Swiss Politics

Hopes revived of WTO deal

This content was published on Jul 26, 2008 Other ministers were also positive but warned in Geneva on Friday that much work was still needed to get full agreement on the delicately crafted proposal. The optimistic tone was a remarkable turnaround from the gloom at the WTO earlier in the day, when Director-General Pascal Lamy warned that talks were on the brink of…

Injured pride could explain Libyan actions

This content was published on Jul 25, 2008 The professor of Islamic studies at Bern University believes the political crisis between Switzerland and Libya – triggered by the arrest in Geneva on July 15 of a son of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi – is likely to continue for some weeks. The Swiss foreign ministry has expressed concern about the detention of two Swiss…

Swiss Politics

Swiss mission to Libya returns empty-handed

This content was published on Jul 25, 2008 The cabinet held an extraordinary meeting on Friday after a Swiss delegation returned from Tripoli where it held unfruitful talks with foreign ministry officials. The cabinet discussed the unilateral measures taken by the Libyan authorities. No decision was made about possible retaliatory steps against Libya. Tripoli still refuses to grant access to two Swiss citizens…

Swiss Politics

Leuthard criticises WTO exclusion

This content was published on Jul 25, 2008 WTO talks continued in Geneva on Thursday and focused on tariff reductions, but included only seven major parties: the United States, the European Union, India, Brazil, Japan, Australia, and China. Leuthard aimed her criticism at WTO Director General Pascal Lamy and criticised the composition of the group, which did not include countries that like Switzerland…

Swiss Politics

Swiss attempt to defuse tension with Libya

This content was published on Jul 23, 2008 The North African oil-exporting country has recalled some of its diplomats, suspended the issuing of visas for Swiss citizens, cut down flights to Switzerland and detained two Swiss nationals on various charges. “Swiss companies in Libya have received orders to close and some company offices have been sealed,” Markus Börlin, head of the foreign ministry’s…

Swiss Politics

Protecting rights of natural disaster victims

This content was published on Jul 23, 2008 Switzerland’s Walter Kälin, representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, told swissinfo the aim was to reduce the number of victims by better preparing people living in high-risk areas. Working together with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the expert has established guidelines to improve the…

Swiss Politics

Government protests against Libyan sanctions

This content was published on Jul 23, 2008 It said that since last Thursday Gaddafi’s government had detained Swiss citizens in Libya, demanded the closure of Swiss firms present in the country and recalled some of its diplomatic representatives to Switzerland. Libya has also stopped processing visa requests from Swiss, and on Wednesday announced that the airline, Swiss, would have to reduce its…

Swiss Politics

Karadzic arrest not simply an issue of revenge

This content was published on Jul 23, 2008 swissinfo talked to political scientist Thomas Fleiner to try to find out what the arrest of Karadzic means in practice. The law professor has acted as an advisor to the Serbian government. Karadzic, who was arrested on Monday, had been on the run for more than a decade, eluding the former chief prosecutor of the…

Swiss Politics

Radovan Karadzic arrested in Serbia

This content was published on Jul 22, 2008 Karadzic had been on the run for more than a decade. The failure to catch him had been a source of regret for the former chief prosecutor at the United Nations tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Swiss lawyer Carla Del Ponte. Karadzic was charged with organising the deadly siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre…

Swiss Politics

Army chief suspended amid sex scandal charges

This content was published on Jul 21, 2008 It is the latest step in an ongoing controversy over the appointment of Nef as chief commander a year ago and the role of Defence Minister Samuel Schmid. “I asked the chief commander to put an end to the assumptions, rumours and allegations. He has until August 20 to confirm the confidence put in him,”…

Swiss Politics

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Hopes revived of WTO deal

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Injured pride could explain Libyan actions

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Swiss mission to Libya returns empty-handed

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Leuthard criticises WTO exclusion

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Swiss attempt to defuse tension with Libya

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Protecting rights of natural disaster victims

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Government protests against Libyan sanctions

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Karadzic arrest not simply an issue of revenge

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Radovan Karadzic arrested in Serbia

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Army chief suspended amid sex scandal charges

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