them in dealing with troublesome ex-boyfriends or dishonest landlords.
These individuals act as bodyguards, and although they may appear tough, they are gentle and understanding, making them well-suited to handle sensitive personal issues for their clients.
This group, known as the “Professional Bodyguard Team”, has quickly gained popularity on mainland social media, boasting 160,000 followers on Douyin.
Dressed in black and sporting fierce looks, the members are labelled “mafia-like” by netizens, who express that they would not dare to cross them.
They employ various methods that vaguely resemble “intimidation” and “persuasion” to address issues such as domestic violence and bullying.
Unlike real underground criminal gangs, they refer to themselves as “female guardians” of justice, earning the nickname “white mafia” from netizens.
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By Zoey Zhang
An increasing number of young women in China are enlisting the services of the so-called “white mafia” to assist them in dealing with troublesome ex-boyfriends or dishonest landlords.
These individuals act as bodyguards, and although they may appear tough, they are gentle and understanding, making them well-suited to handle sensitive personal issues for their clients.
This group, known as the “Professional Bodyguard Team”, has quickly gained popularity on mainland social media, boasting 160,000 followers on Douyin.
Dressed in black and sporting fierce looks, the members are labelled “mafia-like” by netizens, who express that they would not dare to cross them.
They employ various methods that vaguely resemble “intimidation” and “persuasion” to address issues such as domestic violence and bullying.
Unlike real underground criminal gangs, they refer to themselves as “female guardians” of justice, earning the nickname “white mafia” from netizens.
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Scientists in China use wax to make particles that can extract uranium from seawater
By Victoria Bela
Chinese researchers have used candle wax to make water-based gel particles that can efficiently separate uranium from seawater, which they say could open up a new way to power nuclear plants through the oceans.
The scientists estimate that land-based reserves of uranium – the heavy metal used as fuel in nuclear reactors – can only sustain nuclear energy demand for a century.
But ocean reserves of uranium could keep the world powered for more than a millennium.
The team’s new wax casting method was used to prepare porous hydrogel particles, which were then made into composite beads with absorbent polymer materials that can help separate uranium ions from seawater.
“The whole preparation procedure … was simple and easy to operate, cost-effective, and easy to scale up,” the team led by researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics said in a paper published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Functional Materials.
The team found that, when tested in coastal seawater over 15 days, 4.79 milligrams of uranium could be extracted for each gram of beads used. Within simulated seawater, the team was able to obtain 8.23mg of uranium per gram of beads.
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By Victoria Bela
Chinese researchers have used candle wax to make water-based gel particles that can efficiently separate uranium from seawater, which they say could open up a new way to power nuclear plants through the oceans.
The scientists estimate that land-based reserves of uranium – the heavy metal used as fuel in nuclear reactors – can only sustain nuclear energy demand for a century.
But ocean reserves of uranium could keep the world powered for more than a millennium.
The team’s new wax casting method was used to prepare porous hydrogel particles, which were then made into composite beads with absorbent polymer materials that can help separate uranium ions from seawater.
“The whole preparation procedure … was simple and easy to operate, cost-effective, and easy to scale up,” the team led by researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics said in a paper published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Functional Materials.
The team found that, when tested in coastal seawater over 15 days, 4.79 milligrams of uranium could be extracted for each gram of beads used. Within simulated seawater, the team was able to obtain 8.23mg of uranium per gram of beads.
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Should Hong Kong arts hub tap luxury flats or ‘sell quickly’ to boost coffers?
By Ambrose Li
A board member of the new investment arm of Hong Kong’s arts hub has proposed developing homes on the site that can “sell quickly” to bring in cash, but a sector leader has said luxury flats should be the focus to maximise returns.
The pair outlined their vision on Tuesday, a day after the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority announced it had established a subsidiary to handle residential sales at the harbourfront site.
The move to set up WestK Enterprise Limited (WKEL) follows the government’s decision in July to allow the authority to sell land for residential use to avert a financial crisis.
Business leader Allan Zeman, a WKEL board member, told the Post the subsidiary would primarily handle the sale of the residential properties on the premises of the arts hub and further details would be discussed at a first meeting next month.
But he said the homes were unlikely to be upmarket.
“The idea is we won’t be building luxury units. I think you want units that are easier to sell at a certain price point that are really designed nicely,” he said. “The market is definitely recovering only because interest rates are coming down.”
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By Ambrose Li
A board member of the new investment arm of Hong Kong’s arts hub has proposed developing homes on the site that can “sell quickly” to bring in cash, but a sector leader has said luxury flats should be the focus to maximise returns.
The pair outlined their vision on Tuesday, a day after the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority announced it had established a subsidiary to handle residential sales at the harbourfront site.
