Turkey Dumps Child Rape Bill

It seems Turkey has taken the hint. Hours before a final vote was to be held Tuesday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim withdrew a proposed law that would pardon men convicted of having sex with minors if they married the girl, reports the BBC. Thousands of people had protested the bill in Turkey, where underage marriages are common, while 800,000 signed a petition calling for the bill to be dropped, per Deutsche Welle. Critics say it would essentially sanction statutory rape and the notion of taking child brides. Yildirim suggested the bill will now be reworked, though opponents say they'll fight to ensure it never passes. (More Turkey stories.)