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Libya sentences Swiss businessmen to 16 months

A Libyan court convicted on Tuesday two Swiss businessmen of violating residency and labor laws and sentenced them to 16 months in jail with a $1,500 fine, a Libyan official said.

Swiss fine drug firms $5.7M for price-fixing

The Swiss branches of Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly & Co. and Bayer AG were fined a total of 5.7 million francs ($5.7 million) by competition regulators on Tuesday for alleged price fixing of drugs for erectile dysfunction.

UN slams 'discriminatory' Swiss minaret ban

The United Nations called Switzerland's ban on new minarets "clearly discriminatory" and deeply divisive, and the Swiss foreign minister acknowledged Tuesday the government was very concerned about how the vote would affect the country's image.

Swiss police: Geneva mosque vandalized

Swiss police say a Geneva mosque has been vandalized, three days ahead of a national vote on whether to ban the construction of minarets as an Islamic intrusion.

Polanski in Swiss jail until at least Friday

Roman Polanski will be held in jail at least three more days because he needs more time to pay his $4.5 million bail, Swiss authorities said Tuesday.

Charlie Chaplin's last home to become a museum

Charlie Chaplin's last home in Switzerland will be turned into a permanent place of pilgrimage for fans of the actor who immortalized the "Little Tramp," one of his sons said Monday.

Swiss police: man attacked by bear in park

A bear has attacked a man who entered its enclosure at a new park in Switzerland, and a policeman opened fire on the animal to defend the intruder.

Swiss ruling on Polanski bail likely in 2-3 wks

Switzerland's highest criminal court is expected to decide in two or three weeks whether to release film director Roman Polanski on bail pending a decision on his extradition to the United States, a court official said Tuesday.

Novartis: lower dose of flu vaccine sufficient

Pharmaceutical maker Novartis AG said Tuesday a U.S. clinical study suggests that half a dose of its swine flu vaccine may be sufficient to protect people from the virus and could allow many more to be immunized with current supplies.

UBS sets mid-term goal: $15BN pretax profit a year

Swiss bank UBS AG, which has been plagued by losses and customer withdrawals, said Tuesday it aims to make an annual pretax profit of 15 billion Swiss francs ($14.9 billion) in three to five years.

Swiss privacy watchdog to sue Google Street View

Google Inc.'s unstoppable drive to map and photograph the world has run into an immovable object — Switzerland's strict tradition of personal privacy.

Libya to try 2 Swiss amid spat over Ghadafi's son

Two Swiss businessmen arrested in Libya amid a spat with Switzerland involving leader Moammar Gadhafi's son, are to go on trial on accusations of tax evasion and violating residency laws, a Foreign Ministry official said Thursday.

Syngenta acquires 2 seed companies in California

Swiss agrochemicals company Syngenta AG said Thursday it has acquired two lettuce seed companies based in California.

Sonova to buy Advanced Bionics for $489M

Swiss hearing aid firm Sonova Holding AG said Monday it is buying cochlear implant maker Advanced Bionics Corp., based in California, for $489 million in cash.

Swiss open probe of al-Qaida nuke physicist case

Switzerland has opened its own investigation into the case of a nuclear physicist France suspected of al-Qaida links, an official said Sunday.

Swiss: Pair detained in Libya delivered to embassy

Two Swiss businessmen detained by Libya over a spat involving leader Moammar Gadhafi's son have been handed over to their embassy in Tripoli, Switzerland's Foreign Ministry said Monday.

UBS reports 3Q net loss of $542 million

Swiss bank UBS AG reported a third-quarter net loss of 564 million Swiss francs ($542 million) Tuesday, blaming accounting charges of 2.15 billion francs for keeping it in the red.

Swiss hand over banking info to Argentina

The Swiss government said Monday it has handed banking documents over to Argentina in a $25 million dollar corruption probe linked to former President Carlos Menem and French defense company Thales.

Swiss court to assess Polanski bail appeal

Roman Polanski has re-appealed to the Swiss courts to be released from prison on bail, officials said Tuesday, the latest step in the director's protracted legal battle to avoid extradition to the United States.

Swiss historian Jean-Francois Bergier dies

Swiss historian Jean-Francois Bergier, who led a highly critical probe of Switzerland's conduct during World War II, has died. He was 77.

Swiss gov't wants restrictions on assisted suicide

The Swiss government proposed Wednesday to restrict or even ban assisted suicide groups such as Dignitas in a bid to cut down on 'suicide tourism.'

Retired AP reporter Neuerbourg dies at 88

Hanns Neuerbourg, a roving Associated Press correspondent in eastern Europe who also covered the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and interviewed Elvis Presley, has died in Switzerland. He was 88.

Nestle: 9-month sales fall 2.2 percent

Nestle SA, the world's biggest food and drink company, said Thursday that sales for the first nine months fell 2.2 percent as the strong Swiss franc and weakened demand hurt overall performance.

Novartis says 3Q profit up 1 pct, raises outlook

Drug maker Novartis AG posted Thursday a 1 percent increase in third-quarter net profit on strong sales of pharmaceuticals, such as its new Afinitor drug against kidney cancer, and raised its full-year outlook after the approval of its swine flu vaccines.

Credit Suisse makes $2.4 billion profit in 3Q

Swiss bank Credit Suisse Group said Thursday that net profit almost doubled to 2.4 billion Swiss francs ($2.4 billion) in the third quarter, helped by strong returns on financial market trading and investment banking.

