<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sri-lanka-president-gotabaya-rajapaksa-meets-external-affairs-minister-s-jaishankar-265180">Sri&nbsp;Lanka</a>&nbsp;on Sunday raised doubts about claims by a Swiss embassy staff member that she was abducted and demanded access to the woman who has said she was forced to hand over sensitive information.

The alleged abduction came one day after a top&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka&nbsp;police officer sought asylum in Switzerland and the Swiss government has made an official protest.

Sri&nbsp;Lanka's foreign ministry said however that Swiss ambassador Hanspeter Mock was briefed Sunday about the inquiry and told that the staff member's account did not add up.

"The ambassador was presented with clear evidence that the sequence of events and timeline of the alleged incident ... did not in any way correspond with the actual movements of the alleged victim on that date," said a ministry statement.

Police had interviewed witnesses and secured technical evidence, including Uber records, CCTV footage, telephone records and GPS data, it added.

The ministry insisted that the embassy employee be interviewed and also undergo a medical examination. The Swiss embassy has said the woman is suffering from "deteriorating health".

"The embassy has been requested to cooperate fully with the government of&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka&nbsp;to establish the veracity of the claims relating to this alleged incident," said the statement.

"Given that the alleged victim had also claimed that she had sustained injuries during the alleged abduction, it was noted that she should be presented for a medical examination by a judicial medical officer in&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka."

The ministry statement came one day after the Swiss embassy gave first details of how the staffer was abducted on Monday and "seriously threatened".

"The employee was detained against their will in the street, forced to get into a car, seriously threatened at length by unidentified men and forced to disclose embassy-related information," the embassy had said on Saturday.

The Swiss government has said it "considers the incident to be very serious and an unacceptable attack on one of its diplomatic missions and its employees."

The ambassador has already protested to the&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lankan government.

The staffer was reportedly forced to open her mobile phone and reveal the names of&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lankans who had sought asylum in Switzerland.

The police officer who fled to Switzerland had been investigating several cases involving members of the Rajapaksa family who regained power after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-work-together-with-india-says-sri-lanka-president-gotabaya-in-joint-statement-with-pm-modi-265215">Gotabaya Rajapaksa</a> won a November 16 election.

The government this week alerted airport immigration authorities to stop any police officer leaving the country without permission.

Sri Lanka on Sunday raised doubts about claims by a Swiss embassy staff member that she was abducted and demanded access to the woman who has said she was forced to hand over sensitive information.

Sri Lanka on Sunday raised doubts about claims by a Swiss embassy staff member that she was abducted and demanded access to the woman who has said she was forced to hand over sensitive information. The alleged abduction came one day after a top Sri Lanka police officer sought asylum in Switzerland and the Swiss government has made an official protest. Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said however that Swiss ambassador Hanspeter Mock was briefed Sunday about the inquiry and told that the staff member's account did not add up. "The ambassador was presented with clear evidence that the sequence of events and timeline of the alleged incident ... did not in any way correspond with the actual movements of the alleged victim on that date," said a ministry statement. Police had interviewed witnesses and secured technical evidence, including Uber records, CCTV footage, telephone records and GPS data, it added. The ministry insisted that the embassy employee be interviewed and also undergo a medical examination. The Swiss embassy has said the woman is suffering from "deteriorating health". "The embassy has been requested to cooperate fully with the government of Sri Lanka to establish the veracity of the claims relating to this alleged incident," said the statement. "Given that the alleged victim had also claimed that she had sustained injuries during the alleged abduction, it was noted that she should be presented for a medical examination by a judicial medical officer in Sri Lanka." The ministry statement came one day after the Swiss embassy gave first details of how the staffer was abducted on Monday and "seriously threatened". "The employee was detained against their will in the street, forced to get into a car, seriously threatened at length by unidentified men and forced to disclose embassy-related information," the embassy had said on Saturday. The Swiss government has said it "considers the incident to be very serious and an unacceptable attack on one of its diplomatic missions and its employees." The ambassador has already protested to the Sri Lankan government. The staffer was reportedly forced to open her mobile phone and reveal the names of Sri Lankans who had sought asylum in Switzerland. The police officer who fled to Switzerland had been investigating several cases involving members of the Rajapaksa family who regained power after Gotabaya Rajapaksa won a November 16 election. The government this week alerted airport immigration authorities to stop any police officer leaving the country without permission.

Sri Lanka wrangles with Switzerland over embassy staffer abduction

Switzerland battles global warming; Over 500 Swiss glaciers have disappeared over the years

Switzerland battles global warming; Over 500 Swiss glaciers disappeared over the years

A&nbsp;US-based&nbsp;foundation&nbsp;overseeing promising semiconductor&nbsp;technology developed with Pentagon support will soon move to&nbsp;Switzerland&nbsp;after several of the&nbsp;group's foreign members raised concerns about potential&nbsp;US&nbsp;trade&nbsp;curbs.

The nonprofit RISC-V Foundation (pronounced risk-five) wants to ensure that universities, governments, and companies outside the United States can help develop its open-source&nbsp;technology, it's Chief Executive Calista Redmond said in an interview with Reuters.

She said the foundation's global collaboration has faced no restrictions to date but members are "concerned about possible geopolitical disruption."

"From around the world, we've heard that 'If the incorporation was not in the&nbsp;US, we would be a lot more comfortable'," she said. Redmond said the foundation's board of directors approved the move unanimously but declined to disclose which members prompted it.

Created in 2015, the RISC-V Foundation sets standards for the core&nbsp;chip&nbsp;architecture and controls who can use the RISC-V&nbsp;trademark on products, as other organizations do for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth&nbsp;chips. It does not own or control the&nbsp;technology.

More than 325 companies or other entities pay to be members, including&nbsp;US&nbsp;and European&nbsp;chip&nbsp;suppliers such as<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-trade-commission-to-investigate-apple-qualcomm-legal-dispute-18734"> Qualcomm Inc</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/overwhelming-view-is-qualcomm-will-up-offer-for-nxp-morgan-stanley-21178">NXP Semiconductors</a>, as well as China's<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/alibaba-eyes-129-billion-hong-kong-ipo-after-setting-price-reports-263274"> Alibaba&nbsp;Group&nbsp;Holding Ltd</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canadas-use-of-huawei-5g-would-hamper-its-access-to-us-intelligence-us-official-264310">Huawei&nbsp;Technologies Co Ltd</a>.

The foundation's move from Delaware to&nbsp;Switzerland&nbsp;may foreshadow further&nbsp;technology flight because of&nbsp;US&nbsp;restrictions on dealing with some Chinese&nbsp;technology companies, said William Reinsch, who was undersecretary of commerce for export administration in the Clinton administration.

"There is a message for the government. The message is if you clamp down on things too tightly this is what is going to happen. In a global supply chain world, companies have choices, and one choice is to go&nbsp;overseas," he said.

In a statement to Reuters, the&nbsp;US&nbsp;Department of Commerce said its controls were designed to safeguard&nbsp;U.S. national security and to "ensure bad actors cannot acquire&nbsp;technology that harms&nbsp;US&nbsp;citizens or interests while promoting innovation to fuel continued American&nbsp;technological leadership." The department said it meets regularly with private industry to gauge market conditions and the effects of its regulations.

Some Republican&nbsp;US&nbsp;lawmakers said they are concerned the United States will lose influence&nbsp;over&nbsp;RISC-V&nbsp;chip&nbsp;architecture, which can be used to make microprocessors for almost every type of electronic device, making it a crucial building block of a modern economy. The&nbsp;technology came from labs at the University of California, Berkeley, and later benefited from funding by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The lawmakers warn that the foundation's Chinese members could influence the&nbsp;technology's development to help China's semiconductor industry.

"The Chinese Communist Party is trying to circumvent our export control system to support national security threats like Huawei - we cannot let it succeed," Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, told Reuters.

Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton said&nbsp;moving&nbsp;the foundation to ensure it could retain Chinese members was "short-sighted at best." He added that "if American public funds were used to develop the&nbsp;technology, it’s also completely outrageous."

Redmond said in follow-up emails after speaking to Reuters that given the&nbsp;technology is open source and available to anyone, she does not see how the move could be against the&nbsp;US&nbsp;national interest.

A DARPA spokesman told Reuters the agency intended for RISC-V work is funded to be publicly available to companies and academics around the world.&nbsp;

Morgan Reed, president of The App Association, which receives funding from major&nbsp;US&nbsp;technology firms such as Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp in Washington, likened the RISC-V Foundation's work to efforts between&nbsp;US&nbsp;and Chinese companies to jointly develop Wi-Fi&nbsp;chip&nbsp;standards.

"The notion that China can be barred from participating in standards alongside the&nbsp;US&nbsp;and the EU is simply not viable," Reed said. "China is too important as a manufacturer and an end-market to ignore."

The RISC-V Foundation announced at a meeting last December it would seek a "neutral" country before making a formal decision to go to&nbsp;Switzerland&nbsp;earlier this year, a decision that got little public attention. Final approvals in&nbsp;Switzerland&nbsp;for the move are expected as soon as the end of November, Redmond said.

Chinese companies have had access to the RISC-V architecture, which is publicly available, since its creation, Redmond said.

Alibaba claimed in July it had developed the fastest RISC-V processor to date. The company declined to comment for this story.

The RISC-V Foundation's move shows how&nbsp;US-China&nbsp;trade&nbsp;tensions could make the United States a harder place to host&nbsp;technology standards groups, according to two attorneys who represent such groups.

The lawyers said it is unclear whether standards groups&nbsp;are allowed to work with Huawei. These groups&nbsp;are concerned&nbsp;US&nbsp;authorities may decide that some closed-door&nbsp;technical discussions involve the transfer of sensitive&nbsp;technology to the Chinese or others on banned lists, said one of the attorneys, Brad Biddle, who works for several standards groups.

In June, more than two dozen standards groups&nbsp;- including those&nbsp;overseeing SD memory cards and Ethernet and HDMI cables - wrote a letter to US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross asking for clarification of the rules on working with Huawei.

The groups&nbsp;warned Ross that the Huawei restrictions posed a "serious risk" that standards work could move out of the United States, which could end a long-held trend where&nbsp;US-based&nbsp;groups&nbsp;set de facto standards for the rest of the world, they wrote.

The Commerce Department published an advisory opinion seeking to clarify the issue in August, but standards lawyers said the rules remain confusing.

The RISC-V Foundation's Redmond does not yet see a "credible threat" to international collaboration. "But we're taking out an insurance policy against that type of action by&nbsp;moving&nbsp;our incorporation," she told Reuters.

The board's seven current members are all&nbsp;based&nbsp;in North America. After the move, the foundation's board will be expanded and European and Asian members will be added, said Redmond. Reuters could not confirm whether any Chinese companies planned to join the board.

Andrew Updegrove, an attorney who does work for standards groups, said that&nbsp;US&nbsp;restrictions on transferring&nbsp;US-origin&nbsp;technology to Chinese companies will still apply regardless of where the RISC-V Foundation is headquartered.

At Netherlands-based&nbsp;NXP Semiconductors, which is a member of the foundation, customers have asked the company to detail where the&nbsp;technology in its&nbsp;chips comes from, said Lars Reger, its chief&nbsp;technology officer. The customers do not want to be cut off in future&nbsp;trade&nbsp;disputes, he said.

US officials and some lawmakers have alleged Huawei's telecom equipment may enable surveillance by China. The resulting backlash has prevented it from making inroads into the&nbsp;US&nbsp;market. Huawei has denied the claims.

In response to Reuter's questions, a Huawei spokesman said: "We support RISC-V Foundation identifying&nbsp;Switzerland&nbsp;as a neutral venue for open source development. Making open source as open as possible is important for the industry."

He said that RISC-V "might fit well into Huawei's vision of this heterogeneous, open world."

A US-based foundation overseeing promising semiconductor technology developed with Pentagon support will soon move to Switzerland after several of the group's foreign members raised concerns about potential US trade curbs.

