Lawyers for the six victims say ‘historic’ court decision recognises the plight of survivors who demanded justice for decades.
A top Guatemalan court has sentenced three former paramilitaries to 40 years each in prison after they were found guilty of raping six Indigenous women between 1981 and 1983, one of the bloodiest periods of the Central American nation’s civil war.
The conviction and sentencing on Friday mark another significant step towards attaining justice for the Maya Achi Indigenous women, who were sexually abused by pro-government armed groups, during a period of extreme bloodshed between the military and left-wing rebels that left as many as 200,000 dead or missing.
Former Civil Self-Defence Patrol members Pedro Sanchez, Simeon Enriquez and Felix Tum were found guilty of crimes against humanity for sexually assaulting six members of the Maya Achi group, Judge Maria Eugenia Castellanos said.
“The women recognised the perpetrators, they recognised the places where the events took place. They were victims of crimes against humanity,” she said, praising the women’s bravery in coming to court to testify on repeated occasions.
“They are crimes of solitude that stigmatise the woman. It is not easy to speak of them,” the judge said.
Three former paramilitaries, from left, Simeon Enriquez, Pedro Sanchez and Felix Tum, leave the court after their conviction and sentencing on Friday [Johan Ordonez/AFP]
Indigenous lawyer Haydee Valey, who represented the women, said the sentence was “historic” because it finally recognised the struggle of civil war survivors who had demanded justice for decades.
Several Maya Achi women in the courtroom applauded at the end of the trial, where some dressed in traditional attire and others listened to the verdict through an interpreter.
One of the victims, a 62-year-old woman, told the AFP news agency she was “very happy” with the verdict.
Pedro Sanchez, one of the three men convicted, told the court before the sentencing, “I am innocent of what they are accusing me of.”
But Judge Marling Mayela Gonzalez Arrivillaga, another member of the all-women, three-panel court, said there was no doubt about the women’s testimony against the suspects.
The convictions were second in the Maya Achi women’s case against former military personnel and paramilitaries. The first trial, which took place in January 2022, saw five former paramilitaries sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Advocacy group Impunity Watch said the case “highlights how the Guatemalan army used sexual violence as a weapon of war against Indigenous women” during the civil conflict.
In 2016, a Guatemalan court sentenced two former military officers for holding 15 women from the Q’eqchi community, who are also of Maya origin, as sex slaves. Both officers were sentenced to a combined 360 years in prison.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Jessica Clements hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the seventh inning early Friday morning to carry ninth-seeded UCLA past No. 16 Oregon 4-2 at the Women’s College World Series, after the Ducks tied the game in the top of the inning on a call at home plate that was overturned.
Catcher Alexis Ramirez also hit a two-run homer in support of Bruins’ starter Kaitlyn Terry, who pitched a four-hitter and gave up one earned run. UCLA (55-11) will play No. 12 seed Texas Tech on Saturday at 4 p.m. (PDT) for a spot in the semifinals. Oregon (53-9) will face unseeded Mississippi in Friday’s elimination game.
Oregon’s Paige Sinicki doubled inside the third-base line to lead off the seventh, but the ruling was challenged by UCLA. The call was upheld, but the next hitter, Dezianna Patmon bunted Sinicki to third with one out. Emma Cox followed with a ground ball to third baseman Jordan Woolery, who tried to throw Sinicki out at home. The throw to Ramirez was on time and Sinicki was ruled out at home for the second out.
Oregon challenged the call, and it was overturned after a video review showed obstruction by Ramirez.
Oregon led 1-0 in the fourth inning when Ramirez hit a two-out pitch from starter Lyndsey Grein over the left-field wall to give UCLA a 2-1 lead. It was the first runs the Bruins had scored against Grein in four games this season. The Ducks took two of three from UCLA in April.
After Woolery singled and Megan Grant walked to open the sixth, Grein was pulled in favor of Elise Sokolsky, who retired the next two batters.
Lightning and rain resulted in a 75-minute delay, and two brief power outages lasting less than a minute each, turned Devon Park dark in the first inning.
UCLA’s Jessica Clements hits a walk-off home run against Oregon at the Women’s College World Series.
(Ross Turteltaub / UCLA Athletics)
Oregon scored first against Terry in the third inning. Kaylynn Jones led with an infield single before a bunt by Katie Flannery. Jones took third on a ground out by Kai Luschar. Her sister, Kedre Luschar, then drove in Jones on a single to right field.
The Bruins nearly answered in their half of the inning when Savannah Pola drove a pitch from Grein 220 feet to the base of the center-field wall that was hauled in by Kedre Luschar to end the inning.
LOOSE Women star Judi Love has landed a huge new job just days after ITV announced their daytime cull.
The ITV show’s line-up had been left in the dark about cuts to their lunchtime talk show, which will take effect from January amid a cash crisis.
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Lose Women star Judi Love has landed a huge new job amid ITV’s daytime cullCredit: Rex
Sweeping changes announced earlier this month mean the female-led, lunchtime talk show will only air for 30 weeks a year.
So, it’s a good job Judi, 44, has bagged herself a lucrative podcasting gig to keep the cash rolling in.
The comedian announced on Instagram today that the first episode of Our Table will be released tomorrow.
Fellow Loose Woman Charlene White is joining her, along with actor David Gyasi, comedian Michelle Deswarte and actress Deborah Ayorinde.
She wrote: “Our Table will launch on Friday, the 30th, on YouTube and all major podcast platforms!
“We have an exciting series lined up, featuring incredible guests and engaging conversations. Join us at Our Table!! #Ourtable #JudiLove.”
A second post saw the Strictly star posed with her special guests ahead of the series premiere.
The Sun previously revealed how Loose Women is in chaos backstage with some of the stars doing the show “through gritted teeth” as they face a 60 per cent pay cut.
An insider told us: “It’s very tense backstage as the cast are all fuming. It’s like they’re putting on a brave face and doing the show through gritted teeth.
“Some people’s pay could be cut by 60% as some get paid by the episode and they’ll be slashed next year.
ITV Daytime Shake-Up: Major Changes to Lorraine and Loose Women Revealed
“For some it’s their main source of income and it’s worrying to everyone.”
This comes after an ITV source revealed: “We are not planning any radical changes to the panel.
“All of our Loose Women are hugely valued and we celebrate each and every one and the experience and opinions they bring to the show every day.
