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PNC Financial Services Group Inc. trimmed its stake in Essential Utilities, Inc. ( NYSE:WTRG – Free Report ) by 1.2% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 184,046 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,314 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $7,099,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Friedenthal Financial acquired a new position in Essential Utilities in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 81.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. Bfsg LLC grew its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 157.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bfsg LLC now owns 1,190 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 727 shares during the period. Finally, Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities during the 3rd quarter worth $50,000. 74.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Essential Utilities Stock Up 0.4 % NYSE WTRG opened at $39.53 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $10.86 billion, a PE ratio of 19.77, a P/E/G ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 0.84. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $39.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.84. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $33.57 and a fifty-two week high of $41.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. Essential Utilities Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be given a dividend of $0.3255 per share. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 12th. Essential Utilities’s payout ratio is 65.00%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have issued reports on WTRG. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $43.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Essential Utilities in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Essential Utilities from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $44.00 to $41.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Essential Utilities from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Essential Utilities presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.00. Check Out Our Latest Report on Essential Utilities About Essential Utilities ( Free Report ) Essential Utilities, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water, wastewater, or natural gas services in the United States. The company operates through Regulated Water and Regulated Natural Gas segments. It offers water services through operating and maintenance contract with municipal authorities and other parties. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WTRG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Essential Utilities, Inc. ( NYSE:WTRG – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Essential Utilities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Essential Utilities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .None
Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Hallmark actor John Reardon revealed he's on a "long road" to recovery after battling tonsil cancer. The "Believe in Christmas" star shared a health update on social media as he posted a photo of himself hospitalized. "Last night was my first night out after my recovery from tonsil cancer. Has been a long road between these two pictures and the difference is from the love and support I received from my people in my life," Reardon, 49, wrote on Instagram earlier this week. HALLMARK STARS LACEY CHABERT AND HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE ALLEGEDLY 'TOO OLD' FOR COMPANY, PER NEW LAWSUIT Hallmark star John Reardon revealed he was on a "long road" to recovery as he battled tonsil cancer. (John Reardon/Instagram) "My amazing partner for taking on our whole world to help me get better. My brave kids who inspired me. My Dad who took me for a walk everyday even when it was hard for me to get out of bed - and I’m sure hard for him to see his son in pain," he said in part. Reardon continued to show his gratitude towards his loved ones during his tumultuous journey, as he thanked his other family members and health care workers. APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST A post shared by John Reardon (@johnny_reardon_) "My Mom who made me soups... ginger honey tea and green juices so I could get calories into my body. My sister and brother who helped with the kids and the challenges of life when I couldn’t," he wrote. WHY HALLMARK’S HOLIDAY CONTENT SUCCEEDS IN THE AGE OF STREAMING Reardon stars in the Hallmark holiday movie "Believe in Christmas." (Dominique Charriau/WireImage/Getty Images) The Canadian actor shared a photo of himself smiling in a black jacket, and then another of himself hospitalized, as he wore a mask with a medical tube on his lap. "Kindness is an under appreciated quality in people. We should never under value it. Celebrate it and distribute it as much as possible. It is free and life changing. Happy Holidays," Reardon concluded in his social media caption. LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Reardon shares three kids with his wife, Meghan Ory. (John Lamparski/WireImage/Getty Images) Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, commonly known as throat cancer or tonsil cancer, is "a type of head and neck cancer that refers to the cancer of the base and posterior one-third of the tongue, the tonsils, soft palate and posterior and lateral pharyngeal walls," according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) . CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Reardon made his Hallmark debut in the 2014 series "When Calls the Heart." The actor did not share any further details of his cancer journey . Reardon shares three kids with his longtime wife, Meghan Ory. The two met on the 2006 show "Merlin’s Apprentice." He made his Hallmark debut in the 2014 series "When Calls the Heart." