Latest news with #Bakker
6 days ago
- Health
What to know about a cholera outbreak in Sudan that has killed over 170 people
CAIRO -- A fast-spreading cholera outbreak has hit Sudan, killing 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill in the past week. Centered around Khartoum, the disease has spread as many Sudanese who had fled the country's war return to their homes in the capital and its twin city of Omdurman. There, they often can only find unclean water — a dangerous conduit for cholera — since much of the health and sanitation infrastructure has collapsed amid the fightiing. It is the latest calamity for the African nation, where a 2-year-old civil war has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here is what to know about the new outbreak: The latest outbreak has killed 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill over the past week, according to the Health Ministry. UNICEF said Wednesday that the number of reported cases surged ninefold from 90 a day to 815 a day since from May 15-25. Since the beginning of the year, more than 7,700 people have been diagnosed with cholera, including more than 1,000 children under the age of 4, it said. Most cases have been reported in Khartoum and Omdurman, but cholera was also detected in five surrounding provinces, the ministry said. Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, said the group's treatment centers in Omdurman are overwhelmed with patients. The 'scenes are disturbing,' Bakker said. 'Many patients are arriving too late to be saved … We don't know the true scale of the outbreak, and our teams can only see a fraction of the full picture.' Khartoum and Omdurman were a battleground throughout the civil war, nearly emptying them of residents. The region of the capital was recaptured by the military in late March from its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Since then, some 34,000 people have returned. But the city has been wrecked by months of fighting. Many found their homes damaged. Clean water is difficult to find, in part because attacks on power plants have disrupted electricity and worsened water shortages, UNICEF said. Sanitation systems are damaged. 'People have been drinking polluted water and transferring water into unhygienic containers,' said Dr. Rania Elsayegh, with Sudan's Doctors for Human Rights. Health workers fear the outbreak could spread quickly, since many people are packed into displacement centers making it difficult to isolate those infected. The health system has also broken down. More than 80% of hospitals are out of service and those that are operating have shortages of water, electricity and medication, said Dr. Sayed Mohamed Abdullah, of Sudan's Doctors Union. The World Health Organization describes cholera as a 'disease of poverty' because it spreads where there is poor sanitation and a lack of clean water. It is a diarrheal disease caused when people eat food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is easily treatable with rehydration solutions and antibiotics. Most of those infected have only mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated. The WHO's global stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has dropped below its minimum threshold of 5 million doses, making it increasingly difficult to stop outbreaks. At the same time, cholera epidemics have been on the rise around the world since 2021, because of poverty, conflict and extreme climate events like floods and cyclones, the U.N. says. The civil war has devastated Sudan since it erupted in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country. At least 24,000 people have been reported killed, though the number is likely far higher. More than 14 million have been displaced and forced from their homes, including over 4 million who streamed into neighboring countries. Famine was announced in at least five locations with the epicenter in the wrecked Darfur region. The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that the U.N. and international rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Devastating seasonal floods have compounded Sudan's misery. Each year, dozens of people have been killed and critical infrastructure washed away. Cholera is not uncommon in Sudan. In 2017, cholera left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months. But the war's destruction has fueled repeated outbreaks. Cholera spread across 11 of the country's 18 provinces in September and October, sickening more than 20,000 people and killing at least 626, according to health authorities. Over the course of two weeks in February and March, another outbreak infected more than 2,600 people, and 90 people died, mostly in the White Nile province, according to Doctors Without Borders. Other diseases have also spread. In the past week, an outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, sickened about 12,900 people and killed at least 20, the Health Ministry said Tuesday. At the same time, at least 12 people died of meningitis, a highly contagious, serious airborne viral disease, it said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What to know about a cholera outbreak in Susan that has killed over 170 people
