Swiss Identity

Parliament votes to toughen asylum law

This content was published on Sep 27, 2005 The House on Monday agreed to drop admission on humanitarian grounds along with social welfare for rejected asylum seekers. Only emergency aid is being retained. After winning approval from the Senate, the rightwing justice minister Christoph Blocher succeeded in having his revision of the law on asylum seekers easily adopted. The centre-right majority rejected by…

History

Pontiff renews dialogue with Hans Küng

This content was published on Sep 26, 2005 Both sides were positive after the talks, which took place over several hours at the Pontiff’s summer residence at Castelgandolfo on Saturday. “The two agreed that there was no sense in entering, within the confines of the meeting, into a dispute surrounding the persistent doctrinal questions between Hans Küng and the Magisterium of the Catholic…

Culture

Swiss vote is “clear and simple”

This content was published on Sep 26, 2005 But analysts agree that the result does not mean the end of negotiations, since bilateral ties are still evolving. After all the uncertainty and nail-biting, nowhere in the Swiss press will you find mention of just “the yes vote” – it is, without exception, “the clear yes vote”. Swiss voters agreed by a majority of…

History

Pope’s guards have been loyal for 500 years

This content was published on Sep 24, 2005 Justice Minister Christoph Blocher made the keynote speech, commending the guards – who are responsible for the pope’s safety – on their loyalty and for being true to their word. Blocher added that the men were exemplary, saying that they typified Christian values. The very fact that the Swiss Guard was celebrating 500 years in…

Demographics

Wild fowl screened to avert bird-flu threat

This content was published on Sep 23, 2005 Millions of wild birds fly over Swiss territory during the autumn migration period and it is feared that some of them could be carriers of the deadly virus. The detection of bird flu in Russia has prompted European nations to step up preventive measures. The Netherlands has already instructed farmers to keep poultry indoors. A…

Demographics

Insurers give patients money-saving choices

This content was published on Sep 23, 2005 Helsana has also compiled a blacklist of expensive Swiss clinics, with the aim of rewarding clients who stay away from them. Cross-border operations are the latest money-saving strategy from Swiss insurers, eager to put the brakes on ever-increasing healthcare costs. Health costs in Switzerland increased in 2003 by more than four per cent to almost…

Culture

Swiss hail “success” of World Expo

This content was published on Sep 23, 2005 More than 20 million people attended the global exhibition during its six-month run, while the Swiss section of the expo received more than one million visitors. Switzerland invested SFr15 million ($11.7 million) of government money in its presence at the first global exhibition of the 21st century. The Swiss pavilion, built in the shape of…

Culture

Die Hellen Barden: Sinn

This content was published on Sep 23, 2005

Switzerland hosts Chechen peace forum

This content was published on Sep 22, 2005 The Chechen Civil Society Forum includes about 100 human rights, scientific, economic, cultural and political groups. The forum was initiated by the Swiss branch of the Society for Threatened Peoples and is supported by several Swiss members of parliament. Swiss parliamentarian and the society’s president in Switzerland, Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, said the forum would try to…

Demographics

Swiss do not feel threatened by crime rise

This content was published on Sep 22, 2005 The Univox study released on Thursday also found that around 90 per cent of those surveyed are in favour of a more restrictive gun control policy. Asked whether they felt safe walking alone at night in their neighbourhood, six per cent of the men surveyed said they did not – twice as many compared with…

Swiss Identity

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Sign in and personalize Swissinfo