A US-based foundation overseeing promising semiconductor technology developed with Pentagon support will soon move to Switzerland after several of the group's foreign members raised concerns about potential US trade curbs. The nonprofit RISC-V Foundation (pronounced risk-five) wants to ensure that universities, governments, and companies outside the United States can help develop its open-source technology, it's Chief Executive Calista Redmond said in an interview with Reuters. She said the foundation's global collaboration has faced no restrictions to date but members are "concerned about possible geopolitical disruption." "From around the world, we've heard that 'If the incorporation was not in the US, we would be a lot more comfortable'," she said. Redmond said the foundation's board of directors approved the move unanimously but declined to disclose which members prompted it. Created in 2015, the RISC-V Foundation sets standards for the core chip architecture and controls who can use the RISC-V trademark on products, as other organizations do for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips. It does not own or control the technology. More than 325 companies or other entities pay to be members, including US and European chip suppliers such as Qualcomm Inc and NXP Semiconductors, as well as China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. The foundation's move from Delaware to Switzerland may foreshadow further technology flight because of US restrictions on dealing with some Chinese technology companies, said William Reinsch, who was undersecretary of commerce for export administration in the Clinton administration. "There is a message for the government. The message is if you clamp down on things too tightly this is what is going to happen. In a global supply chain world, companies have choices, and one choice is to go overseas," he said. In a statement to Reuters, the US Department of Commerce said its controls were designed to safeguard U.S. national security and to "ensure bad actors cannot acquire technology that harms US citizens or interests while promoting innovation to fuel continued American technological leadership." The department said it meets regularly with private industry to gauge market conditions and the effects of its regulations. Some Republican US lawmakers said they are concerned the United States will lose influence over RISC-V chip architecture, which can be used to make microprocessors for almost every type of electronic device, making it a crucial building block of a modern economy. The technology came from labs at the University of California, Berkeley, and later benefited from funding by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The lawmakers warn that the foundation's Chinese members could influence the technology's development to help China's semiconductor industry. "The Chinese Communist Party is trying to circumvent our export control system to support national security threats like Huawei - we cannot let it succeed," Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, told Reuters. Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton said moving the foundation to ensure it could retain Chinese members was "short-sighted at best." He added that "if American public funds were used to develop the technology, it’s also completely outrageous." Redmond said in follow-up emails after speaking to Reuters that given the technology is open source and available to anyone, she does not see how the move could be against the US national interest. A DARPA spokesman told Reuters the agency intended for RISC-V work is funded to be publicly available to companies and academics around the world. Morgan Reed, president of The App Association, which receives funding from major US technology firms such as Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp in Washington, likened the RISC-V Foundation's work to efforts between US and Chinese companies to jointly develop Wi-Fi chip standards. "The notion that China can be barred from participating in standards alongside the US and the EU is simply not viable," Reed said. "China is too important as a manufacturer and an end-market to ignore." The RISC-V Foundation announced at a meeting last December it would seek a "neutral" country before making a formal decision to go to Switzerland earlier this year, a decision that got little public attention. Final approvals in Switzerland for the move are expected as soon as the end of November, Redmond said. Chinese companies have had access to the RISC-V architecture, which is publicly available, since its creation, Redmond said. Alibaba claimed in July it had developed the fastest RISC-V processor to date. The company declined to comment for this story. The RISC-V Foundation's move shows how US-China trade tensions could make the United States a harder place to host technology standards groups, according to two attorneys who represent such groups. The lawyers said it is unclear whether standards groups are allowed to work with Huawei. These groups are concerned US authorities may decide that some closed-door technical discussions involve the transfer of sensitive technology to the Chinese or others on banned lists, said one of the attorneys, Brad Biddle, who works for several standards groups. In June, more than two dozen standards groups - including those overseeing SD memory cards and Ethernet and HDMI cables - wrote a letter to US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross asking for clarification of the rules on working with Huawei. The groups warned Ross that the Huawei restrictions posed a "serious risk" that standards work could move out of the United States, which could end a long-held trend where US-based groups set de facto standards for the rest of the world, they wrote. The Commerce Department published an advisory opinion seeking to clarify the issue in August, but standards lawyers said the rules remain confusing. The RISC-V Foundation's Redmond does not yet see a "credible threat" to international collaboration. "But we're taking out an insurance policy against that type of action by moving our incorporation," she told Reuters. The board's seven current members are all based in North America. After the move, the foundation's board will be expanded and European and Asian members will be added, said Redmond. Reuters could not confirm whether any Chinese companies planned to join the board. Andrew Updegrove, an attorney who does work for standards groups, said that US restrictions on transferring US-origin technology to Chinese companies will still apply regardless of where the RISC-V Foundation is headquartered. At Netherlands-based NXP Semiconductors, which is a member of the foundation, customers have asked the company to detail where the technology in its chips comes from, said Lars Reger, its chief technology officer. The customers do not want to be cut off in future trade disputes, he said. US officials and some lawmakers have alleged Huawei's telecom equipment may enable surveillance by China. The resulting backlash has prevented it from making inroads into the US market. Huawei has denied the claims. In response to Reuter's questions, a Huawei spokesman said: "We support RISC-V Foundation identifying Switzerland as a neutral venue for open source development. Making open source as open as possible is important for the industry." He said that RISC-V "might fit well into Huawei's vision of this heterogeneous, open world."

US-based chip-tech group moving to Switzerland over trade curb fears

Then and now: Ice retreat in Switzerland swallows 500 glaciers

Switzerland qualified for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/italy-put-nine-past-armenia-to-finish-with-perfect-record-263045">Euro 2020</a> with an easy 6-1 win away to Gibraltar in their final Group D qualifying match on Monday with Cedric Itten scoring twice.

The Swiss topped the group with 17 points, one ahead of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/denmark-seal-euro-2020-place-with-ireland-draw-263058">Denmark who also qualified</a>.

Needing a draw to qualify, the Swiss went ahead after 10 minutes through Itten, who had scored on his debut on Friday to give them a 1-0 win over Georgia. Ruben Vargas got to the byline and sent over a low cross which the Gibraltar defence failed to intercept and Itten tapped in.

Vargas himself headed the second from Loris Benito's cross five minutes after halftime and Christian Fassnacht added the third seven minutes later after the Gibraltar defence failed to deal with Michael Lang's cross.

Gibraltar pulled one back in the 74th minute when a long throw was headed on at the near post, the ball bobbled around and Reece Styche prodded it in.

But the celebrations did not last long as Switzerland went straight down the other end from the re-start and Benito added a fourth.

Itten took his tally to three in two internationals when he headed the fifth and provided the pass for Granit Xhaka to slot home the sixth as Gibraltar tired.

Switzerland qualified for Euro 2020 with an easy 6-1 win away to Gibraltar in their final Group D qualifying match on Monday with Cedric Itten scoring twice. The Swiss topped the group with 17 points, one ahead of Denmark who also qualified.

Switzerland qualified for Euro 2020 with an easy 6-1 win away to Gibraltar in their final Group D qualifying match on Monday with Cedric Itten scoring twice. The Swiss topped the group with 17 points, one ahead of Denmark who also qualified. Needing a draw to qualify, the Swiss went ahead after 10 minutes through Itten, who had scored on his debut on Friday to give them a 1-0 win over Georgia. Ruben Vargas got to the byline and sent over a low cross which the Gibraltar defence failed to intercept and Itten tapped in. Vargas himself headed the second from Loris Benito's cross five minutes after halftime and Christian Fassnacht added the third seven minutes later after the Gibraltar defence failed to deal with Michael Lang's cross. Gibraltar pulled one back in the 74th minute when a long throw was headed on at the near post, the ball bobbled around and Reece Styche prodded it in. But the celebrations did not last long as Switzerland went straight down the other end from the re-start and Benito added a fourth. Itten took his tally to three in two internationals when he headed the fifth and provided the pass for Granit Xhaka to slot home the sixth as Gibraltar tired.

Switzerland qualify for Euro 2020 with win over Gibraltar

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/roger-federer-keeps-team-europe-ahead-in-laver-cup-with-win-over-kyrgios-251099">Roger Federer </a>clinched a record-extending 10th Swiss Indoors championship title in his hometown of Basel with a crushing 6-2 6-2 victory over Australia's Alex de Minaur on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Swiss has now won 103 singles titles in his career and the record win in Basel, where he once acted as a ball boy, was the second time he had won a tournament 10 times after achieving the feat in Halle in June.

Federer converted four of 10 breakpoints and did not drop serve to wrap up the match in 68 minutes for his fourth title of the year after wins in Dubai, Miami and Halle.

"It was fast but very nice, I think I played a great match," an emotional Federer said after lifting the trophy.

"I thought Alex played a great tournament as well, and I think we both can be very happy. But what a moment for me to win my 10th here in my hometown of Basel."

Federer and De Minaur traded blows with long-baseline exchanges early in the match, including an absorbing 39-shot rally when Federer led 2-1 before the Swiss stepped up a gear to break his opponent twice and take the opening set.

Federer was ruthless on his serve and retained his momentum and intensity in the second set, moving into a 3-0 lead after winning five games in a row before De Minaur held.

"It was a tough opener... the first five games, we had some great rallies," Federer added. "I never looked back.

"I was great on the offence, made very few unforced errors and came up with the big shots and served well when I had to."

De Minaur's rare success only delayed the inevitable as Federer set up match point and forced the 20-year-old to fire a forehand wide as the crowd rose to their feet to salute the 20-times Grand Slam champion.

Roger Federer clinched a record-extending 10th Swiss Indoors championship title in his hometown of Basel with a crushing 6-2 6-2 victory over Australia's Alex de Minaur on Sunday.

Roger Federer clinched a record-extending 10th Swiss Indoors championship title in his hometown of Basel with a crushing 6-2 6-2 victory over Australia's Alex de Minaur on Sunday. The 38-year-old Swiss has now won 103 singles titles in his career and the record win in Basel, where he once acted as a ball boy, was the second time he had won a tournament 10 times after achieving the feat in Halle in June. Federer converted four of 10 breakpoints and did not drop serve to wrap up the match in 68 minutes for his fourth title of the year after wins in Dubai, Miami and Halle. "It was fast but very nice, I think I played a great match," an emotional Federer said after lifting the trophy. "I thought Alex played a great tournament as well, and I think we both can be very happy. But what a moment for me to win my 10th here in my hometown of Basel." Federer and De Minaur traded blows with long-baseline exchanges early in the match, including an absorbing 39-shot rally when Federer led 2-1 before the Swiss stepped up a gear to break his opponent twice and take the opening set. Federer was ruthless on his serve and retained his momentum and intensity in the second set, moving into a 3-0 lead after winning five games in a row before De Minaur held. "It was a tough opener... the first five games, we had some great rallies," Federer added. "I never looked back. "I was great on the offence, made very few unforced errors and came up with the big shots and served well when I had to." De Minaur's rare success only delayed the inevitable as Federer set up match point and forced the 20-year-old to fire a forehand wide as the crowd rose to their feet to salute the 20-times Grand Slam champion.

Federer topples De Minaur to claim record win at home in Basel

China's orienteering team has been disqualified from this year's&nbsp;Military&nbsp;World&nbsp;Games&nbsp;hosted by the mainland following accusations of cheating at an event, according to a statement by the sport's international association.

The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) said in a statement that the middle distance orienteering competition at the&nbsp;games&nbsp;on Sunday had been "overshadowed by extensive cheating by the Chinese team".

Competitors in orienteering, a cross-country race, are tested on their ability to complete a course using only a map and a compass. But the IOF said the Chinese team had been helped by local spectators and had also made use of illegal course markings and small paths only they were aware of.

"The jury decided to disqualify all competitors in the Chinese team," IOF said, adding the Chinese appealed the decision but were unsuccessful.

Chinese runners initially came in first, second and fourth place among the women and second among the men. The best finishing time is now held by Matthias Kyburz of Switzerland, but no medals have yet been awarded, the IOF said.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach the organisers of the&nbsp;games, the International&nbsp;Military&nbsp;Sports Council (CISM). The General Administration of Sport of China did not respond to a faxed request for comment.

Domestic media have not yet reported the incident. A preview of the orienteering events was published in the local Yangtze Daily newspaper, saying the Chinese team was expected to be successful due to strong "group collaboration".

The official website of the Wuhan&nbsp;military&nbsp;games&nbsp;did not refer directly to the disqualifications, though the names of the Chinese competitors have been removed from the final standings.

