Nov. 16
Russia
Russia withdrew support from the International Criminal Court after it released a report accusing Russia of war crimes during the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Unlike Burundi, Gambia, and South Africa, Russia had not ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC, the withdrawal of Russia’s signature is primarily symbolic. The ICC report states, “[The] annexation of the Crimean Peninsula amounts to an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.” More than 9,000 people have died in eastern Ukraine since early 2014, according to Amnesty International.
Nov. 18
Turkey
Thousands took to the streets in Istanbul, Izmir, and Trabson to protest a recently introduced bill that would allow men who had sex with underage girls to be forgiven of their crimes if they married their victim. The bill has been partially approved but will be voted on after debate on Tuesday, Nov. 22. It follows on a previous controversy concerning a constitutional annulment of Turkey’s criminal code which classified sexual acts with children under 15 as sexual abuse. The bill would only pardon men if they had sex “without force or threat.” Critics say that the measure legitimizes child rape and child marriage.
Nov. 19–20
Peru
The 2016 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings culminated in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. Heads of state from the 21 Pacific Rim member countries were present. Notably, South Korean President Park Guen-hye and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha were not present. President Park is currently under investigation regarding a political scandal, and PM Chan-ocha was observing the state-declared mourning period for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. At the summit, leaders prioritized discussions on the investment in human capital development, modernizing small and medium enterprises, fostering the regional food system, and advancing the regional economic integration and growth agenda. Though the topic of the recent U.S. presidential elections was fresh on leaders’ minds, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized the purpose of the meeting as “talking about ways to continue working together” and combating the growth of anti-globalization sentiments.
Nov. 20
India
Fourteen carriages of the Indore-Patna Express train derailed near the city of Kanpur. At least 115 people have been been confirmed dead and an additional 150 injured as rescue workers tried to recover any remaining passengers. Authorities have launched an official investigation, which they believe could have been caused by damage to the tracks. India boasts the world’s third-longest railway system, with 115,000 kilometers of track, and is the carrier of over 22 million passenger journeys per day.
