The Taliban in Pakistan have clearly demonstrated they are currently detaining two Swiss citizens kidnapped in July, say specialists. According to the Geneva Center for Training and Analysis of Terrorism, pictures taken of the hostages’ passports and broadcast by the Al Arabyia television network earlier this week are formal proof. […]
Neue Zuercher Zeitung. Advocacy of separation of church and state in national elections With its own list for the first time an explicitly secular group from the Canton Zurich joins the national elections of 23 October. She is committed to the values of the Enlightenment, as they announced in a […]
by Luigi Jorio, swissinfo.ch More and more Afghan women are breaking with tradition in their male-dominated society, taking jobs and participating in public affairs. They include 1,300 or so who have joined the police force who, despite facing discrimination, make an “immense” contribution to improving the welfare of other women, […]
The Local, Switzerland The number of overnight stays last year at Swiss B&Bs increased by 9.3 per cent compared to 2009, exceeding expectations, said the Bed and Breakfast Switzerland association. The increase is mainly due to Swiss guests, but also on the rise were visits from German tourists. “More and […]
by Etienne Strebel, swissinfo.ch A Swiss expert on the Balkans tells swissinfo.ch that an agreement to put an end to a border dispute between Serbia and Kosovo is shaky. Andreas Ernst, a journalist with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper, believes a more durable and far-reaching solution is needed than the […]
On Lake Brienz Enjoy a wonderful evening cruise on lake brienz and be inspired of the breathtaking surrounding. taste a delicious halal barbeque, supplemented with several meals out of the arabian countries – an experience out of 1001 nights. Departure 19:45 hrs, Interlaken Ost boat landing (return back at 21:30 […]
by Frédéric Burnand in Geneva, swissinfo.ch This week’s visit by Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey to famine-hit East Africa sends a strong signal to other countries and the public, in a senior expert’s view. Interviewed by swissinfo.ch, François Nordmann, a policy advisor and retired Swiss diplomat, dismisses critics who accuse Calmy-Rey […]
by Susan Vogel-Misicka, swissinfo.ch Switzerland has a long tradition of hosting boarding schools. Today they attract mainly foreign students whose families appreciate this elite form of education. There are some 100,000 students enrolled in private Swiss schools, according to the Swiss Federation of Private Schools (SFPS). They come from all […]
Swissinfo. An unconfirmed report says the Taliban in Pakistan will release two Swiss tourists they kidnapped at the beginning of July if the United States frees a Pakistani scientist convicted of terrorism. The Swiss pair were abducted in the southwestern Baluchistan province while travelling across Pakistan in their camper van. […]
Rather than being the glue that prevents parents splitting up, children will at best just delay divorce, according to a Swiss study. Fabienne Stettler, a sociologist at Neuchâtel University, says the number of divorces peaks when the family’s youngest child is aged between three and five. “Parents are often too […]
by Mohamed Cherif in Geneva, swissinfo.ch Somalia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva has sounded the alarm over the desperate food shortage in his country, where famine has been declared in the south. For several years, Yusuf Muhammad Isma’il has ensured a diplomatic presence for Somalia, hit by civil […]
by Jessica Dacey, swissinfo.ch and agencies Three environmental activists have been jailed for over three years each for plotting the bombing of the IBM nanotechnology centre in Switzerland. A 26-year-old Swiss-Italian from Ticino and an Italian couple aged 29 and 34 were found guilty by the Federal Criminal Court of […]
The Church of Scientology is rapidly losing support in Switzerland, and the number of members is declining, religious experts say. According to a report in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, theologist Georg Otto Schmid, an expert on sects, said that support for Scientology is “shrinking.” “I would imagine that the sect will […]
A series of health centres specifically catering to the needs of gay men are being planned across Switzerland to help homosexuals deal with HIV issues, fear and psychological discomfort. Recent studies have shown that gay men suffer poorer health than heterosexual men, a fact not only attributable to the higher […]
The article below actually dates to October 2010. I am bringing it here, as the discussion continues. A political party in Switzerland launches a new effort to discontinue the ‘automatic church tax’ for ‘juristic entities’ (companies), which for instance ‘forces’ Muslim and Jewish firm owners to pay taxes to Christian […]
by Marie-Christine Bonzom in Washington, swissinfo.ch A report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy has concluded that the war on drugs has failed, triggering a heated debate in the United States. The report, written by a high-profile panel including former Swiss cabinet minister Ruth Dreifuss, criticises the repressive approach […]
Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga says illegal immigration would be easier to stop if Schengen’s external borders were better controlled. Sommaruga, who is attending an informal meeting of European Union interior ministers in Poland, told the Swiss News Agency that Switzerland supports all measures which increase the credibility and efficiency […]
Swiss Defence Minister Ueli Maurer discussed increasing military cooperation with his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie at a meeting in Beijing on Thursday. The atmosphere at the meeting was “harmonious” and “friendly”, defence ministry spokesman Jean-Blaise Defago told the Swiss News Agency. He said China regarded Switzerland as an interesting partner […]
by Samuel Jaberg, swissinfo.ch More than ten million people are caught up in the Horn of Africa crisis sparked by the worst drought in decades and compounded by intense fighting in Somalia. In refugee camps in Dadaab in Kenya – where nearly 400,000 people are crammed together with more arriving […]