China's Weibo microblogging service only had two posts referring to the incident and both citing foreign media.

CISM said in a statement that "rumors" of misconduct "cannot in any way taint the image of the&nbsp;games", though it is unclear when the statement was posted.

The&nbsp;military&nbsp;games, held every year, kicked off in the Chinese city of Wuhan on Oct. 19 after an opening ceremony attended by President Xi Jinping.

Held under the banner of "Military&nbsp;Glory, World Peace", the&nbsp;games&nbsp;have featured over 9,300&nbsp;military&nbsp;personnel from 109 nations, its official website said.

China's orienteering team has been disqualified from this year's Military World Games hosted by the mainland following accusations of cheating at an event, according to a statement by the sport's international association.

China's orienteering team has been disqualified from this year's Military World Games hosted by the mainland following accusations of cheating at an event, according to a statement by the sport's international association. The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) said in a statement that the middle distance orienteering competition at the games on Sunday had been "overshadowed by extensive cheating by the Chinese team". Competitors in orienteering, a cross-country race, are tested on their ability to complete a course using only a map and a compass. But the IOF said the Chinese team had been helped by local spectators and had also made use of illegal course markings and small paths only they were aware of. "The jury decided to disqualify all competitors in the Chinese team," IOF said, adding the Chinese appealed the decision but were unsuccessful. Chinese runners initially came in first, second and fourth place among the women and second among the men. The best finishing time is now held by Matthias Kyburz of Switzerland, but no medals have yet been awarded, the IOF said. Reuters was not immediately able to reach the organisers of the games, the International Military Sports Council (CISM). The General Administration of Sport of China did not respond to a faxed request for comment. Domestic media have not yet reported the incident. A preview of the orienteering events was published in the local Yangtze Daily newspaper, saying the Chinese team was expected to be successful due to strong "group collaboration". The official website of the Wuhan military games did not refer directly to the disqualifications, though the names of the Chinese competitors have been removed from the final standings. China's Weibo microblogging service only had two posts referring to the incident and both citing foreign media. CISM said in a statement that "rumors" of misconduct "cannot in any way taint the image of the games", though it is unclear when the statement was posted. The military games, held every year, kicked off in the Chinese city of Wuhan on Oct. 19 after an opening ceremony attended by President Xi Jinping. Held under the banner of "Military Glory, World Peace", the games have featured over 9,300 military personnel from 109 nations, its official website said.

China orienteering team disqualified from world military games

&nbsp;Logitech International SA&nbsp;reported a 4.5 per cent increase in operating income for its latest quarter, the Swiss computer keyboard and gaming accessories maker said on Tuesday.

GAAP operating income increased to $68.1 million in the three months to the end of September from 65.1 million a year earlier, the company said in a statement.

Non-GAAP operating income rose to $89 million from $85 million a year earlier.

Net profit at the world's biggest maker of computer mice was $72.9 million, missing analyst estimates for $82.9 million, according to Refinitiv data.

Sales rose 4 per cent&nbsp;to $720 million, boosted by the performance of fast keyboards, mice and headsets that Logitech makes for players of online games like Fortnite and League of Legends.

Anticipating further growth in the online gaming market, Logitech recently doubled down on its involvement in online sports games, buying live streaming company Streamlabs in a deal worth up to $118 million.

The company confirmed its full-year outlook of expecting mid to high single-digit sales growth in constant currencies and $375 million to $385 million in non-GAAP operating income.

"This quarter, we delivered record sales in video collaboration, which grew nearly 60 per cent, as well as strong growth in our PC peripherals categories," Chief Executive Bracken Darrell said in the statement.

Logitech International SA reported a 4.5 per cent increase in operating income for its latest quarter, the Swiss computer keyboard and gaming accessories maker said on Tuesday.

Logitech International SA reported a 4.5 per cent increase in operating income for its latest quarter, the Swiss computer keyboard and gaming accessories maker said on Tuesday. GAAP operating income increased to $68.1 million in the three months to the end of September from 65.1 million a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Non-GAAP operating income rose to $89 million from $85 million a year earlier. Net profit at the world's biggest maker of computer mice was $72.9 million, missing analyst estimates for $82.9 million, according to Refinitiv data. Sales rose 4 per cent to $720 million, boosted by the performance of fast keyboards, mice and headsets that Logitech makes for players of online games like Fortnite and League of Legends. Anticipating further growth in the online gaming market, Logitech recently doubled down on its involvement in online sports games, buying live streaming company Streamlabs in a deal worth up to $118 million. The company confirmed its full-year outlook of expecting mid to high single-digit sales growth in constant currencies and $375 million to $385 million in non-GAAP operating income. "This quarter, we delivered record sales in video collaboration, which grew nearly 60 per cent, as well as strong growth in our PC peripherals categories," Chief Executive Bracken Darrell said in the statement.

Logitech posts 4.5% rise in quarterly operating income, retains outlook

Roger Federer confirmed his participation in next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo and said on Monday that he had listened to his heart before making the decision.

The Swiss 38-year-old competed in the first of four Olympic Games at Sydney in 2000 and won the doubles gold partnering Stan Wawrinka in 2008 and a silver in singles in 2012. He missed the 2016 Olympics due to a knee injury.

"At the end of the day my heart decided I would love to play the Olympic Games again," Federer told reporters during a promotional event for his sponsor Uniqlo in Tokyo.

Federer will attempt to win a singles gold medal at the July 24-August 9 Games, the only major prize that the 20-time Grand Slam winner has yet to win.

"I've been debating with my team for a few weeks now, months actually, what I should do in the summer after Wimbledon and before the US&nbsp;Open (in 2020)," Federer, who will turn 39 during the Games, added.

"I carried the flag twice for Switzerland in Athens and Beijing, I've got a gold and a silver, and I would love to play again so I'm very excited."

Federer will require an exemption to compete in Tokyo as he is yet to play in the Davis Cup for Switzerland in the current Olympic cycle that began after the Rio Olympics in 2016.

To fulfil the ITF participation requirements, a player must be part of a Davis Cup or Fed Cup team and present at the tie on at least three occasions in the Olympic Cycle, provided one of those ties is in 2019 or 2020.

Federer will have little reason to worry, however, as one of the special conditions that could gain him entry is his historical participation in the Games and the Davis Cup, as stated in the ITF's regulations.&nbsp;

Switzerland's national tennis federation confirmed it would appeal to the ITF for Federer's inclusion.

Roger Federer confirmed his participation in next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo and said on Monday that he had listened to his heart before making the decision. The Swiss 38-year-old competed in the first of four Olympic Games at Sydney in 2000 and won the doubles gold partnering Stan Wawrinka in 2008 and a silver in singles in 2012.

Roger Federer confirmed his participation in next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo and said on Monday that he had listened to his heart before making the decision. The Swiss 38-year-old competed in the first of four Olympic Games at Sydney in 2000 and won the doubles gold partnering Stan Wawrinka in 2008 and a silver in singles in 2012. He missed the 2016 Olympics due to a knee injury. "At the end of the day my heart decided I would love to play the Olympic Games again," Federer told reporters during a promotional event for his sponsor Uniqlo in Tokyo. Federer will attempt to win a singles gold medal at the July 24-August 9 Games, the only major prize that the 20-time Grand Slam winner has yet to win. "I've been debating with my team for a few weeks now, months actually, what I should do in the summer after Wimbledon and before the US Open (in 2020)," Federer, who will turn 39 during the Games, added. "I carried the flag twice for Switzerland in Athens and Beijing, I've got a gold and a silver, and I would love to play again so I'm very excited." Federer will require an exemption to compete in Tokyo as he is yet to play in the Davis Cup for Switzerland in the current Olympic cycle that began after the Rio Olympics in 2016. To fulfil the ITF participation requirements, a player must be part of a Davis Cup or Fed Cup team and present at the tie on at least three occasions in the Olympic Cycle, provided one of those ties is in 2019 or 2020. Federer will have little reason to worry, however, as one of the special conditions that could gain him entry is his historical participation in the Games and the Davis Cup, as stated in the ITF's regulations. Switzerland's national tennis federation confirmed it would appeal to the ITF for Federer's inclusion.

I would love to play the Olympic Games again: Roger Federer

In a major breakthrough in fight against black money, Switzerland on Monday confirmed that it had shared information regarding accounts held by Indian residents in the central European country with the Indian government.

In a major breakthrough in fight against black money, Switzerland on Monday confirmed that it had shared information regarding accounts held by Indian residents in the central European country with the Indian government. India received the first list of account holders in September 2019 for the year 2018 under the Automatic Exchange Of Information (AEOI) on tax matters, it added. AEOI was signed between India and Switzerland in November 2016. Swiss government gave information about the accounts including name, address and account balance to the Indian government. India will now receive the information automatically every year. The Swiss federal department of finance in a release said, "Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has exchanged information on financial accounts with 75 countries." The Swiss finance department confirmed to WION that list of 75 countries include India but on the number of accounts whose details have been given to Indian government the department said, "communication of statistical data is subject to the confidentiality clauses" Swiss government shared information of 3.1 million financial accounts to 75 countries and received information on 2.4 million of them on a reciprocal basis. The largest exchange was with Germany.

Indian government gets first list of Swiss account holders 

Swiss food giant Nestle said Wednesday it has finalized the sale of its skincare business to a group led by Swedish private equity firm EQT and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.&nbsp;

The purchase price for Nestle Skin Health was&nbsp;$10.2 billion, the group said in a statement.&nbsp;

Nestle had announced in May that it was in talks to divest the business, which is based in Lausanne, employs a workforce of more than 5,000 worldwide and generates annual sales of 2.8 billion francs.&nbsp;

Analysts said the purchase price for a division widely regarded as non-core was higher than expected.&nbsp;

The activities include Galderma, which it acquired fully in 2014 by buying out former joint venture partner, French group L'Oreal.&nbsp;

Nestle chief executive Mark Schneider has embarked on a massive shake-up of the group's portfolio of some 2,000 brands worldwide.&nbsp;

Swiss food giant Nestle said Wednesday it has finalized the sale of its skincare business to a group led by Swedish private equity firm EQT and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

Swiss food giant Nestle said Wednesday it has finalized the sale of its skincare business to a group led by Swedish private equity firm EQT and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The purchase price for Nestle Skin Health was $10.2 billion, the group said in a statement. Nestle had announced in May that it was in talks to divest the business, which is based in Lausanne, employs a workforce of more than 5,000 worldwide and generates annual sales of 2.8 billion francs. Analysts said the purchase price for a division widely regarded as non-core was higher than expected. The activities include Galderma, which it acquired fully in 2014 by buying out former joint venture partner, French group L'Oreal. Nestle chief executive Mark Schneider has embarked on a massive shake-up of the group's portfolio of some 2,000 brands worldwide.

Nestle sheds skincare brands

Rapid&nbsp;international&nbsp;cooperation&nbsp;is required in order to avoid the irreversible&nbsp;impacts&nbsp;brought about by&nbsp;global&nbsp;warming, according to officials from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as they explained their latest report at a press briefing in Geneva on Monday.

According to the newly released&nbsp;WMO&nbsp;report entitled "The&nbsp;Global&nbsp;Climate in 2015-2019", the past five-year period has been the warmest half-decade on record.

It says the average&nbsp;global&nbsp;temperature has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial period and has risen by 0.2 degrees Celsius compared to the period between 2011 and 2015.

The report also shows that sea level rises, long-term and large-scale heat waves, as well as massive forest fires, have become even more extreme during the past five years.

The scientific community has largely come to the realization that the world is now at a dangerous climate tipping point.

The report also points out that extreme weather has had an increasingly severe impact on social and economic development and the natural environment.

It concludes that the&nbsp;international&nbsp;society must conduct fundamental social and economic transitions quickly in areas such as land utilization and energy, so as to avoid possible irreversible&nbsp;impacts&nbsp;brought by&nbsp;global&nbsp;warming.

"There is also an emerging trend in using renewable energy. I think in China, for instance, they have built a very powerful plan to transit into renewable energy using wind energy for instance. I think there are some encouraging signs here. The only problem we have is we have to act very soon and very rapidly, because it's now not a problem of actions, it's a problem of the timing. We need to do that as fast as possible," said Omar Baddour, a senior scientific officer with the&nbsp;WMO.