“Many of our long standing panellists have appeared on the show for the majority of its 25 year run on screens and those stalwart, Loose legends are at the core of the show’s success and hugely popular with the audience.
“The show remains a big priority within our daytime slate, having secured a BAFTA nomination, launched a podcast and celebrated a milestone anniversary in the last year alone.”
MORE ITV CUTS
Loose Women isn’t the only show affected by recently announced changes at ITV, that will come into play in 2026.
Lorraine Kelly’s show has been cut to just 30 minutes a day and will also only air for 30 weeks of the year.
WASHINGTON — A Starship spun out of control in suborbital flight on Tuesday, failing to meet critical testing goals set by SpaceX in its plans for a mission to Mars. A poll released last week showed the national brand reputation for Tesla, once revered, had cratered. And later that same day, House Republicans passed a bill that would balloon the federal deficit.
It has been a challenging period for Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who not long ago thought he had conquered the private sector and could, in short order, do the same with the federal government. That all ended Wednesday evening with his announcement he is leaving the Trump administration.
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote on X, his social media platform.
The mission of the program he called the Department of Government Efficiency “will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” he added.
Musk’s departure comes on the heels of a ruling from a federal judge in Washington on Wednesday questioning Musk’s initial appointment as a temporary government employee and, by extension, whether any of his work for DOGE was constitutional.
“I thought there were problems,” Musk said in a recent interview with the Washington Post, “but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”
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Growing conflicts with Trump
Musk’s role as an omnipresent advisor to President Trump began to wane weeks ago, amid public backlash against DOGE’s cuts to treasured government programs — from cancer research to the National Park Service — and after Trump bucked Musk’s counsel on economic policy, launching a global trade war that jolted supply chains and financial markets.
But the entrepreneur has grown increasingly vocal with criticism of the Trump administration this week, stating that a megabill pushed by the White House proposing an overhaul to the tax code risks undermining his efforts to cut government spending.
Musk responded to a user on X, his social media platform, on Monday lamenting that House Republicans “won’t vote” to codify DOGE’s cuts. “Did my best,” he wrote.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk explained further in an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning” later in the week. “I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.”
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would increase border security and defense spending, renew tax cuts passed in 2017 and extend a new tax deduction to seniors, while eliminating green energy tax benefits and cutting $1 trillion in funding to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Despite the cuts, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would add so much money to the debt that Congress may be forced to execute cuts across the board, including hundreds of billions to Medicare, in a process known as sequestration.
Hours after the CBS interview aired, the White House appeared to respond directly to Musk with the release of a press release titled “FACT: One, Big, Beautiful Bill Cuts Spending, Fuels Growth.” And Trump responded directly from the Oval Office, noting Democratic opposition and the challenges of unifying a fractious GOP caucus. Negotiations with the Senate will result in changes to the legislation, Trump said.
“My reaction’s a lot of things,” Trump said. “I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it.”
“That’s the way they go,” he added. “It’s very big. It’s the big, beautiful bill.”
Cuts in question
It is unclear whether Musk succeeded in making the government more efficient, regardless of what Congress does.
While the DOGE program originally set a goal of cutting $2 trillion in federal spending, Musk ultimately revised that target down dramatically, to $150 billion. The program’s “wall of receipts” claims that $175 billion has been saved, but the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service has documented an increase in spending over last year.
“DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,” Musk said in the Post interview this week. “So, like, something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it.”
Musk had been brought into the Trump administration designated as a special government employee, a position limited to 130 days that does not require Senate approval.
But the legal case making its way through the Washington courtroom of U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is questioning the entire arrangement.
The White House attempted to “minimize Musk’s role, framing him as a mere advisor without any formal authority,” Chutkan wrote, while granting him broad powers that gave him “unauthorized access” to “private and proprietary information,” like Social Security numbers and medical records. Those actions, Chutkan added, provide the basis for parties to claim Musk inflicted substantial injury in a legal challenge.
‘I think I’ve done enough’
Musk was scheduled to speak on Tuesday after SpaceX’s Starship test launch, setting out the road ahead to “making life multiplanetary.” But he never appeared after the spacecraft failed early on in its planned trajectory to orbit Earth.
The SpaceX Starship rocket is launched Tuesday in Texas. It later disintegrated over the Indian Ocean, officials said.
(Sergio Flores / AFP / Getty Images)
Starship is supposed to be the vehicle that returns Americans to the moon in just two years. NASA, in conjunction with U.S. private sector companies, is in a close race with China to return humans to the moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program.
But none of Musk’s endeavors has suffered more than his electric car company, Tesla, which saw a 71% plunge in profits in the first quarter of 2025 and a 50% drop in stock value from its highs in December. An Axios Harris Poll released last week found that Tesla dropped in its reputation ranking of America’s 100 most visible companies to 95th place, down from eighth in 2021 and 63rd last year.
The reputational damage to Tesla, setbacks at SpaceX and limits to his influence on Trump appear to be cautioning Musk to step back from his political activity.
“I think in terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Musk told Bloomberg News on May 20, during the Qatar Economic Forum. “I think I’ve done enough.”
Reaction to the news Loose Women will air only 30 weeks of the year from January irked Jane Moore, who said she was “immensely disappointed” to see pundits’ “lazy misogyny”
Coleen Nolan (second left) was particularly upset at the ITV’s secision to make daytime cuts(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
ITV has insisted it is not planning “radical changes” to the Loose Women line-up after it emerged some panelists were “in a state of panic and up in arms” amid the cuts bombshell.
ITV has also stressed Loose Women plays an important part in its daytime schedule, and told the Mirror today that wholesale changes to the panel are unlikely. The ITV source said: “We are not planning any radical changes to the panel. All of our Loose Women are hugely valued and we celebrate each and every one and the experience and opinions they bring to the show every day.
“Many of our long standing panellists have appeared on the show for the majority of its 25 year run on screens and those stalwart, Loose legends are at the core of the show’s success and hugely popular with the audience. The show remains a big priority within our daytime slate, having secured a BAFTA nomination, launched a podcast and celebrated a milestone anniversary in the last year alone.”
(From left to right) Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan, Janet Street Porter and Brenda Edwards pose ahead of a recent Loose Women show
It is thought this stance has been shared with the stars themselves, some of whom “reached out to the production team in a panic” following the announcement of the shake-up last week. Ruth Langsford and Kaye Adams were among those particularly concerned, the Mirror reported in the wake of the bombshell.
