Geneva - 2009 is taking on signs of being more dangerous for journalists than 2008, the Press Emblem Campaign said Thursday.

In the first three months of 2009, 35 journalists have been killed, including eight in March. Two died in Afghanistan, two in Iraq, and one each in India, Pakistan, Russia and Honduras.

During the first quarter of last year, 20 journalists were killed. In total in 2008, 91 died on duty.

The Geneva-based campaign said kidnapping also remained a looming threat to reporters.

Geneva - All countries should attend the upcoming United Nations-sponsored conference against racism, the international body's top rights expert said Thursday.

Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said victims of racism would reap the greatest benefits from the conference which should not get bogged down by "diversions," a reference to parochial issues that some states had been pursuing.

Zurich  - Adecco, the largest staffing company globally, announced Thursday it had appointed Patrick De Maeseneire as the new Chief Executive Officer to replace Dieter Scheiff.

De Maeseneire, a Belgian national, had worked for Adecco for four years until 2002 and he currently serves as CEO of Barry Callebaut, a cocoa and chocolate company.

Adecco took a 22 million euro loss in the final quarter of last year and its profits for 2008 fell 33 per cent to 495 million euros. Its revenues for the entire year fell by 5 per cent to 20 billion euros.

Geneva  - Swiss Reinsurance Co, the world's second larger re-insurer, announced Thursday it would cut by 10 per cent its current global headcount of 11,560 employees over the next 12 months.

The company also named Agostino Galvagni as Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Executive Committee, starting the beginning of next month

Swiss Re said cost-cutting measures, including the layoffs, would lead to reductions of running costs of 400 million Swiss francs (350 million dollars) by the end of 2010.

Zurich  - Football's ruling body FIFA asked Tuesday that all member associations scheduled to hold midweek 2010 World Cup qualifiers observe a minute's silence prior to kick-off in memory of the 22 victims of last weekend's Abidjan stadium disaster.