International

They observe a tsunami of up to half a meter after the 7.1 earthquake in Japan, which leaves 2 injured

A tsunami of up to half a meter hit the Pacific coasts of southwestern Japan on Thursday after a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.1 in the region, which left at least nine minor injuries, while personal and material damage continues to be evaluated.

The earthquake took place at 16:43 local time (07:43 GMT) at a depth of 30 kilometers in the Sea of Hyuga, off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu, according to details from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which triggered a tsunami alert of up to one meter in areas near the epicenter.

The first waves of the tsunami were detected at 17:01 (08:01 GMT) in the port of the city of Nichinan, in front of the epicenter, where it reached 20 centimeters, later reaching 40 cm in the port of Aburatsu, in the same city.

The highest altitude tsunami, half a meter, was observed in the port of Miyazaki and others of 30 centimeters were recorded in the city of Tosashimizu, Kochi prefecture, on the neighboring island of Shikoku; in the port of Shibushi, in Kagoshima (Kyushu) and in the city of Minamiosumi, of the same province, among other locations, without damage from the phenomenon having been reported at the moment.

About five hours after the earthquake, around 22:00 local time (13:00 GMT), the tsunami alert was completely lifted in the affected areas, although a warning was maintained for possible slight changes in sea level.

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The tremor reached in the east of Miyazaki Prefecture the lower intensity 6 on the Japanese 7-level seismic scale, which measures the agitation on the surface and its destructive potential, and the lower intensity 5 in neighboring Kagoshima.

The authorities continued hours later to evaluate the scale of the damage caused by the earthquake, which has left at least nine injured, five in Miyazaki and four in Kagoshima, according to the most recent balance provided by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

In the town of Nichinan, a detachment of rocks and fallen electric poles was reported, so traffic had to be regulated on certain roads.

Due to the earthquake, local train lines in Miyazaki and Kagoshima have also been suspended, and sections of highways in the area have been cut to check their status.

In the village of Osaki, in Kagoshima, an old wooden house collapsed, without any injuries being reported from the incident, and reports of collapsed walls and damaged roads were received.

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In the city of Kushima, Miyazaki, authorities received reports of damaged and leaking pipes, and there could be more damage to other infrastructures, as the evaluation continues.

Nuclear power plant operators in the region reported that no anomalies or damage was detected in the reactors of the Sendai power plants, in Kagoshima, and Ikata, in Ehime.

Residents of the affected areas turned to social networks to share images of gender scattered in shops and shelves dumped on homes because of the earthquake.

It is expected to have greater knowledge about the extent of the damage in the coming hours, especially with the arrival of the day.

Experts are warning of possible aftershocks in the coming days and the JMA has warned that today’s earthquake seems to be related to a future earthquake of greater magnitude in the Nankai grave, one of the points of greatest seismic activity in the world and where they predict that there will be a strong earthquake in the coming decades.

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The entity has asked for extreme precautions and disaster prevention measures to be taken, since they consider that the possibility of a large-scale earthquake with an epicenter in that pit, which covers from the area of Kanto, where Tokyo is located, to Kyushu, is relatively greater than usual, the first time it makes a warning of these characteristics.

Japan sits on the so-called Ring of Fire, one of the most active seismic zones in the world, and suffers relatively frequently from earthquakes, so its infrastructure is specially designed to withstand tremors.

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.