The report stresses that a&nbsp;global&nbsp;temperature rise exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius will be inevitable if no immediate actions are taken to improve Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), measures which must be made to combat the crisis.

The report was submitted to the UN Climate Action Summit, which opened at United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday.

"The intention of the climate summit and the UN Secretary-General has been very much leading in this regard is to try to encourage much more rapid adoption of the measures that are&nbsp;needed&nbsp;to reduce the emissions," said Maxx Dilley, director of the&nbsp;WMO's Climate Prediction and Adaptation branch.

Rapid international cooperation is required in order to avoid the irreversible impacts brought about by global warming, according to officials from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as they explained their latest report at a press briefing in Geneva on Monday.

Rapid international cooperation is required in order to avoid the irreversible impacts brought about by global warming, according to officials from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as they explained their latest report at a press briefing in Geneva on Monday. According to the newly released WMO report entitled "The Global Climate in 2015-2019", the past five-year period has been the warmest half-decade on record. It says the average global temperature has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial period and has risen by 0.2 degrees Celsius compared to the period between 2011 and 2015. The report also shows that sea level rises, long-term and large-scale heat waves, as well as massive forest fires, have become even more extreme during the past five years. The scientific community has largely come to the realization that the world is now at a dangerous climate tipping point. The report also points out that extreme weather has had an increasingly severe impact on social and economic development and the natural environment. It concludes that the international society must conduct fundamental social and economic transitions quickly in areas such as land utilization and energy, so as to avoid possible irreversible impacts brought by global warming. "There is also an emerging trend in using renewable energy. I think in China, for instance, they have built a very powerful plan to transit into renewable energy using wind energy for instance. I think there are some encouraging signs here. The only problem we have is we have to act very soon and very rapidly, because it's now not a problem of actions, it's a problem of the timing. We need to do that as fast as possible," said Omar Baddour, a senior scientific officer with the WMO. The report stresses that a global temperature rise exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius will be inevitable if no immediate actions are taken to improve Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), measures which must be made to combat the crisis. The report was submitted to the UN Climate Action Summit, which opened at United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday. "The intention of the climate summit and the UN Secretary-General has been very much leading in this regard is to try to encourage much more rapid adoption of the measures that are needed to reduce the emissions," said Maxx Dilley, director of the WMO's Climate Prediction and Adaptation branch.

Urgent international cooperation needed to address global warming impacts: WMO

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi here in the presence of Mayor and President of Canton Vaud and other dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Kovind said, "Mahatma Gandhi's life teaches us many things. He built his first hermitage in India on the banks of River Sabarmati. Today, we have brought him to the banks of Lake Geneva."

He continued, "It is a fitting tribute to a man who loved nature and cared so much for it. His legacy shall inspire us as we work together to tackle climate change and to conserve our ecology."

Adding that Mahatma Gandhi believed in the oneness of humanity and embraced all cultures and all peoples, the President said, "As two democracies with a deep respect for diversity, Mahatma Gandhi shall continue to guide us in our shared journey to bring peace and joy for one and all."

On Friday, Kovind led the delegation-level talks along with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer and witnessed the signing and exchange of MOUs/agreements between two countries.

Kovind is currently on a three-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia since September 9. He arrived in Switzerland on Thursday following the successful completion of his bilateral engagements in Iceland.

He will leave for Slovenia --the final leg of his state visit to three nations-- tomorrow.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi here in the presence of Mayor and President of Canton Vaud and other dignitaries. Speaking on the occasion, Kovind said, "Mahatma Gandhi's life teaches us many things.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi here in the presence of Mayor and President of Canton Vaud and other dignitaries. Speaking on the occasion, Kovind said, "Mahatma Gandhi's life teaches us many things. He built his first hermitage in India on the banks of River Sabarmati. Today, we have brought him to the banks of Lake Geneva." He continued, "It is a fitting tribute to a man who loved nature and cared so much for it. His legacy shall inspire us as we work together to tackle climate change and to conserve our ecology." Adding that Mahatma Gandhi believed in the oneness of humanity and embraced all cultures and all peoples, the President said, "As two democracies with a deep respect for diversity, Mahatma Gandhi shall continue to guide us in our shared journey to bring peace and joy for one and all." On Friday, Kovind led the delegation-level talks along with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer and witnessed the signing and exchange of MOUs/agreements between two countries. Kovind is currently on a three-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia since September 9. He arrived in Switzerland on Thursday following the successful completion of his bilateral engagements in Iceland. He will leave for Slovenia --the final leg of his state visit to three nations-- tomorrow.

President Kovind unveils statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Switzerland

The Facebook-led Libra cryptocurrency project must meet the highest standards for combating <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawmakers-question-facebook-over-plans-on-libra-cryptocurrency-236514">money laundering and terrorism</a> financing if it is to get off the ground, a senior US&nbsp;Treasury official said on Tuesday.

Any cryptocurrency project, including Geneva-based Libra, operating in all or substantial parts of the United States will clearly have to satisfy US&nbsp;regulatory standards, US&nbsp;Under Secretary of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker told reporters in the Swiss capital.

"Whether it's bitcoin, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-needs-very-high-standard-for-libra-coin-us-treasury-steven-mnuchin-236268">Ethereum, Libra, our message</a> is the same to all of these companies: anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism has to be built into your design from the get-go," Mandelker said.

She was speaking after meeting Swiss government officials and representatives from the Bank for International Settlements and other international financial bodies to discuss cryptocurrencies including the planned Libra project, which is to be launched by a Swiss-based association.

While the digital currency industry has paid tremendous attention to developing the underlying technology, much of the industry has paid far too little attention to ensuring that the networks they are building do not enable terrorists and other bad actors to hide and move money, Mandelker said.

The Treasury official said she would meet Switzerland's financial market supervisor FINMA on Tuesday&nbsp;where she would be discussing not only the application of proper anti-money laundering safeguards but also taking enforcement actions against companies flouting those rules would be a priority.

FINMA in August had granted Switzerland's first banking and securities licenses to two blockchain service providers and has built up a digital currency hub nicknamed the "Crypto Valley".

"Switzerland, like a number of other countries, has promoted itself as a hub for fintech and for innovation, and so, of course, any country that promotes itself in that way -&nbsp;&nbsp;in my view, it's incumbent upon that country to take these particular concerns at the highest level in(to) the utmost regard," she added.

The Libra project was still in very early stages of thinking through steps to prevent such crimes, she said, adding Swiss officials had similar views.

Digital currencies such as Libra raise serious concerns and must be regulated as tightly as possible to ensure they do not upset the world's financial system, Group of Seven finance ministers and central bankers had said in July.

The Facebook-led Libra cryptocurrency project must meet the highest standards for combating money laundering and terrorism financing if it is to get off the ground, a senior US Treasury official said on Tuesday.

The Facebook-led Libra cryptocurrency project must meet the highest standards for combating money laundering and terrorism financing if it is to get off the ground, a senior US Treasury official said on Tuesday. Any cryptocurrency project, including Geneva-based Libra, operating in all or substantial parts of the United States will clearly have to satisfy US regulatory standards, US Under Secretary of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker told reporters in the Swiss capital. "Whether it's bitcoin, Ethereum, Libra, our message is the same to all of these companies: anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism has to be built into your design from the get-go," Mandelker said. She was speaking after meeting Swiss government officials and representatives from the Bank for International Settlements and other international financial bodies to discuss cryptocurrencies including the planned Libra project, which is to be launched by a Swiss-based association. While the digital currency industry has paid tremendous attention to developing the underlying technology, much of the industry has paid far too little attention to ensuring that the networks they are building do not enable terrorists and other bad actors to hide and move money, Mandelker said. The Treasury official said she would meet Switzerland's financial market supervisor FINMA on Tuesday where she would be discussing not only the application of proper anti-money laundering safeguards but also taking enforcement actions against companies flouting those rules would be a priority. FINMA in August had granted Switzerland's first banking and securities licenses to two blockchain service providers and has built up a digital currency hub nicknamed the "Crypto Valley". "Switzerland, like a number of other countries, has promoted itself as a hub for fintech and for innovation, and so, of course, any country that promotes itself in that way - in my view, it's incumbent upon that country to take these particular concerns at the highest level in(to) the utmost regard," she added. The Libra project was still in very early stages of thinking through steps to prevent such crimes, she said, adding Swiss officials had similar views. Digital currencies such as Libra raise serious concerns and must be regulated as tightly as possible to ensure they do not upset the world's financial system, Group of Seven finance ministers and central bankers had said in July.

Facebook's Libra has to build anti-money laundering, anti-terror financing design: US Treasury

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday embarked on an official nine-day visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia to enhance India's political and economic ties with the three European countries.

The President, accompanied by his wife Savita Kovind left for Iceland on Sunday evening. Kovind will arrive in Iceland and will hold talks with his Icelandic counterpart Gudni Th&nbsp;Johannesson and Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir.

He will also deliver a lecture at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik on 'India-Iceland partnership towards making a greener planet'.

The second leg of the visit to Switzerland will begin on September 11.

The President will have wide-ranging discussions with his Swiss counterpart and country's cabinet.

An Indian business delegation accompanying Kovind will engage with their Swiss contemporaries at the India-Swiss Business Forum.

"India and Switzerland have very extensive economic and trade relationships. The forum aims to take these relations to higher levels."

The President has been invited to address the University of Bern on the theme 'India-Switzerland new age partnership connecting Himalayas with Alps'.

The final leg of the visit to Slovenia will begin on September 15 and mark the first-ever visit by an Indian President to the country.

During the visit, Kovind will hold wide-ranging discussion with his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor and the National Assembly President.&nbsp;

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday embarked on an official nine-day visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia to enhance India's political and economic ties with the three European countries.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday embarked on an official nine-day visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia to enhance India's political and economic ties with the three European countries. The President, accompanied by his wife Savita Kovind left for Iceland on Sunday evening. Kovind will arrive in Iceland and will hold talks with his Icelandic counterpart Gudni Th Johannesson and Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir. He will also deliver a lecture at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik on 'India-Iceland partnership towards making a greener planet'. The second leg of the visit to Switzerland will begin on September 11. The President will have wide-ranging discussions with his Swiss counterpart and country's cabinet. An Indian business delegation accompanying Kovind will engage with their Swiss contemporaries at the India-Swiss Business Forum. "India and Switzerland have very extensive economic and trade relationships. The forum aims to take these relations to higher levels." The President has been invited to address the University of Bern on the theme 'India-Switzerland new age partnership connecting Himalayas with Alps'. The final leg of the visit to Slovenia will begin on September 15 and mark the first-ever visit by an Indian President to the country. During the visit, Kovind will hold wide-ranging discussion with his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor and the National Assembly President.

President Ram Nath Kovind embarks on 9-day visit to Iceland, Switzerland, Slovenia

President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a 3-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia from September 9 to 17. During the visit, the focus will be on climate change and growing engagement with Europe.

Deputy press secretary to the President, Dr Nimish Rustagi said, "The President looks forward to having an engagement with his counterparts and also engaging with the business community and students of these countries".&nbsp;

While he will be meeting with the top leadership of all the 3 countries, he will also be engaging with the students at universities of these countries and its business leadership.

Asked if Kashmir will be discussed during the meetings with the political leadership, secretary west Gitesh Sarma in the Ministry of External Affairs said, "When leaders meet, there is a structure in which regional, international, global multilateral issues of national concerns are discussed. We use this opportunity to brief each other. This is a very good setting to hear at the highest level what our perspective is".

On terror, "all 3 countries are very sympathetic to India and this year in the context of Pulwama attack, their sympathies have been with India. They are aware that there is a need to work closely with India", he said.

PM Modi's first leg of the visit will be to Iceland where the focus will be on dealing with climate change. He will deliver a lecture at the University of Iceland in the capital city Reykjaví on "India-Iceland partnership and towards making a greener planet". 80 per cent of Iceland works on geothermal energy, which can help India in its renewable energy programme.

