PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The United Nations raised the death toll of a recent massacre in which dozens of older people and Vodou religious leaders were killed by a gang in Haiti, and called on officials to bring the perpetrators to justice. The U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti said in a report published on Monday that between Dec. 6 and 11 more than 207 people were killed by the Wharf Jeremie gang. The gang took people from their homes and from a place of worship, interrogated them and then executed them with bullets and machetes. Earlier this month, human rights groups in Haiti had estimated that more than 100 people were killed in the massacre, but the new U.N. investigation doubles the number of victims. “We cannot pretend that nothing happened” said María Isabel Salvador, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative in Haiti. “I call on the Haitian justice system to thoroughly investigate these horrific crimes and arrest and punish the perpetrators, as well as those who support them," she said in a statement. Human rights groups in Haiti said the massacre began after the son of Micanor Altès, the leader of the Wharf Jeremie gang, died from an illness. The Cooperative for Peace and Development, a human rights group, said that according to information circulating in the community, Altès accused people in the neighborhood of causing his son’s illness. “He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and (Vodou) practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of casting a bad spell on his son,” the group said in a statement released shortly after news of the massacre emerged. In Monday's report, the United Nations said that people were tracked down in their homes and in a place of worship by Altès’ gang, where they were first interrogated and then taken to an execution site. The United Nations said that the gang tried to erase evidence of the killings by burning bodies, or by dismembering them and throwing them into the sea. The massacre is the latest humanitarian tragedy in Haiti, where gang violence has intensified since the nation’s president was killed in a 2021 coup attempt . Haiti has struggled to organize an election that will fill the power vacuum and restore democratic rule. The Caribbean nation is currently governed by a transitional council that includes representatives from the business community, civil society and political parties, but its government has no control over many areas of the capital city, and gangs are constantly fighting over ports, highways and neighborhoods. According to the United Nations, more than 5,350 people have been killed in Haiti’s gang wars this year. The Haitian government acknowledged the massacre against older people in a statement issued earlier this month, and promised to persecute those responsible for this act of “unspeakable carnage.” Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more.ATCO Australia selects GE Vernova for hydrogen-capable turbines for South Australia Government’s Hydrogen Jobs Plan
M&S shoppers rush to buy perfect stocking filler slashed from £4 to £1(AP) — The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased this week, though it remains near 7% after mostly rising in recent weeks. The rate slipped to 6.81% from 6.84% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. That’s still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged 7.22%. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance their home loan to a lower rate, rose this week. The average rate climbed to 6.1% from 6.02% last week. A year ago, it averaged 6.56%, Freddie Mac said. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds, which lenders use as a guide to price home loans. The yield, which mostly hovered around 4.4% last week and was below 3.70% in September, has eased this week. It was at 4.23% at midday Wednesday. Elevated mortgage rates and rising home prices have kept homeownership out of reach of many would-be homebuyers. U.S. home sales are on track for their worst year since 1995. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage moved down this week, but not by much,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Potential homebuyers are also waiting on the sidelines, causing demand to be lackluster. Despite the low sales activity, inventory has only modestly improved and remains dramatically undersupplied.” Mortgage rates slid to just above 6% in September following the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its main interest rate for the first time in more than four years. While the central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, its actions and the trajectory of inflation influence the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield. The central bank’s policy pivot is expected to eventually clear a path for mortgage rates to generally go lower. But that could change if the next administration’s policies send inflation into overdrive again. September’s pullback in mortgage rates helped drive a pickup in sales of previously occupied U.S. homes last month, and likely helped give a boost to demand early last month. The National Association of Realtor’s pending home sales index rose 2% in October from the previous month, its third straight monthly increase, the trade group said Wednesday. Pending transactions were up 5.4% compared to October last year. A lag of a month or two usually exists between when a contract is signed and when the home sale is finalized, which makes pending home sales a bellwether for future completed home sales. Still, because mortgage rates have mostly kept rising in recent weeks, that could dampen sales this month and next in what’s already typically a slow season for the housing market. “Though mortgage rates are likely to decline in the coming weeks, the dip will be too little and too late to boost home sales in December,” said Ralph McLaughlin, senior economist at Realtor.com. Forecasting the trajectory of mortgage rates is difficult, given that rates are influenced by many factors, from government spending and the economy, to geopolitical tensions and stock and bond market gyrations. Economists predict that mortgage rates will remain volatile this year, but generally forecast them to hover around 6% in 2025.