Coleen, whose sister Linda died in January, “has always really relied onLoose Women… her main income,” a source had told us. They added: “She was one of the first Loose Women and she’s always thought it would go on forever. The Loose Women ladies are all gutted. They love the show and are really dedicated to it.”
The programme, which first aired in 2000, won a Royal Television Society award earlier this year for its Facing It Together campaign against domestic violence. However, writing for The Sun this week, Jane said: “One male commentator for a broadsheet casually dismissed Loose Women — on air for 25 years — as a ‘gabfest’… The snooty reaction from some quarters was immensely disappointing.”
Local media reports say the small vessel appeared to be packed with more than 100 people.
Four women and three girls have died when a small boat carrying dozens of refugees and migrants capsized while approaching the port at one of Spain’s Canary Islands, according to Spanish emergency services.
Local media reports said the small vessel seemed to be packed on Wednesday with more than 100 people. Spanish rescuers and members of the Red Cross pulled people out of the water.
Red Cross spokesman Alexis Ramos told broadcaster RTVE there could be “more than 100 people” on the boat but he was unable to provide a figure for the number of those missing.
Spain’s maritime rescue service said the boat tipped over as rescuers began removing minors after it had arrived at a dock on the island of El Hierro. The service had initially located the boat about 10km (6 miles) from shore.
The sudden movement of people on the boat caused it to tip and then turn over, dumping the occupants into the water, the service said.
Canary Islands emergency services said four women, a teenage girl and two younger girls died in the accident. A helicopter evacuated two more children, a girl and a boy, to a local hospital in critical condition after they nearly drowned, the service added.
The Spanish archipelago located off Africa’s western coast has for years been a main route for refugees and migrants who risk their lives in dinghies and rubber boats unfit for long journeys in the open sea.
Thousands have died on the way to European territory on a treacherous journey from Africa over the Atlantic Ocean.
Nearly 47,000 people who made the crossing last year reached the Canary Islands. Most were citizens of Mali, Senegal and Morocco with many boarding boats to Spain from the coast of Mauritania.
The arrivals include thousands of unaccompanied children.
Two mainstays of the Loose Women panel could go head-to-head on iconic reality show Strictly Come Dancing as one of the stars joked that she’s been “practising my splits”
Two Loose Women stars could be rivals for a new role(Image: Jo Hale/Redferns via Getty Images)
Loose Women’s Brenda Edwards has revealed that she and fellow panellist Coleen Nolan are both eager to strut their stuff on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The 56-year-old, who is currently dazzling audiences in the West End production of Chicago alongside former Strictly pro Janette Manrara, confessed she’s been doing all she can to land a spot on the dance competition. “I’ve asked her to put in a good word for me,” Brenda divulged about her conversations with Janette, who now hosts the show’s spin-off.
She added: “Don’t worry, I’m pushing all avenues. If I get on Strictly, I’ll have to start practising my splits. I want to do it!
“It’s between Coleen Nolan and me, because she really wants to go on it also.” In an interview with Bella Magazine, Brenda expressed her ambition to reach the final, something her Loose Women colleagues haven’t achieved yet.
Brenda Edwards has expressed a desire to appear on Strictly(Image: Getty Images)
Coleen, 60, has also shared her aspirations to hit the dance floor and vie for the coveted Glitterball trophy, reports Belfast Live. On Loose Women, she campaigned: “Vote me to go in!
“There’d be a lot of sequins involved, let me tell you.” She has also told The Mirror: “I’ve never done Strictly which devastates me.
“Since that show started, I’ve always wanted to do Strictly and so many Loose Women have done it but they never, ever ask me.” Among the Loose Women stars who have taken the plunge on Strictly’s dance floor are Ruth Langsford, Judi Love, and Kaye Adams.
Coleen Nolan is no stranger to reality TV competition, having won Celebrity Big Brother back in 2017(Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty Images)
Kaye, 62, was the first celebrity to be voted off the show in 2022, after partnering with Kai Widdrington. In 2017, Ruth, 65, secured ninth place after her stint with Anton Du Beke, while Judi, 44, was the fifth star to be eliminated in 2021, alongside her partner Graziano Di Prima.
The line-up of celebrities for the forthcoming series remains under wraps, but rumoured participants include Tom Parker Bowles, son of Queen Camilla, telly favourite Stacey Solomon, former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan, and ex-Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo. What the BBC has confirmed is the roster of professional dancers.
Reigning champion Dianne Buswell will returning to the dance floor are, as will Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones and Nikita Kuzmin.
Strictly winner Dianne Buswell will return(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Karen Hauer, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola will also feature once more.
Earlier this year, the BBC also revealed that two new professional dancers will be introduced closer to the show’s return. The 2025 series is expected to kick off in September, though an official date is still to be confirmed.
LICK is currently the biggest club event in London for WLW, hosting nights “for women, by women”. With regular events in the capital, they have decided to take their sapphic army global for the second consecutive year.
The LICK Weekender brought partygoers to the Greek island of Crete for a weekend of new friendships, blossoming relationships and unforgettable memories. With 500 attendees from around the world – from the UK to Japan, Kenya to Australia – guests brought some (much-needed) POC queer joy to the island.
As hosts of the event tell Gay Times, “LICK is for all queer women, but running a truly diverse event requires intention.” With a focus on de-centring whiteness in queer culture, LICK is committed to putting diversity at the forefront.
Below, founder Teddy Edwardes reflects on the landmark event and shares her thoughts on the importance of intentional diversity in the queer nightlife space.
Firstly, how was the event? Tell us about any standout moments or highlights from the weekend?
The entire weekend was a 10/10 from start to finish. Everyone was glowing with joy! So many new friendships, relationships and lifelong memories were made. It felt really special.
Do you know how many people were in attendance?
500 people attended! And there were women from all over the world. The top ten list of countries included the United Kingdom, United States, Tunisia, Kenya and Australia, but there were also women from The Caribbean, Egypt, Canada and Japan!
SACRAMENTO — The big question in California politics is, “Will Kamala Harris run for governor?” But that’s the wrong question. Far more important is, “Should she?”
And that’s not a question to be answered based strictly on her prospects for winning.
Rather, the answer should be determined based on what strengths, goals and ideas she would bring to the table — her specific plans for fixing California’s enormous problems, her eagerness to fight even political allies to achieve her objectives and her own desire to lead the state’s comeback.
She shouldn’t view the job as a consolation prize after losing the presidential election to Donald Trump. Voters would smell that and, anyway, Harris would be miserably bored in the state Capitol dealing with budget minutiae and relatively inexperienced legislative leaders.