The visit to Iceland is significant given the fact that it is the chair of the Arctic Council and is involved in the Arctic Circle Cooperation. New Delhi is an observer at the Arctic Council and is keen on increasing its engagement with that part of the world. This will be the first time when the president visits a Nordic country.

This will be followed by a visit to Switzerland from September 11 to 15. President Kovind will unveil a bust of 'father of nation' Mahatma Gandhi in Villeneuve. Gandhi had visited the place in 1931. Kovind will also hold an address the University of Bern on the topic "India-Switzerland, new age partnership, connecting Himalayas with Alps".

On the issue of black money, both the countries started the automatic exchange of financial account information with India started receiving information from Sept 1 with respect to all financial accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland. The President will visit Slovenia from September 15 to 19.

Interestingly, Bollywood is keen to tap the scenic beauty of these countries. While Switzerland is well known as a location to shoot Bollywood movies, Shah Rukh Khan's movie Dilwale's song 'Gerua' was shot in the south coast of Iceland.

This is for the eleventh time when the President will go abroad after taking charge. This will be his second foreign visit during the third year of his tenure. &nbsp;

President Kovind has been on a state visit to 23 countries in the 11 visits. After the 3-nation tour, the number of his foreign visits will go up to 26. Other European countries he has visited include Cyprus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Croatia.

President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a 3-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia from September 9 to 17. During the visit, the focus will be on climate change and growing engagement with Europe.

President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a 3-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia from September 9 to 17. During the visit, the focus will be on climate change and growing engagement with Europe. Deputy press secretary to the President, Dr Nimish Rustagi said, "The President looks forward to having an engagement with his counterparts and also engaging with the business community and students of these countries". While he will be meeting with the top leadership of all the 3 countries, he will also be engaging with the students at universities of these countries and its business leadership. Asked if Kashmir will be discussed during the meetings with the political leadership, secretary west Gitesh Sarma in the Ministry of External Affairs said, "When leaders meet, there is a structure in which regional, international, global multilateral issues of national concerns are discussed. We use this opportunity to brief each other. This is a very good setting to hear at the highest level what our perspective is". On terror, "all 3 countries are very sympathetic to India and this year in the context of Pulwama attack, their sympathies have been with India. They are aware that there is a need to work closely with India", he said. PM Modi's first leg of the visit will be to Iceland where the focus will be on dealing with climate change. He will deliver a lecture at the University of Iceland in the capital city Reykjaví on "India-Iceland partnership and towards making a greener planet". 80 per cent of Iceland works on geothermal energy, which can help India in its renewable energy programme. The visit to Iceland is significant given the fact that it is the chair of the Arctic Council and is involved in the Arctic Circle Cooperation. New Delhi is an observer at the Arctic Council and is keen on increasing its engagement with that part of the world. This will be the first time when the president visits a Nordic country. This will be followed by a visit to Switzerland from September 11 to 15. President Kovind will unveil a bust of 'father of nation' Mahatma Gandhi in Villeneuve. Gandhi had visited the place in 1931. Kovind will also hold an address the University of Bern on the topic "India-Switzerland, new age partnership, connecting Himalayas with Alps". On the issue of black money, both the countries started the automatic exchange of financial account information with India started receiving information from Sept 1 with respect to all financial accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland. The President will visit Slovenia from September 15 to 19. Interestingly, Bollywood is keen to tap the scenic beauty of these countries. While Switzerland is well known as a location to shoot Bollywood movies, Shah Rukh Khan's movie Dilwale's song 'Gerua' was shot in the south coast of Iceland. This is for the eleventh time when the President will go abroad after taking charge. This will be his second foreign visit during the third year of his tenure. President Kovind has been on a state visit to 23 countries in the 11 visits. After the 3-nation tour, the number of his foreign visits will go up to 26. Other European countries he has visited include Cyprus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Croatia.

President Kovind to visit Iceland, Switzerland and Slovenia with focus on climate change

Switzerland's Belinda Bencic thrashed Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinal match of the ongoing US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium here on Wednesday.

Bencic outclassed her opponent in two straight sets to enter the semifinals of the tournament.

The first set ended up on a tie-breaker and Bencic claimed the set by 7-6(5).

Vekic could not make a comeback in the second set and hence lost the match.&nbsp;

Switzerland's Belinda Bencic thrashed Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinal match of the ongoing US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium here on Wednesday. Bencic outclassed her opponent in two straight sets to enter the semifinals of the tournament.

Switzerland's Belinda Bencic thrashed Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinal match of the ongoing US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium here on Wednesday. Bencic outclassed her opponent in two straight sets to enter the semifinals of the tournament. The first set ended up on a tie-breaker and Bencic claimed the set by 7-6(5). Vekic could not make a comeback in the second set and hence lost the match.

US Open: Belinda Bencic thrashes Donna Vekic to reach semifinals

The Defence Ministry has suspended all business dealings with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-registers-corruption-case-in-pilatus-aircraft-deal-searches-sanjay-bhandaris-office-residence-229436">Switzerland-based Pilatus Aircraft </a>Limited for one year following charges of payment of kickbacks in the sale of 75 basic trainer aircraft for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/satellites-spy-planes-roped-in-to-locate-indian-air-forces-missing-an-32-aircraft-224202">Indian Air Force</a>.

The order issued by the vigilance department of the ministry on July 12 said that business dealings with Pilatus with remain suspended for one year or until further orders for violation of the Pre-Contract Integrity Pact (PCIP).

It referred to the ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Delhi Police, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department into "corrupt practices, unfair means, and illegal activities" by the company.

Under the PCIP of November 12, 2010, Pilatus had agreed that while presenting the bid or during pre-contract negotiation or before signing the contract, it shall disclose any payments made, committed or intended to be made to officials of the buyer or their family members, agents, brokers or any intermediaries in connection with the contract and the details of the services agreed upon such payments.

The Defence Ministry had received reports of engagement of agents by Pilatus for assistance in the sale of the basic trainer aircraft for the IAF on payment of a commission, according to the vigilance department order.

The ministry had written a letter to the company in December 2016 asking it to offer comments on the report along with details of any such engagement.

In its response submitted in January 2017, the company admitted engaging Offset India Solutions, a firm belonging to fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, for the successful resolution, approval or implementation of Pilatus offset proposals, plans and obligations.

Following the response by Pilatus, the ministry issued a show cause notice to the company and demanded an explanation. The reply by the Swiss firm in June 2017 was not found to be satisfactory.

The CBI registered a regular case on June 19 this year under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. The investigations by the ED and I-T Department are also underway.

The CBI filed the case against unknown officials of the IAF, Ministry of Defence, arms dealer Bhandari and Pilatus Aircraft Limited for alleged irregularities in the procurement of 75 basic trainer aircraft.

The agency has alleged that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 339 crore were paid in the 2012 deal. 
&nbsp;

The Defence Ministry has suspended all business dealings with Switzerland-based Pilatus Aircraft Limited for one year following charges of payment of kickbacks in the sale of 75 basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

The Defence Ministry has suspended all business dealings with Switzerland-based Pilatus Aircraft Limited for one year following charges of payment of kickbacks in the sale of 75 basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force. The order issued by the vigilance department of the ministry on July 12 said that business dealings with Pilatus with remain suspended for one year or until further orders for violation of the Pre-Contract Integrity Pact (PCIP). It referred to the ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Delhi Police, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department into "corrupt practices, unfair means, and illegal activities" by the company. Under the PCIP of November 12, 2010, Pilatus had agreed that while presenting the bid or during pre-contract negotiation or before signing the contract, it shall disclose any payments made, committed or intended to be made to officials of the buyer or their family members, agents, brokers or any intermediaries in connection with the contract and the details of the services agreed upon such payments. The Defence Ministry had received reports of engagement of agents by Pilatus for assistance in the sale of the basic trainer aircraft for the IAF on payment of a commission, according to the vigilance department order. The ministry had written a letter to the company in December 2016 asking it to offer comments on the report along with details of any such engagement. In its response submitted in January 2017, the company admitted engaging Offset India Solutions, a firm belonging to fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, for the successful resolution, approval or implementation of Pilatus offset proposals, plans and obligations. Following the response by Pilatus, the ministry issued a show cause notice to the company and demanded an explanation. The reply by the Swiss firm in June 2017 was not found to be satisfactory. The CBI registered a regular case on June 19 this year under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. The investigations by the ED and I-T Department are also underway. The CBI filed the case against unknown officials of the IAF, Ministry of Defence, arms dealer Bhandari and Pilatus Aircraft Limited for alleged irregularities in the procurement of 75 basic trainer aircraft. The agency has alleged that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 339 crore were paid in the 2012 deal.

Defence Ministry suspends business dealings with Pilatus aircraft company over alleged corruption

UN ambassadors from 37 countries, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, have released a letter defending China's "contribution to the international <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-government-has-destroyed-graveyard-of-uighur-community-historian-226704">human rights cause</a>" in the Xinjiang region, in direct response to Western criticism earlier this week.

On July 10, a group of 22 countries, including the member states of the European Union, joined by Japan, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, issued a statement urging China to stop the mass detention and arbitrary incarceration of ethnic <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uighur-wives-forced-to-drink-alcohol-and-eat-pork-in-chinas-re-education-camps-214757">Uighurs</a> and other Muslims in its western Xinjiang region, The New York Times reported.

On Friday a diverse group of states -- including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Algeria and North Korea -- replied on Beijing`s behalf, claiming China had faced terrorism, separatism and religious extremism in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-spies-tourists-in-xinjiang-232866&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjCnbaFrLHjAhUISY8KHQG-Bz4QFjACegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1hm9yJMhvV9x9Z2dKXq8Fk">Xinjiang</a>, the vast northwest region that is mainly Muslim.

But through counterterrorism measures and vocational training, these states said, China had restored peace and security there.

"We note with appreciation that human rights are respected and protected in China in the process of counterterrorism and de-radicalisation," they said in the letter to the UN.

China denounced the West`s letter as "distortions" and "hypocrisy" of the Western media, and insisted that the region`s people "feel much better and much more happy and secure.

"Chinese diplomats further suggested that China`s experience in tackling terrorism could even be usefully shared with other countries.

China has been condemned internationally for setting up detention camps, which it describes as "education training centres" helping to stamp out "extremism" and give people new skills.

UN ambassadors from 37 countries, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, have released a letter defending China's "contribution to the international human rights cause" in the Xinjiang region, in direct response to Western criticism earlier this week.

UN ambassadors from 37 countries, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, have released a letter defending China's "contribution to the international human rights cause" in the Xinjiang region, in direct response to Western criticism earlier this week. On July 10, a group of 22 countries, including the member states of the European Union, joined by Japan, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, issued a statement urging China to stop the mass detention and arbitrary incarceration of ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in its western Xinjiang region, The New York Times reported. On Friday a diverse group of states -- including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Algeria and North Korea -- replied on Beijing`s behalf, claiming China had faced terrorism, separatism and religious extremism in Xinjiang, the vast northwest region that is mainly Muslim. But through counterterrorism measures and vocational training, these states said, China had restored peace and security there. "We note with appreciation that human rights are respected and protected in China in the process of counterterrorism and de-radicalisation," they said in the letter to the UN. China denounced the West`s letter as "distortions" and "hypocrisy" of the Western media, and insisted that the region`s people "feel much better and much more happy and secure. "Chinese diplomats further suggested that China`s experience in tackling terrorism could even be usefully shared with other countries. China has been condemned internationally for setting up detention camps, which it describes as "education training centres" helping to stamp out "extremism" and give people new skills.

37 countries, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, defend China in UN letter over Xinjiang

More than 14 million tickets have been requested for the 2020 European Championship during the first three weeks of the sales window, breaking the tournament's record for registrations, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-confirms-new-laws-will-not-be-implemented-at-nations-league-224205&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiWxcuw-afjAhXVmeYKHVSsAKEQFjABegQICxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ZMjbLwNsE_mvjZDONjryK">UEFA</a> said on Tuesday.

In the month-long first phase of sales starting on June 12, 1.5 million tickets were made available to the general public as part of UEFA's "fan-first" ticketing policy for the tournament.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/euro-2020-qualifier-new-look-germany-edge-dutch-in-thriller-205490&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjNx_zP-afjAhW57XMBHZGnCcEQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw30oRc8lrvbXkiaKaOTLtZJ">Euro 2020</a>, which runs from June 12-July 12, is being played in 12 cities across Europe for the first time to mark the 60th anniversary of the competition.