Montana Girls High School Wrestling Rankings Dec. 26 100: Angelina Escarcega, Poplar; Wai Fandrich, Lockwood; Victoria Tenney, Billings Skyview; Ronelle LaForge, Billings Senior; Ciri Nice, Polson; Emmalyn Miller, Baker; Gracie Bingen, Huntley Project; Trinity Austria, Helena Capital. 105: River Cote, Ronan; Grace Buck, Chinook; Emma Hernandez, Billings Central; Serina Catt, Billings Senior; Kaelynn Vanderpool, Corvallis; Liberty Boadie, Poplar; Danyka Doll, Billings Skyview; Persephone Cox, Frenchtown. 110: Hayley Petersen, Simms; Brooke Yeadon, Kalispell Glacier; Hannah Leonard, Billings Skyview; Dani Larson, Manhattan; Robin Leidholt, Miles City; Evelyn Arciga, Lockwood; Sallee Redding, Hardin; Payton Welch, Shepherd. 115: Bella Downing, Kalispell Flathead; Anola Naugle, Arlee; Ashlyn Sausedo, Hardin; Araeya Nelson, Billings West; Piper Gershmel, Billings Senior; Alara Cooper, Poplar; Taylee Troutman, Billings Skyview; Halle Downey, Whitehall. 120: Kaura Coles, Kalispell Glacier; Shelby Barnett, Baker; Elise McDonald, Billings West; Serenity Hernandez, Billings Skyview; Ananleigh Matejovsky, Wolf Point; Kyra McMahon, Flathead; Rossi Gookin, Lockwood; Charlie Lund, Belgrade. 125: Madalyn Deiter, CMR; Stella Wahl, Cut Bank; Rebel Montanez, Frenchtown; Harley LaBuda, Big Sandy; Gracie Hicks, Lewistown; Kendra Redd, Anaconda; Kylie Schwartz, Baker; Ava Krings, Conrad. 130: Julia Kay, Kalispell Flathead; Taylor Lay, Helena Capital; Emma Klingaman, Harlem; Lucia Schlapfer, Missoula Big Sky; Keenya Gibson, Stevensville; Cadance Weis, Laurel; Trinity Stoner, East Helena; Jaidyn Holdaway, Anaconda. 135: Meadow Mahlmeister, Billings Senior; Etta Wicks, Fort Benton; Kiera Lackey, Kalispell Flathead; Camryn Fiscus, Leiwstown; Sage Machado, Frenchtown; Tierra Hoffer, Billings Skyview; Serena Henry, Conrad; Evie Pella, Miles City. 140: Grayle Fox, Miles City; Faye Holland, Dillon; Lizzy Sherman, Billings Senior; Lucy Armstrong, Conrad; Jocelyn Covington, Corvallis; Haley Wilson, Kalispell Flathead; Madison Lamb, Glasgow; Emerson Eckhart, Billings Senior. 145: Kaitlyn Thorn, Bozeman; Carmelia Horn, Hardin; McKenna Jones, Conrad; Tita Fandrich, Billings Senior; Riley Clampitt, Glasgow; Soraya Shirley, Billings Senior; Gracie Tolman, Billings West; Mattie Stepan, Butte. 155: Hattie Morrow, Missoula Big Sky; Macey Tate, Baker; Kara Jones, Conrad; Haven Ferguson, Billings Skyview; Bridget Smith, Kalispell Flathead; Payton Johnson, Manhattan; Brooke Werth, Shepherd; Leona Dodson-Howe, Ronan. 170: Jayda Harbaugh, Baker; Bryton Kipp, Helena Capita; Hayden Daly, Billings Senior; Abby Zickfoose, Choteau; Ava Hansen, Malta; Lexi Lunceford, Deer Lodge; Ashton Dziekonski, Helena Capital; Jasmyn Werk, Havre. 190: Kylee Lindsley, Belgrade; Katie Slade, Great Falls; Madilyn Juelke, Miles City; Ariana Ellison, Miles City; Isabella Rangel, Belgrade; Abighail Sorrell, Polson; Lauren Krebs, Hardin; Brooklyn Larsen, Billings West. 235 : Tirza TwoTeeth, Ronan; Teaka Mahlmeister, Billings Senior; Grayson DeJong, Miles City; JoJo Manning, Fort Benton; Haven Houle, Ronan; Kendahl Guardipee, Browning; Jess Elings, Cut Bank; Seattle Adams, Ronan. Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
US President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the day before his January 20 inauguration if it is not sold by its Chinese owner ByteDance. "In light of the novelty and difficulty of this case, the court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues," Trump's legal team wrote, to give him "the opportunity to pursue a political resolution." Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.