Bay Ledger News Zonebill@blnz.comtag:www.blnz.com,2009:countries/switzerlandtag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Frances_Sarkozy_charged_probe_illegal_bc32

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has been charged with taking financial advantage of France's richest woman, as part of a probe into illegal party funding that could shatter his hopes of a political comeback.

2013-03-22T06:38:56ZAFP Global Editionby Odile Duperrytag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/22/Singapore_denies_being_haven_Malaysian_4f55

Singapore on Friday strongly rejected a whistleblower's allegation that its banks facilitate massive tax evasion by a powerful family in neighbouring Malaysia's Sarawak state.

2013-03-22T05:56:39ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/FIFA_lifts_friendlies_Iraq_25f9

FIFA lifted a ban on international football friendlies in Iraqi stadiums on Thursday, permitting matches in Baghdad for the first time since the 2003 US-led invasion, an Iraqi football official said.

2013-03-21T17:39:15ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Ferdinand_confronts_haters_over_Qatar_849d

Rio Ferdinand insisted Thursday there was nothing controversial about his decision to fly to Qatar in the week he withdrew from England World Cup qualifying duty.

2013-03-21T16:42:58ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/21/Ferdinand_confronts_haters_over_Qatar_1677

Rio Ferdinand insisted Thursday there was nothing controversial about his decision to fly to Qatar in the week he withdrew from England World Cup qualifying duty.

2013-03-21T15:58:42ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/20/Amid_tensions_American_builds_schools_57ce

Amid mounting military and nuclear tensions with North Korea, an American retiree has gained rare access to the pariah state to build schools in the usually off-limits countryside.

2013-03-20T14:14:00ZAFP American Editionby Nina Larsontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/19/Swiss_civil_servants_ordered_clean_0c35

Civil servants in famously-tidy Switzerland have been ordered to clean their offices and sort their rubbish themselves, officials said Tuesday.

2013-03-19T17:45:30ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/19/Ferdinand_still_England_future_Lampard_2718

Frank Lampard believes that Rio Ferdinand has not yet played his last game for England, despite the defender having withdrawn from the national squad this week.

2013-03-19T16:38:52ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/18/Ferdinand_withdraws_from_England_squad_b55a

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has pulled out of the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers with San Marino and Montenegro, national team coach Roy Hodgson announced on Monday.

2013-03-18T15:01:13ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/17/Pakistan_government_makes_history_record_e916

Pakistan's government has become the first in history to complete a full term in office, but a raft of key achievements has been overshadowed by mismanagement, economic decline and worsening security.

2013-03-17T17:13:58ZAFP Asian Editionby Sami Zubeiritag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/17/Arrests_over_gang-rape_Swiss_cyclist_b5f9

Police in India said Sunday they had arrested a group of farmers in their twenties who had confessed to gang-raping a Swiss cyclist, the latest in a series of shocking sex crimes in the country.

2013-03-17T16:09:20ZAFP Global Editionby Ammu Kannampillytag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/17/Afghan_anti-graft_body_raps_Kabul_81a8

An Afghan anti-corruption watchdog on Sunday criticised court verdicts handed down for a $900 million fraud that caused Kabul Bank, the country's largest bank, to collapse in 2010.

2013-03-17T10:53:33ZAFP Asian EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/17/Pakistans_government_makes_history_record_4f19

Pakistan's government has become the first in history to complete a full term in office, but a raft of key achievements has been overshadowed by mismanagement, economic decline and worsening security.

2013-03-17T03:49:26ZAFP Global Editionby Sami Zubeiritag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/16/Swiss_tourist_gang-raped_India_police_449e

A Swiss female tourist was gang-raped in central India in front of her husband, police said Saturday, renewing the focus on the issue of sexual violence against women in the South Asian nation.

2013-03-16T16:14:36ZAFP Global Editionby Sanjay Sharmatag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/16/Swiss_tourist_gang-raped_India_62b3

A Swiss female tourist was gang-raped in central India in front of her husband, police said Saturday, renewing the focus on the issue of sexual violence against women in the South Asian nation.

2013-03-16T14:35:08ZAFP Global Editionby Sanjay Sharmatag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/16/Downhill_Kroll_back_under_knife_8e86

Klaus Kroll will need a second operation on the broken arm he suffered in a fall on Thursday, the Austrian team's spokesman said Saturday.

2013-03-16T13:45:19ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/15/English_trio_kept_apart_Europa_0dce

English trio Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle all managed to avoid one another as the Europa League quarter-final draw was held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday.

2013-03-15T14:13:05ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/15/Barca_draw_Champions_League_b302

Champions League favourites Barcelona will play big-spending Paris Saint-Germain in the pick of the quarter-final matches after the draw was held in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.

2013-03-15T12:36:22ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/14/Hodgson_fazed_Ferdinand-Cole_reunion_297f

England manager Roy Hodgson says he has no fears about asking Rio Ferdinand to play alongside Ashley Cole for the national team, despite concerns about their relationship.

2013-03-14T23:27:49ZAFP European Editionby Tom Williamstag:www.blnz.com,2009:2013/03/14/Italian_police_seize_Bulgari-linked_assets_a1ca

Italian financial police said Thursday that they have sequestered assets worth 46 million euros ($60 million) owned by executives at luxury group Bulgari accused of tax evasion.

2013-03-14T19:56:41ZAFP Global EditionBy Staff Reporter