The fire broke out in a baroque confessional. Photo: St Gallen Police Tourists put out fire in historic Swiss church with holy water Published: 22 Jun 2016 10:21 GMT+02:00 A couple of quick-thinking tourists earned the praise of police on Tuesday when they used holy water to put out a […]
Pork sausages are as much a part of Swiss cuisine as fondue and chocolate. File photo: Kochtopf Anger as Swiss council plans non-pork school lunches Published: 22 Jun 2016 12:47 […]
June 8, 2016 (JTA) — Swiss Jews spoke out against a regulation that makes it illegal for schoolchildren to refuse to shake hands with their teachers because of religious reasons. A regional school board last month ruled that schools in Basel Country can fine parents up to $5,000 if their […]
OPINION By Luca Geisseler JUN 17, 2016 – 17:48 (Marina Lutz) It was ages ago. Yet it could have been yesterday. In 2008, to prepare for the Euro football championships that Switzerland would co-host, the national football team trained in Lugano. Just like they did eight years later. Their final […]
MINORS NGO blasts Swiss policy on detaining migrant children JUN 16, 2016 – 16:58 The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as every human being below the age of eighteen, unless the law applicable to the child states otherwise. The age of majority in Switzerland […]
By Armando Mombelli JUN 15, 2016 – 11:00 While the eurozone struggles to manage public deficits, Switzerland has presented several plans to save every possible centime (Keystone) Public debt in non-EU Switzerland corresponds to barely 33% of gross domestic product (GDP), while the EU average is more than 85%. Yet […]
A member of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland distributes flyers in Ticino against the veil ban in 2013. Photo: AFP Saudis warn tourists to respect Swiss burqa ban Published: 13 Jun 2016 10:22 GMT+02:00 The Saudi Arabian embassy in Bern has warned its citizens visiting Switzerland this summer to […]
INAUGURATION Controversial Islamic centre opens in Fribourg (Switzerland) JUN 13, 2016 – 20:48 The University of Fribourg is hosting the new centre (Keystone) The Swiss Centre for Islam and Society was officially inaugurated in Fribourg on Monday following high-profile attempts to block its opening. The centre, which is part of […]
Anti-racism Jun 7, 2016 – 14:10 Recorded cases of victims seeking advice grew from 87 in 2008 to 239 in 2015. (Keystone) Most racial discrimination in Switzerland happens in the workplace, according to an annual survey published by the interior ministry. Of the 239 incidents where victims sought advice […]
Trusted tweet? Fact checking the rumours spread on social media By swissinfo.ch Jun 8, 2016 – 11:00 Have your heard the news? Digital media make it easier to spread rumours fast. (Keystone) For the last two years, swissinfo.ch has been involved in a collaborative project to help journalists tackle one […]
by Labeeb Ahmed An incredible amount of controversy and interest has been generated regarding the refusal of two Muslim students in Therwil, Switzerland to shake hands with their female teacher, and the subsequent threat of a 5,000 dollar fine by Swiss authorities to the parents of students who withhold […]
Source: TOI At a length of 57 kilometres (34.5 miles) the GBT will overtake Japan’s 53.9-kilometre Seikan tunnel as the longest rail tunnel in the world. The 50.5-kilometre Channel Tunnel that links England and France will be bumped into third place. More:
Source: Swiss Info The controversies continue in the run-up to Friday’s opening of the Museum for Islamic Culture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, canton Neuchâtel. A related cross-party resolution, “No to the […]
EASY VS COMPLEX Entering Switzerland: who needs a visa? By Stefania Summermatter MAY 27, 2016 – 11:00 Switzerland will likely join the EU in granting visa-free access to Turkish citizens as part of a controversial agreement on migration with Turkey. But travellers from many other countries need a visa to […]
Source: Telegraph UK A school board in northern Switzerland said on Wednesday that two Muslim boys who have refused to shake hands with their female teachers for religious reasons can […]
Mourad Laachraoui was left ‘devastated’ by his brother’s actions. Photo: Emmanual Dunand/AFP Published: 20 May 2016 15:28 GMT+02:00 Belgian Mourad Laachraoui, the younger brother of one of the Brussels airport bombers, has won gold in the European Taekwondo Championships and will compete in this summer’s Olympics. Switzerland condemns Brussels attacks […]
FACT CHECK By Geraldine Wong Sak Hoi with input from Duc-Quang Nguyen and Stefania Summermatter MAY 25, 2016 – 11:00 (Keystone) As voters prepare to vote on reforms to Switzerland’s asylum law on June 5, the conservative right Swiss People’s Party has insisted that most applicants arriving in the country […]
By swissinfo.ch and agencies MAY 25, 2016 – 12:20 Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga at the traditional New Year’s reception of the diplomatic corps. Basel’s education body says shaking hands is important for one’s future career (Keystone) Students in canton Basel Country can no longer refuse to shake a teacher’s hand on religious […]
HUMANITARIAN AID MAY 23, 2016 – 14:12 Currently a record 125 million people worldwide need help to survive, according to UN figures. (Keystone) Switzerland is not doing enough to combat suffering in the world, says Swiss foreign minister Didier Burkhalter. The country would have liked to host the UN’s first World […]
IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTIVITY High score for Swiss university system … MAY 24, 2016 – 01:01 Various rankings look at different aspects of higher education, helping students to make important decisions about their future (Keystone) Switzerland has come out high in another international ranking of universities. The Universitas 21 analysis puts […]