Swiss Politics

People’s Party votes against EU labour accord

This content was published on Jan 8, 2005 The move comes despite an appeal by Justice Minister and People’s Party figurehead Christoph Blocher for the party to follow the government’s line and support the accord. At a meeting in La Chaux-de-Fonds on Saturday the People’s Party voted overwhelmingly against the accord by 297 votes to 94. Most delegates followed the argument taken by…

Swiss Politics

Relief organisations agree to cooperate

This content was published on Jan 7, 2005 But differences have emerged among them over the form that Swiss assistance to southeast Asia should take. Meeting in Bern on Friday, the aid organisations said they hoped that by pulling together they would be able to get aid to the survivors more quickly. The exchange of information forum was attended by representatives of the…

Swiss Politics

Long road to recovery

This content was published on Jan 7, 2005 Toni Frisch was speaking to swissinfo from Indonesia, where he has been inspecting the extent of tidal-wave damage in the northern province of Aceh. Around 80 Swiss experts are currently providing humanitarian assistance for the hundreds of thousands of people left homeless after the December 26 undersea quake off the coast of Sumatra. Switzerland is…

Relief effort gathers pace

This content was published on Jan 3, 2005 swissinfo takes a look at where the money is being spent and how Swiss disaster-relief experts are being deployed. Swiss assistance for victims of the tsunami disaster is being coordinated by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, a division of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The SDC has sent disaster-management and emergency-relief experts…

Respite over for Vaud asylum seekers

This content was published on Jan 3, 2005 Those affected had their residency applications turned down in August and they face the prospect of being forcibly repatriated. The majority are from former Yugoslavia and include many who fled their homes after war broke out in the region during the 1990s. However, there is still some light at the end of the tunnel for…

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…

Swiss Politics

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…

Swiss Politics

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…

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…

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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People’s Party votes against EU labour accord

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Relief organisations agree to cooperate

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Long road to recovery

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Relief effort gathers pace

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Respite over for Vaud asylum seekers

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Calmy-Rey takes stock of tidal disaster

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Schmid thanks Swiss for their solidarity

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UN issues new aid appeal for tsunami victims

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Emergency efforts for quake victims continue

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Couchepin calls for centre-right alliance

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