Swiss Politics

Gaza faces humanitarian “nightmare”

This content was published on Jun 26, 2007 On Monday the United Nations called for the re-opening of a key border crossing between Gaza and Israel to avert such a disaster and the collapse of the economy in the Palestinian enclave. The UN provides food aid for 860,000 Palestinian refugees in Gaza but the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of shortages of…

Swiss Politics

Widening wage gap favours bosses

This content was published on Jun 25, 2007 Trade union umbrella body Travail Suisse said top managers pocketed wage hikes 80 times higher than those of ordinary workers between 2003 and 2006. The largest union, Unia, said the gap grew 12.6 per cent last year. Travail Suisse president Hugo Fasel warned companies that they face government intervention if they allow the “rip-off” situation…

Swiss Politics

EU leaders hammer out treaty deal

This content was published on Jun 23, 2007 For non-EU members such as Switzerland, agreement on a new treaty can only be a good thing, explains a Swiss EU expert. All 27 leaders – including Poland, which had staged fierce opposition to the proposed treaty – agreed on a “very precise mandate” to draft a streamlined treaty that will guide and govern the…

Swiss Politics

Private sponsors come to aid of National Day

This content was published on Jun 21, 2007 A group of private sponsors has agreed to pay for security costs, and the city of Lucerne will provide transport to the site of the festivities in the heart of Switzerland, which is only accessible by boat. The committee in charge of the Rütli meadow gave the formal go-ahead on Friday. The celebration had become…

Swiss Politics

Dual Swiss/Austrian Euro 2008 visa agreed

This content was published on Jun 21, 2007 The co-hosts have agreed that Austria will issue special Schengen visas for the event on behalf of both countries as Switzerland will by then not yet be part of the borderless travel zone. The visas would apply to up to ten countries currently attempting to qualify for the final stages of the tournament. The other…

Swiss Politics

Swiss court rejects appeal from Turkish politician

This content was published on Jun 21, 2007 Perinçek, leader of the Turkish Workers’ Party, is to lodge a further appeal at Switzerland’s highest instance, the Federal Court, his lawyer said on Wednesday. A court in Lausanne convicted Perinçek in March and ordered him to pay a fine of SFr3,000 ($2,424.6). He was also handed a suspended fine of SFr9,000 and ordered to…

Swiss Politics

Parliament gets tough in weapons debate

This content was published on Jun 20, 2007 The chamber, which represents Switzerland’s cantons, followed the example of the House of Representatives. A ban on keeping military weapons at home was rejected. Anonymous sales of guns over the internet or by advertisement are to be banned, but there are exceptions for hunters and members of Switzerland’s numerous shooting clubs, who can continue to…

Swiss Politics

Expats seek bigger role on political stage

This content was published on Jun 20, 2007 The swift introduction of electronic voting is crucial to boost their participation in votes and elections, according to the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA). The figures for registered expatriates voters are impressive. They soared from 12,000 to more than 110,000 over the past 15 years and there are no signs of a slowdown. “The…

Swiss Politics

Swiss accept trade-off at Human Rights Council

This content was published on Jun 19, 2007 The UN watchdog formally adopted a series of reforms to its future work, including how and when to launch investigations into some of the world’s worst rights offenders. “The final document is a balanced text and is the result of concessions made by all of us,” commented Blaise Godet, Switzerland’s ambassador to the UN in…

Swiss Politics

Funding for eastern Europe remains intact

This content was published on Jun 19, 2007 The Senate joined the House of Representatives in agreeing not to make cuts in existing aid programmes to eastern Europe to finance the contribution. During the final week of summer session, parliament also agreed a separate SFr730 million credit – an increase of SFr80 million – for projects in eastern European countries for the period…

Swiss Politics

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Gaza faces humanitarian “nightmare”

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Widening wage gap favours bosses

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EU leaders hammer out treaty deal

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Private sponsors come to aid of National Day

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Dual Swiss/Austrian Euro 2008 visa agreed

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Swiss court rejects appeal from Turkish politician

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Parliament gets tough in weapons debate

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Expats seek bigger role on political stage

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Swiss accept trade-off at Human Rights Council

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Funding for eastern Europe remains intact

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