Swiss Politics

Parliament votes down arms export ban

This content was published on Jun 5, 2009 It followed the line of the government and the other parliamentary chamber, the House of Representatives, on Friday with 23 votes to three. Opponents argued the ban would lead to massive job cuts and was a serious threat for the industry and the Swiss armed forces. The initiative was tantamount to the abolition of the…

Swiss Politics

Minaret ban rebuffed by the Senate

This content was published on Jun 5, 2009 The Senate on Friday decided 36-3 to recommend rejection of the controversial initiative that will come to a nationwide vote at a later date. Most speakers pointed out that the proposal went against international law and constitutional principles. They also said it was damaging for Switzerland’s international reputation and its trade relations with Muslim countries.…

Swiss Politics

Senate extends ban on new specialists

This content was published on Jun 4, 2009 It followed the House or Representatives on Thursday and voted on the extension by a margin of 23 for versus eight against. General practitioners are excluded from the ban. Politicians recognised it was a temporary solution to an issue that has pitted doctors against health insurers, who want lower costs. Parliament has been trying to…

Swiss Politics

Ministers prepare for Guantánamo prisoners

This content was published on Jun 4, 2009 Officials from the European Union’s 27 member and their colleagues from Switzerland, Norway and Iceland agreed on Thursday that they would seek comprehensive information about each detainee. This data would be shared by all EU states and members of the Schengen Area. Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the exchange of information was important because…

Swiss Politics

ICRC demands full access to Sri Lanka camps

This content was published on Jun 4, 2009 ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger said the organisation is barred from visiting some camps in Sri Lanka where people are being held since government forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels. The United Nations says in all nearly 300,000 ethnic Tamils are being housed in displacement camps in northern Sri Lanka in wretched conditions after being driven…

Swiss Politics

Wreckage confirmed as belonging to missing jet

This content was published on Jun 3, 2009 Air France flight 447 left Brazil on Sunday and lost contact with air traffic controllers during a severe storm. Swiss Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger has sent a letter of condolence to his counterparts in France and Brazil. Brazilian navy divers were headed on Wednesday to a 5km strip of water strewn with aeroplane seats, an…

Swiss Politics

Cabinet delays aid commitment, blames economy

This content was published on Jun 2, 2009 Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey confirmed the decision on Tuesday during parliament’s question time. Alliance Sud, an umbrella organisation of charities, said the government was “torpedoing” development aid. Calmy-Rey said there would be “active communication” but no immediate decision. Last year both chambers of parliament agreed in principle to increase the percentage of GNI going to…

Swiss Politics

ICRC alarmed about Pakistan’s Swat valley

This content was published on May 31, 2009 The Swiss-run organisation said in a statement on Sunday that there should be a “prompt and comprehensive” humanitarian response for people caught in the fighting between Pakistani troops and Taliban rebel forces. A team of ICRC delegates that visited the area on Saturday said they were alarmed by what they had seen. “People have been…

Swiss Politics

Immigrants bring spice to Californian life

This content was published on May 31, 2009 But how is the issue dealt with in classic immigration countries, such as the United States? California is, for example, a magnet for Latin Americans, and once attracted many Swiss émigrés. As part of its special on the historic waves of emigrations of Swiss-Italians, swissinfo.ch spoke to Tomás Jiménez, an immigration and minorities expert at…

Swiss Politics

UN under fire over Sri Lanka response

This content was published on May 30, 2009 The UN European headquarters in Geneva on Friday denied there had been a cover-up. Le Monde newspaper accused the UN of covering up the “severity of the massacres” in Sri Lanka for fear of compromising its humanitarian operations and of being expelled from the island. The French newspaper cited UN figures putting the death toll…

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Parliament votes down arms export ban

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Minaret ban rebuffed by the Senate

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Senate extends ban on new specialists

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Ministers prepare for Guantánamo prisoners

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ICRC demands full access to Sri Lanka camps

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Wreckage confirmed as belonging to missing jet

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Cabinet delays aid commitment, blames economy

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ICRC alarmed about Pakistan’s Swat valley

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Immigrants bring spice to Californian life

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UN under fire over Sri Lanka response

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