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Stephanie Giang-Paunon is an Entertainment Writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to stephanie.giang@fox.com and on Twitter: @SGiangPaunon.A massacre of more than 200 people in Haiti this month followed a gang-ordered manhunt that saw victims, many of them elderly, pulled from their homes and shot or killed with machetes, the UN said Monday. The victims were suspected of involvement in voodoo and accused by a gang leader of poisoning his child, with the suspects taken to a "training center" where many were dismembered or burned after being killed. A civil society organization had said at the time that the gang leader was convinced his son's illness was caused by followers of the religion. "On the evening of December 6, (Micanor Altes) ordered the members of his gang -- around 300 -- to carry out a brutal 'manhunt.' They stormed into about ten alleys of the (Port-au-Prince) neighborhood and forcibly dragged the victims out of their homes," said the report, authored jointly by the UN office in Haiti, BINUH, and the UN Human Rights Commissioner (OCHR). In the days that followed, the gang returned to the neighborhood, abducting adherents from a voodoo temple, targeting individuals suspected of tipping off local media and slaughtering people seeking to escape. Some of the bodies "were then burned with gasoline, or dismembered and dumped into the sea," the report concluded. A total of 134 men and 73 women were killed in total over six days, the report said. A mosaic of violent gangs control most of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. The impoverished Caribbean country has been mired for decades by political instability, made worse in recent years by gangs that have grown in strength and organizational sophistication. Despite a Kenyan-led police support mission, backed by the United States and UN, violence has continued to soar. "According to BINUH and OHCHR, since January 2024, more than 5,358 people have been killed and 2,155 injured," the report said. "This brings the total number of people killed or injured in Haiti to at least 17,248 since the beginning of 2022." The UN Security Council "strongly condemned the continued destabilizing criminal activities of armed gangs and stressed the need for the international community to redouble its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the population." A spokeswoman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "these crimes touched the very foundation of Haitian society, targeting the most vulnerable populations." Voodoo was brought to Haiti by African slaves and is a mainstay of the country's culture. It was banned during French colonial rule and only recognized as an official religion by the Haitian government in 2003. While it incorporates elements of other religious beliefs, including Catholicism, voodoo has been historically attacked by other religions. gw/nro
Portland Mayor-elect Keith Wilson outlines his plans to tackle the homelessness crisisAttackers retain old scamming tricks with new twists — and consumers must stay informed to protect themselves
The immigration debate in our country has been dominated by huge corporations who want more (and cheaper) workers and by liberal advocacy organizations who want America to take in as many people from developing nations as possible, partly for humanitarian reasons and partly to drive up the voter rolls for the Democrats. These dueling interests have dominated for decades and led to a permissive system with a large influx of new immigrants, both legal and illegal. In response, conservative voices have pushed back on what they see as overly open immigration policies. Lost in this policy debate is what we should really be focused on: what’s good for America. Big businesses want to bring in as many new workers as they can. Expanding the workforce allows workers less leverage on wages and benefits. This system may lead to greater economic output overall, but there is a strong case to be made that it harms American workers, especially those at the bottom of the labor pool, where an influx of unskilled workers has caused wage stagnation. America’s current H1B skilled visa system is a complete giveaway to corporate America, primarily big tech. We bring in skilled foreigners only when a company sponsors them. The system then keeps many of these workers in a legal limbo, often for decades. That whole time they are... https://t.co/RwzFk2kwLz — Neil Patel (@NeilPatelTDC) December 27, 2024 Liberal activists want to take in as many immigrants as they can, and you don’t have to be a cynic to see the political angle of this policy. An influx of new immigrants has already turned California from a decidedly red state to a strongly blue state, although recent trends show this strategy may be backfiring . In recent years, the permissiveness on immigration has advanced from advocating for more legal immigration to openly favoring illegal immigration. We are now at a point where the majority of Democrats who ran in the party’s last presidential primary raised their hands in favor of completely decriminalizing illegal border crossings. The standard Republican response has been to focus on skilled immigrants. The line you hear most often is to “staple an H-1B visa to every science and technology degree” earned by foreign graduates in American universities to keep these new workers in our country. The final camp in the immigration debate believes our country has had an overly permissive immigration system for too long. This camp wants to both shut down our borders and curtail or stop legal immigration until we get things under control. All of these camps have it wrong on immigration, especially when it comes to skilled immigration. There is a better way. Somewhere in the world today are the next generation’s brightest young scientists. A bunch of them are in America, but many are in other countries, especially India and China. It’s in America’s interest to bring as many of these people as possible into our country. Other countries know this. They have a name for it: “brain drain.” This brain drain — the loss of a country’s best and brightest to places like America — is one of the biggest policy challenges for poor countries around the world. For the sake of America’s future prosperity and status as the world’s most innovative and prosperous country, America should be working on policies to promote it. When a worker comes to America on a temporary H-1B visa, they are tied to the American company that sponsors them. Because of the huge backlog