Swiss Abroad

Swiss-Iranian relations take a new track

This content was published on Jan 21, 2011 The sanctions are aimed at forcing Iran to comply with United Nations resolutions designed to ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. In explaining the move, announced at a news conference on Wednesday, Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Amman said the measures had been taken to make sure that Switzerland is not used to bypass…

Swiss Politics

Bern resumes repatriation flights to Nigeria

This content was published on Jan 21, 2011 Flights to Lagos were put on hold after the death in March last year of a failed Nigerian asylum seeker as he was about to board the plane at Zurich airport. The deputy director of the Federal Migration Office, Eveline Gugger Bruckdorfer, confirmed on Swiss television on Thursday evening that three Nigerians had left Switzerland…

Swiss Politics

Price hikes for road and rail transport network

This content was published on Jan 20, 2011 It also proposes a gradual and targeted price hike for public rail transport to fund the maintenance and upgrading of the rail network. “Nowadays the tickets do not even pay for 50 per cent of the costs of the train lines,” Transport Minister Doris Leuthard told a news conference on Thursday. The proposals, including the…

Swiss Politics

Minister calls for credible asylum policy

This content was published on Jan 20, 2011 Speaking at the Swiss Asylum Symposium in Bern on Thursday, Sommaruga said Switzerland must preserve its humanitarian tradition while enforcing the law. The current asylum policy had too little support from the general public, she said. “Although asylum policy isn’t undergoing a major crisis in my view, there’s a need for action,” Sommaruga said, pointing…

Swiss Politics

WikiLeaks claims US and Swiss struck UBS deal

This content was published on Jan 20, 2011 A “secret” US dispatch published by Norway’s Aftenposten newspaper alleged that the Swiss government had said it would shut down the activities of the Swedish firm Colenco which was believed to be violating sanctions in Iran. Last year’s Swiss president, Doris Leuthard, had also reaffirmed to the US that Switzerland was prepared to accept “several…

Swiss Politics

Lone campaigner counts on online support

This content was published on Jan 20, 2011 A former banker argues the SNB ran up a multi-billion franc deficit and debts because it spent part of its assets outside the country. “We have to go to the root of the problem,” Marc Meyer told a news conference on Thursday. Meyer says he plans to collect the necessary signatures – at least 100,000…

Swiss Politics

Suicide appeal dismissed by European court

This content was published on Jan 20, 2011 In a ruling on Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg dismissed an appeal by the 58-year-old man, who after two suicide attempts in 2004 turned to Dignitas, a Swiss assisted suicide organisation. However, no doctor was prepared to write a prescription for the necessary 15 grams of sodium pentobarbital, which is available…

Swiss Politics

Freezing of presidential accounts welcomed

This content was published on Jan 19, 2011 A sensible decision, according to international corruption expert Mark Pieth, although he tells swissinfo.ch that illicit funds may already have been moved elsewhere. Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey announced the cabinet’s decision at a news conference in Bern on Wednesday. Calmy-Rey said the freezing of assets would apply for a three-year period to…

Swiss Politics

Swiss freeze Tunisian accounts

This content was published on Jan 19, 2011 The seven-member cabinet also agreed to freeze any assets belonging to Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast, who is clinging to power despite having lost a presidential election to Alassane Ouattara in November. “The government decided at its meeting today [Wednesday] to freeze any funds in Switzerland of the ex-Tunisian president and his entourage with immediate…

Swiss Politics

Swiss impose tougher sanctions on Iran

This content was published on Jan 19, 2011 As of Thursday, Switzerland can no longer export military equipment to Iran or goods that could be used for internal social repression. Further sanctions are in place for materials that could be used for nuclear proliferation, according to a decision by the Swiss cabinet on Wednesday. The funding of certain goods used by oil and…

Swiss Abroad

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Swiss Abroad

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Swiss-Iranian relations take a new track

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Bern resumes repatriation flights to Nigeria

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Price hikes for road and rail transport network

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Minister calls for credible asylum policy

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WikiLeaks claims US and Swiss struck UBS deal

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Lone campaigner counts on online support

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Suicide appeal dismissed by European court

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Freezing of presidential accounts welcomed

More

Swiss freeze Tunisian accounts

More

Swiss impose tougher sanctions on Iran

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