International

Israel will send a delegation to Doha on Tuesday to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave instructions to send a negotiating delegation to Doha on Tuesday in view of indirect talks with Hamas in search of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the president’s office reported after he met with the White House envoy in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

“In his meeting with the envoy Witkoff and the (US) ambassador to Israel, Mike) Huckabee, the prime minister discussed the last effort to implement the scheme for the release of hostages presented by Witkoff, before the escalation of the fighting” in Gaza, says the text of the Netanyahu Office.

In the statement, Netanyahu emphasizes that it is the last effort to promote Witkoff’s proposal, which Israel defends from the beginning (to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, instead of moving towards the second, as stipulated in the original agreement), “before the escalation of the fighting”.

The threat comes at the gates of Israel expanding its operations in Gaza, with the intention of occupying more and more land in this Palestinian territory and for which it is mobilizing thousands of reservist soldiers.

“The prime minister clarified that the negotiations will only take place under fire,” the statement added in this regard. Already on Sunday night, Netanyahu’s Office warned that all negotiations for the truce will take place while his Army maintains the fighting in the devastated Gaza Strip.

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Witkoff’s proposal promulgated an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire of weeks during which about half of the remaining live hostages in Gaza would be released (24, according to the Israeli authorities, who in recent days acknowledged not to be sure of the state of three of them).

The Israeli president met with Witkoff and Huckabee on the first arrival in Israel on the occasion of the release of the captive soldier with American and Israeli nationality, Edan Alexander, announced last night by Hamas as the result of its indirect conversations with the Donald Trump Administration in the United States.

Alexander, whose release is expected for Monday afternoon, is the only hostage with American nationality left alive in Gaza, the Palestinian militias keeping the bodies of the remaining four.

His exit from Gaza was presented as a gesture by Hamas, without apparent compensation, with the aim of promoting dialogue for the ceasefire in the Strip.

Netanyahu spoke after the meeting with Trump, whom he thanked “for his help in the release of Army soldier Edan Alexander.”

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The statement from the Netanyahu Office states that the US president, for his part, reiterated his commitment to Israel and “his desire to continue cooperating closely with the prime minister.”

The call between the United States tycoon and the Israeli leader also occurs at the gates of Trump’s first Middle East tour of this presidency, with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

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.