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S. Korea to Crack Down on Sexy Performance by Minors

South Korea authorities said Wednesday they were taking steps to curb over-sexualized performances by teenaged stars of the country's thriving K-pop scene.

Proposed revisions to the existing Youth Protection Law would slap an R-rating on films, music videos and TV shows that placed an exaggerated sexual emphasis on young singers and bands they feature.

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Pakistan Floods Kill 455, Affect Five Million

Monsoon floods in Pakistan have killed 455 people over the past five weeks and affected more than five million, according to the latest figures from the government's disaster relief agency.

Pakistan suffered devastating floods in the past two years, including the worst in its history in 2010 when catastrophic inundations across the country killed almost 1,800 people and affected 21 million.

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Apple Sets Oct 23 Event for Expected iPad Mini Launch

Apple sent out invitations Tuesday for an event in exactly one week's time where the company is widely expected to unveil a new "iPad Mini," a smaller version of its market-leading tablet computer.

"We've got a little more to show you," said the invitations for the October 23 event in San Jose, California.

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Study: Survival Reflex Sparks Male Perception Bias

You glimpse a stranger standing in the street. The light is hazy and the person's face and clothing are indistinct. Who is it?

Chances are you will think it is a man -- and the reason for this is a survival reflex, according to an unusual study published on Wednesday.

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Cruise Ship Crew Member Dies of Meningitis in Italy

An Indonesian cruise ship crew member died of meningitis on Tuesday, nine days after being hospitalized with three colleagues in the western Italian port city of Livorno, health sources said.

Ermandiasa I Gede, 32, died despite intensive attempts to save him since he was hospitalized on October 7.

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Indonesia's Mentally Ill Shackled and Forgotten

Between rice fields and coconut trees on Indonesia's "paradise" island of Bali, a man lies chained by the ankles to a rotting wooden bed in a garden, staring at roosters tottering by.

I Ketut Lingga, 54, has schizophrenia and is one of more than 15,000 Indonesians with a mental illness who are either chained, caged or placed in primitive stocks, according to health ministry data.

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Concern as HIV Cases Rise 8% in Australia

Research on Wednesday showed HIV infections in Australia jumped eight percent last year and 50 percent in the past decade, which health activists said was a "call to action".

An annual report of HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections in Australia showed there were 1,137 new cases of the human immunodeficiency virus in 2011 -- an 8.2 percent increase from 2010.

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Uruguay Poised to Legalize Abortion

Uruguay is set Wednesday to become only the second country in mostly Catholic South America to legalize abortion, in a shift one top official says makes it a regional health care leader.

With more cows than people, this sleepy, well-educated nation of just three million sandwiched between Argentina and Brazil, might seem an unlikely trailblazer on the public health front.

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French Luxury Firm Longchamp Eyes China Expansion

French luxury handbag maker Longchamp is eyeing a huge expansion in China despite the country's economic slowdown, its chief executive said as the firm opened a new store in Hong Kong Wednesday.

The 64-year-old family-owned brand, famous for its colored fold-up nylon and leather totes, said it was optimistic about the Asian market, especially China, as European economies -- its main markets -- remain "unfavorable".

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Giroud Earns France a Late Draw in Spain

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud grabbed a last minute header to earn France a 1-1 draw with Spain in Madrid in Tuesday night's Group I World Cup qualifier.

Sergio Ramos gave Spain a first half lead that the World and European champions never looked like defending in an uncustomary nervy second-half performance.

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