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20080525

John McCain - Rick Davis - Criminal - Government - Money - Politics - Foreign - Military - Satellite - Imagery - Technology - Israel - Ukraine - Russia - Switzerland - Arizona - US - 2008 Election - "Lobbying labyrinth in McCain camp." ... "Rick Davis, the manager of [Arizona Republican] Senator John McCain's [2008 Election] presidential campaign, is a typical Washington insider in many ways, having long worked as both a lobbyist and a political operative along the intersection of politics, policy and money." ... "Take Davis's involvement with one of his lesser-known lobbying clients, an Israeli company, Imagesat, which sells satellite imagery. Along with lobbying for it, Davis became a consultant to a private investment firm that had a financial stake in it. That connection opened the door for him to get in on the ground floor of other investments made by the firm, Pegasus Capital Advisors." ... "... Davis's business partner, Paul Manafort [of the Davis Manafort lobbying firm], has met with the United States ambassador in Ukrain e, a time when he was advising Viktor Yanukovich, that country's onetime prime minister, a State Department official said. Yanukovich's party was opposed by both the [Republican President] Bush administration and McCain because it was closely tied to Vladimir Putin [Russia's former President]." ... "Davis Manafort received $120,000 from late 2004 to mid-2005 to lobby for Imagesat on both defense and domestic security issues. Davis and Christian Ferry, now McCain's deputy campaign manager, were the two lobbyists on the project, the records show." ... "Along with his work as a lobbyist, Davis at the time was also drawing a salary as the part-time president of the Reform Institute, a Washington group that McCain helped found to reduce "the influence of special interests" in politics and government." ... "In November 2005, Pegasus bought a stake in a company called Traxys, which trades in industrial metals." ... "In January 2006, just two months later, the subject of metals trading came up in association with a social meeting Davis helped arrange near Davos, Switzerland. At that meeting, first reported by The Washington Post, McCain met the Russian aluminum magnate, Oleg Deripaska, who has been barred from entering the United States apparently because of alleged criminal ties." (1, 2) -By Barry Meier with contributions by Kate Zernike and Andrew E. Kramer -NYTimes via -IHT.com

20080317

World - US dollar - Japan yen - Swiss franc - EU Euro - Oil - History - "Stocks Tumble Around World, Dollar Declines After Fed Cuts Rate." ... "Stocks fell around the world and the dollar tumbled after the Federal Reserve cut its discount interest rate at an emergency meeting and JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to buy Bear Stearns Cos. for $2 a share. Bonds, gold and crude oil climbed." ... "Global stock markets lost $2.4 trillion in market value from a peak in October as of March 14. That partly reflects the slump in the U.S. dollar." ... "The dollar weakened to as low as 95.76 yen, a level not seen since August 1995, from 99.09 on March 14. It dropped to a record low of $1.5903 per euro and an all-time low of 0.9658 Swiss francs." ... "Gold for immediate delivery climbed as much as 3 percent to a record $1,032 an ounce as investors sought a haven against the weakening dollar. Crude oil gained as much as 1.4 percent to a high of $111.80 a barrel." ... "Bear Stearns plunged 90 percent to $2.88 after JPMorgan agreed to buy the bank." ... "Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. securities firm, lost 27 percent to $28.60." -By Patrick Rial -Bloomberg

20080227

US- EU - Swiss - UK - New York - Oil - "Dollar slides to new lows after Fed warning." ... "There were records for the euro, which climbed as high as $1.5143 by midday in New York, and the Swiss franc, which hit SFr1.0624. Sterling, which had earlier fallen against the dollar due to weak UK [United Kingdom] growth data, Came back up to $1.9921." ... "The dollar index, a measure of the US [United States] unit’s strength against a basket of currencies, fell to a record low of 74.181. " ... "Oil prices also hit records. Nymex West Texas intermediate soared to $102.08, before edging back to $101.25. Brent crude rose to $100.53 as investors hedged against the weaker dollar." ... "Gold, which is often used as a hedge against inflation when oil prices rise, hit a fresh peak of $964.70 a troy ounce, and helped lift other precious metals. Silver rose to $19.43 its highest level since November 1980." -By Neil Dennis and Krishna Guha -FT.com

