gikilig Live-service gaming is in a difficult, transitional moment. Even as the sector consumes more and more millions of player hours, successful new launches are few and far between, and the frequency of shutdowns has increased . Franchises like Destiny and Overwatch have pivoted to free-to-play models in an attempt to keep their player numbers buoyant, and premium live-service games — that is, games with a full purchase price, as well as some intention to monetize players over the long term — are a dying breed. 2024 saw two dramatic, high-profile failures in premium live service. Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League flopped to a $200 million loss for WB Games, while Sony’s even more expensive Concord so failed to strike a chord with players that it was unceremoniously turned off after just a few weeks. (Sony did have a live-service hit in the form of Helldivers 2 , but judging from the publisher’s marketing efforts on the two games, Helldivers was seemingly not one that Sony higher-ups expected — or maybe even wanted — to take off.) Yet Blizzard’s 2023 release Diablo 4 is a certified hit, with big sales, a strong expansion in 2024, and apparently an avid audience. How did it buck the trend? For Rod Fergusson — the famed Gears of War producer turned general manager of the Diablo franchise — it’s because Blizzard didn’t set out to make a live-service game. The studio simply set out to make a Diablo game, but Diablo’s breed of action role-playing game essentially demands that it be a live-service game. An ARPG is inherently a live service. The question is what you do about it “I go back to the genre,” Fergusson told Polygon in an interview conducted in November. “Early on, there were these conversations. [...] Is Diablo 4 a live-service game, or should we roll credits and call it? And I was like, look, when you look at Diablo 3 and the millions of people that showed up every season, whether you want it or not, an ARPG is inherently a live service. The question is what you do about it.” For Fergusson, live service is an opportunity to constantly refine and rebuild a game, but only if the audience demand to keep playing emerges naturally from the game design. “To me, when you’re a Diablo-like, [...] people are going to look to play through the campaign, but then they’re going to look to play what I call the hundred- or the thousand-hour game. They want to be able to continue this progression, they want to have the power fantasy, they want to go back to it over and over again.” This is what creates the space for the developers to keep feeding new ideas in the game to keep it fresh. “That was one of the things that was great,” Fergusson said. “It wasn’t this sort of fait accompli where we’re like, ‘It’s in the box and we’re done.’ We’re going to have the ability to improve Helltide. We’re going to have the ability to add the Pit, we’re going to have the ability to try the Gauntlet.” There’s a simple lesson here for game publishers: Don’t force it. When Suicide Squad was previewed, players commented immediately that the game seemed an odd fit for a live-service framework; it didn’t flow naturally from the game’s storyline or genre. Concord belonged to a suitable genre — it was a hero shooter — but it appeared to have been made to satisfy a publisher’s demand for a live-service game, rather than players’ demand for an alternative to Overwatch. The game concept hadn’t come first. Conversely, Diablo 4 worked because people wanted a new Diablo game, and they wanted to play it for hundreds of hours. It’s like a reversal of the classic line from Field of Dreams : not “If you build it, they will come,” but “They will come... so you’d better build it.” Diablo Gaming PC PlayStation Xbox Diablo 4U.S. Sen. Jon Tester walks off stage after conceding the Montana senate race in front of family and staff in Great Falls, Mont. on Nov. 6. U.S. Jon Tester warned the chamber he may shed a fear tears on Monday during his farewell speech in the U.S. Senate, but it wouldn't be for sorrow; someone had just convinced the 68-year-old Montana farmer closing out his third term to play a little basketball a day earlier. Such silliness set the tone as Tester bid so long to the nation's capital, particularly in the send-off speeches from Democratic Senate buddy Cory Booker and the stately Republican Sen. Mitt Romney from Utah. Tester's re-election effort fell short last month in a high-stakes contest against Republican newcomer Tim Sheehy. Tester's races for the U.S. Senate have always been won on a tight margin. On Nov. 5, Sheehy beat Montana's senior senator by 8 percentage points, completing a GOP sweep of statewide offices here. Early on in his speech, Tester said with some conviction that it was time to move forward. That was the case when he moved on from his meat-cutting operation to become a state legislator, and again when he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. In the time since, Tester has become one of the most consequential policymakers in the Senate on veterans’ issues, chairing the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. He raised mileage reimbursements approved for veterans traveling for health care services, bills working to better veterans health care and women’s health care with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He held especially high the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act), which provided treatment for health issues from exposure to toxic burn pits and other substances like Agent Orange. "Veterans, veterans, veterans, they all got together and made this the highest priority," he said. "Some of you could remember the veterans being on the swamp in July, hotter than ... hot, and we got it passed because of their influence." Tester is credited for pulling lawmakers together to get the bill over the finish line in the Senate. Sen. Angus King, an Independent from Maine, made sure to not let the moment pass without the record reflecting it. "The PACT Act would not have happened without Jon Tester," he said. "That's just a fact." Tester spoke about his upbringing, his memories of immigrant grandparents and the influence of his parents on his fashion of public service. "So what did these ancestors instill in me? They instilled Montana values, like telling the truth, like your word is your bond, like your handshake means something and that you respect people and absolutely never, never sass your elders," he said. "But most importantly they taught me that hard work creates luck, and hard work is essential for success." Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, right, snaps a selfie with fellow Montana Sen. Jon Tester and a supporter on Saturday, March 18, 2017, in Helena, Montana, for the state party's annual dinner. (AP Photo/Bobby Caina Calvan) He thanked his wife, Sharla, who has been a familiar face with him in Washington, D.C., and on the recent campaign circuit. He was 21 and she was 19 when they took over his family's farm. "That meant every other day of the year, our workplace was across form one another with knives, very sharp knives in our hands. That taught us to choose our arguments carefully," he said. "In the end she always supported my public service endeavors even when she really didn't think it was a good idea." Tester said the Big Sandy School Board was the hardest job he ever had, and the Montana Legislature was the most fun. He spoke of many accomplishments, from infrastructure funding and community banking to supporting tech job growth in the U.S. and in Montana. But Tester said his greatest accomplishment was serving in the U.S. Senate "as a citizen legislator, having a real full-time job outside his body, in my case, as a farmer." "This is what our forefathers had in mind," he said. He urged the body to take up efforts to bolster the nation's military defense, climate change, consolidation of the agriculture industry, public education and more. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., left, and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, leave the Senate chamber as the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump adjourns until Saturday, in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) He also compelled the Senate to take up campaign finance reform, calling it the source of division among the country and paralysis inside of Congress. Montana's Senate contest this year drew a record-setting flood of outside money, more than $315 million. Tester meanwhile raised and spent more than $87 million over the cycle, compared to Sheehy's campaign, which won out with almost $22 million raised. Booker, a Democratic senator from urban New Jersey, wrapped up a farcical "I don't like Jon Tester" speech by driving home some commonalities the two found while serving in Washington. And he praised Tester for running for a fourth term while well aware that Montana was trending further to the right, steadily shedding its purple status and cementing itself as a Trump state. "Jon didn't go quietly into the night," Booker said. "He chose, because of the love of his state, to run an election. ... It was a testimony to his character." Republicans chipped in their respects Monday, as well. Sen. Steve Daines, Montana's soon-to-be senior senator, thanked Tester in a statement for his 25 years of public service to the state, from school board to the U.S. Capitol. "I'm sure Jon has lost count of the number of very early cold and dark Montana mornings he left Big Sandy to get to Great Falls to catch his plane to D.C., but this is just one of the sacrifices folks don’t often see. Jon did that commute for 18 years," Daines said in the statement. "There was never any doubt that Jon worked hard every day to represent the people of the state we both love to call home. And while it’s no secret Jon and I didn’t see eye to eye on many issues, we worked together on a number of important Montana priorities and agree that the people we represent make coming to work here every day worth it. Jon, thank you for your decades of dedicated service to the Treasure State." Romney likewise applauded Tester Monday. When he believed President Joe Biden would falter on his own re-election bid, Romney said he approached Tester (and a small number of other Democrats) about running for president, despite disagreeing with him "on almost every issue." "I wanted Jon Tester to be the next president of the United States because he's a man of such extraordinary character," he said, then grinning: "He is as honest as his hair is short. And as strong as his physique is imposing." There were several fits of laughter on the Senate chamber floor over the hour spent on the goodbye, but Tester finished his own speech with some stern assessment. "This democracy has resulted in the greatest country that has ever existed. It is because of our forefathers' ability to compromise and think clearly about the challenges ahead," he said. "To say that I'm worried about this country's ability to maintain the strongest economy and the most powerful military in the world would be an understatement. However, I know a majority of people that serve in this U.S. Senate today are real legislators who want to do real legislating. To those senators, you need to make sure your voices are a majority of this body. If not, this country will change in a way that our children will not thank us for. God bless you all, and tally-ho." Supporters of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy cheer in anticipation of his taking the stage during his watch party early Wednesday at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester concedes the Montana senate race in front of family and staff in Great Falls, Mont., on Nov. 6. Republican U.S. senate candidate Tim Sheehy addresses supporters early Nov. 6 at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester walks off stage after conceding the Montana senate race in front of family and staff in Great Falls, Mont. on Nov. 6. