Five family members, including three children, were discovered dead inside a West Valley City, Utah home Tuesday, while a 17-year-old with a gunshot wound was found in the garage and hospitalized, police reported. The deceased victims include two adults, an 11-year-old boy, and two girls aged 9 and 2.
Police involvement began when a relative unsuccessfully attempted to contact the home’s 38-year-old female resident on Monday. Officers initially visited the property but received no response.
The same relative later discovered the wounded teenager in the garage on Tuesday afternoon, prompting the police investigation that revealed the additional victims.
West Valley City Police spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku characterized the scene as “absolutely horrific,” noting it would “weigh heavily on investigators in this case.”
The residence, located approximately 9 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, has become the focus of an intensive investigation.
Authorities believe the incident was isolated to the home, with no suspects at large. Investigation efforts face challenges due to difficulty communicating with the injured teenager.
Police continue gathering evidence from the scene and neighboring properties, including doorbell camera footage, as they work to determine the circumstances of the deaths.
The exact cause of death for the five family members has not been immediately disclosed as investigators process the scene and attempt to piece together the tragic events that unfolded in the suburban Salt Lake City home.
The governor of Osun State, south west of Nigeria, Ademola Adeleke has promised to pardon Segun Olowookere, who has spent a decade on death row for stealing hens and eggs in 2010. The case has highlighted concerns about Nigeria’s criminal justice system and proportionality in sentencing.
Olowookere was 17 when he and accomplice Morakinyo Sunday were arrested for raiding a police officer’s home with a wooden gun and sword. Their 2014 death sentence by Justice Jide Falola sparked nationwide controversy over its severity, leading to sustained advocacy efforts for Olowookere’s release.
The pair have been held in Lagos’ notorious Kirikiri maximum security prison’s death row wing since their conviction. Governor Adeleke has directed his Justice Commissioner to initiate mercy proceedings for Olowookere, citing the importance of protecting “sanctity of life,” though Sunday’s fate remains unclear.
The anticipated early 2025 release comes after years of campaigning by Olowookere’s parents, human rights organizations, and concerned citizens. While Nigeria hasn’t executed anyone since 2012, over 3,400 inmates remain on death row across the country.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested a 29-year-old man from Uzbekistan over the assassination of senior Russian general Igor Kirillov and his assistant in Moscow.
Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces, was killed early Tuesday when an explosive device hidden in an electric scooter was remotely detonated outside a residential building. The blast occurred as Kirillov exited his residence, leaving the entrance severely damaged.
The FSB accused Ukrainian intelligence of orchestrating the attack. Ukrainian security services claimed responsibility for the killing, calling Kirillov a “legitimate target” and alleging he was responsible for war crimes. The killing took place just one day after Ukraine charged Kirillov in absentia, accusing him of overseeing the mass use of banned chemical weapons. Russia has denied these allegations.
In its statement, the FSB reported that the detained man admitted during interrogation that he had been recruited by Ukrainian special services. The suspect claimed he was promised a $100,000 reward and permission to relocate to the European Union in exchange for the assassination.
The FSB revealed further details about the attack. The suspect allegedly traveled to Moscow under Ukrainian instructions, where he received a homemade explosive device. He placed the bomb on an electric scooter parked outside Kirillov’s residence and monitored the general’s movements. A dashboard camera installed in a rented car livestreamed footage to handlers in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, who gave the order to detonate the bomb once Kirillov was spotted.
The killing of Kirillov marks the most high-profile assassination of a Russian military figure on home soil since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago. In response, Russian officials have vowed to track down and punish all those involved. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced it would raise the issue at the upcoming United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday.
Kirillov, 54, had been sanctioned by the UK over allegations of chemical weapons use in Ukraine. Ukraine’s SBU security service has accused Russia of deploying chemical weapons over 4,800 times under Kirillov’s leadership. Russia rejects these claims, maintaining that it destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile in 2017.
Images from the scene showed significant damage to the entrance of Kirillov’s apartment building in southeastern Moscow. The explosion shattered windows, scorched walls, and left two body bags visible on the street.
Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius Jr has been crowned the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year, capping off an exceptional 2023-24 season where he played a key role in Real Madrid’s Champions League and La Liga triumphs.
The 24-year-old, who had earlier boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony after missing out to Manchester City’s Rodri, received the prestigious accolade in a ceremony held in Doha. Vinicius scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists during the campaign.
“It seemed impossible when I played barefoot in the streets of Sao Goncalo, and now I’m here,” Vinicius said.
Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati was named the FIFA Best Women’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive time, further solidifying her dominance in women’s football.
The award, recognizing performances between August 2023 and August 2024, was determined through a mix of public votes, journalists, and national team managers and captains. Each group’s votes accounted for 25% of the total decision.
Vinicius’ win marks his first FIFA Best award. Lionel Messi had claimed the previous two editions, while Robert Lewandowski won the two prior to that. Spain midfielder Rodri finished as runner-up this year, with Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham securing third place.
FIFA also released the voting details:
– England captain Harry Kane voted for Rodri, followed by Bellingham and Vinicius.
– Interim manager Lee Carsley ranked Bellingham, Rodri, and Lamine Yamal in his top three.
– Brazil’s captain and coach backed Vinicius, while Spain’s selections went to Dani Carvajal.
FIFA Team of the Year
Five Premier League players featured in the FIFA Men’s Team of the Year, alongside five Real Madrid stars and one from Barcelona.
– Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
– Defenders: Ruben Dias (Man City), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
Martinez was also named Goalkeeper of the Year, his second FIFA Best award after helping Argentina claim the Copa America title.
Garnacho Wins Puskas Award
The Puskas Award for the best goal of the year went to Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho for his stunning bicycle kick against Everton in November 2023.
“It’s a proud moment for me and my family,” Garnacho said in a pre-recorded message. “It was a special goal, and I will always remember it.”
Carlo Ancelotti Named Best Coach
Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti was recognized as the FIFA Best Coach of the Year after leading the club to Champions League and La Liga victories.
“I want to share this with the club, my president, and my players at the best club in the world,” Ancelotti said.
The Italian tactician, who also won the Ballon d’Or equivalent award, claimed the FIFA title for the first time.
A mass grave near Damascus contains the remains of at least 100,000 people killed under the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, the head of a U.S.-based Syrian advocacy organization said Monday.
Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, told Reuters in a phone interview from Damascus that the site at al-Qutayfah, about 25 miles (40 km) north of the Syrian capital, represents only a fraction of the mass burial sites scattered across the country.
“One hundred thousand is the most conservative estimate,” Moustafa said, describing the figure as “an almost unfairly conservative number.” He added that additional graves likely exist and include the remains of Syrians as well as U.S., British, and other foreign nationals.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the claims.
The Syrian conflict, which erupted in 2011 after Assad’s government violently suppressed pro-democracy protests, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and widespread atrocities. The crackdown escalated into a brutal civil war, leaving mass executions, disappearances, and systemic torture as defining elements of the regime’s rule.
Both Assad and his late father, Hafez al-Assad—who ruled Syria until his death in 2000—have been accused by human rights organizations and foreign governments of overseeing extrajudicial killings and operating a notorious prison system rife with abuse. Assad has consistently denied allegations of human rights violations, portraying his opponents as extremists.
Syria’s U.N. Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak, who assumed his role in January, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Last week, Aldahhak stated he was awaiting guidance from the new Syrian authorities following the collapse of Assad’s government.
Moustafa arrived in Syria after Assad fled to Russia as rebel forces advanced swiftly, ending the Assad family’s decades-long rule. He spoke after visiting the al-Qutayfah site with Britain’s Channel 4 News, which reported on the discovery of the mass grave.
According to Moustafa, Syria’s air force intelligence unit oversaw the systematic transfer of bodies to burial locations. Victims were transported from military hospitals, where many had died under torture, to mass grave sites. He said the Damascus municipal funeral office played a role, using refrigerated tractor-trailers to transport the remains.
“We were able to talk to people who worked on these mass graves—individuals who escaped Syria or whom we helped to flee,” Moustafa said. His group has interviewed bulldozer drivers who were forced to dig mass graves, often ordered to compact bodies to fit more remains into burial pits before covering them with soil.
Moustafa emphasized the urgency of preserving these sites to safeguard evidence for future investigations into war crimes. He expressed concern that, without proper protection, critical evidence could be lost or destroyed.
At least 25 people, including children, died when an overcrowded vessel capsized on Congo’s Fimi River Tuesday, with dozens more passengers missing from the estimated 100 aboard. The boat overturned shortly after departing from Inongo town, marking the fourth such disaster this year in Maï-Ndombe province.
River Commissioner David Kalemba confirmed excessive roof-level loading contributed to the accident, while local resident Alex Mbumba reported the vessel was also heavily laden with cargo. Search efforts continue as officials fear the death toll could rise significantly.