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So far, since returning from Washington to her native state, Harris, 60, has displayed none of the above criteria that California needs in its next governor.
But neither did she previously in any noteworthy way as a U.S. senator or — particularly — state attorney general. As attorney general, Harris refused to take positions on important ballot measures, including those dealing with her role as California’s so-called top cop — propositions to stiffen criminal sentences and both abolish and expedite the death penalty.
Harris has a record of being overly cautious about taking positions that could alienate interests she deems important to her political career.
But, look, you don’t need to be a gubernatorial candidate to express concerns about your state. Any resident who’s conscious should be alarmed.
“Home prices have skyrocketed as supply slumped over the past three decades,” the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California noted in a report last week.
California’s median home price in March was $884,000 — very tough if not impossible for many middle-class families. The housing shortage is largely due to over-regulation, tangled red tape that slows issuance of building permits and abuse of California’s environmental protection laws.
There’s a strong move in the Legislature to ease regulations, but it’s highly controversial. Does Harris have a thought on this?
Homeowner insurance rates are rising fast in the aftermath of wildfires. And in many fire-prone regions, traditional policies are impossible to obtain. The next governor needs to fix this.
California’s poverty rate is the nation’s highest when the cost of living is considered, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Despite our spending many billions of dollars and regardless of ugly finger-pointing at each other by Newsom and local officials, 187,000 Californians are homeless — a 35% increase in 17 years. That’s the highest in the nation — only partly because we’ve got the largest population.
Gasoline prices are roughly $1.60 a gallon higher in California than the U.S. average. And two oil refineries are planning to shut down, invariably hiking pump prices even higher.
We’re a high-tax state, a fact Newsom is in denial about. We lean too heavily on the wealthy for tax revenue and that produces roller-coaster budget deficits and surpluses depending on the stock market. It’s ridiculous. State taxes should be modernized. But no politician has the guts to attempt that.
Then there’s California’s historic problem of not enough water for its thirst.
Does Harris have anything to say about any of this? She hasn’t so far.
Of course, the seven leading announced Democratic candidates have been practically mute themselves on matters that risk aggravating party interest groups.
One exception is former Los Angeles Mayor and state Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, who has been bolder than most of his rivals.
Harris has said she’ll decide by the end of summer whether to run for governor in 2026. Maybe she’ll seek the presidency again in 2028 or retire from politics and make a bundle in the private sector.
But Villaraigosa already is taking shots at her — including last week for allegedly helping to cover up former President Biden’s cognitive decline while in the Oval Office. Villaraigosa included in the attack another gubernatorial candidate: former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.
Harris is a lot more vulnerable than Becerra on the issue.
But it’s a cheap shot. How many people would publicly accuse their boss of being mentally incompetent? And Harris would have instantly been blasted for being self-serving by plotting to push the president aside so she could grab the Democratic nomination.
Harris could help herself and California’s voters, however, by occasionally voicing some anxiety about her home state.
The little we’ve heard from her this year are attacks on Trump. She also has been lending her name to anti-Trump fundraising appeals by the Democratic National Committee.
But the last thing California Democrats need is another politician — especially a potential governor — telling them that Trump is an evil, ignorant con artist. They’re fully aware of that. They need someone who can tell them how their state can be fixed.
If she ran, Harris would be the initial favorite because of her broad name recognition, past election successes in California and fundraising ability. Some current candidates would probably drop out.
But there doesn’t seem to be a public clamoring for her to run.
Harris needs to start showing people why she should even consider seeking the job. Because, so far, she’s sounding more like a 2028 presidential retread.
UCLA softball is heading to its 33rd Women’s College World Series after rallying from a game down to win the Columbia Super Regional, defeating South Carolina 5-0 in the series decider at Beckham Field on Sunday.
After Jordan Woolery kept UCLA’s (54-11) season alive with a walk-off home run in Game 2, she picked up right where she left off with a first-inning RBI single off South Carolina (44-17) starting pitcher Sam Gress. The Bruins failed to tack on runs with the bases loaded, but Kaitlyn Terry made sure the early tally was enough.
Terry threw 5 ⅔ innings of two-hit shutout ball with four strikeouts before giving way to Saturday’s starting pitcher, Taylor Tinsley.
Woolery delivered a critical insurance run in the fifth inning when she poked an infield single through the right side of South Carolina’s infield shift to bring Jessica Clements around after her one-out double.
After Tinsley pitched out of a jam with the tying runs on base in the sixth, UCLA added three runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach thanks to back-to-back RBIs from Rylee Slimp and Alexis Ramirez.
UCLA will play fellow Big Ten school Oregon on Thursday in Oklahoma City.
He said it is “kind of crazy” to be told that he looks like the infamous stalker and serial killer and the amount of messages he gets about it is “insane”.
Nikita even claims women on dating apps ask him to kidnap them and lock them in a cage – like Joe does in the show.
Some women will even send him their address for him to go over – but insists he’s never taken anyone up on the offer.
Nikita, a content creator, from Dover, Kent, said: “I have a lot of family and friends say that I look like Joe from You.
“A lot of people tell me that I have a serial killer vibe, which is kind of scary as I am not trying to be a serial killer.
“People really love the idea of being stalked by Joe.
“I will be sent locations, people will ask me to stalk them and lock them in a glass cage.”
Nikita started posting videos on TikTok three weeks ago, and his messages were soon flooded by strangers who said he bears striking resemblance to Joe Goldberg.
He said he found it “crazy” to be likened to a serial killer but has leaned into the stereotype.
Nikita said: “I have had a lot of people in my life who tell me I look like Joe.
“So I thought I would start posting online, it has been kind of crazy.
“I get thousands upon thousands of messages every day of people telling me that I look like Joe and asking me to stalk them.”
Nikita – who is single – says women on dating apps will often message him with their location.
He says he will often jokingly tell them that he is Joe’s brother.
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The creepy character of Joe often stalks girls and traps them in cagesCredit: CLIFTON PRESCOD/NETFLIX
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Nikita claims people message him asking if he’ll put them in a glass cageCredit: SWNS
Nikita said: “I get people on dating apps messaging me asking if I can put them in a glass cage.
“People will send me their live location and ask me to stalk them.
“They don’t think I am a catfish, they just think I am a really good lookalike.
“I just respond to them saying I’m his brother and their reaction is always a surprise.”
