25: New York City will close 25 asylum shelters in two months, including one housing 2,000 people, as Mayor Eric Adams seeks to align the Big Apple’s immigration priorities with those of the incoming Trump administration. The closures, which will save NYC $2.3 billion, will see the number of asylum-seekers in city shelters drop to their lowest level in 17 months – a policy that’s being severely criticized by refugee advocates.
180: Over 180 people were massacred last weekend in Haiti's Cité Soleil after gang leader Micanor Altès blamed Voodoo adherents for the illness and death of his son. Micanor shot and killed at least 60 elderly individuals and, together with gang members, killed at least 50 more with machetes and knives, “who, in [Micanor’s] imagination, would be capable of casting a bad spell on his son,” according to local authorities. Haiti’s government has promised to hunt down the perpetrators of the massacre.
300: FIFA on Wednesday confirmed Saudi Arabia as the sole host for the 2034 World Cup, sparking accusations of “sportswashing.” Through its Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia has spent billions on international sports in recent years, including golf, boxing, esports, and Formula One. Critics argue FIFA is prioritizing financial and political goals over human rights, ignoring the fact that a record 300 people have been executed in the Kingdom this year.
