The Fort Worth Press - Boulevard (English)

China rebuffs Australia's concern over health of detained writer

Beijing on Tuesday pushed back against claims from Canberra that a detained Australian writer was being arbitrarily held and not receiving adequate medical support despite his declining health.

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Pakistani police officer killed in gun battle with local Taliban

A police officer was killed and two others injured in a shootout with Pakistan's Taliban in Islamabad, officials said Tuesday, a rare attack by the militants in the heavily guarded capital.

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Court blocks South Korea speed skating champion's Olympic bid: Yonhap

South Korean speed skating star Shim Suk-hee's Beijing Olympic hopes were dashed Tuesday as she lost a court battle over a two-month ban that will rule her out of the Winter Games, local media reported.

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Five facts about disaster-hit Tonga

The Pacific island nation of Tonga has suffered widespread damage after a huge underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami on the weekend.

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Japan's 'invisible' disabled artisans fight for spotlight

In a trendy Tokyo neighbourhood, customers browse the wares at Majerca, a shop stocked with handmade items from scarves to glassware, all produced by people with disabilities.

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Martin Luther King's family joins call for US voting reform

Members of Martin Luther King Jr's family joined marchers Monday in Washington urging Congress to pass voting rights reform as the United States marked the holiday commemorating the slain civil rights leader.

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Distress signal detected in low-lying Tongan island

A distress signal has been detected in a low-lying Tongan island following the volcanic eruption and tsunami, the United Nations said Tuesday as the first death was reported.

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Three dead as Yemeni rebels hit Abu Dhabi in 'warning' shot

Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed attacks in Abu Dhabi that triggered a fuel tank blast killing three people Monday, and warned civilians and foreign firms in the UAE to avoid "vital installations".

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At least 26 killed in Afghan earthquake

At least 26 people were killed after an earthquake hit western Afghanistan on Monday, an official said.

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Disbelief in Blackburn after local man stages Texas hostage siege

Community leaders in Blackburn, northwest England, on Monday voiced their shock after a local man took four people hostage more than 4,500 miles (7,400 kilometres) away at a Texas synagogue.

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'Dr Mabuse' placed under house arrest for inciting doping in cycling

Former French cycling medical advisor Bernard Sainz, alias Dr Mabuse, was sentenced Monday to 12 months under house arrest with electronic monitoring for illegally practising medicine and pharmacology and inciting doping.

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Texas rabbi describes moment he threw a chair at gunman in hostage stand-off

The rabbi of a Texas synagogue that was the scene of a hostage stand-off recounted Monday how he threw a chair at the gunman, allowing those being held to escape.

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Turkey ignores deadline to release rights leader

A Turkish court on Monday extended the detention of a civil society leader whose case has set Ankara on a collision course with Europe's top human rights body and Western allies.

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Sweden probes drone flights over nuclear plants

Sweden's intelligence service is launching an investigation into several drone flights that took place over nuclear power plants in the country over the weekend, the agency said Monday.

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