Today’s newsletter covers women violence in Turkey, clandestine meetings in Peru, the next Zulu king, and more.
New measures against women violence in Turkey, but according its own standards
Turkey plans to increase the repression of violent acts against women, including potential prison terms for persistent stalkers. But last July the country withdrew from the European-wide Istanbul Convention that sought to protect women. Turkish officials considered the decade-old treaty wasn’t aligned with traditional family values by protecting women regardless of their sexual orientation. Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women may be victims of “corrective rape” in Turkey according to a Council of Europe country report in 2018.
Argentina and IMF found an agreement to restructure the debt
Facing difficulties to reimburse IMF’s loan, the largest ever granted by the Fund to a single country at the time, Argentina found an agreement to restructure its debt. But it is unclear whether lawmakers will approve it as several reject the organization’s austerity requests.
President of Peru accused to be the ‘head of a criminal organization’
A lobbyist accused the president of Peru Pedro Castillo of overseeing a group of public officials manipulating public tenders during clandestine meetings. One of them had $20,000 in cash hidden in the toilets of an office he held for only four months.
Costa Rica legalized therapeutic marijuana
Costa Rica legalized the therapeutic use of marijuana, considering it is part of citizens’ “fundamental right to health”. The law is passed few weeks before the end of the President’s mandate.
U.S. states launch an investigation on TikTok’s harmful effects on children
Several states in the U.S. have launched an investigation on the possible harm of TikTok on children’s mental health. “TikTok threatens the safety, mental health and well-being of our kids,” a Republican congresswoman from the state of Washington said.
A South African court settles the rightful Zulu king
A dispute for the next king of the Zulu people was brought to court by two Zulu princesses to halt the coronation. It claimed the late King’s will was forged. A judge ruled the rightful heir to the throne but it remains vacant until the Zulu royal family appoints a new king, considering its customs take precedence.
U.S. returns looted artifacts seized from a billionaire to Jordan
For decades, billionaire Michael Steinhardt “displayed a rapacious appetite for plundered artifacts without concern for the legality of his actions,” Manhattan District Attorney’s said in December. U.S. justice seized 180 items from various countries in a deal to surrender trafficked artifacts and avoid prosecution for the billionaire.
