Swiss Politics

Switzerland praises US-Russia nuclear deal

This content was published on Apr 8, 2010 Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey called the new Start treaty, a replacement to a 1991 pact that expired in December, a first major step to a pledge between the two countries to create a world without nuclear weapons. US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev signed the agreement at a ceremony in Prague. “I…

Swiss Politics

Suspicious financial transactions hit record

This content was published on Apr 8, 2010 The Federal Police Office said 896 incidents were reported in 2009, more than five per cent up on the previous year. Two out of three of all reports were made by the banking sector, followed by cases involving the payment service sector. Seven suspected cases concerned terrorism financing to the tune of SFr9,500. Records on…

Swiss Politics

Drivers rolling stoned is a “society problem”

This content was published on Apr 7, 2010 But cocaine use is growing rapidly among motorists, with the percentage of drivers testing positive for the stimulant nearly double that found just a few years ago. Maria-Cristina Senna, a doctor from Lausanne University hospital, and her team recently studied 4,794 blood samples police had gathered from people suspected of driving under the influence of…

Swiss Politics

Swiss national hero seen in a new light

This content was published on Apr 7, 2010 To this day Guisan has something of a cult status, an unusual phenomenon in a country not prone to putting anyone on a pedestal. His presence is everywhere, just check the maps of major Swiss cities. Almost all have a Guisan Street, an Avenue General Guisan or a Place General Guisan. And it is very…

Swiss Politics

Social Democrats seek to adjust their policy

This content was published on Apr 7, 2010 “We want more social justice and new jobs. We want Switzerland to offer equal opportunities instead of privileges for just a few,” said party president Christian Levrat. The revised party manifesto, which was presented on Wednesday, also calls for a strong social security system, Swiss membership of the European Union, a financial strategy banning untaxed…

Swiss Politics

Internally displaced “lack universal rights”

This content was published on Apr 5, 2010 Switzerland’s Walter Kälin, the United Nations special envoy for the human rights of the displaced, tells swissinfo.ch what can be done to lessen their suffering and, in a best case scenario, reintegrate them back into society. Kälin, a professor of law at Bern University, is also a member of the UN Human Rights Committee, and…

Swiss Politics

Respected Swiss mediator leaves UN in New York

This content was published on Apr 4, 2010 It takes a fair bit of optimism to succeed at the headquarters of the international community, Maurer told swissinfo.ch. The diplomat admits to feeling a touch of sadness at leaving the building on the shores of the East River. Maurer says he has many good memories of New York and the current period of transition…

Swiss Politics

Plan to boost GP numbers to be put to a vote

This content was published on Apr 1, 2010 Campaigners said they collected more than 200,000 signatures in five months – twice as much as necessary – to force the vote. More than 3,000 new GPs are needed by 2016 to ensure basic healthcare services for the country, according to the promoters of the initiative. No date for the vote has been set. There…

Swiss Politics

Development aid increases, but methods criticised

This content was published on Mar 31, 2010 In a statement on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said this represented an increase of 11.9 per cent compared to 2008. This was mainly due to debt-relief measures for Togo and Congo-Brazzaville, as well as a large rise in costs of dealing with asylum seekers. According to the guidelines published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation…

Swiss Politics

Kofi Annan-led forum closes due to lack of funds

This content was published on Mar 31, 2010 In a statement on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said it had set aside SFr1.75 million ($1.66 million) to cover the debts of the Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF). Switzerland has also agreed to pay the outstanding salaries and social security benefits of the GHF staff. “It is a great disappointment to all of us that…

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