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Dutch MPs Oppose Headscarf Proposal for Amsterdam Police

Dutch lawmakers have voiced opposition to a proposal by Amsterdam's top police official to consider allowing female Muslim agents to wear headscarves, Dutch media reported Friday.

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Restaurants Say Talk of China Dog Meat Festival Ban All Bark, No Bite

Animal rights groups say dog meat has been banned at a controversial festival in China, but local restaurants claim they haven't heard anything about the purported prohibition.

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Young or Old, Saudi Women Live Under Male Relatives' Control

First she's in the hands of her father, then she moves to her husband. Often, she ends up under the power of her son.

From childhood through adulthood into old age, every Saudi woman passes from the control of one legal guardian to another, a male relative whose decisions or whims can determine the course of her life.

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Lebanese Activists Mobilize to Save Beirut Heritage

Lebanese activists have launched a special day to raise awareness about Beirut's cultural and natural heritage, hoping to save it from neglect and frenzied development. 

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Gay Lebanese Dare to Tell Their Stories

When they grabbed the microphone in Beirut this week, Lea boldly declared she preferred women to men, but Joseph recounted his terrifying ordeal being detained by security forces.

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Couple Stoned to Death in North Mali by 'Islamists'

An unmarried couple were stoned to death in public in northeast Mali by Islamists, local officials told AFP on Wednesday, the first such incident since jihadist groups overran the region five years ago.

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Brisk Business for Mosul's First Post-IS Liquor Store

Abu Haidar tries to keep a low profile and there is no sign on his shop, the first liquor store to reopen in Mosul since the jihadists were beaten back.

But it's hard not to notice the steady stream of customers walking out with black plastic bags filled with Turkish beer, Iraqi arak liquor and cheap whisky.

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Lebanon LGBT Event Cancelled after Threats

A weekend seminar in Beirut to promote LGBT rights has been cancelled after "threats" from religious figures, its organizers said on Monday.

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Syrian Refugee Kids in Lebanon Act, Direct, 'Escape'

"Three, two, one, action!" shouts Syrian refugee Mostafa Abdallah, 11, energetically directing his fellow child actors in a musical being filmed in a Palestinian camp in the Lebanese capital.

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Fatima Readies to Welcome Pope under Tight Security

Thousands of police on alert, border controls tightened, anti-drone measures: Portugal is taking no chances with security ahead of a pilgrimage by Pope Francis to the famous shrine of Fatima.

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