International

The Supreme Court of Israel rules on the end of the military exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews

The Israeli Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Tuesday the end of the military exemption for young ultra-Orthodox Jews, a very controversial measure that has historically divided Israeli society, especially since the war in the Gaza Strip.

The Court decided that “there is no legal basis to exclude ultra-Orthodox men from recruitment” and that if they do not serve in the Army they should not receive educational and social assistance subsidies financed with public funds.

It is not clear whether this ruling implies the immediate sending of recruitment orders for the approximately 67,000 eligible Hareddi men – the equivalent of five military divisions – for compulsory military service at this time, or it will be a gradual process.

The two ultra-Orthodox parties – Shas and United Torah Judaism (JUT) – are frontally opposed to the recruitment of young Torah scholars and have threatened to leave Benjamin Netanyahu’s current government coalition if the measure enters into force, endangering the stability of the Executive, since they provide 18 vital seats.

“There has never been a ruling of the Supreme Court in favor of the students of the yeshivah and in the interest of the ultra-orthodox public. There is not a single judge there who understands the value of the study of the Torah and its contribution to the people of Israel,” said today one of the leaders of JUT, Rabbi and deputy Moshe Gafni.

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The military exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is not a law, but an executive provision that is prolonged periodically and that exists since the birth of the State of Israel, although there are several judicial judgments that indicate that it violates the principle of equality that governs the Israeli basic law.

The Israeli Supreme Court began at the beginning of June to hear arguments in the case of the military exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who since the formation of the State of Israel can avoid compulsory military service if they study full-time in a Talmudic school (yeshivah).

This issue has caused great divisions in Israeli society and within the government.

At the beginning of April, a temporary rule that allowed the exemption to be maintained expired, and numerous civil society groups have claimed to end the privileges of the ultra-Orthodox, which represent about 13% of the Israeli population.

The Government has been represented in this litigation by a private lawyer, since the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, has declared herself against the military exemption, going so far as to declare that the Executive acts “without authority” when trying to prevent recruitment.

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After the massive mobilization of about 300,000 reservists for the war in Gaza, which has already lasted almost nine months, in addition to for battalions of soldiers both on the northern border with Lebanon and in the occupied territory of the West Bank, many Israelis demand that Netanyahu, that all young people in Israel fulfill their military “duty”.

“There is a real national need to extend the time of service of the soldiers of the permanent army and to extend the period of service of the reservists. Therefore, we are obliged to reach new agreements and make decisions that we had not made in 75 years,” said the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, on this issue.

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.