Switzerland: Police fined for harming (Eritrean) teenager
A Swiss district court has imposed suspended fines on two Lausanne police officers for their treatment of a young Eritrean. Aged 16 at the time, the victim was taken from […]
CERN, Higgs, Dr. Salam and the existence of our Universe…by Dr. Mansoora Shamim at CERN
By: Dr. Mansoora Shamim (for her VITA see below) University of Oregon July 17, 2012 Knowing the secrets about beginning and evolution of universe and understanding the basic constituents of matter and interactions between them has always been the utmost desire of human beings. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with its twenty-seven […]
Forced marriage “needs to be depoliticised”
by Stefania Summermatter, swissinfo.ch Switzerland will soon have legislation specifically banning forced marriages, a social issue involving violence and isolation which raises tough questions about the integration of minorities from abroad. Marriage “is not, has never been and cannot be a private matter”, wrote the anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss. For centuries, […]
Switzerland: Asylum seekers go underground
The Dublin agreement, which Switzerland joined in 2008, stipulates that the country where a person first applies for asylum is responsible for that individual’s asylum process. Asylum seekers who travel […]
Switzerland: Railway cannot ban placard critical of Israel
The Swiss Federal Railways must allow a placard criticising Israel to be hung in the Zurich main railway station, according to a decision by the Swiss Federal Court in Lausanne. […]
Seven-up Federer shatters Murray’s Wimbledon dream
AFP ARABNEWS LONDON: Roger Federer won a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon title and 17th Grand Slam crown Sunday, shattering tearful Andy Murray’s dream of ending Britain’s 76-year wait for an All […]
Desert encroaches on Uighurs in China
The Taklamakan desert in the Xinjiang province of northwest China is expanding relentlessly. Swiss photographers Stéphanie Borcard and Nicolas Métraux document the gradual disappearance of Uighur culture. Most of the […]
Tracking jihadists in Switzerland
by Samuel Jaberg, swissinfo.ch Swiss intelligence services have observed an increase in the number of trips made out of Europe for jihadist purposes, with the internet playing a central role […]
Switzerland defies US, EU ban on Iran oil
Switzerland will continue to purchase Iranian oil in defiance of the European Union sanctions on the Islamic Republic that came into effect on July 1. The Swiss Federal Department of […]
Swiss stop short of ban on trading Iranian oil
The government has decided to tighten economic sanctions against Tehran, but stopped short of implementing a ban on trading Iranian oil to match an embargo by the European Union or […]
Political stability and finance boost Swiss ranking
Switzerland is the third most competitive nation in the world according to the 2012 global competitiveness report published on Thursday by the Lausanne-based IMD business school. After climbing two spots […]
Switzerland: Migros (chain of supermarkets) to label products from Jewish settlements
Switzerland’s largest supermarket chain, Migros, has announced it will tell its customers if products have come from Jewish settlement areas in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Migros says it […]
Swiss Alps proposed as powerhouse of Europe
by Armando Mombelli, swissinfo.ch Many European countries are turning away from atomic power to focus on renewable energies. Switzerland’s water reservoirs could make up for future gaps in supply. Snowy […]
Picture of the day: Solar Powered Airplane
Courtesy: AFP
Pilatus seals record plane deal with India
by Simon Bradley, swissinfo.ch The Pilatus aircraft manufacturer has confirmed a deal to export 75 PC-7 MkII military training aircraft to India worth $523 million (SFr500 million) – the biggest-ever […]
Switzerland: Muslim cemeteries seen as ‘long-term investments’
Switzerland’s tendency to allow cantons or towns to decide certain issues sometimes makes for piece-meal solutions, and such is the case with special sections of cemeteries for different religions. The […]
Aid workers kidnapped in Afghanistan
swissinfo.ch and agencies Five aid workers with the Swiss-based humanitarian group Medair – two foreign female doctors and three male Afghan colleagues – have been kidnapped in a remote part of north-eastern Afghanistan, a government spokesman has confirmed. The five Medair workers were reportedly visiting a clinic and bringing food […]
Swiss withdraw UN draft resolution
by Rita Emch in New York, swissinfo.ch Switzerland and four other states have withdrawn a draft resolution on reforming the working methods of the United Nations Security Council. The text […]
Indonesia: Rights Record under Scrutiny at UN
Human Rights Watch: Geneva: United Nations member states should urge Indonesia to adopt specific measures to ensure religious freedom, free expression, and accountability for abuses at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of […]