International

Starmer asks Sunak to call elections after the Labour advance in the municipal elections

The head of the opposition in the United Kingdom, Labour Keir Starmer, urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday to immediately call general elections that allow the country to “sturn the page,” after the collapse of the conservative vote in the by-elections held yesterday.

In an intervention in Blackpool (northwest), where Labour snatched the seat of that constituency from the ‘tories’, Starmer described that result as “historic” and considered that he sends a direct message – since a deputy was chosen in the House of Commons – to Sunak.

The opposition leader stressed that the transfer of vote from conservatives to Labour has exceeded 20% for the fifth time in the last by-elections to choose seats that have been left vacant due to the resignation of their occupants during this legislature.

For his part, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, called the first results declared so far of the municipal elections “disappointing” although he warned that there are still “many to be announced.”

However, the British conservatives scored a relevant victory that will alleviate their lousy result in the municipal elections, by managing to keep Ben Houchen as mayor of the metropolitan area of Tees Valley, in the northeast of England.

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According to the provisional results, Houchen, one of the most popular ‘tories’ councilors, obtained 53.6% of the votes, compared to 41.3% of his Labour opponent, Chris Mcean, and 5% of the Liberal Democrats.

In a slow count, which will continue throughout the weekend, the triumph in Tees Valley is presented as one of the few bright moments for the conservatives of the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who faces a historic collapse in these partial local elections.

Despite everything, the percentage of Houchen, mayor since 2017 of that metropolitan area that includes cities such as Middlesbrough, Darlington or Hartlepool, plummets compared to the 72.8% support he obtained in the elections in 2021.

For his part, the president of the Conservative Party, Richard Holden, said that “there is no doubt” that the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, will lead that formation in the next general elections, scheduled for this year, although he predicted “a few hard days” before the first results of the municipal elections in England.

Citizens elected their representatives in 107 out of a total of 318 consistories in England, the most populous region of the United Kingdom, which were last chosen in 2021. There were also elections for the mayor of London and 9 other mayor’s offices and 37 police commissioners were elected.

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The final results are not expected to be known until tomorrow, Saturday.

One of the most painful for the ‘tories’ was the result achieved in the by-election that was held in the constituency of Blackpool South (northeast England) to elect the new deputy to occupy that seat in the House of Commons after the resignation of conservative Scott Benton due to accusations of alleged influence peddling.

In it, Labour deputy Chris Webb prevailed, who snatched the seat from the ‘tories’ with 10,825 votes – a majority of 7,607 -, above the conservative David Jones, with 3,218 votes.

The ‘tories’ barely avoided falling to third position in that constituency, with only 117 votes above the candidate of the nationalist Reform UK party, Mark Butcher.

The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, called the triumph in that consistory “really historic” for his formation.

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For his part, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson forgot to carry a document with an identification photo when going to vote in the municipal elections, a mandatory requirement that, ironically, introduced by his Government in 2022.

International

Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Luigi Mangione admitted Friday to fatally shooting Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance group in the United States, during an appearance before a federal judge.

The case shocked the U.S. business community and dates back to December 2024, when Mangione opened fire on Thompson, 50, on a Manhattan street. Prosecutors have described the attack as being motivated by Mangione’s opposition to the U.S. health insurance system.

“On the morning of December 4, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said as he pleaded guilty to a federal stalking charge related to his pursuit of the executive.

Mangione, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, and prosecutors have indicated that they will seek a life sentence.

In addition to the federal charges related to stalking Thompson, Mangione also faces a murder case brought by the state of New York.

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Following his guilty plea in federal court, Mangione’s defense asked a state court to dismiss the state charges, arguing that prosecuting him again for the same conduct would violate protections against double jeopardy.

“We have just filed our motion in state court to explain why the charges should be dismissed under New York’s protections against double jeopardy,” Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said Friday.

Both the federal and state cases could result in a life sentence. Two other federal charges that initially carried the possibility of the death penalty were dismissed by a judge earlier this year.

International

ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns

Plans to equip U.S. immigration agents with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks are raising concerns over potential abuses by a law enforcement agency that critics accuse of using excessive force and providing inadequate training to its personnel.

The plan involves the potential purchase of electric-shock gloves for agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency primarily responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost criticized the proposal on X, arguing that the agency has already faced accusations of excessive force during immigration enforcement operations.

“As if assaulting and shooting people in the streets wasn’t enough,” Frost wrote. He also criticized the reported $20 million potential expenditure on the devices and called for greater restrictions on ICE.

The agency has faced growing scrutiny following a series of deadly shootings during immigration enforcement operations. Among the incidents were the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota in January who were participating in protests against the agency.

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Critics have focused on the tactics used by ICE agents when detaining immigrants, as well as allegations that training standards for newly recruited personnel have been lowered.

According to a procurement plan first reported by the Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, could spend between $10 million and $20 million on the devices.

The gloves are described by the agency as tools intended for “distraction and de-escalation,” rather than lethal weapons. The system, known as GLOVE, stands for “Generated Low-Output Voltage Emitter.”

The device is manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based company that describes its products as advanced non-lethal tools designed to protect and assist law enforcement and other personnel.

The proposal comes amid an intensifying national debate over ICE’s enforcement methods and the use of force during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

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International

Three U.S. Executions Set for Same Day as Trump Pushes to Expand Death Penalty

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 U.S. states, while three others —California, Oregon and Pennsylvania— currently have moratoriums in place.

The United States is set to carry out three executions on the same day, a rare occurrence that has not happened since 2010, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.

President Donald Trump has sought to expand the use of capital punishment for what he describes as “the most heinous crimes.” In April, the Department of Justice proposed expanding execution methods to include firing squads, lethal gas and electrocution.

Tennessee is scheduled to execute Anthony Darrell Dugard Hines, 66, on Thursday. He was sentenced to death for the 1985 murder of a woman, according to local media.

In Oklahoma, Carlos Cuesta-Rodríguez, 70, is scheduled to be executed for a 2003 murder.

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Meanwhile, Alabama plans to execute Jeremy Williams, 42, who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.

The United States carried out 47 executions in 2025, the highest number since 2009, when 52 executions were recorded.

Florida conducted the largest number of executions last year, with 19, followed by Alabama, South Carolina and Texas, with five each.

Of the executions carried out in 2025, 39 were conducted by lethal injection. Three were carried out by firing squad and five through nitrogen hypoxia, a method that involves forcing nitrogen gas into a face mask, depriving the prisoner of oxygen.

The United Nations has condemned nitrogen gas as a cruel and inhumane method of capital punishment.