European soccer's governing body said the demand for tickets among locals is highest in St Petersburg, London and Budapest, with more than 50% of tickets requested in these cities having been by supporters from the host nations.

The final at Wembley has received 1.3 million ticket requests, while the two semi-finals at the same venue have attracted a combined 1.5 million applications.

The first-phase tickets are being sold on euro2020.com/tickets until 1400 CEST (1200 GMT) on Friday.

The next phase of ticket sales will begin in December after the final <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/euro-2020-qualifier-new-look-germany-edge-dutch-in-thriller-205490&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjNx_zP-afjAhW57XMBHZGnCcEQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw30oRc8lrvbXkiaKaOTLtZJ">tournament </a>draw takes place on November&nbsp;30, with 1 million tickets on offer for fans of participating nations.

More than 14 million tickets have been requested for the 2020 European Championship during the first three weeks of the sales window, breaking the tournament's record for registrations, UEFA said on Tuesday.

More than 14 million tickets have been requested for the 2020 European Championship during the first three weeks of the sales window, breaking the tournament's record for registrations, UEFA said on Tuesday. In the month-long first phase of sales starting on June 12, 1.5 million tickets were made available to the general public as part of UEFA's "fan-first" ticketing policy for the tournament. Euro 2020, which runs from June 12-July 12, is being played in 12 cities across Europe for the first time to mark the 60th anniversary of the competition. European soccer's governing body said the demand for tickets among locals is highest in St Petersburg, London and Budapest, with more than 50% of tickets requested in these cities having been by supporters from the host nations. The final at Wembley has received 1.3 million ticket requests, while the two semi-finals at the same venue have attracted a combined 1.5 million applications. The first-phase tickets are being sold on euro2020.com/tickets until 1400 CEST (1200 GMT) on Friday. The next phase of ticket sales will begin in December after the final tournament draw takes place on November 30, with 1 million tickets on offer for fans of participating nations.

UEFA: Record 14 million tickets requested for Euro 2020

Countries including France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and Portugal are experiencing a massive heat wave that began on Wednesday.

Spain on high alert as heatwave sweeps across the country

Fraudsters posing as police officers stole 3.3 million euros ($3.7 million) from a Swiss woman through an elaborate scam that involved a fake plot implicating the victim's bank, Swiss media reported Wednesday.

A female suspect first contacted the victim in Zurich in November, posing as an officer who claimed to be investigating a network of thieves, according to the ATS news agency.&nbsp;

The woman was told that employees at her bank were planning to rob her.

The suspects asked the woman to keep details of their investigation secret.&nbsp;

They then instructed her to transfer her assets to a new account through a series of payments, in order to protect her savings from being stolen by her own bank.&nbsp;

A police investigation into the scam, which cost the woman 3.6 million Swiss francs, is ongoing, ATS said.&nbsp;

Fraudsters posing as police officers stole 3.3 million euros ($3.7 million) from a Swiss woman through an elaborate scam that involved a fake plot implicating the victim's bank, Swiss media reported Wednesday.

Fraudsters posing as police officers stole 3.3 million euros ($3.7 million) from a Swiss woman through an elaborate scam that involved a fake plot implicating the victim's bank, Swiss media reported Wednesday. A female suspect first contacted the victim in Zurich in November, posing as an officer who claimed to be investigating a network of thieves, according to the ATS news agency. The woman was told that employees at her bank were planning to rob her. The suspects asked the woman to keep details of their investigation secret. They then instructed her to transfer her assets to a new account through a series of payments, in order to protect her savings from being stolen by her own bank. A police investigation into the scam, which cost the woman 3.6 million Swiss francs, is ongoing, ATS said.

Fake cops steal $3.7 million from Swiss woman

Swiss authorities are in process of sharing details of at least 50 Indian nationals having accounts in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/switzerland-steps-up-process-to-share-banking-information-11-indians-get-notices-in-a-day-221821">Switzerland-based banks</a>, with regulatory and enforcement agencies in the two countries tightening their noose on individuals suspected to have amassed illicit wealth.

These individuals largely include businessmen associated with companies, including the dummy ones, in sectors ranging from real estate, financial services, technology and telecom to paints, home decoration, textiles, engineering goods, gems and jewellery.

Officials involved in the process of mutual administrative assistance between the two countries said.

Switzerland has been striving hard for the past few years to shed a long-standing perception of it being a safe haven for black money, while the issue has been a politically sensitive one in India as well.

When the Modi government first came to power in 2014, it had termed the crackdown on the black money, including those allegedly parked in Swiss banks, as a key focus area.&nbsp;

Since then, the two countries have strengthened their framework for the exchange of information in cases of financial wrongdoings, including by signing the global automatic exchange of information framework.

The two countries have also strengthened their bilateral pact on this front and the economic considerations for boosting the bilateral economic ties have further helped increase the cooperation when it comes to bringing to book the people with dubious records, especially in amassing illicit wealth.

Citing the federal gazette notifications issued by the Swiss government to the concerned individuals, the officials said at least 50 Indian nationals have been issued notices in the past few weeks giving them one final opportunity to appeal against proposed sharing of their details with the Indian authorities.

Some of these notices have followed after the preliminary appeals by the concerned clients of Swiss banks have already been rejected due to inadequate supporting facts and documents, leaving a limited chance of their further pleas getting heard, officials said.

They said the sharing of details of Indian clients of Swiss banks with dubious records, showing suspected illegalities in amassing of funds deposited there, has been a continuing process in the recent months.

While details of more than 100 Indians nationals have been shared in the past one year by the Swiss government with the Indian authorities, there is a high chance that a large majority of the cases currently under scrutiny would result in the administrative assistance being provided in the coming months, officials said.

Under the Swiss laws, foreign clients of Swiss banks are given an opportunity to appeal against proposed sharing of their details within 30 days (only 10 days in some cases) after a country with a mutual assistance treaty, or party to the multilateral information exchange framework, seeks the details while giving sufficient proof of suspected financial wrongdoings.

While the Swiss government federal gazette notifications are made public when a foreign client is given an appealing opportunity, in some cases their full names are redacted due to some secrecy clauses and only a few details such as their initials, date of birth and the nationality are made public.

An analysis of such weekly notifications issued since the beginning of this year shows that Indian nationals have figured among these notices virtually every week, though full names have been redacted in a majority of the cases.

The full names that have been made public in recent weeks in the Swiss government federal gazette include Krishna Bhagwan Ramchand, Potluri Rajamohan Rao, Kalpesh Harshad Kinariwala, Kuldip Singh Dhingra, Bhaskaran Nalini, Lalitaben Chimanbhai Patel, Sanjay Dalmia, Pankaj Kumar Saraogi, Anil Bhardwaj, Tharani Renu Tikamdas, Mahesh Tikamdas Tharani, Savani Vijay Kanaiyalal, Bhaskaran Tharur, Kalpeshbhai Patel Mahendrabhai, Ajoy Kumar and Dinesh Kumar Himatsingka, Ratan Singh Chowdhury and Kathotia Rakesh Kumar.

However, there are many more cases where only initials have been disclosed for Indian nationals and these include NMA, MMA, PAS, RAS, ABKI, APS, ASBK, MLA, ADS, RPN, MCS, JNV, JD, AD, UG, YA, DM, SLS, UL, SS, RN, VL, UL, OPL, PM, PKK, BLS, SKN and JKJ.

Several of these persons and their companies are said to be based in Kolkata, Gujarat, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.

While a large number of Indians have been issued notices in recent weeks with Switzerland stepping up its process to share details of such individuals, many more such notices are in the offing in coming weeks as India has sought details about a large number of Indian clients of Swiss banks who are suspected to have indulged in illicit financial activities.

These include people whose names figured in the HSBC and Panama lists, as also those being probed by the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate among other agencies.

While Switzerland has always denied being a safe haven for black money, it has begun sharing details in recent years with several countries including India after submission of evidence about financial and tax-related wrongdoings of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/55-businessmen-of-nepal-have-stashed-billions-in-swiss-banks-cij-190961">Swiss bank</a> clients.

Besides, a new global framework of automatic information exchange is now in place, which Switzerland's State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) believes will increase transparency and prevent cross-border tax evasion.

Swiss authorities are in process of sharing details of at least 50 Indian nationals having accounts in Switzerland-based banks, with regulatory and enforcement agencies in the two countries tightening their noose on individuals suspected to have amassed illicit wealth.

Swiss authorities are in process of sharing details of at least 50 Indian nationals having accounts in Switzerland-based banks, with regulatory and enforcement agencies in the two countries tightening their noose on individuals suspected to have amassed illicit wealth. These individuals largely include businessmen associated with companies, including the dummy ones, in sectors ranging from real estate, financial services, technology and telecom to paints, home decoration, textiles, engineering goods, gems and jewellery. Officials involved in the process of mutual administrative assistance between the two countries said. Switzerland has been striving hard for the past few years to shed a long-standing perception of it being a safe haven for black money, while the issue has been a politically sensitive one in India as well. When the Modi government first came to power in 2014, it had termed the crackdown on the black money, including those allegedly parked in Swiss banks, as a key focus area. Since then, the two countries have strengthened their framework for the exchange of information in cases of financial wrongdoings, including by signing the global automatic exchange of information framework. The two countries have also strengthened their bilateral pact on this front and the economic considerations for boosting the bilateral economic ties have further helped increase the cooperation when it comes to bringing to book the people with dubious records, especially in amassing illicit wealth. Citing the federal gazette notifications issued by the Swiss government to the concerned individuals, the officials said at least 50 Indian nationals have been issued notices in the past few weeks giving them one final opportunity to appeal against proposed sharing of their details with the Indian authorities. Some of these notices have followed after the preliminary appeals by the concerned clients of Swiss banks have already been rejected due to inadequate supporting facts and documents, leaving a limited chance of their further pleas getting heard, officials said. They said the sharing of details of Indian clients of Swiss banks with dubious records, showing suspected illegalities in amassing of funds deposited there, has been a continuing process in the recent months. While details of more than 100 Indians nationals have been shared in the past one year by the Swiss government with the Indian authorities, there is a high chance that a large majority of the cases currently under scrutiny would result in the administrative assistance being provided in the coming months, officials said. Under the Swiss laws, foreign clients of Swiss banks are given an opportunity to appeal against proposed sharing of their details within 30 days (only 10 days in some cases) after a country with a mutual assistance treaty, or party to the multilateral information exchange framework, seeks the details while giving sufficient proof of suspected financial wrongdoings. While the Swiss government federal gazette notifications are made public when a foreign client is given an appealing opportunity, in some cases their full names are redacted due to some secrecy clauses and only a few details such as their initials, date of birth and the nationality are made public. An analysis of such weekly notifications issued since the beginning of this year shows that Indian nationals have figured among these notices virtually every week, though full names have been redacted in a majority of the cases. The full names that have been made public in recent weeks in the Swiss government federal gazette include Krishna Bhagwan Ramchand, Potluri Rajamohan Rao, Kalpesh Harshad Kinariwala, Kuldip Singh Dhingra, Bhaskaran Nalini, Lalitaben Chimanbhai Patel, Sanjay Dalmia, Pankaj Kumar Saraogi, Anil Bhardwaj, Tharani Renu Tikamdas, Mahesh Tikamdas Tharani, Savani Vijay Kanaiyalal, Bhaskaran Tharur, Kalpeshbhai Patel Mahendrabhai, Ajoy Kumar and Dinesh Kumar Himatsingka, Ratan Singh Chowdhury and Kathotia Rakesh Kumar. However, there are many more cases where only initials have been disclosed for Indian nationals and these include NMA, MMA, PAS, RAS, ABKI, APS, ASBK, MLA, ADS, RPN, MCS, JNV, JD, AD, UG, YA, DM, SLS, UL, SS, RN, VL, UL, OPL, PM, PKK, BLS, SKN and JKJ. Several of these persons and their companies are said to be based in Kolkata, Gujarat, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. While a large number of Indians have been issued notices in recent weeks with Switzerland stepping up its process to share details of such individuals, many more such notices are in the offing in coming weeks as India has sought details about a large number of Indian clients of Swiss banks who are suspected to have indulged in illicit financial activities. These include people whose names figured in the HSBC and Panama lists, as also those being probed by the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate among other agencies. While Switzerland has always denied being a safe haven for black money, it has begun sharing details in recent years with several countries including India after submission of evidence about financial and tax-related wrongdoings of the Swiss bank clients. Besides, a new global framework of automatic information exchange is now in place, which Switzerland's State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) believes will increase transparency and prevent cross-border tax evasion.

