Delegates from the internationally recognised Yemeni government sat down on Friday with Houthi rebels for talks chaired by the Red Cross, said the UN envoy to Yemen.
Martin Griffiths urged both parties to “release detainees swiftly” and “bring relief to thousands of Yemeni families”.
The aim of the talks is to build on the occasional releases of dozens of prisoners over the past two years and implement the war’s “first official large-scale exchange”.
The two sides committed earlier this year to swap over 1,400 detainees.
It was announced earlier this week that the delegations, which had been meeting in Jordan, would fly to Switzerland for “week-long” talks. On Friday however, the office of the UN envoy said it was unclear how long the discussions would take.
The Iran-allied Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government are trying to reach an agreement to end a war that started in 2014. Over 112,000 have been killed, and the conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis in what is the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country.
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Could Switzerland help end the conflict in Yemen?
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Some experts believe that neutral Switzerland might have a role to play in bringing peace to war-torn Yemen.
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The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB/CFF) timetable change on December 15 will bring improvements for commuters. It will also have new night-time connections on long-distance and regional services.
Swiss launch healthcare initiative to improve working conditions of doctors and nurses
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The Swiss authorities have launched an initiative to promote healthcare centres and improve working conditions for doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
Morges fatal shooting: police officer acted in self-defence, prosecutors conclude
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The police officer who shot dead a black man at Morges train station in western Switzerland in 2021 acted self-defence, the Office of the Attorney General of canton Vaud have concluded.
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Switzerland has welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Gender wage gap is shrinking in Switzerland – slowly
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The gender wage gap is narrowing in Switzerland, although it remains sizeable and partly unexplained: in 2022 women earned on average 16.2% less than their male counterparts.
Swiss national among five survivors rescued after tourist yacht sank in Egypt’s Red Sea
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Egyptian naval forces rescued five people on Tuesday, including a Swiss citizen, and recovered four bodies, a day after a tourist yacht carrying 44 passengers sank in the Red Sea.
Swiss authorities complete 75% of foreign criminal expulsion orders
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Swiss courts ordered the expulsion of 2,250 foreign offenders in 2023. By mid-2024, around 73% of them had left Switzerland, either voluntarily or under police escort.
Initiative launched for tougher environmental rules for Swiss financial industry
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An alliance of political parties and business and environmental groups has launched a people's initiative calling for stricter environmental rules for the Swiss finance sector.
Explosion at Geneva apartment building leaves young girl seriously injured
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A young girl was seriously injured on November 25 after an explosion in an apartment building in the Grange-Canal district of Geneva, the Office of the Attorney General of Geneva has confirmed.
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Swiss security companies active in North Africa and Middle East
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Operators of so-called mercenaries are obliged by law to report their activities to the Swiss foreign ministry, which makes them public. In 2019, a total of 31 companies reported 478 missions – all of them legal. The numbers of activities were largely the same as 2018. The foreign ministry department responsible for monitoring mercenary activity…
Pilatus challenges ‘export ban’ to Saudi Arabia and UAE
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The Swiss aircraft manufacturer takes the foreign ministry to court for banning the company from operating in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
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