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy addresses supporters early Wednesday morning at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester addresses supporters during his election night party in Great Falls on Tuesday. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy speaks at a campaign event in East Helena on Oct. 27. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester concedes the Montana senate race in front of family and staff in Great Falls, Mont. on Nov. 6. Tim Sheehy prepares to debate U.S. Sen. Jon Tester on campus at the University of Montana in Missoula on Sept. 30. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester addresses supporters during his election night party in Great Falls on Tuesday. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy addresses supporters at a primary election night party in Gallatin Gateway on June 4. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester addresses supporters during his election night party in Great Falls on Tuesday. Former president Donald Trump shakes hands with senatorial candidate Tim Sheehy during a rally at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman on Aug. 9. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester answers questions from members of the community related to Social Security and Medicare during an event at the Garden City Harvest Barn in Missoula on Tuesday. U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy speaks at a rally in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman on Friday. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester works on his speech before addressing his election night party in Great Falls on Tuesday. Campaign staffers and volunteers for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester walk in the Montana Pride parade in downtown Helena on Aug. 3. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy, talks with supporters outside the Donald Trump rally at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman, Mont. on August 9, 2024. A demonstrator with Montanans for Palestine is forcibly removed after interrupting Sen. Jon Tester speaking at the Montana Democrats' annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner on March 2. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester greets supporters in the crowd during the Montana Democratic Big Sky Victory Get Out the Vote Rally at the Pub Station Taproom in downtown Billings on Nov. 1. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy, talks with supporters outside the Donald Trump rally at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman, Mont. on August 9, 2024. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy talks with a supporter at a primary election night party in Gallatin Gateway on Tuesday. Tim Sheehy, a Republican running against Democratic incumbent Jon Tester for U.S. Senate, speaks at the “Protecting Freedom” event at the University Center Ballroom at the University of Montana on Sunday. Sen. Jon Tester laughs at questions from the audience during an event with Tester, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and Hank Green at the Wilma on Wednesday. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester answers questions from members of the community related to Social Security and Medicare during an event at the Garden City Harvest Barn in Missoula on Tuesday. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy speaks to the audience at the Montana GOP 2024 Winter Kickoff event in Helena on Friday night. U.S. Senator Jon Tester at a campaign event in Helena on Oct. 25, 2024. Veteran Mike Lawson holds a "Veterans for Tester" sign while addressing the crowd prior to U.S. Sen. Jon Tester taking the stage during a campaign rally on Oct. 4 at the Carpenter's Union Hall in Butte. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester gestures while addressing the crowd during a campaign rally on Oct. 4 at the Carpenter's Union Hall in Butte. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester prepares to debate Tim Sheehy in the PAR/TV Building on campus at the University of Montana on Monday. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester speaks at the Montana Democrats' annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena on March 2. Supporters of U.S. Sen. Jon Tester wave campaign signs as he takes the stage at the Montana Democrats' annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner on March 2 in Helena. Senate candidate Republican Tim Sheehy appears with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, right, and Jodee Etchart of the Montana House of Representatives in the Beacon Air hangar at the Billings airport on Sunday. Seaborn Larson has worked for the Montana State News Bureau since 2020. His past work includes local crime and courts reporting at the Missoulian and Great Falls Tribune, and daily news reporting at the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. State Bureau Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia. Contributing: Associated Press

