Swiss Politics

Government jet returns without hostages

This content was published on Aug 28, 2009 A statement from the finance ministry said that the two businessmen are still in the Libyan capital and preparations for their return were continuing. The men have passports and exit visas but are awaiting final clearance from the Libyan justice authorities. The two, who are at the Swiss embassy in Tripoli, were detained after the…

Swiss Politics

Cabinet agrees on need for new remit

This content was published on Aug 27, 2009 The justice ministry and Federal Chancellery were asked on Wednesday to develop proposals by next spring to update and expand on the cabinet’s current remit. The cabinet is the only government body to have remained essentially unchanged since the creation of the Swiss federalist state in 1848. Possible changes include extending the length of the…

Swiss Politics

Swiss hostages to leave Libya

This content was published on Aug 26, 2009 Authorities said on Wednesday that the men still needed the permission of Libya’s judicial authorities before they can leave. They confirmed a Swiss government jet had landed in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, on Tuesday. Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz received a written note from the Libyan prime minister, Al-Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi, on Wednesday assuring him it was…

Swiss Politics

Federal Court to decide on fate of Haiti funds

This content was published on Aug 25, 2009 The family of Jean-Claude Duvalier – nicknamed Baby Doc – appealed on Tuesday against the decision taken two weeks ago by the Federal Penal Court to unfreeze deposits worth SFr7,000,000 ($6.6 million) and give them to the authorities in Haiti. The case will now be heard by the Federal Court in Lausanne. The family argues…

Swiss Politics

Scots and Swiss deal with separate Libyan crises

This content was published on Aug 25, 2009 Last Thursday – the day Merz announced he had ended a year-long feud with Tripoli by apologising for the arrest of the Libyan ruler’s son in Geneva last year – the Scottish government released a Libyan national, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, from prison. Megrahi, convicted of the 1988 Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie in Scotland, received a…

Swiss Politics

Good image intact despite negative headlines

This content was published on Aug 25, 2009 However, Switzerland’s involvement in human rights and humanitarian issues is not well known, according to the authors of the survey conducted by the Graduate School of Public Administration. The study was carried out among more than 13,000 people in seven countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Japan and China between 2000 and…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland moves up as attractive tax location

This content was published on Aug 24, 2009 A study by tax experts at KPMG found Switzerland moving up four positions to 13th place in an international comparison of 86 countries around the world. Income tax has continually fallen over the past seven years, but a countertrend is becoming visible under the pressure of the difficult economic situation. Ireland was the first country…

Swiss Politics

Geneva still fuming over Libyan apology

This content was published on Aug 24, 2009 swissinfo.ch went to find out what people in Geneva feel about the agreement to end a year-long standoff that has frozen Swiss-Libyan business ties and left two Swiss businessmen marooned in Tripoli. “Humiliation”, “scandal” and “shocking” are some of the more common words and phrases still being heard on the streets of Geneva just three…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland: a country of politicians

This content was published on Aug 24, 2009 But some posts remain unfilled, as Switzerland’s system of grass-roots democracy is suffering from a shortage of volunteers. Why “very probably”? Because Switzerland, organised on federal lines, does not keep centralised statistics in this field. As for statistics in other parts of the world…. It is, however, established that Switzerland’s resident population of 7.7 million…

Swiss Politics

Libya continues to dominate Swiss concerns

This content was published on Aug 23, 2009 Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the legal basis was questionable, adding that the issue would be put forward at next Wednesday’s meeting of the seven-member Swiss cabinet. The Swiss president, Hans-Rudolf Merz, apologised on Thursday in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, for the detention of Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife Aline in July 2008 after Geneva police received…

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Swiss Politics

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Government jet returns without hostages

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Cabinet agrees on need for new remit

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Swiss hostages to leave Libya

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Federal Court to decide on fate of Haiti funds

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Scots and Swiss deal with separate Libyan crises

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Good image intact despite negative headlines

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Switzerland moves up as attractive tax location

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Geneva still fuming over Libyan apology

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Switzerland: a country of politicians

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Libya continues to dominate Swiss concerns

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