Black money chase: Noose tightens on Swiss accounts; 50 Indians get notices

Thousands of women across Switzerland held a strike to highlight the poor record on female rights., recreating the passion of the last such walkout in 1991. Watch this video to know more.

Gender pay gap widens in Switzerland

After facing a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Portugal in the Nations League semi-finals on Thursday, Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka enunciated that they were a better team and the only difference between both the teams was they had <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-just-ronaldo-were-going-to-face-great-portugal-says-netherlands-virgil-van-dijk-225197">Cristiano Ronaldo</a>.

"I think we had a very good game. In my opinion, we were the better team but the difference is they have Ronaldo,'' Xhaka said.&nbsp;

''It's unbelievable what a player he is. He's one of the best players in the world," Goal.com quoted Xhaka as saying.

Portugal bigwig Ronaldo stunned the Switzerland side as he scored a hat-trick during the match to help his side secure a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nations-league-netherlands-enters-final-as-england-self-destruct-225107">spot in the final.</a>

"He's special because he knows always where you have to go and to be. I think we had him in our hands but, in the end, he scored three times and we lost the game. I think we can be proud of how we play, against a very good team," he added while praising <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ronaldos-hat-trick-against-switzerland-sends-portugal-to-nations-league-final-224802">Ronaldo</a>.

Xhaka also praised the 34-year-old for his 'unbelievable quality'.

"Those two are clear of the rest. If you play at 34 on this level you deserve a lot of respect. He shows in all the games - international and with Juventus - that he has unbelievable quality," Xhaka said.

Switzerland will now face England for the third position in the Nations League on June 9.

After facing a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Portugal in the Nations League semi-finals on Thursday, Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka enunciated that they were a better team and the only difference between both the teams was they had Cristiano Ronaldo.

After facing a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Portugal in the Nations League semi-finals on Thursday, Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka enunciated that they were a better team and the only difference between both the teams was they had Cristiano Ronaldo. "I think we had a very good game. In my opinion, we were the better team but the difference is they have Ronaldo,'' Xhaka said. ''It's unbelievable what a player he is. He's one of the best players in the world," Goal.com quoted Xhaka as saying. Portugal bigwig Ronaldo stunned the Switzerland side as he scored a hat-trick during the match to help his side secure a spot in the final. "He's special because he knows always where you have to go and to be. I think we had him in our hands but, in the end, he scored three times and we lost the game. I think we can be proud of how we play, against a very good team," he added while praising Ronaldo. Xhaka also praised the 34-year-old for his 'unbelievable quality'. "Those two are clear of the rest. If you play at 34 on this level you deserve a lot of respect. He shows in all the games - international and with Juventus - that he has unbelievable quality," Xhaka said. Switzerland will now face England for the third position in the Nations League on June 9.

Switzerland were better team, only difference was Portugal had Ronaldo, says Xhaka after facing defeat

Evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, including two late goals, to give Portugal a 3-1 win over Switzerland in a Nations League semi-final featuring an extraordinary VAR incident on Wednesday.

Ronaldo blasted Portugal ahead from a free kick in the 25th minute, his first goal for his country for nearly a year, but the Swiss equalised with a penalty after halftime which will raise more questions over the use of the VAR system.

After a largely anonymous second half, Ronaldo&nbsp;suddenly sprang to life to by scoring twice in the last three minutes to complete the 53rd hat-trick of his career and the seventh for his country, showing that even at 34 he is always a threat.

His goals -- his first for his country since last year's World Cup in Russia - rescued Portugal after the Swiss had dominated for the final half hour and threatened to snatch a shock win.

"There's no adjective to describe him," said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. "He's a genius. You can be a genius in art, and in sculpture and he is a football genius."

"It was an intense match, very hard-fought, against a very well-organised Swiss team," he added.

Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic was left to rue a missed opportunity.

"We had the chance to get a second but didn't take it. We got outnumbered at the back and conceded. Their top player made the difference," he said.

Switzerland created some early openings while Ronaldo missed a good early chance for Portugal when he dragged his shot wide after the Swiss gave away possession in defence.

But there was no mistake in the 25th minute when he went down under a challenge from Kevin Mbabu on the edge of the area, got up and sent his free kick fizzing past a wrong-footed Sommer and into the net.

Switzerland got back into the match in extraordinary circumstances after halftime

Swiss midfielder Steven Zuber went down under a challenge from Nelson Semedo as he ran onto Xherdan Shaqiri's through ball

and appealed for a penalty but play continued.

Portugal then went straight down the other end and were awarded a penalty for a foul on Silva.

The referee, after consulting the video assistant, then decided to review the Swiss incident on the pitchside monitor and awarded them the spot kick.

The incident seemed to unsettle Portugal and the Swiss took control with Shaqiri, looking to make an impression after getting limited playing time for Liverpool this season, at the centre of their best moves.

Steven Zuber and Haris Seferovic both missed chances and the Swiss were then destroyed by Ronaldo at his most deadly

Bernardo Silva produced a low cross from the right and Ronaldo swept the ball home with his first touch to rescue his side in the 88th minute.

Two minutes later, he collected the ball on the counter-attack, twisted past his marker and curled the ball into the far corner for his 88th international goal in 157 appearances.

Evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, including two late goals, to give Portugal a 3-1 win over Switzerland in a Nations League semi-final featuring an extraordinary VAR incident on Wednesday.

Evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, including two late goals, to give Portugal a 3-1 win over Switzerland in a Nations League semi-final featuring an extraordinary VAR incident on Wednesday. Ronaldo blasted Portugal ahead from a free kick in the 25th minute, his first goal for his country for nearly a year, but the Swiss equalised with a penalty after halftime which will raise more questions over the use of the VAR system. After a largely anonymous second half, Ronaldo suddenly sprang to life to by scoring twice in the last three minutes to complete the 53rd hat-trick of his career and the seventh for his country, showing that even at 34 he is always a threat. His goals -- his first for his country since last year's World Cup in Russia - rescued Portugal after the Swiss had dominated for the final half hour and threatened to snatch a shock win. "There's no adjective to describe him," said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. "He's a genius. You can be a genius in art, and in sculpture and he is a football genius." "It was an intense match, very hard-fought, against a very well-organised Swiss team," he added. Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic was left to rue a missed opportunity. "We had the chance to get a second but didn't take it. We got outnumbered at the back and conceded. Their top player made the difference," he said. Switzerland created some early openings while Ronaldo missed a good early chance for Portugal when he dragged his shot wide after the Swiss gave away possession in defence. But there was no mistake in the 25th minute when he went down under a challenge from Kevin Mbabu on the edge of the area, got up and sent his free kick fizzing past a wrong-footed Sommer and into the net. Switzerland got back into the match in extraordinary circumstances after halftime Swiss midfielder Steven Zuber went down under a challenge from Nelson Semedo as he ran onto Xherdan Shaqiri's through ball and appealed for a penalty but play continued. Portugal then went straight down the other end and were awarded a penalty for a foul on Silva. The referee, after consulting the video assistant, then decided to review the Swiss incident on the pitchside monitor and awarded them the spot kick. The incident seemed to unsettle Portugal and the Swiss took control with Shaqiri, looking to make an impression after getting limited playing time for Liverpool this season, at the centre of their best moves. Steven Zuber and Haris Seferovic both missed chances and the Swiss were then destroyed by Ronaldo at his most deadly Bernardo Silva produced a low cross from the right and Ronaldo swept the ball home with his first touch to rescue his side in the 88th minute. Two minutes later, he collected the ball on the counter-attack, twisted past his marker and curled the ball into the far corner for his 88th international goal in 157 appearances.

Ronaldo's hat-trick against Switzerland sends Portugal to Nations League final

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Switzerland about its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-too-close-to-chinese-government-to-be-trusted-us-223309">close business ties with China</a>, telling a newspaper the neutral European country was exposing itself to privacy breaches if it let Chinese companies help build its infrastructure.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has told allies not to use <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-says-hopes-canada-understands-consequences-of-siding-with-us-223210">Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s</a> next-generation mobile technology and equipment because of concerns it could allow China to spy on sensitive communications and data. Huawei denies it is, or could be, a vehicle for Chinese intelligence.

“The Swiss attach great importance to the protection of their privacy, and that for a long time,” Pompeo told the Neue Zuercher Zeitung. “But if you operate with Chinese technology, you supply your information to the Chinese Communist Party. There is no privacy.”

In the interview published on Tuesday, Pompeo praised Switzerland - which acts as a diplomatic conduit between the United States and Iran - as a country with deep democratic traditions, the rule of law and a similar view of how the world should work.

“But we also work together on important security issues,” he said of his four-day trip to Switzerland that ended on Monday.

Swiss President Ueli Mauer met Trump at the White House last month and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in April.

Maurer said in Washington that Switzerland had chosen a different path in dealing with China, preferring to advocate for its values directly with Beijing.

He said Switzerland had banned all foreign companies from providing services or hardware for its critical infrastructure, but Huawei was present in the private commercial market.

Trump, on an official visit to London, is expected on Tuesday to demand that Prime Minister Theresa May’s successor ban Huawei from UK 5G networks.

Security minister Ben Wallace said Britain has not made a final decision on whether to use Huawei technology. 
&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Switzerland about its close business ties with China, telling a newspaper the neutral European country was exposing itself to privacy breaches if it let Chinese companies help build its infrastructure.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Switzerland about its close business ties with China, telling a newspaper the neutral European country was exposing itself to privacy breaches if it let Chinese companies help build its infrastructure. US President Donald Trump’s administration has told allies not to use Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s next-generation mobile technology and equipment because of concerns it could allow China to spy on sensitive communications and data. Huawei denies it is, or could be, a vehicle for Chinese intelligence. “The Swiss attach great importance to the protection of their privacy, and that for a long time,” Pompeo told the Neue Zuercher Zeitung. “But if you operate with Chinese technology, you supply your information to the Chinese Communist Party. There is no privacy.” In the interview published on Tuesday, Pompeo praised Switzerland - which acts as a diplomatic conduit between the United States and Iran - as a country with deep democratic traditions, the rule of law and a similar view of how the world should work. “But we also work together on important security issues,” he said of his four-day trip to Switzerland that ended on Monday. Swiss President Ueli Mauer met Trump at the White House last month and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in April. Maurer said in Washington that Switzerland had chosen a different path in dealing with China, preferring to advocate for its values directly with Beijing. He said Switzerland had banned all foreign companies from providing services or hardware for its critical infrastructure, but Huawei was present in the private commercial market. Trump, on an official visit to London, is expected on Tuesday to demand that Prime Minister Theresa May’s successor ban Huawei from UK 5G networks. Security minister Ben Wallace said Britain has not made a final decision on whether to use Huawei technology.

Huawei row: No privacy if Switzerland uses Chinese technology, warns Pompeo

Switzerland will sign an accord backing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-cpec-is-used-to-traffic-young-pakistani-women-to-china-210874">China's Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)</a> when President Ueli Maurer visits China this month, cementing ties with a major trading partner as other Western countries view the gargantuan project with scepticism.

President<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lankan-politicians-praise-china-proposed-belt-and-road-initiative-210416"> Xi Jinping's new Silk Road</a> initiative has been controversial particularly in Washington, which views it as a way to spread Chinese influence abroad and saddle countries with unsustainable debt, a charge Beijing rejects.

Locked in a trade war with China, the United States has been particularly critical of Italy's decision to sign up to the plan, the first for a G7 nation. Others in the West are less keen to jump aboard, although many have kept an open mind.

Neutral Switzerland sees the BRI accord to be signed during Maurer's trip as a way to support economic development, especially in central Asia.

