Microsoft Removes Offending Swastika

Software giant Microsoft said it is offering tools to remove and replace two swastikas that were inadvertently included in its latest version of Office software. The swastika, which was made infamous as the symbol of the Nazi regime, was included in Microsoft’s “Bookshelf Symbol 7” font. Microsoft Office product manager Simon Marks said the font was derived from a Japanese font set. “It was discovered by one of our customers a couple weeks ago,” Marks said, adding that there was no malicious intent. Microsoft said a utility would be immediately available on its web site to remove the characters from the system. Other tools will be released at a later date to remove only the offending characters.