Berlin  - The systematic persecution of Jews in Germany began soon after Hitler came to power in January 1933 and led to the state- orchestrated mass slaughter of the Holocaust. Following is a brief chronology of the events:

1933 - Boycott of Jewish businesses, attorneys, and physicians. Law for the Reestablishment of the Civil Service results in the firing of Jewish professors from universities.

1934-35 - "No Jews" signs placed with increasing frequency outside shops, restaurants and public recreation facilities. Employment ban on Jewish actors and authors. Medical and law students barred from sitting exams. Nuremberg racial laws outlaw marriage and out-of- wedlock relationships between Jews and "Aryans."

Washington, Nov 7: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that advanced economies might continue to face recession during the next year, and that their economies would shrink by 0.3 percent in 2009 instead of registering a 0.5 percent growth, as estimated earlier.

The 185-nation financial institution said this in an update of its October World Economic Outlook (WEO) report.

Dhaka, Nov 7: Former Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina Wajed last evening returned home to lead her party in December parliamentary elections. She spent the past five months in the US getting medical treatment.

Police said more than two lakh supporters packed the route to the airport to greet their leader after the emergency government this week lifted all curbs on political rallies ahead of the first polls in seven years.

Washington  - The International Monetary Fund's executive board on Thursday approved emergency loans for Ukraine and Hungary, both of which have found themselves in severe financial jeopardy in amid a global credit crisis.

The IMF's 24-member board backed a 15.7-billion-dollar loan for Hungary and 16.4 billion dollars for Ukraine. Both are two-year deals, and each country will get access to about one fifth of the loans immediately.