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The fifth and final season of You is now streaming on NetflixCredit: Netflix
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Joe embarks on an affair with Bronte in the latest seasonCredit: PA
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Nikita claims women will send him their live location and ask him to stalk themCredit: SWNS
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Nikita said he tells women who mistake him for Joe that he is his brotherCredit: SWNS
Nikita said he is a huge fan of You, but doesn’t understand why women are fascinated by Joe as a character.
He said every day he leaves the house, someone will come up to him – mistaking him for the actor.
Nikita said: “My initial response is always ‘I get that a lot’.
I get people on dating apps messaging me asking if I can put them in a glass cage
Nikita Darwin
“I will leave the house and people come up to me asking me to stalk them.
“In all honesty, I don’t think people would enjoy it as much as they think they would.
“I think he is really bad, but all the girls seem to be fascinated by this serial killer, which is really messed up.”
The final season of You
IN the fifth and final series, which is now streaming, viewers see Joe embarking on an affair with a young woman named Bronte, played by Madeline Brewer.
They meet after she gains employment at his bookstore but it soon becomes clear that she has an ulterior motive after she developed suspicions that Joe was responsible for the death of her close friend.
Penn Badgley reprises his role of Joe Goldberg, the serial killer who has gotten away with numerous murders.
The show is based on the book series by Caroline Kepnes.
You started out on Lifetime, after Netflix originally passed on it.
But, with low ratings on the cable channel, the streaming network picked it up and saw massive success.
The Loose Women panellists are believed to be enraged over the huge shake-up at ITV, which will see the programme taken off air for almost half of the year
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
13:42, 22 May 2025
The Loose Women stars are said to be locked in a feud over younger on-screen talent(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Older members of the Loose Women panel are believed to be vowing to “fight” against the younger stars. It comes amidst a huge shake-up at ITV, which will see a huge overhaul of their daytime scheduling, affecting various shows.
The network announced earlier this week that Loose and Lorraine Kelly’s self-titled show will see its time on air cut to just 30 weeks of the year, rather than airing on a continuous basis. Despite This Morning being hit with a huge dip in viewing figures, the show will not be affected.
Lorraine’s programme has also taken another hit and will air for just half an hour, rather than an hour, as Good Morning Britain has been extended for an extra 30 minutes. But tension at Loose is believed to be at an all-time high, with panellists feeling as though they’re on a probation period.
The Loose Women stars have been left enraged over the younger members of the panel who’ve been branded ‘teachers’ pets’(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
The majority of the panel have been through ITV cuts and the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 and have come out the other side. But the news this week is said to have left them blindsided. A source said: “They feel like often all the negative criticism is levelled at them, the odd ‘out of touch’ comment, whereas with the new panellists such as Liv and Grace, there is a buzz around them because they have that different point of view.”
Sources have said that older member’s of the panel have nothing to worry about(Image: ITV)
They added to The Sun: “Execs have also proudly pro-claimed how the youngsters have brought with them a much-needed new audience — and now all of a sudden the older panellists feel like they are going to have to fight for their places against these shiny teachers’ pets. It’s now five months or so for them to prove their worth and sing for their supper.”
But a source at the network said that the older panellists on Loose Women are “highly valued and celebrated”. They added that while there are reports of the panel “fighting” to get time on the show, the Loose Women podcast and Over 60 and Over 70s specials will “keep everyone busy.”
It’s claimed that regular anchors, including Christine, Kaye Adams, Ruth Langsford and Charlene White, are all safe in their positions but many have been left worried that bosses will meticulously look over their social media posts, episode ratings and audience polling results.
GK Barry and Frankie Bridge have apparently been a hit with bosses(Image: ITV)
Reports claim that many of the panellists feel they will now have to ‘audition for their role’ and tensions will rise as they continue to demonstrate how bold and feisty they can all be. Over the years, viewers have seen clashes between each of the panellists, with former star Carol McGiffin allegedly clashing with Andrea McLean after she was left off the invite list for her wedding.
Carol took to her Best Magazine column to highlight this, writing, “I’m ecstatic for them both, even though I wasn’t invited to the wedding. Andrea’s managed to squeeze in two weddings in less time than I’ve been engaged to Mark, which is a bit embarrassing, to say the least.”
Speaking in 2014, Mylene Klass, who often appears on the panel, hit out following a clash with broadcaster and journalist, Janet Street-Porter. On the show, Janet lost her temper with the star, saying,”I’m happiest when I’m not sat next to you Myleene!”
Janet has never shied away from sharing her thoughts on the panellists (Image: ITV)
Following this, the singer took to social media to vent: “I love Loose Women. It’s nice to be able to articulate and get things out there. But I feel it was getting a bit misogynistic, a bit post-menopausal or pre-menopausal and ranty. That’s not how women should be represented so it’s nice they’ve refreshed the panel and we can talk about politics, fashion designers and what else is going on in the week.
“It’s a show for women but I don’t feel like it empowered me. People think you’re best friends with everybody on Loose Women. You’re absolutely not. You have to just tolerate [some people] because you’ve got to get the job done.”
Elsewhere, speaking out last year, McGiffin fumed: “I don’t regret leaving – I don’t fit in there any more. Someone, somewhere, will be offended by absolutely everything. I’d rather not be on a show that panders to that. It’s boring – and I won’t be told what I can or can’t say.”
Despite her ongoing clash with the show, she has remained close to Denise Welch, Kaye, Jane Moore and Nadia Sawalha. But, Carol, who never refrains from speaking her mind, told Women’s Own: “Some, I have nothing in common with. As I said to them, ‘You’re not friends, you’re just people I work with, who I really like.’ Which horrified them.”
WASHINGTON — How can Congress cut Medicaid without explicitly cutting Medicaid?
That has been a years-long dilemma facing fiscal conservatives in the Republican Party who have sought cuts to the country’s deficit-driving social safety net programs, including Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare, without generating political fallout from the tens of millions of Americans who will suffer the consequences.
Now, GOP lawmakers have settled on a strategy, outlined in legislation expected to pass the House in the coming days amid ongoing negotiations over the package that President Trump is calling his “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Rather than lowering the income eligibility limit for coverage — an old policy proposal that would cut off Americans at the higher end of the eligibility range — Trump’s bill will instead require applicants to provide proof of their work hours and apply for specific exceptions, creating new barriers for individuals to maintain insurance.
