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Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey takes stock of tidal disaster

This content was published on Jan 2, 2005 Calmy-Rey flew to the country on Saturday for a first-hand look at the situation and to visit Swiss who have been affected by the disaster. The Swiss foreign ministry in Bern said on Sunday it now feared that 111 Swiss citizens had lost their lives, although the number of confirmed dead remains at 16. The…

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Schmid thanks Swiss for their solidarity

This content was published on Jan 1, 2005 In his New Year’s speech on Saturday, he called for optimism and confidence, warning that fear had little place in today’s society. The United Nations now estimates that 150,000 people have been killed in the Asian tragedy. “The catastrophe in Asia has, by its sheer size, surpassed everything that we could possibly imagine,” Schmid said…

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UN issues new aid appeal for tsunami victims

This content was published on Dec 28, 2004 But Kälin told swissinfo that the relief effort in Indonesia’s Aceh province risked being undermined by political conflict. Kälin has been a member of the UN Human Rights Committee since 2003 and earlier this year was appointed as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s new representative on the human rights of internally displaced persons. swissinfo: There have…

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Swiss Politics

Emergency efforts for quake victims continue

This content was published on Dec 28, 2004 Efforts are continuing to locate and repatriate Swiss victims in the region. Officials and media reports in the affected countries said the death toll from the undersea quake near Indonesia had risen to 29,000 on Tuesday. They added that the figure could reach 57,000 with Indonesia and Sri Lanka among the worst-hit. Thailand said its…

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Swiss Politics

Couchepin calls for centre-right alliance

This content was published on Dec 26, 2004 The proposal has sparked both scepticism and interest among Swiss politicians. In an interview with the “SonntagsZeitung” newspaper, Couchepin said closer cooperation was needed between the two groups in order to “counterbalance” the country’s centre-left Social Democratic Party and the rightwing Swiss People’s Party. “It is time for the Radicals and Christian Democrats to come…

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Consensus government fails to tame Blocher

This content was published on Dec 23, 2004 Opinions differ about his achievements in government, but allies and enemies alike agree that he has changed the complexion of government. A former businessman, the billionaire and veteran parliamentarian was elected to the Swiss government in December 2003, after his rightwing Swiss People’s Party triumphed in parliamentary elections two months earlier. His election changed the…

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Swiss Politics

Cabinet takes justice minister to task

This content was published on Dec 22, 2004 The topic dominated the last cabinet meeting of 2004 and brought to an end a year in which the seven ministers spent 130 hours debating issues. Speaking at a press conference in Biel on Monday to mark his first year in office, Blocher – a member of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party – said the…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss boost aid for democracy in Ukraine

This content was published on Dec 22, 2004 It is also sending 13 election observers to monitor Sunday’s re-run of the second round of the country’s presidential election. Ukrainian voters go to the polls on Sunday to elect a successor to Leonid Kuchma. In the second round of the presidential election last month, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was declared the winner ahead of…

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Swiss Politics

Democracy triumphs in Ukraine

This content was published on Dec 22, 2004 Rudolf Von Rohr, one of 12,000 international observers who were on-hand at polling sites around the country, told swissinfo that all sides had acted in good faith. Opposition leader Yushchenko won 52 per cent of the votes in a race against the incumbent prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, who took 44 per cent. Turnout was 77…

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Unions lift opposition to EU labour accord

This content was published on Dec 21, 2004 Union leaders said on Tuesday that they were satisfied with additional measures to prevent wage dumping, which is one of their biggest concerns. The Federation of Trade Unions had threatened in October to challenge the agreement on the free movement of people unless parliament took action. But union leaders voted late on Monday night not…

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