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This content was published on Feb 5, 2009 Send us your photos to ireport@swissinfo.ch

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Foreign ministry calls for Sri Lanka ceasefire

This content was published on Feb 5, 2009 A statement issued by the foreign ministry on Thursday spoke of the country’s “deep concern” at the humanitarian situation in the north of the island. It said 200,000 civilians were caught in the crossfire, and that international law was being ignored. A “disproportionate use of force” had already caused many civilian casualties. The statement also…

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Aid organisation reports record donations

This content was published on Feb 5, 2009 Announcing the figures on Thursday, Helvetas said its “Toilets for All” campaign had inspired many donors. The campaign to mark Sanitation Year highlighted the fact that 2.6 billion people in the world do not have access to basic sanitation. In 2008 the organisation helped provide 250,000 people with access to clean water, and improved the…

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Parental fines considered for poor show pupils

This content was published on Feb 5, 2009 The cantonal government approved an amendment to the Education Act this week that would allow fines of up to SFr1,000 ($863) for the worst serial offenders. The fine is part of a raft of measures that the canton intends to introduce, making its regulations among the strictest in Switzerland. The move faces a final vote…

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TV programme refutes Colombia ransom claim

This content was published on Feb 4, 2009 Jean-Pierre Gontard was mandated by the foreign ministry in 2001 to act as an intermediary between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) and the Basel pharmaceutical company Novartis, to achieve the release of two Novartis employees kidnapped by the guerrilla group. An investigation by French-language television to be broadcast on Thursday found documentary evidence…

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Women battle to become Zurich’s next mayor

This content was published on Feb 4, 2009 Voters will choose between two inexperienced candidates from the left and right political wings. The campaign has been dominated by themes of gender and sexuality, as one nominee is openly gay. The office of mayor in Zurich is a largely ceremonial position wielding less power than in London, Berlin, New York or Paris. Besides presiding…

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Leuthard looks to increase ties with Egypt

This content was published on Feb 4, 2009 “For the Swiss economy, Egypt presents enormous potential, not just because it is a big country, but also because of its geographic location,” Leuthard told swissinfo on Wednesday. She said the country could become the centre of the pharmaceutical industry in the Middle East.The Egyptian government in power since 2004 had undertaken a series of…

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Welfare abuse dismissed ahead of EU vote

This content was published on Feb 3, 2009 Ahead of a nationwide vote on Sunday the government rejects such allegations, saying the old age and disability pension systems, as well as the unemployment insurance schemes benefit from payments by foreigners. The Swiss People’s Party and other rightwing parties have campaigned with posters showing black ravens maliciously pecking at Switzerland implying foreigners are a…

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Sharp rise in arms exports

This content was published on Feb 3, 2009 The Swiss arms export market was valued at SFr721,968 ($620,713) million in 2008 compared with SFr464,479 in the previous year, the Federal Customs Office said on Tuesday. Exports to Saudi Arabia rose from SFr485,294 in 2007 to SFr32 million in 2008. Elsewhere in the Middle East – the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait –…

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Geneva ready to take Guantánamo prisoners

This content was published on Feb 2, 2009 The cantonal authorities said they wanted to reinforce Geneva’s reputation as a humanitarian city, but said any former inmate of the military prison at the US airbase on Cuba would have to be innocent and have had no contacts with terrorism. On January 21 the government said it welcomed a decision by the new president,…

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