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Russia mulls anti-corruption tests among public servants

Russian state officials might be subject to psychological tests on their corruption-resistance qualities, according to an initiative revealed by the country's Ministry of Labour and Social Protection on Wednesday.

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German auto-maker to reach record production in 2015: industry group

​German car-makers were expected to produce more than 15 million cars for the first time in 2015, said an industry group on Tuesday, attributing the main momentum to demands from China and the United States markets.

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Battle over immigration reform brewing in U.S.

​A battle over immigration reform is brewing in Washington after President Barack Obama's announcement last month that he would act alone and issue an executive order to prevent the deportation of millions of illegal immigrants.

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Nigeria sign prisoner exchange agreement with UK

​Nigeria on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) on prisoner exchange arrangements and immigration issues, an official said.

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Captain of shipwrecked Francesco Schettino gives first testimony

Former captain of Concordia cruise ship Francesco Schettino gave his first testimony at the trial ongoing in the Italian city of Grosseto on Tuesday, and the chief prosecutor announced he would ask a 20-year jail sentence for him, Italian media reported.

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Japan must loose idealistic self-image to tackle conundrum of swelling NEET population

​Japanese politicians have recently expressed growing concern about the rising numbers of a section of society aged roughly between 15 and 34 known both in Japan and globally by the acronym NEET (Not In Education, Employment or Training), as the government desperately tries to reboot the employment market as part of its bid to yank the world's third- largest economy out of recession and back on a recovery path.

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Long-awaited deposit insurance harbinger for further reforms

China is undergoing one of the boldest financial reforms so far this year following the central bank's publishing of draft rules on a deposit insurance system.

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Indonesian president pledges to seriously tackle forest fires

​Indonesian President Joko Widodo has pledged a decisive commitment to tackle the devastating forest fire problem in Sumatra, planning to strengthen legal basis to protect the forest and peatland areas.

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Study finds graphene potentially useful in fuel cell technology

Graphene, impermeable to gases and liquids, can easily allow protons to pass through it, suggesting it could be a promising candidate for use in hydrogen fuel cells, according to a new study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.

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Iran says nuclear deal may not be reached by deadline: report

A comprehensive nuclear deal could hardly be finalized by the Nov. 24 deadline, and all sides might discuss another extension by Sunday night, an Iranian official was quoted as saying.

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Hong Kong court rejects protesters' appeal against injunctions

​Hong Kong's high court Thursday refused to hear an appeal by Occupy Central protesters against injunctions to clear the barricades in occupied areas of Mong Kok.

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Road charging in Europe easier said than done

​Europe's new transport commissioner Violeta Bulc has arguably one of the most challenging jobs in the entire European Commission (EC).

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Germany plans extra 10-bln-euro public investment

Germany plans extra 10-bln-euro public investment

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Czech spa to treat Chinese child patients

Czech health ministry spokeswoman Stepanka Cechova announced on Wednesday that a spa in Karlova Studanka, north Moravia would treat about 120 Chinese child patients who are suffering from respiratory diseases. The agreement was signed by Czech health minister Svatopluk Nemecek during Czech President Milos Zeman's October visit to China.

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Israel recalls ambassador amid Sweden's recognition of Palestinian state

Israel recalled its ambassador to Sweden on Thursday in protest of the Scandinavian country's decision to recognize a Palestinian state, a source with the Foreign Ministry confirmed to Xinhua.

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Nigeria contributes 506 volunteers to Ebola-affected countries

Nigeria would soon deploy 506 volunteer health workers to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the three Ebola-stricken West African countries, to help control the spread of the deadly disease, a top government health official said on Thursday.

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Lebanon fears Syrian gunmen opening new front in south: sources

​Lebanon fears that militants of the al-Qaeda linked group, the al-Nusra Front, would open a new front in southern Lebanon for cross-border attacks from their positions in southern Syria, a military source said on Thursday.