we currently have for these temporary immigrants to gain permanent status in America, these highly skilled workers can stay tethered to an American employer for decades. During this time, they can’t change jobs, their spouses often can’t work and their children can be subject to deportation as soon as they turn 18. The end result of this system is an unfair competition for jobs between American workers and this indentured class of highly skilled immigrants. A big company will always prefer to hire an essentially indentured immigrant who can’t afford to push for better pay or benefits. This current system is ripe for abuse by bad actors like Disney or AT&T Inc., who have been caught recruiting temporary H-1B workers to replace Americans, or by Indian consulting firms that have entire business models built to take advantage of temporary, indentured foreign tech workers. The answer to this problem is not to stop bringing skilled workers to America. If they don’t come to the United States, they can go to Canada or New Zealand, where there are policies in place to actively recruit them . Given the improving conditions in their home countries, these immigrants are also increasingly deciding to forego the American dream and just stay home. (RELATED: America Doesn’t Need More Nerds And Foreigners To Start Winning Again) The real answer is to scrap our broken system. We should better identify and recruit the world’s most talented people. But when we find them, we should bring them here with all the same rights we give to Americans. Doing this will prevent American workers from having to compete with workers with fewer rights. Most importantly, an immigration system that better targets talent and then allows that talent to come to America with the same rights as American workers would incentivize the best to keep coming here, keep inventing here, keep starting companies here and keep the American dream alive.Joe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasion
NoneBy HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press For Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as “rineanswsaurs” or sarcastic as “srkastik.” The 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis can sound out words, but her dyslexia makes the process so draining that she often struggles with comprehension. “I just assumed I was stupid,” she recalled of her early grade school years. But assistive technology powered by artificial intelligence has helped her keep up with classmates. Last year, Makenzie was named to the National Junior Honor Society. She credits a customized AI-powered chatbot, a word prediction program and other tools that can read for her. “I would have just probably given up if I didn’t have them,” she said. Artificial intelligence holds the promise of helping countless other students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to execute tasks that come easily to others. Schools everywhere have been wrestling with how and where to incorporate AI , but many are fast-tracking applications for students with disabilities. Getting the latest technology into the hands of students with disabilities is a priority for the U.S. Education Department, which has told schools they must consider whether students need tools like text-to-speech and alternative communication devices. New rules from the Department of Justice also will require schools and other government entities to make apps and online content accessible to those with disabilities. There is concern about how to ensure students using it — including those with disabilities — are still learning. Students can use artificial intelligence to summarize jumbled thoughts into an outline, summarize complicated passages, or even translate Shakespeare into common English. And computer-generated voices that can read passages for visually impaired and dyslexic students are becoming less robotic and more natural. “I’m seeing that a lot of students are kind of exploring on their own, almost feeling like they’ve found a cheat code in a video game,” said Alexis Reid, an educational therapist in the Boston area who works with students with learning disabilities. But in her view, it is far from cheating : “We’re meeting students where they are.” Ben Snyder, a 14-year-old freshman from Larchmont, New York, who was recently diagnosed with a learning disability, has been increasingly using AI to help with homework. “Sometimes in math, my teachers will explain a problem to me, but it just makes absolutely no sense,” he said. “So if I plug that problem into AI, it’ll give me multiple different ways of explaining how to do that.” He likes a program called Question AI. Earlier in the day, he asked the program to help him write an outline for a book report — a task he completed in 15 minutes that otherwise would have taken him an hour and a half because of his struggles with writing and organization. But he does think using AI to write the whole report crosses a line. “That’s just cheating,” Ben said. Schools have been trying to balance the technology’s benefits against the risk that it will do too much. If a special education plan sets reading growth as a goal, the student needs to improve that skill. AI can’t do it for them, said Mary Lawson, general counsel at the Council of the Great City Schools. But the technology can help level the playing field for students with disabilities, said Paul Sanft, director of a Minnesota-based center where families can try out different assistive technology tools and borrow devices. “There are definitely going to be people who use some of these tools in nefarious ways. That’s always going to happen,” Sanft said. “But I don’t think that’s the biggest concern with people with disabilities, who are just trying to do something that they couldn’t do before.” Another risk is that AI will track students into less rigorous courses of study. And, because it is so good at identifying patterns , AI might be able to figure out a student has a disability. Having that disclosed by AI and not the student or their family could create ethical dilemmas, said Luis Pérez, the disability and digital inclusion lead at CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Specialized Technology. Schools are using the technology to help students who