Swiss Politics

Swiss satisfied with Euro 2008 progress

This content was published on Jan 27, 2006 Christian Mutschler says he is confident that disagreements over who should foot the bill for the football championships, hosted jointly by Switzerland and neighbouring Austria, will be ironed out. It was revealed last month that the cost of staging the championships in Switzerland had mushroomed from an initial estimate of SFr10.5 million ($8.3 million) to…

Swiss Politics

Leuenberger continues diplomatic marathon

This content was published on Jan 26, 2006 Economics Minister Joseph Deiss hardly had a quiet day – he resumed the search for a free-trade accord between the United States and Switzerland with US trade representative Rob Portman. The day after discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Pakistan’s president Pervez Musharraf, Leuenberger pushed the Swiss case with the Chinese deputy prime minister,…

Swiss Politics

Hamas victory comes as little surprise

This content was published on Jan 26, 2006 Both sides said Hamas’s strong showing over the ruling Fatah movement presented an opportunity for change, but could also complicate efforts towards peace. Unofficial results showed that Hamas was the clear winner in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections – the first to be held in ten years. Admitting electoral defeat, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei of Fatah tendered…

Swiss Politics

Swiss support Palestinian election

This content was published on Jan 25, 2006 Voting on Wednesday was said to be proceeding smoothly. The militant group Hamas is expected to pose a stiff challenge to the ruling Fatah Party. The Swiss foreign ministry says it is important the Palestinian Authority receives new democratic legitimacy through the ballot box. Speaking after casting his vote in the West Bank town of…

Swiss Politics

WEF takes stock of new world order

This content was published on Jan 25, 2006 High on the agenda at the five-day forum are the risks and opportunities posed by the emergence of China and India and the revolution in new technologies. For its 36th annual meeting the Geneva-based WEF has rounded up 2,340 participants to chew over a list of concerns ranging from Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Iraq through…

Swiss Politics

Swiss army out in full force in Davos

This content was published on Jan 24, 2006 Criticised in past years, the army’s deployment in Davos is less controversial this time around. The lion’s share of the militia force has been in place since mid-January, taking part in mandatory military “refresher courses”. These soldiers are being called up to provide security for the Davos meeting. They are responsible for securing the roads…

Swiss Politics

UN disarmament conference “in crisis”

This content was published on Jan 24, 2006 The annual conference, which gets underway in Geneva this week, aims to rid the world of weapons – both nuclear and conventional – through peaceful negotiation. But in recent years the talks have become bogged down by infighting between member states. “The conference is in a crisis and has been for many years. So our…

Swiss Politics

Vienna pledges support for Swiss-EU deals

This content was published on Jan 23, 2006 Formal endorsement of the accords has been held up by a dispute over a Swiss funding package for the ten new EU member states. The nine agreements, covering issues such as closer security and asylum cooperation as well as tax and customs deals, were signed by the EU and Switzerland in October 2004, but some…

Swiss Politics

Swiss mourn Kosovan president’s death

This content was published on Jan 21, 2006 Rugova – whose dream of independence from Serbia and Montenegro was strongly supported by Switzerland – died days before international negotiations on Kosovo’s final status were due to start. The United Nations-led talks were to focus on resolving once and for all whether the breakaway province, 90 per cent of which is populated by ethnic…

Swiss Politics

Anti-WEF protests gather pace

This content was published on Jan 21, 2006 Demonstrations are taking place in a dozen cities including Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lugano, Lucerne, St Gallen and Chur, many with less than 100 participants. The scene in Bern was dominated by so-called “cultural” protests, with music blaring from speakers, including reggae and hip-hop, and street theatre. Some activists took to the streets with placards emblazoned…

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Swiss satisfied with Euro 2008 progress

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Leuenberger continues diplomatic marathon

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Hamas victory comes as little surprise

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Swiss support Palestinian election

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WEF takes stock of new world order

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Swiss army out in full force in Davos

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UN disarmament conference “in crisis”

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Vienna pledges support for Swiss-EU deals

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Swiss mourn Kosovan president’s death

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Anti-WEF protests gather pace

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