Trump visit and ‘double-headed eagle’ gesture dominate Swiss image in foreign press
US President Donald Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF), tennis star Roger Federer and the Swiss football team’s “double-headed eagle” controversy at the Russia World Cup dominated foreign and social media’s coverage of the small Alpine nation this year, Presence Switzerland reports.
Bideau felt they reflected “the country’s openness towards the world, its competitiveness, commitment and its cultural diversity”.
Trump was the first US president to attend the Davos summit since Bill Clinton in 2000 and gave a highly anticipated keynote speech. Federer, meanwhile, is back at the summit of world tennis and in the year-end top three ATP rankings for a record 14th time.
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Eagle gesture puts spotlight on Swiss Kosovar community
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“Albanian eagle” goal celebrations by Swiss footballers with ethnic Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo have sparked controversy.
In June, Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, who have ethnic Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo, sparked controversy in their goal celebrations during their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Serbia in a 2018 World Cup Group clash. The pair put their open hands together to mimic the double-headed black eagle on the Albanian flag. Captain Stephan Lichtsteiner also made the gesture during the match. Serbs were unimpressed. FIFA, world football’s governing body, later fined them for “unsporting behaviour”. The incident led to a public debate about dual nationality in the Swiss football team.
In their reporting on migration and integration, foreign media also picked up the story of a Muslim couple in Lausanne who were refused citizenship and the full-face veil ban in canton St Gallen, Presence Switzerland said.
Presence Switzerland said Switzerland’s role as a financial centre drew less media attention than in the past, and this specific coverage was generally “more favourable”.
The foreign ministry department said the overall volume of articles about Switzerland by foreign journalists had steadily decreased since 2015. It said this was largely due to budget cuts to foreign news services.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
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Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
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Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
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St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
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The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
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The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
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In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
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As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
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After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
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Does Switzerland’s image suffer from bad press?
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As the Swiss at home and abroad celebrate their National Day, we look at what the world thinks of Switzerland despite recent negative press.
Alps once again shoulder the image of Switzerland abroad
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Switzerland’s mountains, long the emblems of its image abroad, were once again the central focus of international attention in 2017.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.