struggle academically, even if they do not qualify for special education services. In Iowa, a new law requires students deemed not proficient — about a quarter of them — to get an individualized reading plan. As part of that effort, the state’s education department spent $3 million on an AI-driven personalized tutoring program. When students struggle, a digital avatar intervenes. More AI tools are coming soon. The U.S. National Science Foundation is funding AI research and development. One firm is developing tools to help children with speech and language difficulties. Called the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, it is headquartered at the University of Buffalo, which did pioneering work on handwriting recognition that helped the U.S. Postal Service save hundreds of millions of dollars by automating processing. “We are able to solve the postal application with very high accuracy. When it comes to children’s handwriting, we fail very badly,” said Venu Govindaraju, the director of the institute. He sees it as an area that needs more work, along with speech-to-text technology, which isn’t as good at understanding children’s voices, particularly if there is a speech impediment. Sorting through the sheer number of programs developed by education technology companies can be a time-consuming challenge for schools. Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, said the nonprofit launched an effort this fall to make it easier for districts to vet what they are buying and ensure it is accessible. Makenzie wishes some of the tools were easier to use. Sometimes a feature will inexplicably be turned off, and she will be without it for a week while the tech team investigates. The challenges can be so cumbersome that some students resist the technology entirely. But Makenzie’s mother, Nadine Gilkison, who works as a technology integration supervisor at Franklin Township Community School Corporation in Indiana, said she sees more promise than downside. In September, her district rolled out chatbots to help special education students in high school. She said teachers, who sometimes struggled to provide students the help they needed, became emotional when they heard about the program. Until now, students were reliant on someone to help them, unable to move ahead on their own. “Now we don’t need to wait anymore,” she said. The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
3,161 Shares in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) Acquired by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AGFor the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal. His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. New York Yankees' Juan Soto, right, with the help of his agent Scott Boras, left, agreed to a $765 million, 15-year deal with the New York Mets on Sunday. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft. Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Juan Soto's deal comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. Stiliana Nikolova, of Bulgaria performs in the rhythmic gymnastics individuals all-round qualification round, at La Chapelle Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India reacts as he collides with San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. India was safe and Campusano was charged with an error. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Kimberley Woods of Britain competes in the women's kayak cross time trial at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Noah Lyles, of the United States, jumps as he limbers-up ahead of the men's 100-meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) A member of the Seattle Mariners tosses a ball against a wall during drills at spring training baseball workouts, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia waits to receive serve during her first round match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Czech Republic's Jiri Beran, left, competes with France's Yannik Borel in the men's team epee bronze final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) France's Adrien Truffert jumps over Argentina's goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli during a quarterfinal soccer match between France and Argentina, at Bordeaux Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Bordeaux, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Fans interfere with a foul ball caught by Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Italy's Sara Curtis splashes her face with water before a women's 50-meter freestyle semifinal at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Ivory Coast 's Seko Fofana, top, duels for the ball with Nigeria's Victor Osimhen during the African Cup of Nations final soccer match between Nigeria and Ivory Coast, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Costa Rica midfielder Jefferson Brenes, from left, Alvaro Zamora (21), Francisco Calvo (15) and Joseph Mora (8) are pelted with drinks and trash after celebrating a Brenes goal in the second half of a CONCACAF Nations League Play-In soccer match against Honduras, Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Gabrielle Thomas, of the United States, celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's 200 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Tyrrell Hatton, of England, reacts on the 11th hole during a practice round in preparation for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Augusta, GA. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Quincy Hall, of the United States, celebrates after winning the men's 400-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Tim Tszyu, of Australia, hits Sebastian Fundora in a super welterweight title bout Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers takes the field prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Workers peep through curtains to watch a match between France's Gael Monfils and Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the China Open tennis tournament held at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Amy Yang, of South Korea, is doused after winning the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament at Sahalee Country Club, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Sammamish, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Workers remove snow from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes) United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti) Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, scores his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue ) Czech Republic's Michal Kempny, right, punches United States' Brady Tkachuk during the quarterfinal match between Czech Republic and United States at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Turkey's Taha Akgul, left, competes with Georgia's Geno Petriashvili in a men's freestyle 125 kg category gold medal wrestling match during the European Wrestling Championships, in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith cries after winning the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Carles Coll Marti of Spain competes in the men's 200-meter breaststroke heat at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots between New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III and guard CJ McCollum in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A man in a monk's robe waves the French flag as the peloton passes during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 163.5 kilometers (101.6 miles) with start in Macon and finish in Dijon, France, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Belgium's Jeremy Doku, left, challenges for the ball with Romania's Andrei Ratiu during a Group E match between Belgium and Romania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A spectator walks through a water mist sprayer on her way to Eiffel Tower Stadium to watch a beach volleyball at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Gabriel Medina, of Brazil, kicks off of a wave as he warms up prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, is reflected on a surface as she performs on the balance beam during the women's artistic gymnastics all-around finals in Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Wyndham Clark waits to hit on the 17th hole during the first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Kolkata Knight Riders' wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz dives to make an unsuccessful attempt to run out Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket final match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai, India, Sunday, May 26, 2024.(AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.) Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) Serbia's Novak Djokovic embraces his daughter Tara after defeating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Spain's Dani Olmo clears the ball from the goal line during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) A fleet of boats compete in the mixed multihull sailing race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) A horse watches from its stable ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Silver medalist Simone Biles, of the United States, left, and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles, of the United States, right, bow to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, during the medal ceremony for the women's artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Denver celebrates after winning the championship game against Boston College in the Frozen Four NCAA college hockey tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Denver won 2-0 to win the national championship. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Washington safety Kamren Fabiculanan (13) and cornerback Elijah Jackson (25) break up a pass to Eastern Michigan wide receiver Terry Lockett Jr. (3) in the end zone during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Seattle. Washington won 30-9. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Milwaukee Bucks' AJ Johnson, right, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Jared McCain, center, and Adem Bona during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Elise Mertens, of Belgium, serves against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 11, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Italy's Giovanni Tocci competes in the men's 3m springboard diving preliminary at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Wearing a device that measures his energy consumption, the Israel Amputee Football Team player, Ben Maman, left, fights for the ball with a young soccer player from a local team during a practice session in Ramat Gan, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) A soccer fan dressed as Spiderman watches Brazil play Uruguay in a Copa America quarterfinal match on a screen set up for fans on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Brazil lost in a penalty shootout and Uruguay qualified for the semifinals. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Men dressed in traditional clothes try to pull the opponent over the table at the German Championships in Fingerhakeln or finger wrestling, in Bernbeuren, Germany, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, kicks the ball after double faulting against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Water is sprayed on the pitch as the ball boys and girls walk along the center line before the start of the men's Group A field hockey match between South Africa and Germany at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Cleveland Browns defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) reaches for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (12) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Morocco's Widad Bertal celebrates after defeating Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in their women's 54kg preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher) Brazil's Priscila eyes the ball during a women's semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Simone Biles of the United States competes on the balance beam during a women's artistic gymnastics qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr. signs autographs for a young fan before the start of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Real Madrid's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mozambique's Deizy Nhaquile battles rough seas during a women's dinghy race, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) People watch the cauldron rise at sunset by the Olympic rings during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/John Locher) A light show is projected from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Kateryna Tabashnyk, a high jumper, sits for a portrait Sunday, June 9, 2024, at the athletics arena of the "Polytechnic" sports complex, which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Sent weekly directly to your inbox!Arctic Bay, Nunavut, is expecting to receive federal money to build a small craft harbour in 2025, six years after the project was first announced. In 2019, the federal government revealed plans to build harbours in four Nunavut communities — Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay. That's part of the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area and the associated Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement, which is meant to support local training and employment. The federal government's fall economic statement last week proposed $105.9 million over seven years, starting in 2025, for construction in Arctic Bay. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) expects it to be operational by 2031. "Community and commercial fishing, hunting, food supply, safety and security issues, transportation, tourism, and socialization will be enhanced at the community and regional level," DFO wrote in an email. DFO estimates the harbour will create roughly 60 to 150 jobs during the construction period, and $90 to $130 million in GDP. "This project will be publicly tendered as a set-aside project for firms on the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Inuit Firm Registry and will include Inuit Benefits Criteria," DFO said. Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout said the announcement has been a long-time coming. "Time and time again they keep neglecting the North unless forced to act. Now, we see the first steps and I won't stop pushing until the harbour is complete," she said. "Hunters and trappers in Nunavut feed their families and keep their culture alive." Construction of Clyde River's small craft harbour in September 2024. (Caitlin Joanas/CBC) Meanwhile in Clyde River, construction of a small craft harbour there is underway by Pilitak Enterprises. That's set to be operational by summer 2026. Pond Inlet, which was also a party to that conservation area agreement, opened their community harbour in 2022. The construction timelines for Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay remain unclear. According to the Nunavut Impact Review Board database , the Government of Nunavut partnered with Worley Consulting this year to support geotechnical studies for the two proposed community harbours.
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U.S. officials have added a ninth telecommunications company to the list of entities compromised by a sweeping Chinese-linked cyberespionage operation known as Salt Typhoon, a top White House official said Friday. Anne Neuberger, the U.S. deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, told reporters on a call that the unnamed telecom was added to the list after the U.S. government shared guidance on how to detect and defend against the operation. Officials have previously alleged that the attackers targeted Verizon, AT&T, Lumen and others. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Dec. 18 urged senior government and political figures to move mobile communications to end-to-end encrypted apps as a result of the Salt Typhoon campaign, which has targeted officials associated with the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, according to reports. Officials have said "a large number of Americans' metadata was taken" as part of the campaign. Chinese officials have previously described the allegations as disinformation and said Beijing "firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms." Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, a Democrat from New Mexico, called Salt Typhoon the "largest telecommunications hack in our nation's history" during a Dec. 11 hearing, while Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said the U.S. "must plug any vulnerabilities in communications networks." Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Dec. 5 her agency was proposing rules requiring telecommunications carriers to secure their networks in light of the Salt Typhoon revelations. Neuberger said Friday that the "Chinese gained access to networks and essentially had broad and full access," giving them the capability to "geolocate millions of individuals, to record phone calls at will," and that updated FCC rules could help limit the scope and impact of future intrusions. (Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)Maryland sues maker of Gore-Tex over pollution from toxic 'forever chemicals'
A senior Israeli diplomat told Newsweek that the International Criminal Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu represented a victory for Hamas and its allies amid the ongoing war that has shaken the Middle East for over a year. The ICC announced Thursday that it had issued the warrant for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant "for crimes against humanity and war crimes," alleging that "both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity." The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for the head of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades military wing, Mohammed Deif, for his role in the "mass killing of members of the civilian population" during the large-scale attack last October that sparked the current conflict. With Netanyahu now facing potential detainment in up to 124 nations that are parties to the ICC's founding Rome Statute, Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis called the move "the most disgraceful decision" by the court, which he argued has "once again failed actually to make the difference between a lawful and democratic state and the world's most brutal terrorist organizations." The decision comes as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues to engage in battle with the Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. As talks play out in an