BERN, SWITZERLAND – Swiss exports rose by 1.7 percent in 2012, but one area that was down was war materials, which fell by 20 percent, from CHF874 million to CHF700m. Germany was the main customer, followed by Saudi Arabia, Italy, the US and India. One large sale of unarmed fighter planes for training, delivered to [...]
Nearly CHF1b of Arab spring dictators’ funds blocked by Swiss
October 16, 2012 by
Returning assets to the people is a priority, says ambassador GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – More than CHF1 billion in assets linked to the regimes of dictators who fell during the Arab spring, as well as Syrian assets, have been frozen and it’s a priority for these to be returned to the countries, Ambassador Valentin Zellweger, who [...]
Art Basel brings int’l contemporary art world to Switzerland this week
June 11, 2012 by
BASEL, SWITZERLAND – Art Basel,considered the world’s biggest and most prestigious contemporary art fair, will open to the public 14 to 17 June. The show presents over 300 galleries from 36 countries with works by over 2500 artists. The public opening Thursday is preceded by two days reserved for VIP guests with invitations. The show [...]
More bribery behind sharp increase in suspect money flows
May 15, 2012 by
Arab spring played a role Numbers are impressive but it’s the criminal tales that are gripping BERN, SWITZERLAND – Switzerland saw a 40 percent increase in 2011 in the number of suspicious activities reports (Sars) to MROS, the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland, the federal office shows in its annual report published Monday 14 May. [...]
Arab spring, embezzled funds meeting calls for greater coordination
January 24, 2012 by
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The first international meeting with experts from 15 countries to focus on the Arab spring and returning embezzled funds to Arab nations ended Tuesday afternoon 24 January in Lausanne with a call for greater coordination. The meeting was the sixth in the Lausanne Process, launced in 2001 by Switzerland’s Foreign Affairs Department [...]
World’s asylum seekers increased by 17% in first half 2011
October 18, 2011 by
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The number of asylum seekers worldwide increased by 17 percent, the UN refugee group UNHCR announced Tuesday. Applications to industrialized countries numbered 198,300 from 1 January to 30 June 2011, with “most claimants coming from countries with longstanding displacement situations.” The figures are part of report issued 18 October by the UN [...]
