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Statue of Confederate General Lee Removed from U.S. Capitol

A statue of Robert E. Lee, a commander for the pro-slavery South during the U.S. Civil War, was removed from the Capitol building early Monday, officials said, part of a reckoning with the country's history of racism.

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MPs Pass Sexual Harassment Law, Amend Domestic Violence Law

Lebanon's parliament on Monday passed a landmark bill criminalizing sexual harassment and amended a controversial domestic violence law, in a move rights groups criticized as incomplete.

The new law "criminalizes sexual harassment, especially in the workplace," the official National News Agency reported.

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'Like Xanax': In Lebanon, Crisis Comedy Combats Trauma

Lebanese comedians are bringing relief and defying taboos with jokes about dating, partying during the pandemic -- and how even drug dealers are considering leaving the crisis-hit country.

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Tunisia Works to Preserve its Jewish Heritage

Tunisia is struggling to protect North Africa's Jewish heritage, threatened by vandalism, looting and the smuggling of valuable artefacts bearing witness to the long history of the region's Jews.

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Israel Condemns EU Ritual Slaughter Ruling

The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that authorities can order that animals be stunned before slaughter in a move decried by Israel and religious groups as attacking their traditions.

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Biden Names America's First Openly Gay Cabinet Member

Joe Biden boasted of a "cabinet of barrier breakers" Wednesday as the U.S. President-elect introduced his transportation secretary pick Pete Buttigieg, who if confirmed would become the first openly gay head of a cabinet-level department.

Buttigieg, whom Biden called "a policy wonk with a big heart," is one of several trailblazing picks by the veteran Democrat who appears to be following through on his pledge to name the most diverse U.S. cabinet ever.

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Baghdad Booze Bombings: Islamic Vice Squads or Turf War?

Escalating attacks on the Iraqi capital's few liquor stores have terrified shop-owners who fear hardline Islamists are flexing their muscle against alcohol consumption.

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Pakistan President Approves New Anti-Rape Law

Pakistan's president on Tuesday approved a new anti-rape law which will speed up convictions and launch the country’s first national sex offenders registry.

The law, which goes into effect immediately but must be ratified by parliament within three months, was prompted by the gang rape of a mother in front of her children on the side of a motorway in September.

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Hungary MPs Approve Package of Anti-LGBTQ Measures

Hungarian MPs on Tuesday approved a package of new measures targeting the country's beleaguered LGBTQ community, the government's latest salvo in defense of "traditional" values.

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San Lorenzo Fan Pope Francis Becomes Boca Juniors Member

Pope Francis, an avid supporter of Argentine football team San Lorenzo, has committed a cardinal sin by becoming a member of a rival club, although it's for a good cause.

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