CAIRO (AP) — A fast-spreading cholera outbreak has hit Sudan, killing 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill in the past week. Centered around Khartoum, the disease has spread as many Sudanese who had fled the country's war return to their homes in the capital and its twin city of Omdurman. There, they often can only find unclean water — a dangerous conduit for cholera — since much of the health and sanitation infrastructure has collapsed amid the fightiing. It is the latest calamity for the African nation, where a 2-year-old civil war has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here is what to know about the new outbreak: What's the latest development? The latest outbreak has killed 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill over the past week, according to the Health Ministry. UNICEF said Wednesday that the number of reported cases surged ninefold from 90 a day to 815 a day since from May 15-25. Since the beginning of the year, more than 7,700 people have been diagnosed with cholera, including more than 1,000 children under the age of 4, it said. Most cases have been reported in Khartoum and Omdurman, but cholera was also detected in five surrounding provinces, the ministry said. Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, said the group's treatment centers in Omdurman are overwhelmed with patients. The 'scenes are disturbing,' Bakker said. 'Many patients are arriving too late to be saved … We don't know the true scale of the outbreak, and our teams can only see a fraction of the full picture.' What's driving the outbreak? Khartoum and Omdurman were a battleground throughout the civil war, nearly emptying them of residents. The region of the capital was recaptured by the military in late March from its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Since then, some 34,000 people have returned. But the city has been wrecked by months of fighting. Many found their homes damaged. Clean water is difficult to find, in part because attacks on power plants have disrupted electricity and worsened water shortages, UNICEF said. Sanitation systems are damaged. 'People have been drinking polluted water and transferring water into unhygienic containers,' said Dr. Rania Elsayegh, with Sudan's Doctors for Human Rights. Health workers fear the outbreak could spread quickly, since many people are packed into displacement centers making it difficult to isolate those infected. The health system has also broken down. More than 80% of hospitals are out of service and those that are operating have shortages of water, electricity and medication, said Dr. Sayed Mohamed Abdullah, of Sudan's Doctors Union. What is cholera? The World Health Organization describes cholera as a 'disease of poverty' because it spreads where there is poor sanitation and a lack of clean water. It is a diarrheal disease caused when people eat food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is easily treatable with rehydration solutions and antibiotics. Most of those infected have only mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated. The WHO's global stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has dropped below its minimum threshold of 5 million doses, making it increasingly difficult to stop outbreaks. At the same time, cholera epidemics have been on the rise around the world since 2021, because of poverty, conflict and extreme climate events like floods and cyclones, the U.N. says. Why is this happening in Sudan? The civil war has devastated Sudan since it erupted in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country. At least 24,000 people have been reported killed, though the number is likely far higher. More than 14 million have been displaced and forced from their homes, including over 4 million who streamed into neighboring countries. Famine was announced in at least five locations with the epicenter in the wrecked Darfur region. The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that the U.N. and international rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Devastating seasonal floods have compounded Sudan's misery. Each year, dozens of people have been killed and critical infrastructure washed away. Were there previous cholera outbreaks? Cholera is not uncommon in Sudan. In 2017, cholera left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months. But the war's destruction has fueled repeated outbreaks. Cholera spread across 11 of the country's 18 provinces in September and October, sickening more than 20,000 people and killing at least 626, according to health authorities. Over the course of two weeks in February and March, another outbreak infected more than 2,600 people, and 90 people died, mostly in the White Nile province, according to Doctors Without Borders. Other diseases have also spread. In the past week, an outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, sickened about 12,900 people and killed at least 20, the Health Ministry said Tuesday. At the same time, at least 12 people died of meningitis, a highly contagious, serious airborne viral disease, it said. ___ AP correspondent Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
What to know about a cholera outbreak in Susan that has killed over 170 people
CAIRO (AP) — A fast-spreading cholera outbreak has hit Sudan, killing 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill in the past week. Centered around Khartoum, the disease has spread as many Sudanese who had fled the country's war return to their homes in the capital and its twin city of Omdurman. There, they often can only find unclean water — a dangerous conduit for cholera — since much of the health and sanitation infrastructure has collapsed amid the fightiing. It is the latest calamity for the African nation, where a 2-year-old civil war has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Here is what to know about the new outbreak: What's the latest development? The latest outbreak has killed 172 people, with more than 2,500 others becoming ill over the past week, according to the Health Ministry. UNICEF said Wednesday that the number of reported cases surged ninefold from 90 a day to 815 a day since from May 15-25. Since the beginning of the year, more than 7,700 people have been diagnosed with cholera, including more than 1,000 children under the age of 4, it said. Most cases have been reported in Khartoum and Omdurman, but cholera was also detected in five surrounding provinces, the ministry said. Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, said the group's treatment centers in Omdurman are overwhelmed with patients. The 'scenes are disturbing,' Bakker said. 'Many patients are arriving too late to be saved … We don't know the true scale of the outbreak, and our teams can only see a fraction of the full picture.' What's driving the outbreak? Khartoum and Omdurman were a battleground throughout the civil war, nearly emptying them of residents. The region of the capital was recaptured by the military in late March from its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Since then, some 34,000 people have returned. But the city has been wrecked by months of fighting. Many found their homes damaged. Clean water is difficult to find, in part because attacks on power plants have disrupted electricity and worsened water shortages, UNICEF said. Sanitation systems are damaged. 'People have been drinking polluted water and transferring water into unhygienic containers,' said Dr. Rania Elsayegh, with Sudan's Doctors for Human Rights. Health workers fear the outbreak could spread quickly, since many people are packed into displacement centers making it difficult to isolate those infected. The health system has also broken down. More than 80% of hospitals are out of service and those that are operating have shortages of water, electricity and medication, said Dr. Sayed Mohamed Abdullah, of Sudan's Doctors Union. What is cholera? The World Health Organization describes cholera as a 'disease of poverty' because it spreads where there is poor sanitation and a lack of clean water. It is a diarrheal disease caused when people eat food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is easily treatable with rehydration solutions and antibiotics. Most of those infected have only mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated. The WHO's global stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has dropped below its minimum threshold of 5 million doses, making it increasingly difficult to stop outbreaks. At the same time, cholera epidemics have been on the rise around the world since 2021, because of poverty, conflict and extreme climate events like floods and cyclones, the U.N. says. Why is this happening in Sudan? The civil war has devastated Sudan since it erupted in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the country. At least 24,000 people have been reported killed, though the number is likely far higher. More than 14 million have been displaced and forced from their homes, including over 4 million who streamed into neighboring countries. Famine was announced in at least five locations with the epicenter in the wrecked Darfur region. The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that the U.N. and international rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Devastating seasonal floods have compounded Sudan's misery. Each year, dozens of people have been killed and critical infrastructure washed away. Were there previous cholera outbreaks? Cholera is not uncommon in Sudan. In 2017, cholera left at least 700 dead and sickened about 22,000 in less than two months. But the war's destruction has fueled repeated outbreaks. Cholera spread across 11 of the country's 18 provinces in September and October, sickening more than 20,000 people and killing at least 626, according to health authorities. Over the course of two weeks in February and March, another outbreak infected more than 2,600 people, and 90 people died, mostly in the White Nile province, according to Doctors Without Borders. Other diseases have also spread. In the past week, an outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, sickened about 12,900 people and killed at least 20, the Health Ministry said Tuesday. At the same time, at least 12 people died of meningitis, a highly contagious, serious airborne viral disease, it said. ___ AP correspondent Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HUBB Q1 Earnings Call: Softer Sales, Margin Management, and Tariff Uncertainty Highlight Quarter
Electrical and electronic products company Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB) missed Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 2.4% year on year to $1.37 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $3.50 per share was 6% below analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy HUBB? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $1.37 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.38 billion (2.4% year-on-year decline, 1.3% miss) Adjusted EPS: $3.50 vs analyst expectations of $3.72 (6% miss) Adjusted EBITDA: $285.7 million vs analyst estimates of $301.6 million (20.9% margin, 5.3% miss) Management reiterated its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance of $17.60 at the midpoint Operating Margin: 17.5%, up from 16.3% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow Margin: 0.8%, down from 3.7% in the same quarter last year Organic Revenue was flat year on year (2.3% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $20.58 billion Hubbell's first quarter saw mixed performance as management cited mid-single-digit organic growth in its Electrical Solutions division and a modest rebound in grid infrastructure, offset by ongoing softness in grid automation and rising raw material costs. CEO Gerben Bakker pointed to strong data center demand and efficiency initiatives as positives, but also described the environment as warranting caution due to inflation and new tariffs. Bakker emphasized, 'We see no net change to our prior near-term and long-term views' despite a more dynamic macroeconomic backdrop. Looking forward, management maintained its full-year profit outlook, expressing confidence that recently implemented price increases and productivity actions will help neutralize cost inflation from