NEW YORK - Wall Street’s main indexes finished lower on Dec 9, fueled by a decline in AI leader Nvidia that weighed on tech stocks, as investors looked ahead to a crucial inflation report set for later this week. Nvidia fell after China’s market regulator launched an investigation into the chipmaker over suspected violation of antimonopoly law, dragging down the information technology sector. Advanced Micro Devices slipped after BofA Global Research downgraded its rating on the stock, weighing on the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. “The market was taken a bit by surprise regarding China’s investigating (Nvidia) as a possible antimonopoly-law violation. So that’s one thing that’s putting a little damper on the market,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research in New York. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 lost 35.69 points, or 0.60 per cent, to end at 6,053.68 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 123.08 points, or 0.62 per cent, to 19,736.69. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 226.14 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 44,416.38. Comcast declined after forecasting a loss of more than 100,000 broadband subscribers in the fourth quarter, denting the communication services sector. Shares of Hershey soared following a report that Cadbury parent Mondelez was exploring an acquisition of the chocolate maker. Mondelez shares fell. Investors are anticipating the consumer price index (CPI) data set for release on Wednesday, along with the producer price index (PPI) on Thursday, ahead of the Federal Reserve’s meeting on Dec. 17-18. Bets of a 25-basis-point rate cut at the upcoming meeting shot up to more than 85 per cent after data on Friday showed a rise in the unemployment rate to 4.2 per cent in November, indicating an easing labor market. Several Fed officials, including Chair Jerome Powell, emphasised caution regarding the central bank’s approach to easing monetary policy due to the economy’s resilience. Wall Street’s main indexes started December on a positive note, with the benchmark S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq both gaining in their first week, while the blue-chip Dow ended the week slightly lower. us stocks soared in November after Donald Trump won the presidential election and his party secured control of both houses of Congress, raising expectations for a more business-friendly policy agenda. REUTERSJimmy Carter, 39th U.S. president, Nobel winner, dies at 100

New coach Chris Holtmann has been tasked with rebuilding DePaul to the point where it can return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. Northern Illinois coach Rashon Burno knows what it takes to steer DePaul to the NCAAs because he was the starting point guard on the 2000 team that made the tournament -- the Blue Demons' only other NCAA appearance since 1992. Perhaps they can compare notes Saturday afternoon when Burno leads the Huskies (2-3) back to his alma mater as DePaul (5-0) hosts its sixth straight home game in Chicago. Last season, Burno's NIU squad helped accelerate DePaul's need for a new coach -- as the Huskies waltzed into Wintrust Arena and owned Tony Stubblefield's Blue Demons by an 89-79 score on Nov. 25. The Huskies built a 24-point second-half lead before coasting to the finish line. Can history repeat for NIU? There's just one problem with using last year's game as a potential barometer for Saturday's rematch: Almost no players on this year's teams were part of last year's squads. At DePaul, only assistant coach Paris Parham remains as Holtmann had the green light to bring in an all-new roster. UIC graduate transfer Isaiah Rivera (16.0 ppg, .485 3-point rate) and Coastal Carolina transfer Jacob Meyer (15.4 ppg, .406 on 3s) lead a balanced attack that focuses on getting half its shots from beyond the arc. At NIU, Burno retained only two players who competed against DePaul last year -- Ethan Butler and Oluwasegun Durosinmi -- and they combined for three points in 26 minutes in that game. The Huskies' main players used the transfer portal to join such programs as Kansas, Wisconsin, Penn State, Colorado State, James Madison, Georgia State and Niagara. With every starting job open, Butler has jumped into the lineup and produced 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Transfers Quentin Jones (Cal Poly) and James Dent (Western Illinois) pace the Huskies with 14.4 and 14.0 points per game. NIU is on a two-game losing streak, most recently a 75-48 home defeat at the hands of Elon on Wednesday. Holtmann hopes to have Arkansas transfer Layden Blocker for Saturday's game. Blocker missed Tuesday's 78-69 win over Eastern Illinois with a quad injury. With the combo guard unavailable, point guard Conor Enright handed out a career-high 11 assists in a season-high 38 minutes. "We need (Blocker)," Holtmann said. "I don't want to play Conor 38 minutes." --Field Level Media

Friday, November 22, 2024 TUI has unveiled a groundbreaking internal platform that empowers employees to create their own personalized AI assistants. With just a few simple steps, staff can tap into the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence to streamline everyday tasks, all without needing any IT expertise. Whether it’s analyzing complex Excel data, drafting hotel descriptions, or setting personal career goals, these AI assistants are designed to handle a variety of tasks, enabling employees to focus on more strategic activities. The platform, known internally as the “TUI AI Assistant Store,” has seen remarkable engagement since its introduction. During the initial testing phase, over 200 custom AI assistants were created and used extensively. Within just a few weeks, more than 2,000 employees explored the platform, and today, over 400 assistants are readily available to support the workforce. The platform fosters collaboration by allowing employees to share their AI creations with colleagues. For those who prefer not to build their own assistants, the platform offers a library of pre-existing tools tailored to various job functions. Employees can also invite one another to use specific assistants, promoting teamwork and efficiency. In recent weeks alone, the TUI AI Assistant Store has processed an impressive 50 million words and over 15 million document pieces. These AI-driven solutions are making day-to-day operations smoother and more efficient, highlighting the platform’s significant impact on productivity. By integrating generative AI into the workplace, TUI is not only enhancing operational efficiency but also empowering its employees to innovate and adapt to the evolving demands of the modern workplace. This initiative underscores TUI’s commitment to leveraging technology to support its