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Finnish goods exports rebound in 2025, growth driven by non-EU demand
HELSINKI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Finnish goods exports returned to growth in 2025 after two weak years, Finnish Customs reported on Thursday, with the increase driven entirely by demand outside the European Union (EU).
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Trump administration to end job protections for up to 50,000 federal workers
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will have more power to hire and fire up to 50,000 career federal employees in an overhaul of the government's civil service system announced by his administration on Thursday.
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U.S. dollar ticks up
NEW YORK, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar strengthened in late trading on Thursday.
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World
Canada announces new EV strategy to transform auto industry
OTTAWA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday announced a new electric vehicle (EV) strategy to transform the country's auto industry, with consumer incentives and corporate tax cuts.
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Italian police to get new arrest powers after Turin riot
ROME, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Italian police will be able to detain suspected troublemakers temporarily before street rallies to prevent them from spreading unrest under a new law-and-order decree adopted on Thursday by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's rightist government.
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Heavy rain forces over 143,000 to evacuate in N. Morocco
RABAT, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rain and severe flooding have forced more than 143,000 residents to evacuate their homes in northern Morocco in recent days, Morocco's Interior Ministry said Thursday.
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Iran's foreign minister heads to Muscat for nuclear talks with US
Feb 5 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has departed for the Omani capital Muscat at the head of a diplomatic delegation for nuclear talks with the U.S. due to be held on Friday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson said.
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Mexico arrests mayor of Tequila for extorting distillers in alleged cartel scheme
MEXICO CITY, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities on Thursday arrested the mayor of the municipality of Tequila, birthplace of the agave spirit, for allegedly extorting major distillers in collusion with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
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World
Roundup: Portugal braces for more storms after deadly weather batters
LISBON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- A series of powerful Atlantic storm systems has swept across Portugal in recent weeks, leaving at least 11 people dead and hundreds more injured or displaced, while causing widespread damage to infrastructure. Authorities have also warned that another round of severe weather could hit the country as early as next week.
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Kenya's Kipchoge sees Olympic flagbearer role as huge opportunity
NAIROBI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan marathon great Eliud Kipchoge said he is honored to be named one of the Olympic flagbearers during Friday's opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
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Almaty signs as host city for 10th Asian Winter Games in 2029
MILAN, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held the signing ceremony of the Host City Contract for the 10th Asian Winter Games here on Thursday, officially confirming Kazakhstan's Almaty as the host city.
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U.S. embassy cuts ties with Polish official over Trump insults
WARSAW, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Embassy will have "no further dealings" with Polish parliament speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty after he insulted U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose said on Thursday.
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Uganda to compete in ISF Football World Cup in China
KAMPALA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Uganda will compete in the 2026 International School Sport Federation (ISF) Football World Cup to be held in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou.
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OECD report urges Bulgaria to boost business productivity, address fiscal pressures
SOFIA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Boosting business productivity and addressing fiscal pressures would unlock stronger and more resilient growth in Bulgaria, according to a report released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Thursday.
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World
Venezuela amnesty law for jailed protesters passes first vote
Feb 5 (Reuters) - An amnesty law being considered in Venezuela's legislature that would grant immediate clemency to people jailed for participating in political protests or critiquing public figures won initial lawmaker approval on Thursday.
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2nd LD Writethru: Bank of England maintains interest rate at 3.75 pct
LONDON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of England (BoE) has kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.75 percent, Britain's central bank said in a statement on Thursday.
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2nd LD Writethru: ECB holds interest rates steady
FRANKFURT, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday decided to leave key interest rates unchanged at its first monetary policy meeting of 2026, marking the fifth consecutive hold since July 2025.
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Several thousand people evacuated in southern Spain amid storm Leonardo
MADRID, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Torrential rains brought by storm Leonardo have forced the evacuation of around 3,000 to 5,000 people across southern Spain, including the entire population of the small hillside town of Grazalema in Cadiz province, local authorities said on Thursday.
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WADA chief Banka voices optimism on U.S. ties, funding in Milan
MILAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Banka addressed multiple critical issues, including relationship with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), at a press conference here on Thursday.