"The aim of the memorandum is for both parties to intensify cooperation on trade, investment and project financing in third markets along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative", the finance ministry said on Tuesday without giving more details.

Maurer, who is also finance minister, will attend the second Belt and Road summit next week which is expected to draw around 40 foreign leaders.

The first summit for Belt and Road - which envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with massive infrastructure spending - was in 2017.

Xi has also invited Maurer for a state visit on April 28 and 29, his ministry said. Swiss business and financial leaders will accompany Maurer on his eight-day China trip.

Switzerland, one of the first Western states to recognise the People's Republic, was the first country in continental Europe to reach a free trade agreement with China, its largest trade partner after the European Union and United States.

Xi made a state visit to Switzerland in 2017.

Switzerland will sign an accord backing China's Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) when President Ueli Maurer visits China this month, cementing ties with a major trading partner as other Western countries view the gargantuan project with scepticism.

Switzerland will sign an accord backing China's Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) when President Ueli Maurer visits China this month, cementing ties with a major trading partner as other Western countries view the gargantuan project with scepticism. President Xi Jinping's new Silk Road initiative has been controversial particularly in Washington, which views it as a way to spread Chinese influence abroad and saddle countries with unsustainable debt, a charge Beijing rejects. Locked in a trade war with China, the United States has been particularly critical of Italy's decision to sign up to the plan, the first for a G7 nation. Others in the West are less keen to jump aboard, although many have kept an open mind. Neutral Switzerland sees the BRI accord to be signed during Maurer's trip as a way to support economic development, especially in central Asia. "The aim of the memorandum is for both parties to intensify cooperation on trade, investment and project financing in third markets along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative", the finance ministry said on Tuesday without giving more details. Maurer, who is also finance minister, will attend the second Belt and Road summit next week which is expected to draw around 40 foreign leaders. The first summit for Belt and Road - which envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with massive infrastructure spending - was in 2017. Xi has also invited Maurer for a state visit on April 28 and 29, his ministry said. Swiss business and financial leaders will accompany Maurer on his eight-day China trip. Switzerland, one of the first Western states to recognise the People's Republic, was the first country in continental Europe to reach a free trade agreement with China, its largest trade partner after the European Union and United States. Xi made a state visit to Switzerland in 2017.

Will sign accord backing China's Belt and Road Initiative: Switzerland

Iran has appointed Majid Takht Ravanchi as its new envoy to the United Nations, state media reported on Tuesday.

Ravanchi has also served as ambassador to Switzerland. He is currently Iranian deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs.

The 61-year-old was among the negotiators who helped Tehran to reach a nuclear agreement in 2015 with the United States, Britain, France and other countries.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-designates-irans-revolutionary-guards-as-a-terrorist-organisation-donald-trump-208837">Also read:&nbsp;US designates Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, says Donald Trump</a>

The pact curbed Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for relief from international sanctions. However, US President Donald Trump last year pulled the United States out of the deal, which was concluded before he took office, saying it favoured Iran.

Other co-signatories are still trying to salvage the deal and shield Iran from US sanctions. President Hassan Rouhani, who could be weakened by damage to Iran’s economy if the deal falls apart, warned other signatories on Tuesday to honour their pledges before Tehran's patience runs out.

Trump on Monday designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-khamenei-calls-us-blacklisting-of-guards-a-vicious-move-209028">Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a> termed this move as ''vicious''.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Iran has appointed Majid Takht Ravanchi as its new envoy to the United Nations, state media reported on Tuesday. Ravanchi has also served as ambassador to Switzerland.

Iran has appointed Majid Takht Ravanchi as its new envoy to the United Nations, state media reported on Tuesday. Ravanchi has also served as ambassador to Switzerland. He is currently Iranian deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs. The 61-year-old was among the negotiators who helped Tehran to reach a nuclear agreement in 2015 with the United States, Britain, France and other countries. Also read: US designates Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation, says Donald Trump The pact curbed Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for relief from international sanctions. However, US President Donald Trump last year pulled the United States out of the deal, which was concluded before he took office, saying it favoured Iran. Other co-signatories are still trying to salvage the deal and shield Iran from US sanctions. President Hassan Rouhani, who could be weakened by damage to Iran’s economy if the deal falls apart, warned other signatories on Tuesday to honour their pledges before Tehran's patience runs out. Trump on Monday designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei termed this move as ''vicious''. (With inputs from Reuters)

Iran appoints Majid Takht Ravanchi as new UN ambassador

Saurav Ghosal scripted history by becoming the first Indian male squash player to enter the top 10 in the latest PSA world rankings.

Meanwhile, Indian women squash players - Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal - had earlier reached top-10 in the world rankings.

Ghosal, who made it to the quarter-finals of the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships in Chicago, USA for the first time in his career, has moved up two places to a career-high ranking of 10.

He was also a quarter-finalist at the prestigious Grasshopper Cup in Zurich, Switzerland.

Egypt's world champion Ali Farag, meanwhile, maintains his position at the top of the ladder.

Saurav Ghosal scripted history by becoming the first Indian male squash player to enter the top 10 in the latest PSA world rankings. Meanwhile, Indian women squash players - Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal - had earlier reached top-10 in the world rankings.

Saurav Ghosal scripted history by becoming the first Indian male squash player to enter the top 10 in the latest PSA world rankings. Meanwhile, Indian women squash players - Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal - had earlier reached top-10 in the world rankings. Ghosal, who made it to the quarter-finals of the 2018-2019 PSA World Championships in Chicago, USA for the first time in his career, has moved up two places to a career-high ranking of 10. He was also a quarter-finalist at the prestigious Grasshopper Cup in Zurich, Switzerland. Egypt's world champion Ali Farag, meanwhile, maintains his position at the top of the ladder.

Saurav Ghosal becomes first Indian male squash player to enter top 10 in PSA rankings

Thousands of students and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/clashes-erupt-at-anti-bouteflika-protest-in-algerian-capital-202213">public transport workers went on strike</a> in Algeria Sunday against Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, as the presidency confirmed the ailing leader had returned from Switzerland.

The plane carrying Bouteflika from Geneva -- where he has been in the hospital for the past two weeks -- landed at Boufarik military base south of Algiers late afternoon, several Algerian media outlets said.

The Ennahar TV channel broadcast pictures of a convoy of black cars, preceded by motorbikes with flashing lights, speeding towards Algiers on the main road that was closed to other traffic.

The head of state's return ahead of April 18 elections came as protest strikes shut down the capital's public transport system and many schools across the country.

The 82-year-old president, who suffered a stroke in 2013, left Algeria on February 24 for what the presidency on Sunday once again described as "routine medical checks".

Demonstrations against Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term have attracted tens of thousands of people in Algiers and across the country for each of the last three Fridays, with smaller demonstrations taking place on other days.

Algeria's army chief and deputy defence minister, Ahmed Gaid Salah, was silent on the upcoming elections Sunday but said the military and the people share "the same values and principles".

Together they hold "a unique vision of the future of Algeria," said Salah, considered to be within Bouteflika's inner circle, in an address to students from military schools.

Following the breakout of protests, the army chief earlier this month pledged to guarantee Algeria's security and criticised those he said want to return to the "painful years" of Algeria's 1992-2002 civil war.

Shops shut&nbsp; 
No trains, metros, trams or buses left or circulated within Algiers, employees of the companies running those networks told AFP on Sunday morning.

Around 1,000 high school students gathered peacefully in central Algiers, while others marched in cities elsewhere.

Bouteflika has been in power since 1999 and his rare public appearances since his stroke have been in a wheelchair.

Most shops in the capital's commercial centre were closed on Sunday, an AFP journalist said.

Residents said shops were also closed in the poor district of Bab el Oued and in the suburb of Zeralda, but they were open in other areas.

As the protest strike continued, students and teachers occupied a number of universities, defying the education ministry's ruling a day earlier to bring holidays forward.

'Free and democratic!'&nbsp; 
Students have been at the heart of protests and a decision to start spring break on Sunday -- instead of March 21 -- will affect many whose family homes are far from campuses which are set to close over the holidays.

"Algeria free and democratic!" cried students at the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene in Algiers, where around 2,000 gathered to rally against the holiday decision and to keep up their protest against Bouteflika.

The opposition to the president shows that "the Bouteflika system is broken and that it will break up", said former prime minister Ali Benflis, in an interview with France's Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

But while businesses were shut and protests continued in Algiers, in the second city Oran all the shops in the commercial centre opened.

"We don't have the impression that there's a general strike," a journalist for Algerian media said from the city.

Another local reporter said half of the businesses were closed in Constantine, Algeria's third city, adding that high school students had taken to the streets there.

"Everything is closed" in the city of Bejaia in the Kabylie region, Achour Idir, a trade unionist in the education sector, told AFP.

He said the city was in "total paralysis" due to high schools, colleges, government offices and businesses closing.

Local news site TSA said strikes by workers had brought sugar and oil production "to a halt" at the privately-owned Cevital firm, and also hit several sectors at state-owned oil giant Sonatrach.

Thousands of students and public transport workers went on strike in Algeria Sunday against Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, as the presidency confirmed the ailing leader had returned from Switzerland.

Thousands of students and public transport workers went on strike in Algeria Sunday against Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, as the presidency confirmed the ailing leader had returned from Switzerland. The plane carrying Bouteflika from Geneva -- where he has been in the hospital for the past two weeks -- landed at Boufarik military base south of Algiers late afternoon, several Algerian media outlets said. The Ennahar TV channel broadcast pictures of a convoy of black cars, preceded by motorbikes with flashing lights, speeding towards Algiers on the main road that was closed to other traffic. The head of state's return ahead of April 18 elections came as protest strikes shut down the capital's public transport system and many schools across the country. The 82-year-old president, who suffered a stroke in 2013, left Algeria on February 24 for what the presidency on Sunday once again described as "routine medical checks". Demonstrations against Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term have attracted tens of thousands of people in Algiers and across the country for each of the last three Fridays, with smaller demonstrations taking place on other days. Algeria's army chief and deputy defence minister, Ahmed Gaid Salah, was silent on the upcoming elections Sunday but said the military and the people share "the same values and principles". Together they hold "a unique vision of the future of Algeria," said Salah, considered to be within Bouteflika's inner circle, in an address to students from military schools. Following the breakout of protests, the army chief earlier this month pledged to guarantee Algeria's security and criticised those he said want to return to the "painful years" of Algeria's 1992-2002 civil war. Shops shut No trains, metros, trams or buses left or circulated within Algiers, employees of the companies running those networks told AFP on Sunday morning. Around 1,000 high school students gathered peacefully in central Algiers, while others marched in cities elsewhere. Bouteflika has been in power since 1999 and his rare public appearances since his stroke have been in a wheelchair. Most shops in the capital's commercial centre were closed on Sunday, an AFP journalist said. Residents said shops were also closed in the poor district of Bab el Oued and in the suburb of Zeralda, but they were open in other areas. As the protest strike continued, students and teachers occupied a number of universities, defying the education ministry's ruling a day earlier to bring holidays forward. 'Free and democratic!' Students have been at the heart of protests and a decision to start spring break on Sunday -- instead of March 21 -- will affect many whose family homes are far from campuses which are set to close over the holidays. "Algeria free and democratic!" cried students at the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene in Algiers, where around 2,000 gathered to rally against the holiday decision and to keep up their protest against Bouteflika. The opposition to the president shows that "the Bouteflika system is broken and that it will break up", said former prime minister Ali Benflis, in an interview with France's Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper. But while businesses were shut and protests continued in Algiers, in the second city Oran all the shops in the commercial centre opened. "We don't have the impression that there's a general strike," a journalist for Algerian media said from the city. Another local reporter said half of the businesses were closed in Constantine, Algeria's third city, adding that high school students had taken to the streets there. "Everything is closed" in the city of Bejaia in the Kabylie region, Achour Idir, a trade unionist in the education sector, told AFP. He said the city was in "total paralysis" due to high schools, colleges, government offices and businesses closing. Local news site TSA said strikes by workers had brought sugar and oil production "to a halt" at the privately-owned Cevital firm, and also hit several sectors at state-owned oil giant Sonatrach.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika returns to Algeria amid protests

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