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Bangladesh Booksellers Warned Not to Offend Muslims

Bangladesh's largest book fair began in Dhaka on Wednesday, with police warning organizers against selling books that hurt "religious sentiment" in the Muslim-majority country.

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Irish Author First Novelist to Win Costa Prize Twice

Irish writer Sebastian Barry on Tuesday became the first novelist to scoop the Costa Book of the Year award twice, with his portrayal of an 1850s gay relationship between US soldiers.

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Harvard Scholars: Travel Ban Deprives US of Best, Brightest

Harvard Medical School professor Thomas Michel was so excited about recruiting Iranian researcher Soheil Saravi, he put Saravi's name on the door of his Boston lab when his new hire got his visa.

Then President Donald Trump's travel ban took effect, blocking Saravi from entering the U.S.

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Trump to Keep Obama LGBT Workplace Protections

President Donald Trump will continue to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace, the White House said Tuesday.

An executive order signed by then President Barack Obama in 2014, which protects employees "from anti-LGBTQ workplace discrimination while working for federal contractors, will remain intact at the direction of President Donald J. Trump."

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S. Korea Unveils Controversial State History Textbooks

South Korea's government on Tuesday unveiled the final version of state-issued school history textbooks despite criticism that they are a throwback to the country's authoritarian past.

The education ministry published middle and high school history textbooks even as parliament is moving to ban their use. Legislators say they glorify the dictatorship of Park Chung-Hee, late father of impeached President Park Geun-Hye.

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Pan-Islamic Body Warns Trump's Travel Ban Emboldens Extremists

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation warned on Monday that the travel ban imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump would strengthen the position of extremists worldwide.

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Jihadist Rule in Mosul Sparked Backlash against Religion

In recaptured areas of Mosul, the extreme interpretation of Islam that jihadists forced on the local population for more than two years has sparked a backlash against religious observance.

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Netherlands Launches Fund after Trump Cuts Abortion Funds

The Netherlands on Saturday launched a website to attract international donations to compensate for a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to end funding to foreign charities that support abortion, the foreign ministry said.

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Miami's Little Havana Named a 'National Treasure'

Little Havana, the neighborhood that is the heart and soul of Miami's Cuban diaspora, was named a U.S. "national treasure" on Friday.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private organization, added the neighborhood to its list of sites it believes should be protected from developers, saying in a statement that it "stands as a testament to the immigrant spirit that built America."

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Czech Court Nixes Discrimination Suit in School Hijab Ban

A Czech court on Friday rejected a discrimination suit by a Somali refugee who was banned from wearing a hijab in a nursing school, the first case of its kind in the EU state.

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