effort to establish ceasefires on both fronts and return up to 100 hostages held by Palestinian factions in Gaza, Akunis argued that the ICC has effectively granted a boost to Israel's foes and their wartime objectives. "What is the message to Hamas? What is the message in accordance with the hostages deal?" Akunis asked. "By the way, there is a negotiation in Tel Aviv right now about the Lebanon issue, and I think that the message that the ICC sent this morning actually to Hezbollah and to Hamas and to the others is that it's okay to attack Israel, it's okay maybe to initiate another October 7 massacre." He asserted that discussions were being held in the Israeli Foreign Ministry to determine the legal steps to take regarding the ICC's move. Hamas also reacted to the decision on Thursday, with spokesperson and Political Bureau member Basem Naim saying that the action was "an important step towards justice and can lead to redress for the victims in general, but it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world to implement it." "This is a first step showing international commitment to justice," Naim said in a statement shared with Newsweek . "A message must be sent to every war criminal that he will not escape punishment regardless how long it will take and no matter how much he tries to mislead people or distort the narrative, truth will prevail." Deif, the longtime Hamas military head named in a separate ICC warrant on Thursday, was announced dead by the IDF in August after a raid conducted the previous month, but the group has yet to confirm his fate. Applications for two other top Hamas officials named in the original ICC investigation opened against both the group and Israel in May, then-Political Bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh and Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, were withdrawn due to their confirmed deaths. Haniyeh was killed in Iran in late July in a still unclaimed operation, while Sinwar was slain during an IDF operation in Gaza last month. The ICC has asserted jurisdiction in both cases due to the West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority's signing of the Rome Statute in 2015. Israel, which is not a party to the ICC, has rejected any role for The Hague-based court in the conflict as it does not recognize Palestinian statehood. The United States, a close ally of Israel and also not an ICC member, condemned the judiciary's decision to open a probe into Israel in May. The U.S. State Department canceled its daily press briefing on Thursday after the news of the ICC's decision. While opposed to ICC intervention in the matter, President Joe Biden 's administration has repeatedly called on Israel to do more to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israeli officials have repeatedly denied they intentionally blocked access to critical assistance and have accused Hamas of stealing food, medicine and other items amid reports of looting and a breakdown of the security situation in Gaza. President-elect Donald Trump took an even harder line against the ICC during his first term. The Trump administration issued sanctions against ICC officials involved in investigations of U.S. personnel for alleged war crimes conducted in Afghanistan and threatened further measures in response to ICC probes against the U.S. and its allies, especially Israel. "I'm very happy to hear that officials in the next administration in the United States, and the current members of the Congress and the Senate actually declared that they will change the laws against the ICC," Akunis said, "because this is really not an ICC anymore. There's no justice." In an interview with Newsweek in September, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan vowed to pursue the investigations into officials of both Israel and Hamas with impartiality and strict adherence to the legal process despite political pressures. "Whether they're the families in the kibbutzim that are mourning the people killed from the seventh of October, or that are so horrendously being kept today, or they don't know, the fear, the terror of the unknown of where they are, or it's Palestinians in the West Bank or in Gaza," Khan said at the time, "they have the right, not as a charity, not as a favor to them, but they have a right to be seen by the law." "And then the law has an obligation to analyze information in this environment, separate fiction from fact, and then present it to judges," he added. "And we'll keep doing that, irrespective of what happens. It's why we have an International Criminal Court." In his statement following the ICC announcement Thursday, Khan said that "it is critical in this moment that my Office and all parts of the Court, including its independent judges, are permitted to conduct their work with full independence and impartiality" and warned "that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence the officials of this Court must cease immediately." He also said he would "count on all States Parties to the Rome Statute to take these applications and the subsequent judicial decision with the same seriousness they have shown in other Situations, meeting their obligations under the Statute." While Rome Statute members have an obligation to execute arrest warrants issued by the ICC, the repercussions for not doing so remain ill-defined. In September, Mongolia declined to take action during a visit from Russian President Vladimir Putin , who also faces an ICC arrest warrant over allegations of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, drawing criticism ICC member states, including countries of the European Union . A number of countries, including Belgium, France, Jordan and the Netherlands, have already stated that they would enact an arrest warrant against Netanyahu if he were to visit their respective nations. Akunis called on them to reconsider and for the entire international community "to draw a clear line and state clearly that they will not accept this political decision." "The decision actually send a message today, to the Western world, to the United States, and to other democratic countries," he said, "that today it's Israel, today it's Prime Minister Netanyahu and former defense minister Gallant, tomorrow maybe it's you."
AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:23 p.m. ESTAMES, Iowa (AP) — Audi Crooks scored the winning shot as time expired and a season-high 33 points as No. 8 Iowa State survived with an 80-78 win over Drake on Sunday afternoon. Addy Brown added 13 points and eight rebounds, Emily Ryan scored 11 points with 12 assists and Kenzie Hare had 10 points as the Cyclones (5-1) avoided a second consecutive loss. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Uni boss’ bold plan to slash university fees and end $50,000 arts degrees
Pakistani police arrest thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of rally in the capital
Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ) Shares Sold by Swiss National BankInvesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ) Shares Sold by Swiss National BankPublished 4:31 pm Friday, December 27, 2024 By Data Skrive Today’s NBA lineup has a lot in store. Among the nine games is the Oklahoma City Thunder facing the Charlotte Hornets. How to watch all the games in the NBA today is included here. Get the latest news sent to your inbox Sign up for NBA League Pass to get access to games, live and on-demand, and more for the entire season and offseason. Watch ESPN originals, The Last Dance and more NBA content on ESPN+. Use our link to sign up for ESPN+ or the Disney bundle. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .
A massacre of more than 200 people in Haiti this month followed a gang-ordered manhunt that saw victims, many of them elderly, pulled from their homes and shot or killed with machetes, the UN said Monday. The victims were suspected of involvement in voodoo and accused by a gang leader of poisoning his child, with the suspects taken to a "training center" where many were dismembered or burned after being killed. A civil society organization had said at the time that the gang leader was convinced his son's illness was caused by followers of the religion. "On the evening of December 6, (Micanor Altes) ordered the members of his gang -- around 300 -- to carry out a brutal 'manhunt.' They stormed into about ten alleys of the (Port-au-Prince) neighborhood and forcibly dragged the victims out of their homes," said the report, authored jointly by the UN office in Haiti, BINUH, and the UN Human Rights Commissioner (OCHR). In the days that followed, the gang returned to the neighborhood, abducting adherents from a voodoo temple, targeting individuals suspected of tipping off local media and slaughtering people seeking to escape. Some of the bodies "were then burned with gasoline, or dismembered and dumped into the sea," the report concluded. A total of 134 men and 73 women were killed in total over six days, the report said. A mosaic of violent gangs control most of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. The impoverished Caribbean country has been mired for decades by political instability, made worse in recent years by gangs that have grown in strength and organizational sophistication. Despite a Kenyan-led police support mission, backed by the United States and UN, violence has continued to soar. "According to BINUH and OHCHR, since January 2024, more than 5,358 people have been killed and 2,155 injured," the report said. "This brings the total number of people killed or injured in Haiti to at least 17,248 since the beginning of 2022." The UN Security Council "strongly condemned the continued destabilizing criminal activities of armed gangs and stressed the need for the international community to redouble its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the population." A spokeswoman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "these crimes touched the very foundation of Haitian society, targeting the most vulnerable populations." Voodoo was brought to Haiti by African slaves and is a mainstay of the country's culture. It was banned during French colonial rule and only recognized as an official religion by the Haitian government in 2003. While it incorporates elements of other religious beliefs, including Catholicism, voodoo has been historically attacked by other religions. gwBurt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in 'Crocodile Dundee,' dies at 90Blake Lively is trying to make Christmas 'special' for her four kids amid Justin Baldoni lawsuitBlake's career receiving day helps Charlotte beat FAU 39-27