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Swiss Politics

Tremor damage prevention to be improved

This content was published on Apr 1, 2009 The cabinet approved a set of measures, including a coordinating and supporting role for the federal authorities for prevention activities of the cantons, the communes and private owners. The measures are to be implemented by 2012, said Environment Minister Moritz Leuenberger on Wednesday. He appealed to cantons, which have a wide-ranging autonomy, to increase checks…

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New chief named for secret services

This content was published on Apr 1, 2009 From the beginning of next year both units will pool data for evaluation, but information gathering will still be carried out separately. Defence Minister Ueli Maurer said Seiler had the necessary professional experience and political sensitivity for the post. Seiler has been in charge of unifying both services under one ministry following a decision by…

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Swiss Politics

Bern repeats pledges for Afghanistan

This content was published on Mar 31, 2009 The aim on Tuesday was to strengthen and coordinate better international support for Afghanistan. The head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Martin Dahinden, confirmed Bern’s political support, which went hand in hand with “a consolidation of its long-term civil commitment”, according to a foreign ministry statement. But he repeated the need…

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Bern decides on exports of munitions

This content was published on Mar 31, 2009 In a statement on Wednesday, the cabinet said the decisions had been made because of unsatisfactory domestic and human rights situations in the three countries. The applications concerned machine guns, assault rifles, grenade launchers and components for air defence systems. Pakistan was the largest purchaser of Swiss arms last year. But the government did approve…

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Swiss Politics

Hostages face unsure future as deadline passes

This content was published on Mar 31, 2009 Abu Sayyaf militants on the southern island of Jolo seized three workers from the Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in mid-January and had threatened to behead one of them at 8am Switzerland time unless their demands were met. The militants, who belong to a radical Muslim group that has fought for independence…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss measles create sore spot for Europe

This content was published on Mar 30, 2009 Officials from the Federal Health Office said on Monday that Switzerland has been slow in vaccinating people against the illness, which has affected nearly 500 people here so far this year. While North American countries and Australia have all but eliminated the viral disease, Switzerland has reported 3,500 cases of measles in the past two…

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Swiss Politics

Mafia smuggling case comes to court

This content was published on Mar 30, 2009 The trial of nine alleged members of an international cigarette smuggling ring, all of them Swiss residents, begins on Wednesday. They are accused of supporting Italian criminal organisations and money laundering. According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the accused were part of a criminal enterprise involved in the smuggling of cigarettes between Montenegro and Italy.…

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Swiss Politics

Militants ready to behead hostage on Tuesday

This content was published on Mar 30, 2009 Abu Sayyaf militiamen abducted three workers from the Geneva-based agency – a Swiss, an Italian and a woman from the Philippines – in January when the workers were looking at a water project for a jail on the southern island of Jolo. Albader Parad, commander of the militants, said on Monday that the Philippines military…

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Swiss Politics

Hospital costs burden healthcare accounts

This content was published on Mar 30, 2009 The increase is due to significantly higher expenditure for hospitals and healthcare homes for elderly people, according to the Federal Statistics Office on Monday. The above-average price rise is the first in several years. Switzerland has one of the most expensive health systems in the world behind the United States and France and spent 10.8…

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Swiss Politics

Zurich elects first female mayor

This content was published on Mar 29, 2009 Voters in Switzerland’s largest city elected Corine Mauch of the centre-left Social Democrats to replace Elmer Ledergerber of the same party. The 49-year-old Mauch, who was only elected to the city council last month, received nearly 42,000 votes, nearly 11,000 more than her only rival, the 57-year-old Kathrin Martelli of the centre-right Radicals. Mauch will…

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