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MPs Mock Harassment Claims as #MeToo Falls Flat in Russia

Sofia Rusova was a young political journalist in a provincial Russian city when a lawmaker pursued her with sexual text messages, staked her out and even assaulted her near her apartment.

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Turkey Hits Out at Saudi-Owned Broadcaster over TV Soaps

A Turkish government minister has lashed out at a decision by Saudi-owned broadcaster MBC to stop airing Turkish soap operas, the state-run news agency Anadolu reported, amid ongoing tensions between Ankara and some Gulf Arab states.

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Reformist Pope, Murdered Archbishop to be Made Saints

Pope Paul VI, who oversaw sweeping reforms of the Catholic Church in the 1960s, will be made a saint along with a Salvadoran archbishop who was shot dead while celebrating mass, the Vatican said on Wednesday.

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Putin Hails 'Advantages' of Female Bosses ahead of Women's Day

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised female bosses and their "typically feminine traits" during a visit to a pastry factory ahead of International Women's Day. 

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Iranians Welcome Louvre Show despite Tense Diplomacy

Iranians gave a warm welcome to a new exhibition by France's Louvre on Tuesday -- the first major show by a foreign museum in the country. 

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Saudi-Owned MBC Takes Hit Turkish Soaps Off-Air

Saudi-owned broadcaster MBC has stopped airing Turkish soap operas, a spokesman said on Tuesday, prompting fans to take to social media to express dismay.

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Saudi Women Will Drive but Face Bumpy Road to Empowerment

Mervat Bukhari, a force of nature draped head-to-toe in Islamic niqab, braved insults and taunts to become the first Saudi woman to work at a gas station, something unimaginable not long ago.

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'No Dancing': Saudi Concert Edict Stirs Ridicule

A "No dancing or swaying" instruction on tickets to Egyptian pop sensation Tamer Hosny's upcoming concert in Saudi Arabia has triggered an avalanche of mockery and ridicule on social media.

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Historic Yemen Town Fights to Survive as War Closes in

Once Yemen's capital and famed as an architectural marvel of early Islam, the town of Zabid is fighting to survive as a brutal war closes in on its fortified walls.

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'Adults Only': Ads and Viral Videos Aim to Sex Up Russian Election

A topless model lies in front of a Russian flag, apparently studying a campaign brochure, as a second young woman prepares to cast a vote in her lingerie.

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