International

Venezuelans protest femicide after three women killed

AFP/Editor

Hundreds of Venezuelans protested Saturday following the murders of three young women last week, in a rally against femicide in the South American nation.

Human rights activists have warned that the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened gender-related violence globally, with independent online initiative Monitor de Femicidios estimating there were 256 femicides in Venezuela last year, compared to 167 in 2019.

Roughly 300 people gathered in the northern city of Acarigua, many holding balloons with the phrase “Not one more”, while others rallied in the capital Caracas. “We are afraid,” 22-year-old psychology student Ariadna Gonzalez told AFP, holding up a banner with the message: “Being alive should not be an achievement.”

Last week two women were murdered in Turen, a town near Acarigua. Eliannys Martinez, 17, was killed February 21 after leaving her church and 20-year-old Eduarlis Falcon was murdered en route to her gym a day after. Both women’s bodies bore signs of sexual violence, local media reported.

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On Saturday, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said authorities had arrested Nelson Saavedra, with officials believing him to be “responsible for the heinous outrage and serial homicide” of the two women.

Saavedra had reportedly confessed after being turned in by his wife and will be charged with femicide aggravated by sexual violence, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison in Venezuela, Saab said.

The deaths follow that of 33-year-old Carmine Sosa, who was killed last week in northern Portuguesa state in a suspected domestic violence incident.

The attorney general’s office has recorded more than 610 cases of femicide since 2017, half of which have been resolved.

Many of the women who rallied in Acarigua on Saturday said they only wished to feel safe in their everyday lives.

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International

Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.

According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.

Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.

While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.

“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.

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LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.

“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.

CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.

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International

U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty

The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.

Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.

“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.

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The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.

Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.

Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.

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International

Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus

Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.

“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.

At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.

After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.