Poland
Infamous Auschwitz Sign Returned
The infamous ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ sign at Auschwitz concentration camp, which was stolen last month, was returned to the camp’s museum on Thursday. It is not clear yet if the sign, which was swiftly retrieved by police after a nationwide search, will be put back in place. The museum will attempt to repair the sign which was cut into different parts during its theft. The sign was replaced by a replica by the museum after the theft. The police said that the crime was likely commissioned by foreign collectors of Nazi memorabilia. The sign, which literally means ‘Labor sets you free’, became a widely known symbol after World War II representing the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany.
Italy
Italy One Step Closer to Controversial ‘Short Trial’ Bill
A majority of Italy’s Senate approved a draft version of the controversial ’short trial' bill on Wednesday. The bill, which aims to bring a end long court trials, would do the same for trials in which the country’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is currently involved. Critics say that the bill was created specifically to suit the prime minister’s needs. Berlusconi, 73, said he has been saddled with 109 trials and 200 million euros (US$282.6 million) in legal fees over the past 15 years, and was never convicted, reported Reuters. Last year, Berlusconi lost his immunity when the highest court in Italy ruled that a legislation aimed at protecting the PM from going to trial while in office violated the constitution. The new law aims to set a limit of 6.5-10 years for court cases depending on the crime. The bill will now move to the lower house where Berlusconi enjoys majority support.
Nigeria
Sectarian Violence Kill Hundreds
Nigerian vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, ordered the army to take over security in the central Nigerian city of Jos, after days of sectarian violence that reportedly killed more than 200 Christians and Muslims. An estimated over 10,000 Nigerians have died in sectarian violence in the last decade. Opposition parties and top lawyers in Africa’s most populous nation say that the country has been in a power vacuum in recent months in the absence of the president. Nigeria’s president, Umaru Yar'Adua has been hospitalized in Saudi Arabia since Nov. 23 last year.
International
IMF Head Seeks Major ‘Marshall Plan’ for Haiti
Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has called for a major international aid plan to rebuild Haiti. Strauss-Kahn said on Wednesday in IMF Survey Magazine that a large scale approach is needed to rebuild Haiti. “Not only a piecemeal approach, but something which is much bigger to deal with the reconstruction of the country—some kind of a Marshall Plan that we need now to implement for Haiti,” he said. So far, the IMF has promised an interest-free loan of $100 million in initial emergency funds. The IMF said that part of the strategy will be to work with donors to delete the Haitian debt by turning it into grants.
Japan
Citizenship Rules Relaxed to Attract Professionals
Japan’s justice ministry announced a new immigration policy that will make it easier for highly-skilled professionals to become Japanese citizens. The move is a bid to ensure future economic growth in the face of a shrinking population. Researchers, doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs will be favored under the new point system, similar to ones used in Canada and Britain. Foreigners will be allowed to apply for permanent resident status after living in Japan for five years compared to the current 10 years. The new rules will also make it tougher for foreign nationals of Japanese descent to gain citizenship, reversing the policy from the early 1990s when labor was badly needed and large numbers came from Brazil and Peru.
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