Swiss Politics

Zurich station threatened by black hole

This content was published on Apr 30, 2009 Tunnel work under the station was interrupted on Wednesday evening and the alarm raised after what project leader Roland Kobel called a “technical defect”. A drilling machine ten metres underground suddenly slid back several metres, he said, leaving a roughly three-metre unsupported hole. “There’s a danger of it caving in – around 30 cubic metres…

Swiss Politics

Lawyer warns against returning Mobutu assets

This content was published on Apr 29, 2009 Mark Pieth, a professor of criminology at Basel University, has lodged a “citizen’s appeal” with the Federal Criminal Court and written to the Swiss government to try to extend a freezing order on Mobutu’s assets, worth SFr7.7 million ($6.68 million). The assets have been frozen in Swiss bank accounts since 1997 and are due to…

Swiss Politics

Parliament rejects phone tapping bill

This content was published on Apr 28, 2009 The House of Representatives on Tuesday followed the Senate in refusing to extend phone tapping and the surveillance of mail and telecommunications to combat terrorism, intelligence operations and the illegal arms trade. Parliamentarians called on the government to re-examine legislation to ensure the private sphere of citizens as well as freedom of information. Defence Minister…

Swiss Politics

Israeli ambassador returns to Bern

This content was published on Apr 27, 2009 Ilan Elgar was ordered home for “consultations” on April 20 after Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz met his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Geneva. Ahmadinejad has suggested the Holocaust never happened and has called repeatedly for Israel’s destruction. The two heads of state met on April 19 to discuss bilateral ties, ahead of the United Nations…

Swiss Politics

Swiss travellers checked for swine flu

This content was published on Apr 27, 2009 All five are suffering from flu symptoms and have recently returned from Mexico. They visited their doctors on Saturday after a general appeal by the health authorities for ailing travellers to have check-ups with their doctors. Switzerland had stockpiled enough doses of the Roche-produced drug Tamiflu, effective in fighting swine flu, to supply a quarter…

Swiss Politics

You the reporter

This content was published on Apr 26, 2009 Send us your photos to ireport@swissinfo.ch

Health Office steps up swine flu monitoring

This content was published on Apr 26, 2009 The service is available as of Monday, according to the Federal Health Office. It added that it was closely monitoring the outbreak of the deadly disease in Mexico amid fears of a potential pandemic. However, there is no risk of the flu spreading in Switzerland at the moment, a statement said on Sunday. More than…

Swiss Politics

Health Office monitors swine flu outbreak

This content was published on Apr 26, 2009 The situation was being monitored said the head of the Federal Health Office on Saturday. He recommended that people who have a fever after returning from Mexico and the southern United States consult a doctor. An emergency meeting of influenza experts at the Geneva-based World Health Organization did not take any decision. A WHO spokeswoman…

Swiss Politics

Human Rights Council grew from swiss roots

This content was published on Apr 24, 2009 The successor to the discredited Human Rights Commission, the body will reinforce Geneva as the centre for human rights and humanitarian law. During its 60 years of existence, the now defunct commission attracted more than its fair share of criticism. On the plus side it drew up the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and served…

Swiss Politics

Expert warns e-passports are open to abuse

This content was published on Apr 24, 2009 Peter Heinzmann, a professor of internet technologies and applications at Rapperswil Technical College outside Zurich, tells swissinfo of the risks posed by the project. Supporters, including the government and a majority in parliament, argue a European single border treaty, known as the Schengen accord, obliges Switzerland to introduce biometric passports by March next year. However,…

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