Switzerland

Swiss lead the world in railway travel

Swiss lead the world in railway travelGeneva  - The Swiss seem to enjoy trains more than other nations, with the average resident travelling around 2,103 kilometres annually, the Information Service for Public Transport said putting the confederation at the top of the global list.

The Japanese came second with residents averaging 1,976 kilometres by train in 2007, though they did make the most trips with 70 a year, compared to 47 for the Swiss.

Business leaders launch anti-corruption campaign on YouTube

YouTube LogoGeneva - Chiefs of several leading international companies launched a call on YouTube Monday, asking for the public to submit ideas on how to combat corruption.

Executives appearing on the video streaming Website - including Alan Boeckmann of the Fluor Corporation, Peter Bakker of the Dutch delivery company TNT and Samuel DiPiazza, CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers - said over 1 trillion dollars were lost annually to corruption.

They said, in a short clip just over a minute in length, that bribes hindered workers' ability to get jobs and patients' access to basic medical care.

CERN to restart particle accelerator in the summer of 2009

Geneva  - The unique giant particle accelerator along the French-Swiss border, which scientists hope will give clues as to the nature of matter itself, will be functioning again by the summer of 2009, its operators said Friday.

The machine, known as the Large Hadron Collider, was turned off in September following a malfunction which caused damage to integral parts just about a week after the first experiment. It has since been turned off.

The LHC, operated by European Organization for Nuclear Research - known by its French acronym CERN- is run on a budget of some 10 billion Swiss francs (8.17 billion dollars), making it one of the most expensive science experiments.

Logitech has made its one-billionth computer mouse

Logitech has made its one-billionth computer mouseLondon, December 5 : Swiss company Logitech has revealed that its factory in Suzhou, western China, has produced its one-billionth computer mouse.

The company has made this revelation at a time when analysts claim that the mouse will not exist for longer.

"It''s rare in human history that a billionth of anything has been shipped by one company," the BBC quoted Logitech''s general manager Rory Dooley as saying.

"Look at any other industry and it has never happened. This is a significant milestone," he added.

180 clubs receive UEFA solidarity payments for players at Euro 2008

UEFA LogoNyon, Switzerland - UEFA announced Thursday that it has finalised the
financial calculations regarding payments to Europe's national football
federations for them to pass on to their clubs for their contribution
to Euro 2008.

The payments are part of the agreement signed between UEFA and the
European Club Association (ECA) in January of this year which allowed
for the distribution of 43.5 million euros (55.1 million dollars) of
Euro 2008 revenue to the national federations.

A total of 180 clubs are set to benefit from the scheme with the clubs
providing the greatest number players for the tournament in Austria and

UAE questioned about rights record on migrant workers, women

United Arab Emirates MapGeneva - The United Arab Emirates came under close scrutiny Thursday, particularly on the treatment of migrant workers, during its periodic review before the United Nations' Human Rights Council.

Labour exporting countries in south Asia, as well as European states, questioned the UAE over what steps were being taken to improve the conditions of blue collar labourers.

Estimates say foreigners make up about 85 per cent of the Gulf state's population, and they account for about 99 per cent of the private sector workforce, according to Human Rights Watch, an advocacy group.

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