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Indonesian Lawmaker Quits Parliament Over Porn

An Indonesian lawmaker from a conservative Islamic party resigned on Monday after he was photographed looking at pornography on his tablet computer in parliament.

Despite an outcry against him on Twitter, Arifinto insisted that nobody had pressured him to resign and that he was stepping down from the House of Representatives "for the sake of my and my party's honor".

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Legal Action Against Two Mobile Operators Alfa and MTC in Lebanon

Cedarcom, the largest fixed and mobile wireless broadband data operator in Lebanon, has reiterated its position on broadband and 3G services in Lebanon.

"Cedarcom supports the implementation of the latest technologies in Lebanon, including VoIP, VDSL, fiber to the home, 3G, 4G, WiMAX (e & m), etc. and is supportive of implementing transparent regulations and enforcing fair competition on all operators as stated in Telecom Law 431/2002. Cedarcom is against the creation of a new monopoly in wireless broadband services," the firm said in a press release.

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British Tabloid Apologizes for Phone Hacking

The owner of Britain's News of the World tabloid offered an "unreserved apology" on Friday for phone hacking and said it would set up a compensation fund.

Rupert Murdoch's News International said it admitted liability in some cases brought against the News of the World, Britain's top-selling newspaper.

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Beyond Camping, Canoeing, Boy Scouts Add Robotics

Can a robot pitch a tent? If so, a Boy Scout who builds one might be able to earn two merit badges at once.

The Boy Scouts of America, which offers more than 120 badges ranging from archery to wilderness survival, next week will unveil a robotics merit badge meant to promote science, technology, engineering and math, fields collectively known as STEM. In doing so, the 101-year-old Texas-based organization is trying to remain relevant and better reflect boys' interests, said Matt Myers, who oversees the Boy Scouts' STEM initiative.

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Indonesian Couples Caned Over 'Extramarital Affairs'

Two couples were caned in Indonesia's staunchly Muslim Aceh province on Friday after being caught having extramarital affairs, a prosecutor said.

About two hundred people gathered after Friday prayers to watch the four people receive their allotted lashes at a mosque in the city of Jantho, southeast of the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.

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Belgian Archbishop Hit in Face With Custard Pie

A renowned Belgian prankster posted footage Wednesday showing the leader of Belgium's Roman Catholic Church Andre-Joseph Leonard being hit four times by custard pies.

Posted on YouTube by practical joker 'The Glooper,' who has already successfully targeted French President Nicolas Sarkozy and billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the clip was filmed during a speaking engagement at the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve, near Brussels.

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Taiwan Planning Special Sex Zones

Taiwan's government said Thursday it is planning to create legal red-light districts so that it can police the sex trade more easily and protect sex workers' rights.

Under the proposal, sex workers would be able to apply for licenses to operate in authorized zones and would be punished for plying their trade elsewhere, along with their clients.

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Carwan Gallery to Launch "Milan does Beirut"

Carwan Gallery will launch its first group show "Milan does Beirut" during Milan Design Week 2011 between April 12 and 17, and will present unique objects from seven contemporary designers who all share a unique talent and approach towards design craftsmanship.

Established in Beirut, Carwan is the first pop-up gallery promoting limited-edition design in the Middle East. Through exhibitions in various locations and worldwide design events, Carwan features the work of international cutting-edge designers. The gallery showcases unique contemporary objects such as collector furniture, lighting and "objets d'art".

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75 Year Old Woman 'Cuts Off Georgia-Armenia Internet'

Georgian police arrested a 75-year-old woman who single-handedly cut off Internet connections in Georgia and neighboring Armenia, the interior ministry in Tbilisi said on Wednesday.

The pensioner was digging for scrap metal when she hacked into a fiber-optic cable which runs through Georgia to Armenia, forcing many thousands of Internet users in both countries offline for several hours on March 28.

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Paper iPads Hot Sellers as Chinese Honor Dead

Death is no barrier to Chinese ancestors receiving the latest gadgets, with paper iPads, laptops and LCD TVs burned at gravesides across Asia to mark the Ching Ming festival this week.

Paper money, clothes, luxury cars and handbags have long been standard items for the Chinese festival, also known as grave-sweeping day, when replica offerings are burnt for the dead to use in the afterlife.

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