House passage of the bill is far from assured, and the Senate will still have its say. But if it does become law, the policy would affect more than 71 million of the poorest Americans, more of whom live in California than any other state.
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Barriers to entry are the point
If everyone eligible under the new work requirements were to apply for and receive Medicaid coverage, the cost savings to the government would be minimal. But the barriers themselves are the point, making it more likely that people with a right to Medicaid won’t ultimately receive it, experts said.
“If you want to make a substantial cut to the program, how do you do that in a systematic way?” said Matt Bruenig, founder of People’s Policy Project and a former lawyer at the National Labor Relations Board.
“With the work requirements, the number of people who seem to be actually ineligible because of it is quite small — so if it actually is perfectly administrated, you’re not going to see a whole lot of savings,” Bruenig said. “But if it’s not well administrated and it creates all these problems, then you could see significant savings.”
Existing government programs, such as Social Security, unemployment and supplemental nutrition assistance for women, infants and children, determine eligibility for those benefits based on an individual’s income. But creating a new set of criteria for Medicaid based on hours worked will require a new reporting system that is not outlined in the bill.
“We have all these systems that are based around making sure people have the earnings that they can report to all these agencies, but you don’t really report hours in any context,” Bruenig added. “Monthly hours — that’s just not a thing. And it’s not clear how that’s going to work, at all.”
Who counts as ‘waste, fraud and abuse’?
Trump and members of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of Republican fiscal hawks, have argued for a strict hourly work requirement to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” in Medicaid by cutting off unproductive individuals from government benefits.
But exemptions suggested in the draft legislation — parents caring for young children or elderly parents, individuals dealing with health issues, those between jobs — reflect the range of reasons why Medicaid recipients may fall below the proposed hourly requirement. And each time an exception arises, individuals will have to refile, increasing the likelihood they will simply let their coverage lapse.
It also will force working individuals who would otherwise be eligible — such as Americans working gig jobs for DoorDash or Uber, for example — to account for hours worked transiting between jobs that don’t generate receipts.
“They just are not finding very much at all,” said John Schmitt, a senior research fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, when asked whether ineligible individuals are routinely receiving Medicaid.
“The real problems are not with individuals taking advantage of Medicaid,” Schmitt added. “It is with healthcare providers taking advantage of Medicaid, in the sense of the way they bill and provide services to people. And that is not going to be changed in any way, whatsoever, by imposing a work requirement.”
The Congressional Budget Office said it is these Medicaid recipients who will either fall behind or grow fed up with the paperwork, resulting in 7.6 million losing coverage under the plan and saving the federal government roughly $800 billion.
California will be hit hardest
The effects of Medicaid cuts will be felt nationwide, but most pointedly in states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. On that score, Democratic states such as California lead the way.
A state assessment published Sunday found the GOP bill would “cause serious harm to California’s health care system,” possibly resulting in up to 3.4 million residents losing coverage.
No state has more workers on Medicaid than California, where 18% of its workforce receives benefits from the program, according to a study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
“Millions will lose coverage, hospitals will close, and safety nets could collapse under the weight,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “We must sound the alarm because the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
But the political stakes are high for Republicans as well.
Stephen K. Bannon, a former campaign aide and White House strategist to Trump, warned in recent days that the party has “gotta be careful” with Medicaid, given its widespread use among low-income GOP voters.
“A lot of MAGAs are on Medicaid, I’m telling you,” Bannon said on his podcast. “If you don’t think so, you are dead wrong.”
Trump, for his part, seems of two minds on the matter. Cuts to Medicaid, as well as to food stamp programs and green energy tax benefits, will be required to get the bill passed with support from the Freedom Caucus, which says the renewal of tax cuts initially passed in the first Trump administration must be offset with savings elsewhere.
“Here’s what I want on Medicaid: We’re not touching anything,” Trump said Tuesday, taking questions from reporters on Capitol Hill. “All I want is one thing. Three words. We don’t want any waste, fraud or abuse. Very simple — waste, fraud, abuse.”
But in a private meeting with GOP lawmakers, his guidance was sharper. “Don’t f— around with Medicaid,” the president reportedly said.
The Loose Women panellists are said to be in fear over their future on the show after ITV announced a major shake-up, which has been branded a ‘time-bomb’ by some
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
10:40, 22 May 2025Updated 10:43, 22 May 2025
There is believed to be tension behind the scenes between the older Loose Women stars and the younger panellists
Loose Women stars are said to have been left shaken following ITV’s dramatic shake-up. Earlier this week, the network announced a major overhaul of their daytime schedules, which affects both Loose and Lorraine Kelly’s self-titled morning programme.
However, despite being hit with a mass loss of viewers, the magazine show This Morning remains unaffected. While all shows air throughout the year, the new schedule means that both Loose and Lorraine will only be on screens for 30 weeks of the year. Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain has been extended until 9.30, axing part of Lorraine’s show.
It’s claimed that some of the older members of the panel who have been part of the show since its launch 25 years ago, are worried that they will be fighting for appearances on the panel, while “PR friendly” younger members of the team including GK Barry, Olivia Attwood and former singer Frankie Bridge will be favoured.
Sources claim that the younger members of Loose Women are being favoured by the top dogs(Image: ITV)
ITV sources have criticised This Morning for being “favoured” despite its dwindling viewing figures. The tension behind the scenes at the network is believed to be “unbearable,” with This Morning being hit with “rage.” Sources claim that the shake-up has sparked a ” time bomb,” with executives allegedly doing everything to defuse the situation amongst talent.
“ITV Daytime could combust from the inside out at this rate,” a source said. They went to tell The Sun that older panellists on Loose Women have seen shake-ups in the past but “weathered” them. Now, this news has come out of nowhere, leaving them shaken.
The older members of the panel are believed to think that the negative criticism surrounding the programme has been directed towards them with “out of touch” comments, whereas the new and younger panellists have a hype around them due to having different viewers than their older colleagues.
Cast on the show are now feeling they have to ‘sing for their supper’(Image: (Credit: Amy Brammall / ITV) )
Older members of the panel believe that the younger stars are “shiny teachers’ pets,” after top bosses have praised them for bringing in a younger audience. “It’s now five months or so for them to prove their worth and sing for their supper,” the source added. They went on to say: “The older panellists feel like until January they’re on probation and pragmatic bosses will be scrutinising their every tweet, every rating and audience polling — everything like that.”
