Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Around $321 million in public funds stolen by former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha will be returned to the African country, Switzerland said Monday. The money, originally deposited in Luxembourg, was confiscated by a Swiss court in late 2014 and in March last year the two …
Read More »Largest diamond ever auctioned to go under hammer in Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The largest diamond ever offered at auction is set to go under the hammer in Geneva Tuesday evening, with bids expected to top $25 million. The “sensational” 163.41-carat flawless diamond, suspended from an emerald and diamond necklace called The Art of Grisogono, will be one of …
Read More »Swiss open corruption probe against PSG’s Al-Khelaifi and ex-FIFA executive
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Switzerland has opened a criminal probe targeting Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, and FIFA’s former secretary general Jerome Valcke, over alleged corruption in the sale of World Cup media rights. “The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has opened a criminal proceeding against …
Read More »Bee-harming pesticides in 75 percent of honey worldwide: study
Miami, United States | AFP | Traces of pesticides that act as nerve agents on bees have been found in 75 percent of honey worldwide, raising concern about the survival of these crucial crop pollinators, researchers said Thursday. Human health is not likely at risk from the concentrations detected in a …
Read More »Swiss vote against plan to save pensions
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Swiss voters rejected on Sunday a divisive pension reform plan that the government proposed to address the needs of an ageing population. The final results showed 52.7 percent of voters said no to changes to the current system which would have raised women’s retirement age by …
Read More »Clogged drain? Could mean toilet is flush with cash
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | If someone tells you they flushed more than a hundred grand down the toilet, chances are they’re referring figuratively to a bad investment, or an outrageous extravagance. But in Switzerland, prosecutors have opened an investigation into why two people literally tried to cram about 100,000 euros …
Read More »Trump announces ambassador picks to Germany, India
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump has announced a series of ambassador nominations to key capitals, including Berlin and New Delhi, more than seven months after taking office. In a statement released late Friday, the White House announced Trump intends to nominate Richard Grenell to be ambassador …
Read More »Swiss couple found on glacier 75 years after disappearance
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | A couple that disappeared in the Alps 75 years ago has been found preserved in a receding glacier, ending decades of uncertainty for their seven children, Swiss media reported Tuesday. The bodies were found lying near each other in the Diablerets massif in southern Switzerland, …
Read More »Jury awards $218 mn to farmers in Syngenta GMO corn lawsuit
Chicago, United States | AFP | A US federal jury on Friday ordered Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta to pay nearly $218 million to 7,000 Kansas farmers after selling them genetically-modified corn seeds not approved for export to China. The farmers suffered profound economic damage in 2013 when Chinese authorities refused …
Read More »Man guilty of libel over Facebook ‘likes’: Swiss court
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | In a landmark ruling, a Swiss court has fined a man for “liking” comments on Facebook accusing an animal rights activist of being a “racist” and an “anti-Semite”. In the first case of its kind in Switzerland, the Zurich district court on Monday faulted a …
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