Swiss Politics

EU approves Swiss membership of Schengen

This content was published on Nov 27, 2008 As of December 12 systematic checks on individuals will be abolished and cooperation will be increased in the fight against cross-border crime. EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels unanimously approved the treaty with Switzerland on Thursday, according to the EU presidency. While terrestrial borders will no longer have passport control points, goods traffic will still…

Swiss Politics

No end to Middle East “three-sided poker game”

This content was published on Nov 26, 2008 In an address to the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday night, ambassador Peter Maurer also mentioned signs of hope: positive political developments in Lebanon and indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel. Maurer’s statement marked the third time since the beginning of November that the government has broached the conflict. But Middle…

Swiss Politics

Smoking set to become more expensive

This content was published on Nov 26, 2008 The finance ministry said the 30-centime hike, to come into effect in March, was part of health prevention efforts and was aimed at generating more tax revenue. Experts say the gradual increase in cigarette prices since 2001 has led to a marked drop in sales and has helped reduce the number of smokers by 150,000.…

Swiss Politics

Cabinet backs Swiss Spanish Civil War fighters

This content was published on Nov 26, 2008 Backing a motion from a parliamentary legal commission, the cabinet said the punishments handed down to the volunteers when they returned home no longer corresponded to contemporary sense of justice. It added that history had shown that those fighting for democracy between 1936 and 1939 deserved recognition. Civil war broke out in Spain after an…

Swiss Politics

Wolf attack (video from 2007)

This content was published on Nov 26, 2008 Wolves crossing into Switzerland from the south are thought to be responsible for two attacks on sheep flocks in canton Bern over the past few months, in which 14 animals have died. The wolf is an endangered species and is heavily protected, so the Bernese authorities and sheep farmers have agreed on a strategy that…

Swiss Politics

Predator influx poses problems

This content was published on Nov 26, 2008 A decentralised cantonal approach to controlling lynx, wolf and bear populations could endanger the long-term development of the animals, WWF Switzerland said on Tuesday. “We often recognise that Swiss federalism is sometimes difficult because every canton can pretty much decide on its own what to do,” Kurt Eichenberger, project leader for biodiversity, told swissinfo. “We…

Swiss Politics

UBS executives forgo bonuses

This content was published on Nov 25, 2008 Two-thirds was due to Ospel, with the remainder going to former vice-president Stephan Haeringer and former finance chief Marco Suter, confirmed a spokesman for the three on Tuesday. A bank statement said the three men were reacting to their roles in the decisions that have cost UBS more than $40 billion in writedowns and losses…

Short suspended sentences fall

This content was published on Nov 25, 2008 The Federal Statistics Office said on Tuesday that in 2007 there had been a 99 per cent decrease on the previous year. It said however that in 85 per cent of cases financial sanctions were imposed, adding that most were conditional and in combination with a mandatory fine. The number of short prison sentences also…

Swiss Politics

Building a better life after work

This content was published on Nov 25, 2008 Ahead of a nationwide vote on a trade union plan to introduce flexible retirement at 62, swissinfo met Mario Renna and Donato Gemma from Bern. They say it is worth fighting for a long, healthy retirement after their years of hard work. Their story is the story of thousands of other Italians who came to…

Swiss Politics

Defence minister meets Putin

This content was published on Nov 24, 2008 A Swiss government spokesman said both men agreed on the need for Switzerland and Russia to “further develop relations”, without providing further details. Schmid and Putin met on Monday on the sidelines of an international conference commemorating the 140th anniversary of the St Petersburg Declaration that prohibits the use of certain explosive weapons. It was…

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Swiss Politics

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EU approves Swiss membership of Schengen

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No end to Middle East “three-sided poker game”

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Smoking set to become more expensive

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Cabinet backs Swiss Spanish Civil War fighters

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Wolf attack (video from 2007)

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Predator influx poses problems

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UBS executives forgo bonuses

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Short suspended sentences fall

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Building a better life after work

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Defence minister meets Putin

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