tariffs and materials. CFO Bill Sperry highlighted that price realization is expected to catch up with cost headwinds by the second half of the year, while also acknowledging that the timing of offsetting reciprocal tariffs remains uncertain. The company continues to see strong order trends and believes it is positioned to benefit from long-term investment in grid modernization and electrification. The latest quarter was shaped by a combination of cost inflation, segment-specific demand trends, and ongoing supply chain and pricing dynamics. Management attributed deviations from expectations primarily to weaker grid automation and lagging cost recovery from tariffs and materials. Electrical Solutions outperformed: The Electrical Solutions business delivered mid-single-digit organic growth, driven by strong demand from data center projects and continued success in industrial reshoring. Margin expansion was supported by ongoing efficiency initiatives and consolidated segment strategy. Grid infrastructure rebounded: Grid infrastructure returned to organic growth after a period of customer inventory normalization. Management cited double-digit order growth and strong transmission and substation markets, reflecting increased utility investment in grid modernization. Grid automation remained soft: Grid automation sales declined by mid-teens percent due to tough comparisons with the prior year. Leadership noted that this segment is now stabilizing, with smaller projects and maintenance activity helping to establish a base level of demand. Tariffs and raw material inflation: Recent cost increases from tariffs and material inflation created a significant earnings headwind. Price increases have been enacted to offset these impacts, but management said the full benefit will be realized later in the year due to the timing of cost recognition under LIFO accounting. Order trends and customer spending plans: Management reported double-digit order growth across key markets and noted that major utility customers have raised multi-year capital plans by approximately 10%. This signals robust demand for transmission and distribution products, supporting the company's long-term growth outlook. Hubbell's outlook focuses on navigating cost pressures, capturing long-term grid investment, and managing supply chain adjustments to support profit targets. Tariff mitigation efforts: Management expects recently enacted price increases and cost-control actions to offset the impact of higher tariffs and material costs; however, there is some uncertainty about the timing, particularly for reciprocal tariffs implemented in April. Grid modernization tailwinds: The company sees sustained demand from utility customers upgrading transmission and substation infrastructure, supported by increased capital spending and secular trends in electrification. Product mix and operational efficiency: Continued growth in higher-margin segments, such as data centers and industrial reshoring, combined with ongoing productivity initiatives, is expected to support margin performance as costs are absorbed and pricing actions take effect. Jeffrey Sprague (Vertical Research): Asked about the $0.50 sensitivity in EPS guidance due to tariffs; management clarified this represents a scenario analysis, not a change to guidance, and aims to fully offset tariff impacts within the year. Charles Tusa (JPMorgan): Inquired about the pace of price realization in the second quarter; management expects sequential price increases to appear more quickly in Electrical Solutions due to shorter backlogs. Nigel Coe (Wolfe Research): Questioned price elasticity and customer reactions to price increases; management reported low elasticity so far and said broad-based pricing actions are being accepted by customers. Christopher Snyder (Morgan Stanley): Pressed on price/cost dynamics in the second half; CFO Bill Sperry confirmed management expects to be price/cost positive later in the year, offsetting first-half headwinds. Julian Mitchell (Barclays): Asked about volume assumptions for second-half growth; management pointed to strong order books, easier comparisons, and inflection in distribution and telecom enclosures as supporting factors. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) the pace at which price increases offset raw material and tariff-driven cost inflation, (2) further recovery in grid automation demand and stabilization of order trends in distribution and telecom, and (3) evidence that utility customers' higher capital spending plans are translating into sustained order and revenue growth. Progress on supply chain diversification and updates on margin expansion initiatives will also be important indicators of execution. Hubbell currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 21.6×. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? Find out in our free research report. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Sign in to access your portfolio
Wall Street Journal
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Roe Messner, a Prolific Church Builder and Husband of Tammy Faye Bakker, Dies at 89
In the 1980s, the televangelist Jim Bakker was riding a sensational wave of fame, religious fervor and cash, bringing in more than $100 million in revenue annually as the founder and face, along with his wife Tammy Faye, of 'The PTL Club' television show and PTL Satellite Network. As Bakker's ministry grew, his dreams got more grandiose, culminating in the construction of a theme park called Heritage USA—a kind of sprawling Christian Disneyland outside Charlotte, N.C., featuring a luxury hotel, shopping district and water park. ('We're the first Christians to ever have a wave pool!' Bakker exclaimed.) To bring that dream to life, he enlisted Roe Messner, a church builder with a sterling reputation for getting things done.