workforce and drive future growth. “Our developers have been working on AI since 2016. And today, we use more than 15 per cent of our cloud capacity for AI applications. Our focus is on integrating the technology into our processes and platforms. At the same time, we are ensuring that our teams also benefit from the potential of generative artificial intelligence in their day-to-day work with the TUI AI Assistant Store. It was important to us to have an offering that is easy for everyone to use and that guarantees the highest level of security for personal and company data,” says Pieter Jordaan, Member of the Group Executive Committee and Chief Information Officer of TUI Group. The launch of the TUI AI Assistant Store is transforming efficiency for TUI employees. By automating repetitive tasks, the AI assistants allow teams to prioritize essential activities such as personal interactions with customers, quality-focused content creation, and strategic projects. Early results highlight the impact: for TUI’s British ski holiday brand, an AI assistant has reduced the time needed to create hotel descriptions by up to 80%. Tasks that previously required two to three hours are now completed in just 20 to 30 minutes, delivering content that is both audience-focused and SEO-optimized. These AI assistants excel at handling specialized tasks that demand a deep understanding of context. Teams can easily provide this contextual knowledge through presentations, summaries, or text inputs, ensuring accurate and effective results. Additionally, the technology behind TUI AI Assistants supports IT teams in accelerating the deployment of secure and reliable generative AI features for TUI’s app and website, paving the way for enhanced digital experiences.

Donald Trump could overturn California’s petrol, diesel car banTribal Chiefs Demand Re-Run in Disputed Constituencies

NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he'd let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen's stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday's showdown. “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn't paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Two reporters were killed and several others were wounded Tuesday in a gang attack in Haiti on the reopening of Port-au-Prince’s biggest public hospital, Haiti’s online media association said. Street gangs forced the closure of the General Hospital early this year and authorities had pledged to reopen the facility in Haiti’s capital on Tuesday. But as journalists gathered to cover the event, suspected gang members opened fire. The Christmas Eve attack also resulted in at least one casualty among police officers, although the status of the officer was not immediately known. Robest Dimanche, a spokesman for the Online Media Collective, identified the killed journalists as Markenzy Nathoux and Jimmy Jean. Dimanche said an unspecified number of reporters were also been in the attack, which he blamed on the Viv Ansanm coalition of gangs. Haiti’s interim president, Leslie Voltaire, said in an address to the nation that journalists and police were among the victims of the attack. He did not specify how many casualties there were, or give a breakdown for the dead or wounded. “I send my sympathies to the people who were victims, the national police and the journalists,” Voltaire said. Later, the government put out a statement saying it is “responding firmly to the attack.” “This heinous act, which targets an institution dedicated to health and life, constitutes an unacceptable attack on the very foundations of our society,” it said. A video posted online by the reporters trapped inside the hospital showed what appeared to be two lifeless bodies of men on stretchers, their clothes bloodied. One of the men had a lanyard with a press credential around his neck. Radio Télé Métronome initially reported that seven journalists and two police officers were wounded. Police and officials did not immediately respond to calls for information on the attack. Other video posted online earlier, which could also not be immediately verified, showed reporters inside the building and at least three lying on the floor, apparently wounded. Street gangs have taken over an estimated 85% of Port-au-Prince and have also targeted the main international airport and Haiti’s two largest prisons. Johnson “Izo” André, considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader and part of the Viv Ansanm group of gangs, which that has taken control of much of Port-au-Prince, posted a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack. The video said the gang coalition had not authorized the hospital’s reopening. Haiti has seen journalists targeted before. In 2023, two local journalists were killed in the space of a couple of weeks — radio reporter Dumesky Kersaint was fatally shot in mid-April that year, while journalist Ricot Jean was found dead later that month. In July, former Prime Minister Garry Conille visited the Hospital of the State University of Haiti, more widely known as the General Hospital, after authorities regained control of it from gangs. The hospital had been left ravaged and strewn with debris. Walls and nearby buildings were riddled with bullet holes, signaling fights between police and gangs. The hospital is across the street from the national palace, the scene of several battles in recent months. Gang attacks have pushed Haiti’s health system to the brink of collapse with looting, setting fires, and destroying medical institutions and pharmacies in the capital. The violence has created a surge in patients and a shortage of resources to treat them. Haiti’s health care system faces additional challenges during the rainy season, which is likely to increase the risk of water-borne diseases. Poor conditions in camps and makeshift settlements have heightened the risk of diseases like cholera, with over 84,000 suspected cases in the country, according to UNICEF.