There is also believed to be tension around the pay from the show, with some on a staff PAYE contract, and some panellists working on a freelance basis. But while the take-home fee is different, every panellist is believed to be on around £3,000 per episode. The Mirror previously revealed that Loose Women had become embroiled in a pay row behind the scenes.
Three big stars had told their bosses that they would walk out if the issues were not resolved. It came after the network was hit with a change by HMRC on tax legislation. ITV were made to decide whether a role was self-employed or employed for tax purposes from April 2021.
Some stars had been told to take a PAYE contract, meaning that instead of paying corporation tax at 19 per cent, they would have had to pay 40 per cent on earnings between £50,271 and £150,000, plus National Insurance. A source behind the scenes told us: “They have all been self-employed for decades. Their accountants are saying no, they are self-employed… and are not going to go on PAYE.”
Our mole added: “They’re so strict about it, and we’re talking about the big players.” ITV sources said the broadcaster had communicated the change to all those concerned across the channel and that assessments are done on a “case-by-case basis”.
But it was about so much more than just money. Playing conditions were primitive. Surfaces were dirt pitches that doubled as car parks on matchdays and changing rooms were sheds crammed with up to 30 people and fitted with inadequate showers that would always quickly run out of hot water.
“We didn’t ask for the same financial earnings, because you also have to be aware of what men’s and women’s football generate, but we did deserve to play on a decent pitch and to have a decent locker room,” she said.
To add insult to injury they also had to pay their own travel expenses to get not only to and from the ground for training, but also on matchdays. When they asked if they could be reimbursed for their travel costs, they were told the money was not available. All the men’s teams, however, either had a bus organised for them or would be picked up by the club.
And up until 2017, women were still wearing men’s kit for both playing and training.
“When I arrived, we did our laundry at home. They gave us two or three sets, I don’t remember exactly how many, and we washed them at home,” Unzue said.
“They would give us the smallest sizes but even that was too big for us.”
Getting to away games was another ordeal, Unzue explained: “We travelled almost always by bus, except for the longer trips, like Barcelona-Seville, where we flew.
“But from Barcelona to the Basque Country, by bus; to Madrid, by bus; to Valencia, by bus… it was a long bus ride, you arrived super tired, you had to play the game at 12 noon, return late, and on top of that, people were still working.
“There were a lot of people who arrived late at night and had to go to work the next day.”
The club’s much vaunted academy, La Masia, was also out-of-bounds for the women until very recently – women have only been admitted into the La Masia residency since 2021.
Things have improved considerably but there is still a massive divide. Bonmati is not just the greatest woman player on the planet, she is also, deservedly, the highest paid. Her earnings last year were €1m (£840,000). Her team-mate Putellas was the second-highest earner on €700,000 (£590,000). Barca’s star striker for the men’s side, Robert Lewandowski, is paid €30m (£25.3m).
After ITV announced a major shakeup to it’s daytime television shows, it’s feared Loose Women’s cast could be cut by up to a third with the show being reduced across the year
00:00, 21 May 2025Updated 00:01, 21 May 2025
The Loose Women lineup could be cut(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Major changes are coming to ITV, and it could spell bad news for a number of popular presenters. It was announced recently that the organisation is having a massive shake-up with how its daytime TV will feature, and it appears the Loose Women crew could feel the full force of the switches.
However, from January 2026, Good Morning Britain will be extended by 30 minutes to run from 6am to 9.30am daily. The change also sees Lorraine Kelly’s show cut in half.
It will now run from 9.30am until 10am, and only be on our screens for 30 weeks of the year – the same amount of weeks as Loose Women will now air.
Loose Women will only air for 30 weeks a year
It’s thought up to a third of the 26-strong pool of Loose Women presenters could now face losing their job. A source told The Sun: “Everyone is completely gutted and in shock.
“We can’t believe they would dismantle these brilliant shows. It’s the death of daytime TV.”
Another added: “There’s no way all the Loose Women will be needed now there’ll be far fewer episodes to fill.”
Despite the on-screen show being cut, Loose Women: The Podcast will continue and provide more work for the cast.
The overhaul was announced yesterday by Kevin Lygo, managing director of ITV’s media and entertainment division. He said: “Daytime is a really important part of what we do, and these scheduling and production changes will enable us to continue to deliver a schedule providing viewers with the news, debate and discussion they love from the presenters they know and trust as well generating savings which will allow us to reinvest across the programme budget in other genres.
“These changes also allow us to consolidate our news operations and expand our national, international and regional news output and to build upon our proud history of trusted journalism at a time when our viewers need accurate, unbiased news coverage more than ever.”
He added: “I recognise that our plans will have an impact on staff off screen in our Daytime production teams.
“We will work with ITV Studios and ITN as they manage these changes to produce the shows differently from next year, and support them through this transition.
“Daytime has been a core element of ITV’s schedule for over 40 years and these changes will set ITV up to continue to bring viewers award winning news, views and discussion as we enter our eighth decade.”
SACRAMENTO — When the top Democratic candidates for governor took the stage at a labor forum last week, the digs at Gov. Gavin Newsom were subtle. The message, however, was clear. Newsom’s home stretch as California governor may be a bumpy ride.
Newsom hopes to end his time as governor in an air of accomplishment and acclaim, which would elevate his political legacy and prospects in a potential presidential run. But the Democrats running to replace him have a much different agenda.
“Lots of voters think things are not going well in California right now. So if you’re running for governor, you have to run as a change candidate. You have to run as ‘I’m going to shake things up,’ ” said political scientist Eric Schickler, co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) at UC Berkeley. “In doing that, you’re at least implicitly criticizing the current governor, right?”
Not only must Newsom swim against that tide until his final term as governor ends in less than two years, he’s being buffeted by the perception that he’s moving rightward to broaden his national appeal in preparation for the 2028 presidential race.
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Newsom faced criticism for showcasing conservative activists on his podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” especially when he agreed with Trump loyalist Charlie Kirk that it was “unfair” for trans athletes to compete in women’s sports.
But he also pushed back against Kirk and others during the interviews. He said from the outset that he intended to engage with people on the opposite side of the political spectrum, but that did not blunt the criticism he received. Assemblymember Christopher M. Ward (D-San Diego), the chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, said he was “profoundly sickened and frustrated” by Newsom’s remarks about trans athletes.
“The big problem for Newsom is that most people see him as focused outside of California at a dire time,” Mora said. “So all his moves that he’s making, whether this is truly him being more educated and coming to the middle, are seen through that lens.”
