Swiss Politics

Swiss-Libya spat sees Schengen visas blocked

This content was published on Feb 15, 2010 An unnamed official at Tripoli international airport told Reuters news agency on Monday: “This is right. This decision has been taken. No visas for Europeans, except Britain.” Reuters said no explanation was given for the suspension, and there was no immediate confirmation from the Libyan government. A spokesman for the Council of the European Union…

Swiss Politics

Women encouraged to grow political wings

This content was published on Feb 12, 2010 One women’s centre in Fribourg, western Switzerland, has decided to play its part ahead of next year’s federal elections by offering a course designed to help women turn their political aspirations into reality. In the four decades since Swiss women won the right to vote they have made impressive inroads into politics. Today one in…

Swiss Politics

Question hangs over Swiss links to apartheid

This content was published on Feb 11, 2010 Nelson Mandela was freed on February 11, 1990 after 27 years in prison and went on to become the first black president of South Africa, to global applause. Swiss-South African relations in the preceding years were the subject of a 2005 report by the Swiss National Science Foundation’s National Research Programme. Media and non-governmental organisations,…

Swiss Politics

Chinese may slap Swiss wrists over Uighur affair

This content was published on Feb 6, 2010 The Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday that the Swiss government’s acceptance of the two men from the United States prison in Guantanamo “will certainly affect Sino-Swiss relations”. “It will impact trade relations, but not significantly,” said Nicolas Musy of the Swiss Center Shanghai, a non-profit organisation that assists small- and medium-sized companies interested in…

Swiss Politics

Women descend on parliament

This content was published on Feb 6, 2010 Economics Minister Doris Leuthard, who holds this year’s Swiss presidency, along with the speakers of the two chambers of parliament, arranged the “meeting day” to mark the fact that in 2010 for the first time ever all three annually rotating posts are held by women. The programme, organised by Leuthard’s ministry, included discussions with women…

Politicians in disarray over banking secrecy

This content was published on Feb 5, 2010 Speculation is most rife about whether the government will give in to pressure from European Union countries and agree to the automatic exchange of bank customer details. “The question is whether there could be different variants of an automatic exchange of information,” said Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz after a cabinet meeting earlier this week. His…

Swiss Politics

Baby Doc assets saga takes another twist

This content was published on Feb 3, 2010 The latest move in the long-running saga immediately followed a Federal Court decision to reverse a lower court’s ruling that a large share of the $5.7 million (SFr6 million) in Swiss accounts should have gone to charities working in Haiti. Duvalier’s family and supporters have petitioned to reclaim the money. “In view of the criminal…

Swiss Politics

Cabinet condemns German bank data buy

This content was published on Feb 3, 2010 In a strongly worded statement, the cabinet expressed “astonishment” at the German plan and said it “violates public policy and the principle of good faith”. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble on Tuesday said a decision had been made “in principle” to buy the information, reported to concern some 1,500 possible tax evaders and costing €2.5…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland to take in two Guantanamo inmates

This content was published on Feb 3, 2010 The decision to accept the two men was welcomed by United States officials but was criticised by the Chinese government, which wants the men sent back to China. The move comes a day after the authorities in canton Jura said they would issue brothers Bahtiyar and Arkin Mahnut a residence permit. “We of course weighed…

Swiss Politics

Haitians face shelter crisis

This content was published on Feb 3, 2010 Yet shelter for the hundreds of thousands of survivors remains a desperate race against the clock as the rainy and hurricane seasons loom. The aid operation in Haiti has been complicated and frustratingly slow but is making significant progress, particularly in getting food to quake survivors, the top United Nations relief official said in Geneva…

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Swiss-Libya spat sees Schengen visas blocked

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Women encouraged to grow political wings

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Question hangs over Swiss links to apartheid

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Chinese may slap Swiss wrists over Uighur affair

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Women descend on parliament

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Politicians in disarray over banking secrecy

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Baby Doc assets saga takes another twist

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Cabinet condemns German bank data buy

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Switzerland to take in two Guantanamo inmates

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Haitians face shelter crisis

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