20080213

Antonin Scalia - Dick Cheney - Torture - Terrorism - Intelligence - Politics - History - Guantanamo - Cuba - US - Military - Prisoners - Human Rights - Switzerland - "Scalia Weighs in Again on Controversy." ... "[Republican President Ronald Reagan appointed Supreme Court] Justice Antonin Scalia's statement that inflicting pain on a terrorism suspect to elicit critical information could be constitutional was not the first - or second or even third - time he has commented on a legal controversy that ultimately could be settled by the Supreme Court." ... "If past practice is any guide, Scalia won't let his remarks or his critics' complaints stop him from taking part in the court's work." ... "In 2006, a few weeks before the court heard arguments over the rights of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Scalia told an audience in Switzerland that the Constitution doesn't protect foreigners who are held there." ... ""War is war, and it has never been the case that when you captured a combatant you have to give them a jury trial in your civil courts. Give me a break," Scalia said." ... "He ignored a request from five retired generals to withdraw from the case and dissented from a ruling in favor of the detainees. Two years earlier, Scalia also dissented in the court's first decision extending some legal rights to the Guantanamo prisoners." ... "Scalia, 71, rebuffed calls in 2004 to step aside from a dispute involving [Republican] Vice President Dick Cheney when it was disclosed Scalia accompanied Cheney on a hunting trip while the court was considering the case." -By Mark Sherman -AssociatedPress

20080125

John McCain - Rick Davis - Russian - Crime - Money - Politics - Switzerland - Ukraine - Canada - Britain - Lawsuits - Ga - NH - Virginia - Arizona - 2008 Election - US - International - "Aide Helped Controversial Russian Meet McCain: Davis, Then a Lobbyist, Has Spurred Debate in Reform-Focused Campaign." ... "A top political adviser in [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign helped arrange an introduction in 2006 between McCain and a Russian billionaire whose suspected links to anti-democratic and organized-crime figures are so controversial that the U.S. [United States] government revoked his visa." ... "Rick Davis, who is now McCain's campaign manager, helped set up the encounter between McCain and Russian aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska in [World Economic Summit at Davos] Switzerland during an international economic conference. At the time, Davis was working for a lobbying firm and seeking to do business with the billionaire." ... "With a net worth of more than $13 billion, Deripaska is one of the richest men in Russia and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin." ... "When Deripaska met McCain, Davis was part of Davis Manafort, a lobbying firm that was being paid to provide political advice to pro-Russian and oligarch-funded candidates in Ukraine, according to interviews and news accounts." ... "Davis, who has been a political adviser to McCain on and off since 1999, was part of a lobbying firm that worked not only for Ukrainian politicians but also for telecommunications firms, a lottery services provider and freight companies." ... "Davis's firm provided political advice to a pro-Russian party in Ukraine during the parliamentary elections of 2006." ... "He [Oleg Deripaska] has been accused of shady business practices in lawsuits in the United States and Britain, and his multiple-entry U.S. visa was yanked by the State Department in the summer of 2006." ... "The first gathering that brought McCain and Deripaska together occurred in January 2006, when McCain was part of a congressional delegation trip. He and a small group of senators, including [Georgia Republican Senator] Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.[Republican-Georgia]) and [New Hampshire Republican Senator] John E. Sununu (R-N.H.[Republican-New Hampshire]), met for a drink near Davos, Switzerland, at an apartment where they were greeted by Davis and Deripaska. The group then went to a dinner at the ski chalet of Peter Munk, founder of Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold-mining company, based in Toronto [Canada]. Participants at the buffet dinner said Munk complimented his sometime business partner Deripaska during his brief remarks to the 40 or so guests." ... "Later that month, Deripaska wrote to Davis and his partner, GOP political consultant Paul J. Manafort, to thank them for arranging the meeting. "Thank you so much for setting up everything in Klosters so spectacularly," he wrote. "It was very interesting to meet Senators McCain, Chambliss and Sununu in such an intimate setting."" ... "The letter was sent to Davis at the Reform Institute, a Virginia-based nonprofit group that McCain helped start to promote many of his trademark reform efforts, including increasing the transparency of lobbying and campaign financing." ... "Davis was the institute's president from January 2003 until December 2005. During that time, he was also a registered lobbyist at Davis Manafort. The institute was located at the Davis Manafort offices until January 2006." ... "Seven months later, in August 2006, Davis was present again at a social gathering that was also attended by McCain and Deripaska, this time in Montenegro, another Eastern European country in which Davis's firm was working." (1, 2, 3) -By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and John Solomon with contributions by Peter Baker -WashingtonPost