And a healthy dose of dissatisfaction about the tough economic times facing many Californians. Notably, Newsom had just a couple of weeks before he celebrated California’s rank as the fourth-largest economy in the world; for years he has boasted of the state’s innovative and thriving economy.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa didn’t appear that impressed, saying California also has the highest cost of living in the nation.
“We love to say we’re the fourth-largest economy in the United States, what we don’t say is we have the highest effective poverty rate,” Villaraigosa said to a hotel ballroom packed with union leaders. “So let’s deal with the issues that are facing us here in California.”
Former Controller Betty Yee offered a similar assessment.
“In California, we are the fourth-largest economy in the world, but when you peel that back, how’s that working for everybody?” she asked.
Six of the seven Democratic candidates said they would support providing state unemployment benefits to striking workers. Villaraigosa was the sole candidate who expressed reservations. Newsom vetoed a bill in 2023 that would have provided such coverage, saying it would make the state’s unemployment trust fund “vulnerable to insolvency.”
Afterward, Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation, complained that labor leaders “can’t even get a conversation out of Gavin Newsom” about regulating AI.
Barbs from labor aren’t a new experience for Newsom. Union leaders have at times clashed with the ambitious governor over legislation he opposed that supported pro-union labor agreements with developers and regulating Big Tech.
Gubernatorial candidates taking direct or indirect shots at the incumbent, even those who belong to the same party, also is nothing new. During a candidate debate in 2018, Newsom took a subtle jab at then-Gov. Jerry Brown for the state’s response to the homelessness crisis.
To this day, Newsom says he is the only California governor to launch a major state effort to address the crisis.
Knives out during tough budget times
Newsom also faces the difficult task of having to wrestle with an additional $12-billion state budget shortfall next year, a deficit caused mostly by state overspending Newsom says is being exacerbated by falling tax revenues due to Trump’s on-again-off-again federal tariff policies.
The governor’s proposed cuts drew criticism from some of his most progressive allies and again stirred up rumblings that he was trying to recast himself as a moderate.
To save money, Newsom proposed scaling back his policy to provide free healthcare coverage to all low-income undocumented immigrants. The governor’s budget also proposes to siphon off $1.3 billion in funding from Proposition 35, a measure voters approved in November that dedicated the revenue from a tax on managed care organizations to primarily pay for increases to Medi-Cal provider rates.
Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, called the governor’s proposed budget cuts “cruel.”
Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), co-chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus, said members would oppose Newsom’s Medi-Cal cuts, and rallies against Newsom’s proposal are planned at the Capitol this week.
During his budget news conference on Wednesday, Newsom also took aim at California’s cities and counties, blasting them for not doing enough to address the state’s homelessness crisis. Newsom also renewed his call for cities and counties to ban homeless encampments.
“It is not the state of California that remains the biggest impediment,” Newsom said. “The obstacle remains at the local level.”
Carolyn Coleman, executive director of the League of California Cities, returned fire, saying Newsom’s proposed budget “failed to invest” adequately in efforts by cities to not only alleviate homelessness, but also improve public safety and address climate change.
Under the headline “Gavin Newsom Sits Down For Podcast With Serial Killer Who Targets Homeless,” the fake article mocks both the governor’s podcast and efforts to address homelessness and purports that Newsom asked the killer what Democrats could learn from his tactics.
Video shows aftermath of an explosion outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California that killed one person. The FBI says the blast, which damaged several buildings, was an ‘intentional act of terrorism’.
Mourners gathered to celebrate the life of 23-year-old beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, who was shot dead during a TikTok livestream at her salon in Jalisco, Mexico. Her killing is being investigated as a possible femicide.
A 23-year-old Mexican influencer, Valeria Marquez, was fatally shot while livestreaming on Tuesday.
Marquez, who had more than 113,000 followers on the platform, was broadcasting to her audience when the attack occurred.
According to a statement from the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office, the case is being investigated under femicide protocols, applied in instances where a woman is killed due to her gender.
What is femicide?
Femicide refers to gender-related killings against women and girls. According to the latest report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women, femicide is rising around the globe.
In 2023, a woman was intentionally killed every 10 minutes by a partner or family member.
Of the 85,000 women and girls killed across the world in 2023, 60 percent (51,000) were murdered by an intimate partner or a family member.
How common is femicide in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Honduras has the highest femicide rate with 7.2 women killed per 100,000 in 2023, followed by the Dominican Republic (2.4 per 100,000) and Brazil (1.4 per 100,000).
Mexico has the fourth-highest femicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean, alongside Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia – all with 1.3 killings per 100,000 women in 2023.
In terms of absolute killings, Brazil saw the highest number of femicide cases with 1,463 women murdered. It was followed by Mexico, where 852 women were killed as a result of femicide in 2023. Honduras had the third-highest number, with 380 femicide cases.
Femicide is on the rise in Mexico
The rate of femicide is rising on the whole in the country, despite some fluctuations over the years.
It has become a major concern in Mexico with recorded cases rising significantly over the past decade. In 2015, femicides represented 19.8 percent of female homicides. This proportion had increased to 24.2 percent by 2024.
According to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNCLAC), in 2015, the rate of femicide in Mexico was 0.7 women per 100,000. In 2023, that number now stands at 1.3 per 100,000 women – though that’s down marginally from a peak of 1.6 per 100,000 in 2021. Gender-based violence against women grew globally during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Mexico was no exception.
While statistics from UNCLAC show the rate of femicide in Mexico has declined over the past three years, it remains a pronounced and often silent issue due to underreporting, say experts.
In Mexico, some 85 percent of women aged 15 and over who have experienced physical or sexual violence did not file a complaint, according to Mexico’s National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships.
Where in Mexico has the worst rates of femicide?
The killing of Marquez took place just days before another woman, a mayoral candidate in the state of Veracruz, was also shot dead during a livestream alongside three other people.
According to Mexico’s National Public Security System (SNSP), the national rate of femicide was 1.18 per 100,000 in 2024.
The state of Morelos, in south-central Mexico, had the highest rate of femicide with 4.7 women per 100,000 murdered, followed by Chihuahua (2.35 per 100,000) and Tabasco (2.22 per 100,000).
In Jalisco state where Marquez was killed, the femicide rate was 0.63 per 100,000 in 2024.
Jalisco is ranked sixth out of Mexico’s 32 states, including Mexico City, for homicides, with 906 recorded there since the beginning of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s term in October 2024, according to the data consultancy TResearch.