The incident highlights persistent transportation safety challenges in central Congo, where residents increasingly rely on waterways due to security concerns along roadways affected by rebel conflicts. Recent months have seen similar tragedies, including 78 drownings in eastern Congo in October and 80 deaths near Kinshasa in June.
Despite government warnings against overloading and promises of stricter safety enforcement, many remote communities cannot afford alternative transportation options. Local authorities are calling for improved safety measures, including the provision of flotation devices throughout the province.
A University of Miami study has revealed that 35 high-rise condominiums and luxury hotels along South Florida’s coastline are experiencing unexpected sinking or settlement, raising new concerns about structural stability in the region’s premier beachfront properties.
The research, published Friday, documented buildings sinking between 0.8 to 3.1 inches along a 12-mile coastal stretch from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles Beach. Lead researcher Farzaneh Aziz Zanjani expressed surprise at the extent of subsidence, particularly since half of the affected structures are less than ten years old.
Scientists attribute the settling to multiple factors, including limestone bedrock interspersed with unstable sand layers, tidal influences, and nearby construction activities affecting foundations up to 1,050 feet away. Sunny Isles Beach properties showed the most noticeable changes, with preliminary data suggesting similar patterns extending northward into Broward and Palm Beach counties.
While unrelated to the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, the findings underscore growing concerns about coastal building stability in corrosive environments. Researchers plan additional studies to examine whether differential settling rates within individual buildings could lead to structural issues or utility system damage.
The discovery parallels recent findings along the Atlantic Coast, where major cities including New York, Baltimore, and Virginia Beach show concerning subsidence rates exceeding sea-level rise.
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism, Manhattan prosecutors announced Tuesday. The case, which has unsettled the healthcare industry and sparked nationwide discussions, marks a significant escalation as authorities build their case against the suspect.
Thompson, 50, was fatally shot Dec. 4 in midtown Manhattan while walking to a hotel hosting a UnitedHealthcare investor conference. Prosecutors allege Mangione, 26, carried out the attack to intimidate and send a message, using violence to highlight frustrations with the U.S. healthcare system.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called the act “a deliberate, targeted murder meant to shock and intimidate the public.” The DA’s office formally filed terrorism-related charges, a rare but significant application of New York’s post-9/11 law, which allows crimes to be prosecuted as terrorism when they intend to intimidate civilians or influence government conduct.
After a multi-day manhunt, Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where authorities found him with the alleged murder weapon, fake IDs, and a passport. He currently faces forgery and firearms charges in Pennsylvania while fighting extradition to New York.
Prosecutors described Mangione’s motivations as deeply personal and tied to anger toward the U.S. health insurance system. A handwritten letter found on Mangione at the time of his arrest reportedly described health insurance companies as “parasitic” and criticized corporate greed.
Mangione, a former Ivy League graduate, had shared frustrations about his struggles with chronic back pain on social media, advising others to challenge doctors and insurance providers. His family reported him missing weeks before the attack, describing him as increasingly isolated.
Thompson’s death sent shockwaves through the healthcare industry and rattled corporate leadership. Social media users debated the killing, with some praising it as “retribution” against health insurance companies. Meanwhile, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned any attempt to justify the violence, calling it “vile and reckless.”
Brian Thompson, a father of two teenagers, worked at UnitedHealth Group for over two decades, rising to become CEO of the insurance arm in 2021. Raised on a farm in Iowa, Thompson was widely respected for his leadership and humility.
As the investigation continues, prosecutors are expected to focus on Mangione’s actions leading up to the attack and the broader implications for public safety and the healthcare industry.
Israeli and Hamas negotiators appear closer to reaching a ceasefire agreement after months of stalemate, with a senior Palestinian negotiator telling the BBC that talks have entered a “decisive and final phase” while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirms unprecedented progress.
The emerging agreement framework envisions an initial 45-day period for releasing civilian hostages and female soldiers, alongside Israeli withdrawal from city centers and strategic areas. This would be followed by the liberation of remaining hostages and further troop withdrawal, ultimately concluding with a comprehensive ceasefire and war termination.
Current diplomatic efforts, mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, have intensified following Donald Trump’s election victory. An Israeli working delegation is presently in Doha amid heightened regional diplomatic activity. Of 96 remaining hostages, Israel believes 62 are still alive.
Recent developments include a December 7 pause in Israeli aerial operations, allowing Hamas to gather hostage information. The group subsequently provided Egyptian officials with a list of elderly and sick Israeli captives, along with American citizens, plus demands for Palestinian prisoner releases.
