International

The US and Morocco agree on the importance of promoting the peace proposal for Gaza

The United States and Morocco agreed on Monday on the importance of continuing to closely coordinate efforts to promote peace and security in the Gaza Strip and ensure the release of all the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke today with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, about the truce agreement that was announced on Friday by President Joe Biden, and which was criticized by members of the government of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Blinken told Bourita that the proposal would “enormously” benefit both Palestinians and Israelis, allow an increase in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, the return of the displaced and the start of international reconstruction efforts, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

The Secretary of State reiterated that Hamas should accept the proposal “without further delay.”

Hamas responded, a day after the proposal was announced, that it had valued it “positively,” while the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that he “fervently hopes” that the proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza “lead to an agreement between the parties for a lasting peace.”

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, spoke with Netanyahu on Sunday and expressed his support for the proposal, which also has the support of the G7, the seven largest industrialized economies.

The group urged Hamas to accept the proposal for the cessation of hostilities, which have been extended for seven months.

Netanyahu, who has insisted that he wants a “total victory” over Hamas, avoided committing to the truce proposal on Monday and assured that the plan is incomplete.

Miller admitted today at a press conference that although Hamas remains “a threat” to Israel’s security because it continues to launch rockets against its territory, “this situation cannot be addressed only with a military response, but a political proposal is needed.”

Blinken also expressed to Bourita his gratitude to King Mohammed VI for Morocco’s humanitarian contributions to Gaza and stressed the importance of supporting this proposal as a means to build a “more integrated, peaceful and stable” Middle East region, Miller said.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

He referred to the 40 tons of food aid sent to Gaza through an “unpublished” land route in the middle of this month and that was achieved thanks to good relations with Israel as a result of the rapprochement between the two countries in recent years and the normalization of their bilateral relations.

The Moroccan monarch took over with his personal resources a large part of the aid sent, especially that intended for babies and young children.

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.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

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.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

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.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

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.

20260101_dengue_cubeta_728x90

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.