The move to set up WestK Enterprise Limited (WKEL) follows the government’s decision in July to allow the authority to sell land for residential use to avert a financial crisis.
Business leader Allan Zeman, a WKEL board member, told the Post the subsidiary would primarily handle the sale of the residential properties on the premises of the arts hub and further details would be discussed at a first meeting next month.
But he said the homes were unlikely to be upmarket.
“The idea is we won’t be building luxury units. I think you want units that are easier to sell at a certain price point that are really designed nicely,” he said. “The market is definitely recovering only because interest rates are coming down.”
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Dark truths behind Japan’s foreign trainee scheme exposed by Cambodian woman’s legal fight
By Julian Ryall
A 23-year-old Cambodian woman, promised a path to professional skills and a better future in Japan, instead says she found herself trapped in a nightmare.
Employed under the country’s technical internship training programme, she alleges she was repeatedly raped by the manager of the strawberry farm where she worked, forced into an abortion, and threatened with deportation if she resisted.
On Monday, she filed a lawsuit in Tokyo demanding 80 million yen (US$521,700) in damages. Human rights activists say her case shines a harsh light on the systemic exploitation plaguing Japan’s foreign trainee programme.
The woman, whose name has been withheld, claims in court documents that the 58-year-old farm manager sexually assaulted her “almost every day” between December 2022 and April 2023. Even after she underwent an abortion, the assaults allegedly continued. The manager, for his part, has denied the allegations, telling local media that the acts were consensual.
But her case is not an isolated one. Two other Cambodian women employed at the same farm have joined the lawsuit, alleging they were also sexually assaulted by the same man. Human rights advocates say it’s just the latest example of a deeply flawed system that leaves foreign workers vulnerable to exploitation, calling the programme a form of “modern slavery”.
The technical internship training programme, introduced in 1993, was designed to help workers from developing countries acquire technical skills to bring back home. But in reality, activists argue, it serves as a pipeline for cheap, exploitable labour.
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By Julian Ryall
A 23-year-old Cambodian woman, promised a path to professional skills and a better future in Japan, instead says she found herself trapped in a nightmare.
Employed under the country’s technical internship training programme, she alleges she was repeatedly raped by the manager of the strawberry farm where she worked, forced into an abortion, and threatened with deportation if she resisted.
On Monday, she filed a lawsuit in Tokyo demanding 80 million yen (US$521,700) in damages. Human rights activists say her case shines a harsh light on the systemic exploitation plaguing Japan’s foreign trainee programme.
The woman, whose name has been withheld, claims in court documents that the 58-year-old farm manager sexually assaulted her “almost every day” between December 2022 and April 2023. Even after she underwent an abortion, the assaults allegedly continued. The manager, for his part, has denied the allegations, telling local media that the acts were consensual.
But her case is not an isolated one. Two other Cambodian women employed at the same farm have joined the lawsuit, alleging they were also sexually assaulted by the same man. Human rights advocates say it’s just the latest example of a deeply flawed system that leaves foreign workers vulnerable to exploitation, calling the programme a form of “modern slavery”.
The technical internship training programme, introduced in 1993, was designed to help workers from developing countries acquire technical skills to bring back home. But in reality, activists argue, it serves as a pipeline for cheap, exploitable labour.
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US CEO shooting suspect Luigi Mangione charged with killing as an act of terrorism
By Associated Press
The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism, prosecutors said on Tuesday as they worked to bring him to a New York court from a Pennsylvania jail.
Luigi Mangione already was charged with murder in the December 4 killing of Brian Thompson, but the terror allegation is new.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Thompson’s death on a midtown Manhattan street “was a killing that was intended to evoke terror. And we’ve seen that reaction”.
Mangione’s New York lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, declined to comment.
Thompson, 50, was shot while walking to a hotel where Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare – the United States’ biggest medical insurer – was holding an investor conference.
The killing kindled a fiery outpouring of resentment toward US health insurance companies, as Americans swapped stories online and elsewhere of being denied coverage, left in limbo as doctors and insurers disagreed, and stuck with sizeable bills.
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By Associated Press
The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism, prosecutors said on Tuesday as they worked to bring him to a New York court from a Pennsylvania jail.
Luigi Mangione already was charged with murder in the December 4 killing of Brian Thompson, but the terror allegation is new.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Thompson’s death on a midtown Manhattan street “was a killing that was intended to evoke terror. And we’ve seen that reaction”.
Mangione’s New York lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, declined to comment.
Thompson, 50, was shot while walking to a hotel where Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare – the United States’ biggest medical insurer – was holding an investor conference.
The killing kindled a fiery outpouring of resentment toward US health insurance companies, as Americans swapped stories online and elsewhere of being denied coverage, left in limbo as doctors and insurers disagreed, and stuck with sizeable bills.
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