Defense Minister Katz maintains Israel must retain security control over Gaza after Hamas’s defeat, a position that could complicate negotiations but appears designed to maintain support from far-right cabinet members. Meanwhile, Trump has warned that a deal should be reached before his inauguration.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of complicity in the use of conflict minerals in its supply chain. Lawyers representing the Congolese government stated that the allegations include laundering minerals tied to armed groups, covering up war crimes, and misleading consumers by falsely claiming ethical sourcing practices.
Congo remains a major supplier of tin, tantalum, and tungsten—known as “3T minerals”—essential for manufacturing electronics like smartphones and computers. However, many of these minerals are extracted from artisanal mines controlled by armed groups accused of atrocities, including massacres, looting, and systemic violence, according to United Nations reports and human rights organizations.
Apple, which does not directly source primary minerals, asserts that it rigorously audits suppliers, publishes compliance reports, and collaborates with initiatives to improve transparency in mineral traceability. In its 2023 conflict minerals filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Apple stated that none of the smelters or refiners in its supply chain had been found to finance or benefit armed groups in Congo or neighboring regions. Despite this, Congo’s legal team argues that minerals originating from conflict zones are laundered into global supply chains, rendering Apple complicit in the crimes taking place in eastern Congo.
The legal complaints, filed simultaneously with the Paris prosecutor’s office and a Belgian investigating magistrate, accuse Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium of systemic wrongdoing. Among the charges are concealing war crimes, handling illicit minerals, and carrying out deceptive commercial practices to assure consumers of ethical operations. The complaint filed in France specifically states that Apple and its subsidiaries are fully aware that their supply chain relies on exploitation and systemic abuse, referencing U.N. and rights group findings.
Belgium’s historical connection to Congo’s resource exploitation adds another layer to the case. Christophe Marchand, a Belgian lawyer representing Congo, emphasized Belgium’s moral responsibility to address the ongoing pillaging of resources that began under King Leopold II’s colonial rule. He noted that Belgium has a duty to support Congo’s efforts to achieve accountability through legal action.
A key focus of the complaint is ITSCI, a traceability and certification scheme funded by the metals industry to verify the origins of 3T minerals. ITSCI operates across Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, but Congo’s lawyers argue the initiative has failed to prevent minerals from conflict zones being falsely labeled as ethically sourced. The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), an industry group that includes Apple as a member, removed ITSCI from its list of approved schemes in 2022 due to concerns over its reliability. Earlier this year, the RMI extended ITSCI’s suspension until at least 2026, citing a lack of field oversight and accountability, particularly as violence escalates in Congo’s North Kivu province.
Despite ITSCI’s discreditation, Apple referenced the program multiple times in its 2023 SEC filing without acknowledging its removal from RMI’s approved traceability systems. Congo’s legal team asserts that Apple uses ITSCI as a cover to falsely present its supply chain as clean while continuing to benefit from the region’s mineral exploitation.
The complaints are set against the backdrop of decades of instability in eastern Congo, where competition for resources has fueled waves of conflict since the 1990s. Armed groups, some allegedly backed by neighboring Rwanda, exploit mineral resources to fund their operations, perpetuating cycles of violence and displacing millions of civilians. The U.S. State Department acknowledged these issues in a July 2023 statement, warning that illicit mineral trade from Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda continues to finance instability and human rights abuses.
Rwanda, frequently accused of benefiting from smuggled minerals, has denied involvement. However, U.N. experts and human rights organizations maintain that the country remains a major transit hub for illegally exported minerals.
The complaints mark a significant legal milestone, with Congo’s lawyers describing the filings as the first criminal actions taken by the Congolese state against a multinational technology company. Robert Amsterdam, a U.S.-based lawyer representing Congo, characterized the legal move as the beginning of a broader effort to hold corporations accountable, calling it a “first salvo.”
Judicial authorities in France and Belgium will now decide whether to open formal investigations and pursue criminal charges. Both nations are known for their strong stance on corporate accountability, making them strategic choices for Congo’s legal action. If the case advances, it could establish a precedent for multinational corporations, particularly in the technology industry, to face legal consequences for unethical supply chain practices tied to human rights abuses.
Apple’s position as a leader in ethical sourcing will face greater scrutiny as the case unfolds, while the Congolese government continues its push for accountability in the international arena. Congo’s legal challenge highlights the growing pressure on corporations to ensure that materials essential to modern technology are not tied to systemic violence and exploitation.
