BERLIN -- Volkswagen Group, the world's largest carmaker by sales, has purchased a 49 percent share in German digital specialist diconium as part of a wider digitalization drive, the Wolfsburg-based company announced on Friday.

The latest Volkswagen investment, which is still subject to approval by antitrust authorities, comes shortly after the automotive industry giant entered a strategic partnership with U.S. software producer Microsoft to develop new cloud-computing services for its vehicles. According to Volkswagen the participation in Stuttgart-based diconium for an undisclosed price was intended to boost its digitalization-related know-how and business capabilities. (Germany-VW-Digital)

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BERLIN -- German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) has ruled out deporting Syrian asylum seekers to their country of origin until the security situation there improves, the magazine SPIEGEL reported on Friday.

According to SPIEGEL, Seehofer's stance was informed by an official report which was recently presented to him by the German Foreign Office. "At the moment, deportations cannot be conducted to any region of Syria," he told the magazine, adding that the policy "also applies to criminals." (Germany-Syria-Refugees)

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KHOST, Afghanistan -- At least nine people have been confirmed dead and 25 others sustained injuries in a blast that rocked a mosque of national army in Afghanistan's eastern Khost province on Friday, an army officer in the province Captain Abdullah said.

"The blast took place in a mosque of an army battalion when people gathered to offer Friday congregation, leaving nine persons dead and injuring 25 others," Abdullah told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Blast)

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SANAA -- The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, arrived on Friday in Yemen's embattled port city of Hodeidah, amid efforts to halt hostilities between warring forces ahead of peace talks, local officials said.

Griffiths was accompanied by the World Food Program chief for Yemen, Stephen Anderson, and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Lise Grande. (Yemen-UN-Hodeidah) Enditem

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