International

Gustavo Petro celebrates the achievements of the first half of his mandate and affirms that “it has not been easy”

The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, celebrated this Wednesday the progress made in the first half of his mandate and affirmed that these two years in power “have not been easy,” but he will give “everything” to achieve the goals he set.

This was expressed in an address to the country that was recorded in a cafeteria in the town of Ventaquemada, in the central department of Boyacá, on the occasion of the second anniversary of his Government, which began on August 7, 2022.

“It has not been two easy years, we have the finish, where we will give everything to achieve the goals,” said Petro, who acknowledged: “We have had problems and obstacles, but also achievements and satisfactions.”

Petro charged against Law 100, which created the comprehensive social security system made up of schemes for pensions, health, occupational risks and complementary social services, which he has tried to reform with a new law claiming that it does not work, but that it sank in Congress.

“The system of Law 100 is useless. Tens of billions of pesos are being stolen in recent years while public hospitals are closed. The reform of public services is fundamental,” said the ruler.

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In taking stock of his management, the president highlighted 15 points in which his administration has advanced the most, starting with the 1.6 million Colombians who said they came out of poverty and the more than 1.2 million who left extreme poverty, and recalled that in the pandemic, the country “reached a monetary poverty of 40% of its population. Today we are at 33%.”

According to Petro, more than 500,000 adults over 80 years of age benefit from the pension bonus that increased from 80,000 pesos (about 19.3 dollars today) to 225,000 pesos (about 54 dollars), and assured that “this is the biggest social revolution in the last 70 years.”

When referring to employment, he stressed that more than one million jobs were created and that the salary was increased by 12%, while he managed to lower the cost of the family basket.

In tourism, one of his government flags, said that it was possible to increase by 26.6% in 2023, “exceeding 5.8 million non-resident visitors in Colombia” and that “in the first half of this year it increased by 8.5%.”

Later he said that the country is advancing in the energy transition because the production of clean energy went, not counting hydroelectric plants, from 0.2 gigawatts to two gigawatts.

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He also estimated that deforestation was reduced by 54% last year throughout the country, “the best figure in 23 years. And 61% in the Amazon rainforest.”

In that sense, he recalled that Cali, capital of the department of Valle del Cauca, will host COP16, which will be held from October 21 to November 1.

Finally, he said that so far this year the seizure of cocaine increased by 23%. “We have been seized 1,500 tons in these two years, which have a market value of 42 billion dollars, more than oil and coal combined.”

“I am the first to recognize that there is a lot of way to go. We have not achieved everything we would have liked, but we have done, and we have done more than many think or say, among others, because the fiscal situation we found was not the most favorable,” he said.

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International

Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms

Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, her representative confirmed to CNN.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to everyone who knew her, and to the millions who saw her on screen,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement to CNN.

The circumstances surrounding her death were not immediately known. ABC was the first outlet to report the news.

Panettiere rose to prominence in the late 2000s with her role as Claire Bennet in the television series “Heroes.” Her character was a cheerleader with the ability to heal herself, becoming one of the show’s most recognizable figures.

She later starred in the musical drama series “Nashville,” portraying Juliette Barnes, a young country music star whose career and personal life were central to the series.

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Panettiere also appeared in the 2011 horror film “Scream 4” as Kirby Reed. She later returned to the franchise more than a decade later in “Scream VI.”

Her other notable film credits included “I Love You, Beth Cooper” and “Remember the Titans.”

Panettiere’s career spanned television and film, with roles that made her a familiar face to audiences from the 2000s onward.

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.