International News January 12-18

Germany Mulls $135 Billion Emergency Fund

The German government is going over an emergency fund of up to $135 billion for struggling companies, The Wall Street Journal reports. In December, unemployment grew for the first time after 2006, reaching 7.6% of the occupation force, as the established information revealed. Last month, 18,000 people became unemployed, more than was expected by the economists and 700,000 may be out of work this year. “This is the turning point for the labor market,” said Jοrg Kramer, chief economist at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

Gaza War Faces Outcry From U.N, Red Cross

Aid groups all over the world were sent to Israel on Thursday over the war in Gaza, The New York Times reports. However, the United Nations postponed its aid operations because one of its drivers was shot dead and two others were injured driving United Nations flagged vehicles and organizing proceedings with the Israeli army. John Holmes, a United Nations emergency relief coordinator, said the Gaza authorities counted 758 fatalities, from which 257 were children and 56 women. Moreover from the estimated 3,100 injured people, 1,080 were children and 465 women, numbers that imply “The continuing violence is making humanitarian aid increasingly difficult and almost impossible,” Holmes said. Meanwhile, according to AFP, in one day 25 rockets were fired into Israel, on Jan. 4. On Jan. 8, Israel was attacked by Lebanon, Reuters reports.

Anti-Government Editor Killed In Sri Lanka

This week in Sri Lanka the editor of an anti-government newspaper was killed, The Times of London reports. The editor was shot dead in his car on his way to work. The President Rajapaksa rebuked the act and commanded an investigation into his close friend’s death that was a fearless journalist. “This heinous crime points to the grave dangers faced by the democratic social order of our country,” he said. This wasn’t the first assault as the biggest private television station, Maharaja TV, was totally destroyed. Although Sri Lanka’s military keeps to surrounds the last entrenchments of the Tamil Tiger guerrillas, fears continue to rise like the increase in ethnic and political determent by the Government.

Vatican-Israel Relations In Tense

Relations between Israel and the Vatican continue to be in tense after Pope Benedict called Gaza “a big concentration camp,” Reuters reports. Israel criticized Cardinal Renato Martino, who was set against violence by both Israel and Hamas Islamists. “We are astounded to hear from a spiritual dignitary words that are so far removed from truth and dignity,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told Reuters.

Bruce Lee’s Home Turned Into Museum

A baron from Hong Kong has been given the permission to reconstruct and convert the house of late martial-arts icon Bruce Lee, into a museum, CBC reports. Yu Panglin, the owner of Bruce Lee’s property, reached an agreement with City officials by donating the 520-square-meter property to the city. The reconstruction of the kung Fu’s star home is to reach CA$15.4 million. Bruce Lee, a movie star who died in 1973, starred in kung fu classics including First Of Fury, Game Of Death and Enter The Dragon.

Art To Be Returned To Dutch Jews

The Dutch government set forward a CA$2.1 million investigation to help Netherlands museums find works of art that could be have been taken from Dutch Jews before and after World War II, CBC reports. The research will be in collections of about 100 museums and will likely last four years. Side Weide, director of the National Association of Museums, believes more than 100 pieces of art are questionable.