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20070608

Secret - US - Poland - Romania - Germany - Italy - Egypt - Military - Intelligence - Terrorism - Torture - Prisons - Human Rights - Law - Politics - "CIA jails in Europe 'confirmed'." ... "A Council of Europe investigator says he has evidence to prove the CIA ran secret jails in Poland and Romania to interrogate "war on terror" suspects." ... "Dick Marty, a Swiss senator, has been investigating CIA operations on behalf of the European human rights body." ... "In his new report, released on Friday, Mr Marty says secret CIA prisons "did exist in Europe from 2003 to 2005, in particular in Poland and Romania"." ... "The governments of both countries have strongly denied any involvement. A spokesman for the CIA told the BBC that "the CIA's counter-terror operations have been lawful, effective, closely reviewed, and of benefit to many people -including Europeans - by disrupting plots and saving lives"." ... "Mr Marty says he drew on multiple sources and used his own intelligence methods to investigate the CIA's "extraordinary renditions", the process under which terror suspects were transported around the world for interrogation." ... ""Some European governments have obstructed the search for the truth and are continuing to do so by invoking the concept of 'state secrets'.... This criticism applies to Germany and Italy, in particular," he said." ... "His report came as the first criminal trial over the CIA "extraordinary renditions" opened in Italy. Twenty-five CIA agents and a US Air Force colonel are on trial in their absence, accused of kidnapping an Egyptian terror suspect and sending him to Egypt, where he was allegedly tortured." -BBC/News
Secret - US - Poland - Romania - Military - Terrorism - Torture - Prisons - Law - Airspace - Politics - "Report claims US ran secret prisons in Europe." ... "The CIA ran secret prisons in Poland and Romania from 2003 to 2005 where terrorism suspects could be interrogated free of US legal restraints, a Council of Europe investigation concluded today." ... "It revealed that Abu Zubaydah, believed to be a senior al-Qaida member, and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a suspected mastermind of the September 11 attacks, were held and interrogated in Poland." ... "None of the prisoners had access to the Red Cross and many were subjected to what [Republican President] George Bush has called the CIA's "enhanced" interrogation, which critics have condemned as torture." ... "The report said that within weeks of the 9/11 attacks, Nato signed an agreement with the US that allowed civilian jets used by the CIA during its so-called extraordinary rendition programme to move across member states' airspace." ... "Dick Marty, a Swiss senator who ran the investigation, said in his report that the "the highest state authorities were aware of the CIA's illegal activities on their territories"." ... "Politicians from Poland and Romania, as well as a spokesman for the CIA, have rejected the findings of the investigation." -By Fred Attewill -Guardian.co.uk

