Violence against women

Lebanon's parliament abolished on Aug. 16 a law that absolves rapists if they marry their victims, joining other Arab states that have repealed "marry-your-rapist" laws in recent weeks.

Lawmaker Elie Kayrouz, who backed ending the law - article 522 of the penal code - said other clauses also required change to protect women and children. 

Some 140 Bulgarians have become victims of labor exploitation abroad since 2013.

The statistic figures have been provided by the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, who added that this was just the tip of the iceberg.

A 35-year-old woman in the eastern province of Van, who was subjected to brutal torture at the hands of her husband over 17 years, has filed a criminal complaint against him at the public prosecutor's office. 

The government will define an operational program for the Council of Ministers for the period 1 July - 31 December , reported BGNES.

At their regular meeting, Ministers will adopt a legislative program for the period from 1 July to the end of the year.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Gülsün Bilgehan has criticized Turkey's record on women's rights with a report on the third anniversary of the Istanbul Convention. 

The Turkish government lacks the political will to implement the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, even though Turkey was its first signatory state, according to a representative of a women's rights NGO.

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence is called the Istanbul Convention. It was signed in Istanbul in 2011. Turkey worked tremendously hard to reach an agreement with member-states and it became the first country to sign it.

Bodies of eight people, including two children, were found in a car park near a Walmart supermarket in the US city of San Antonio, Texas, BBC reported on Sunday.

A heavily pregnant woman has had acid thrown over her baby bump while her partner suffered injuries to his face in a horrific East London attack.

The expectant mum and man were rushed to hospital after being being sprayed with a corrosive substance in Bow in the early hours of Tuesday, July 4.

The Turkish Justice Ministry has completed a draft law prepared to support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, terrorism, murder, bodily harm and human trafficking as well as children, women, the elderly and disabled victims.