The Vine
Swiss minaret ban reflects European fear of Islam
Source: Christian Science Monitor

The Swiss vote to ban minarets comes at a time when Muslim populations are growing and Europeans worry about losing traditional Christian culture.

Switzerland and the Minaret - Vote does little, but betrays undercurrent of fear among Swiss, with some cause
Source: Wall Street Journal

Swiss direct democracy shows its mettle when Swiss voters use it to stand up to their political elites, as happened here. Having said that, Sunday's vote, for all the hand-wringing leading up to it, was a decidedly mild-mannered sort of protest.

Re-started collider smashes previous record
Source: IrishExaminer.com

The "Big Bang" machine with which scientists hope to re-create conditions at the dawn of the universe smashed the world record for accelerating subatomic particles today.

The Swiss Ban Minarets
Source: Campaign Standard

With word that the Swiss had unexpectedly voted to ban the construction of new minarets the predictable outcry against such "racism" has begun. The larger question is whether a nation is any more than a geographic entity.

Swiss ban mosque minarets in surprise vote
Source: Yahoo! News

Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on minarets on Sunday, barring construction of the iconic mosque towers in a surprise vote that put Switzerland at the forefront of a European backlash against a growing Muslim population. ...

Europe unites to deplore Swiss ban on minarets - Times Online
Source: The Times

The Swiss and European establishment united today in deploring yesterday's decision by Swiss voters to outlaw the construction of minarets but conservative leaders warned that the referendum showed genuine fear over Islam on the continent.

Switzerland risks Muslim backlash after ban on minarets passes referendum; Rejection of "creeping Islamization"
Source: Telegraph

The Siwss referendum to ban minarets, which passed 57% to 42%, was triggered when almost 115,000 signed a people's initiative handed to parliament last year in favour of a ban – 100,000 is enough to force a referendum in Switzerland.

Referendum: Swiss ban new construction of minarets

The adult Swiss population made a pivotal 57 per cent majority decision in amending their constitution to ban new construction of minarets. More than 54 per cent of the Swiss electorate participated in this referendum.

Swiss voters 'back ban on building of minarets'
Source: The Times

Swiss voters appear to have defied their Government and churches today and approved a national ban on the construction of minarets.

Swiss Voters Projected to Back Minaret Ban
Source: The New York Times

GENEVA (Reuters) - Swiss voters have approved a right-wing-backed proposal to ban construction of new minarets, initial projections showed on Sunday, a surprise result that could damage Switzerland's economic ties with Muslim states.

Swiss vote to BAN minarets !!
Source: BBC News

Exit polls suggest that the Swiss electorate may have approved a ban on the construction of minarets.

Cars burn as police, protesters clash ahead of WTO conference
Source: Raw Story

Swiss police fired tear gas and rubber bullets on Saturday at hooded protesters who broke windows and set cars alight during a demonstration ahead of a major WTO conference in Geneva

France Telecom, Sunrise Merge Swiss Mobile Phone Business
Source: The New York Times

France Telecom said it had agreed to buy a 75 percent stake in Switzerland’s No. 2 mobile operator in order to better challenge Swisscom, the state-owned market leader.

The horrifying moment a bear mauls a man who climbed into his zoo enclosure
Source: the Mail online

A man hangs in the jaws of a bear, seemingly about to endure a most horrendous death by being ripped apart by massive jaws and razor-sharp claws. But in the end it was the bear who ended up fighting for his life - shot with a police bullet in order to save the man's life.

Restored Machine to Explore Mysteries of Big Bang - ABC News
Source: ABC News

Scientists are preparing the world's largest atom smasher to explore the depths of matter after successfully restarting the $10 billion machine following more than a year of repairs.

First test for record solar plane
Source: BBC News

The prototype of a solar-powered plane destined for a record round-the-world journey has made its first trip across a runway. On Thursday, the plane covered at least 2km at speeds of up to five knots on the landing strip in Switzerland.

DAWN.COM | Business | Pakistan slips five places in global corruption list
Source: dawn.com

ISLAMABAD: In its Corruption Perception Index for 2009, the Transparency International has placed Pakistan at the 42nd place, slipping five places from 2008 when it was at 47.

Religions unite against far right's call to ban minarets
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Switzerland's biggest Jewish groups have described a far-right push to ban the construction of minarets as a ''threat'' to religious harmony and the integration of Muslims.

Toxic legacy seeps from melting Alpine glaciers
Source: Independent.co.uk

Swiss researchers have found that Alpine glaciers melting under the impact of climate change are releasing highly toxic pollutants that had been absorbed by the ice for decades.

Two European Nuclear Scientists Arrested as Al-Qaeda Suspects
Source: Pajamas Media

the charges against the "mild-mannered, deeply religious" French Algerian were stunning. Authorities say Dr.

Cern physicist admits links with al-Qaida
Source: Guardian Unlimited

Frenchman of Algerian origin corresponded online with a contact in north Africa's al-Qaida branch

Should President Obama have won the Nobel Peace Prize? (Poll)

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the most prestigious of the Nobel awards and is most sought after in the world.

Mesic is angry with the foreign minister over protest note
Source: http://www.croatiantimes.com

Mesic is upset about the ministry's diplomatic note to Swiss Ambassador to Croatia Erich Hermann protesting the three-year Swiss ban on Croatian rock singer Marko Perkovic Thompson's entry into Switzerland. It was sent without Mesic's knowledge.

Roman Polanski: Swiss 'regret' not making arrest earlier
Source: Telegraph

Switzerland would have arrested film director Roman Polanski on earlier visits to the country if justice authorities had been aware of his presence, a Swiss minister said.

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