20060328

Antonin Scalia - US - Cuba - Guantanamo Bay - Government - Military - Terrorism - Prisons - "Scalia's Recusal Sought in Key Detainee Case: Retired Officers Say Justice's Impartiality Is in Question After Remarks on Combatants." ... "On the eve of oral argument in a key Supreme Court case on the rights of alleged terrorists, a group of retired U.S. generals and admirals has asked Justice Antonin Scalia to recuse himself, arguing that his recent public comments on the subject make it impossible for him to appear impartial." ... "In a letter delivered to the court late yesterday, a lawyer for the retired officers cited news reports of Scalia's March 8 remarks to an audience at the University of Freiburg in Switzerland. Scalia reportedly said it was "crazy" to suggest that combatants captured fighting the United States should receive a "full jury trial," and dismissed suggestions that the Geneva Conventions might apply to detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." ... "The retired officers are Brig. Gen. David M. Brahms, Brig Gen. James P. Cullen, Vice Adm. Lee F. Gunn, Rear Adm. John D. Hutson and Rear Adm. Donald J. Guter. They have filed a friend of the court brief in the case opposing the military commissions, on the grounds that denying Geneva Conventions protections to detainees at Guantanamo Bay could result in their denial to U.S. troops by their captors abroad." -By Charles Lane -WashingtonPost

20060326

Antonin Scalia - US - EU - Switzerland - Guantanamo- Cuba - Military - Prison - Politics - "U.S. high court judge said to slam detainee rights." ... "U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dismissed the idea that Guantanamo detainees have constitutional rights and called European concerns over the issue hypocritical, Newsweek magazine reported on Sunday." ... "The comments, which Newsweek said were recorded at a private appearance by Scalia in Switzerland on March 8, emerge before a Supreme Court hearing this week on a legal challenge by a Guantanamo [Cuba] prisoner against U.S. military tribunals." ... "Ethics experts said the impression that Scalia had already made up his mind before the hearing should mean that he will voluntarily drop out of the proceedings." -Reuters via -AlertNet.org/Newsdesk

20051216

Turkey - Law - History - Switzerland - "Dilemma as Turkish writer’s trial is halted." ... "The trial of Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist accused of “insulting” his country, was halted on Friday after the justice ministry failed to indicate whether it wanted the trial to proceed." ... "Mr Pamuk is being prosecuted for remarks he made in an interview with a Swiss newspaper earlier this year. In it, he criticised Turkey for what he said was its denial of its historical responsibility in the massacre of Armenians and Kurds starting in 1915." ... "Mr Pamuk is being tried under Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which makes it a criminal offence to “insult Turkishness, the republic and state institutions” or otherwise “debase or denigrate” Turkish identity." -By Vincent Boland -FT.com
Turkey - Law - Author - Journalists - Switzerland - "Judge Halts Trial of Turkish Novelist." ... "The presiding judge halted the trial of Turkey's best-known novelist Friday, saying the court would need the approval of the Justice Ministry for the trial to proceed." ... "Orhan Pamuk is accused of insulting Turkey's national identity, a free speech case that has divided the nation." ... "He faces up to three years in prison for saying to a Swiss newspaper in February that Turkey is unwilling to deal with painful episodes in its treatment of the country's Armenian minority or its continuing problems with its 12 million Kurdish citizens." ... "Turkey has for years come under criticism for jailing journalists, authors and activists for speaking their minds." -By Suzan Fraser -AP via -HoustonChronicle.com

20051107

World - Switzerland - Drugs - "Roche plans 10-fold increase in Tamiflu." ... "Roche Holding (RHHBF) said Monday that will be able to produce 300 million treatments of Tamiflu in 2007, marking the first time the Swiss drugmaker has disclosed specific annual production plans for its increasingly-popular antiviral drug." ... "Tamiflu, which reduces flu symptoms, is being stockpiled by countries as a potential treatment if a worldwide flu pandemic occurs. Governments and health officials have pressed Roche to license manufacturing rights to other companies so that supplies can be increased faster." -By Julie Schmit -USATODAY

20051027

US - Switzerland - Global - Drug - Consumer - "Flu drug shipments to U.S. suspended." ... "Amid worries about bird flu, demand for a flu medicine is so extreme that the drug's maker has stopped shipping it to private U.S. suppliers just as consumers fret over whether they should try to stock up on the drug." ... "Tamiflu, a prescription drug designed to treat regular flu, is running scarce because of worries the bird flu in Asia might morph into a contagious human flu that circles the globe." ... "Tamiflu's maker, Roche Holding AG in Switzerland, said Thursday it was temporarily suspending U.S. shipment because of increased global demand. Company officials have previously said they are limiting supplies to pharmacies to thwart hoarding." ... "But there are signs that is happening." -By Lindsey Tanner -AP via-Miami/Herald

