Switzerland

UN racism conference begins amid widespread boycott

UN racism conference begins amid widespread boycott Geneva - The United Nations Durban Review Conference on racism began Monday in Geneva amid controversy and the notable absence of several Western states.

The United States, Germany, Canada, Italy, New Zealand and other countries have boycotted the conference saying the draft declaration prepared was unacceptable as it included vague attempts to limit free speech regarding criticism of religion, and concern that Israel might be singled out.

Macedonian club Podeba banned over match-fixing

UEFANyon, Switzerland  - Macedonian football club FK Podeba was banned for eight years from European events

Former IOC member, African football boss Halim dies

Former IOC member, African football boss Halim dies Lausanne, Switzerland  - Abdel Mohamed Halim of Sudan, a former African football supremo and International Olympic Committee member, the IOC said on Friday. He was 99 years old.

Halim was an IOC member 1968-1982 and later an honorary member of the Olympic body.

He made a big contribution to African football as founding member of the continent's football federation in 1957, organizer of the first African Nations Cup the same year in his native Sudan, and African football supremo 1987-1988.

CAS cancels Pizarro fine imposed by Peru federation

CAS cancels Pizarro fine imposed by Peru federationLausanne, Switzerland  - The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday cancelled a fine of 10,000 dollars imposed on Peru striker Claudio Pizarro by his nation's football federation (PFF) for allegedly misbehaving after a 2007 match with Brazil.

The CAS said in a statement that "the facts put forward by the PFF in relation to Pizarro were not supported by concrete evidence" and added that "the incidents reported by the PFF were not dealt with either in the PFF regulations, or in the FIFA regulations."

Pevenage: doping in Austria was an open secret in cycling

Pevenage: doping in Austria was an open secret in cyclingZurich  - Blood doping in Austria, and elsewhere, was an open secret in the cycling community, the former advisor of ex-Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich said in an interview published on Thursday.

Speaking in the wake of allegations that a Vienna blood bank was part of a doping scheme in Austria, Rudy Pevenage told Swiss daily Neue Zuercher Zeitung (NZZ) that "many in cycling knew three years ago that there was a nest in Vienna."

UN: Investments in farming needed to stave off world hunger

UN: Investments in farming needed to stave off world hungerGeneva - United Nations Assistant Secretary General David Nabbaro said Thursday that the best way to prevent hunger and sustainably reduce poverty was to invest in agriculture.

"Over the last 25 years many countries have cut back on investment in agriculture," he said.

Nabbaro warned that countries were finding it difficult to meet the UN's Millenium Development Goals, including halving the number of hungry people globally by 2015.

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