International

The Dominican Republic and Haiti come out almost unscathed from the passage of Hurricane Beryl

The Dominican Republic and Haiti came out almost unscathed from the passage of Hurricane Beryl, whose main effect on the Spanish island, shared by both countries, was the strong waves that hit the Caribbean coast, where this Wednesday normality was restored except for some problems with the supply of electricity and water.

Almost half a million people were left without water supply due to the effects of the cyclone, according to the preliminary report of the damage in the national territory, where on Tuesday its effects were felt although with less intensity than expected.

During Beryl’s advance in the south of the Dominican Caribbean coast, 57 aqueducts were affected, leaving 487,020 users without service, according to the report of the Emergency Operations Center (COE).

The same information indicates that, in Barahona (south), one of the provinces most affected by the rains, 66 people had to leave their homes, while in the municipality of Boca Chica, near the capital, several beach establishments suffered damage due to the strong waves.

In addition, thousands of people are without electricity service as a result of the strong waves and the winds caused by Beryl that “have generated interruptions in the electricity service in various parts of the country,” the electricity distributors Edenorte, Edesur and Edeeste, who hope to leave the problem solved this same Wednesday, reported in a joint statement.

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Although the indirect effects of Beryl have been limited and has already moved away from the national territory, the COE maintains 17 provinces on green alert for possible floods of rivers, streams and ravines, as well as sudden floods, and restrictions on navigation on the Caribbean coast are still in force.

As for Haiti, the Civil Protection Directorate reported that the cyclone caused “very little damage” in the country, where several flooded streets were reported in the southeast, where several fishing boats were dragged through the waters, specifically in Cayes Jacmel and Marigot, while the two mobile phone companies were out of service.

Although no river overflows were recorded and damage to housing and educational infrastructure is not important, the Haitian authorities maintain the orange alert level for the departments of the south of the country, as well as the prohibition of sailing, especially in the southern areas, until Friday.

In both cases, the damage has been of little consideration compared to the destruction suffered on the islands of Granada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the most devastated by the phenomenon, and it is feared that it will also cause great devastation in Jamaica.

The center of Beryl, a category 4 cyclone, will pass near or over Jamaica in the next few hours to arrive this evening or early Thursday morning in the Cayman Islands and then enter the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States.

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The first hurricane of the Atlantic season remains a fearsome system with maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour), according to the most recent bulletin of the NHC, based in Miami (Florida), which places it 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Kingston (Jamaica) and 225 kilometers (140 miles) east of Grand Cayman.

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.