20051026

Austria - Switzerland - US - Halloween - Consumer - "Some Europeans Aren't Fans of Halloween: Halloween Is Getting More Popular Across Europe, but Some Disparage the U.S.-Style Commercialism." ... "It's almost Halloween and all those ghosts, goblins, tricks and treats are giving Hans Kohler the creeps." ... "So the mayor of Rankweil [Austria], a town near the border with Switzerland, has launched a one-man campaign disparaging Halloween as a "bad American habit" and urging families to skip it this year." ... ""It's an American custom that's got nothing to do with our culture," Kohler wrote in letters sent out to households. By midweek, the mayors of eight neighboring villages had thrown their support behind the boycott. So had local police, annoyed with the annual Oct. 31 uptick in vandalism and mischief." (1, 2) -With contributions by Marta Falconi, Tommy Grandell, Jenn Wiant, and Matthias Armborst -AP via -ABCNEWS.com

20050313

- - "Lufthansa Negotiating to Take Over Swiss International Air Lines." ... "Lufthansa of Germany is in negotiations to take over Swiss International Air Lines in a deal that would mark a step toward consolidation among European carriers that are still largely organized along national lines." ... "The purchase of Swiss, which was valued at 547.8 million Swiss francs, or $476.4 million, at the close of business on Friday, would complete the transformation of Switzerland's lone major carrier, which as Swissair went bankrupt in 2001 before being reborn as Swiss the following year." -By Carter Dougherty -IHT.com via -NYTimes

20030623

- - - - - - "Switzerland Blocks Accounts Linked to Liberian Leader (Update1)." ... "Switzerland ordered banks in Zurich and Geneva to block all accounts linked to Liberian President Charles Taylor following a request for assistance from a United Nations- backed court investigating war crimes in Sierra Leone." ... "The request extends to Taylor's relatives, members of his government, business people and companies, the Swiss Justice Ministry said. The Special Court for Sierra Leone has charged Taylor with crimes against humanity in connection with the 1996- 2001 civil war." -Bloomberg

20030601

- - - - - - - - "Switzerland, Usually Calm, Erupts in Protest of G-8 Talks." ... "Switzerland is not a country accustomed to demonstrations and crowd control and police struggled today to respond to protesters who blocked highways, roads and bridges; set fire to barricades; sprayed graffiti on buildings and cars; destroyed property and hurled rocks, bottles and insults at them." ... "The most violent protests occurred in Geneva and in the city of Lausanne 30 miles away, where heads of state who are not part of the elite group of eight — France, the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia — are staying." ... "Riot police wearing helmets and carrying shields, a common sight in France but certainly not in Switzerland, clashed at several points with protesters. The police, who were under orders not to use force against the protesters, tried to disperse them with masses of tear gas." (1, 2) -By Elaine Sciolino, John Tagliabue, Helene Fouquet and Alison Langley -NYTimes via -Google-News

Switzerland News, Swiss News, Switzerland, News, Swiss Confederation, capital, Bern, Schweiz, Suisse, Svizzera, Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Confederation Suisse, Confederazione Svizzera
SWITZERLAND Notes:

From the World Factbook:

Country name:

conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland
local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera (Italian)
local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)

Government type: formally a confederation, but similar in structure to a federal republic
Capital: Bern
Nationality: noun: Swiss (singular and plural) - adjective: Swiss
Ethnic groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Background: "The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality."
Economy - overview: "Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safehaven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth stagnated during the 2001-03 period, improved during 2004-05 to 1.8% annually and to 2.9% in 2006. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average."

SWITZERLAND NEWS SWISS NEWS | HavenWorks.com/world/switzerland capital: Bern, Swiss Confederation, Switzerland, Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera (Italian), Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)

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