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Foreign affairs

Sperisen case in Switzerland a ‘legacy of the dirty war in Guatemala’

The trial of the former Guatemalan police chief Erwin Sperisen has been going on for ten years. The Swiss-Guatemalan dual citizen is now on trial in Geneva for the fourth time. An explainer.

By Patricia Islas

Alex Schneiter and Ian Lundin, the former bosses of the Ludin oil company, will be arraigned before the Stockholm District Court on 5 September 2023. The charge: involvement in war crimes in Sudan.

Foreign affairs

What does the renaissance of universal jurisdiction mean for global justice?

By Flavia von Gunten

Erwin Sperisen, the former head of Guatemala's national civil police, argues that he is innocent and was unjustly deprived of his freedom for 11 years.

Foreign affairs

Swiss prosecutor demands 14-year prison sentence for Sperisen

Sperisen demands CHF8 million in compensation

Inside Geneva: can the WTO shape a fairer world economy?

Photo of three people discussing with microphones

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 The WTO Public Forum is underway in Geneva, focusing on ‘re-globalisation’. Inside Geneva spoke with WTO officials to explore its meaning.

Biodiversity initiative: ‘We don’t want parts of the country sealed off’

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 Better protection for nature or more headaches for farmers? Two politicians discuss the biodiversity initiative in our ‘Let’s Talk’ series.

Swiss Federal Railways’ Monika Ribar: ‘I could never have had this career if I’d had children’

This content was published on Sep 8, 2024 While she is opposed to quotas for women on management boards, she believes attitudes still need to change to advance equality in the world of work.

Switzerland Today

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 Over 1,000 cases of identity theft were reported in one year. This is how criminals use stolen names and images.

Activist Cevian presses Swiss insurer Baloise for strategy reset

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 Europe’s largest activist investor says it has built stake to become group’s largest shareholder.

Swiss film exposes xenophobia as weapon against the working class

This content was published on Sep 6, 2024 Filmmaker Samir’s new documentary about Italian immigrants is a tale of xenophobia, resilience, and a call to avoid past prejudices.

Swiss residents hold a number of passports

Meet the foreigners who make up a quarter of the Swiss population

This content was published on Sep 6, 2024 Who are the foreign nationals who make up 27% of Switzerland’s population?

Recent stories for the Swiss Abroad community

Swiss Abroad

Poll: Swiss Abroad pensioners are enthusiastic while workers struggle

Swiss pensioners abroad are generally happy with their lives but Swiss nationals who live and work overseas are less satisfied than the average citizen.

By Claire Micallef

Swiss Abroad

Parties vie for Swiss Abroad votes with varied strategies

By Selina Sägesser

Swiss Abroad

Feline felons: what to do with Switzerland’s killer cats?

By Thomas Stephens

Swiss Abroad

Did you emigrate after retiring because you couldn’t make ends meet at home?

By Katy Romy

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Swiss government wants to ban Hamas from Switzerland for five years

This content was published on Sep 4, 2024 The Swiss government has submitted to parliament its proposal to ban Palestinian militant group Hamas from Switzerland for five years.

Swiss flies to Tel Aviv again on Thursday

This content was published on Sep 3, 2024 Swiss takes decision following an in-depth analysis of the situation in the Middle East.

SWISS extends Middle East flight suspensions

This content was published on Aug 19, 2024 Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has extended its suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Beirut, Lebanon, until August 26 due to the current tensions in the Middle East.

University of Bern replaces controversial Middle East department

This content was published on Aug 15, 2024 Former Middle East Institute was dissolved after controversial Hamas statements from lecturer.

SWISS prolongs suspension of flights to Beirut and Tel Aviv

This content was published on Aug 12, 2024 Swiss international airlines is extending the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv in Israel and Beirut in Lebanon until August 21.

In this image made from a video, people inspect the rubble at a school after being hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024.

Swiss foreign ministry alarmed by Israeli airstrike on Gaza school

This content was published on Aug 11, 2024 The Swiss foreign ministry expressed deep concern on Saturday following an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City.

Switzerland condemns Israeli minister’s starvation remarks

This content was published on Aug 8, 2024 Switzerland has criticised Bezalel Smotrich’s comment that starving the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip “might be justified and moral”.

Palestinian children who fled with their parents from their houses in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh, gather in the backyard of an UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) school, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, September 12, 2023.

UN investigates UNRWA staff involvement in October 7 Hamas attack

This content was published on Aug 6, 2024 Nine employees of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) “may have been involved” in the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, according to the UN’s internal investigation. This involved 19 people accused by Israel.

Department of Foreign Affairs in Bern advises against travel to Israel and Iran

Swiss foreign ministry advises against travel to Israel and Iran

This content was published on Aug 3, 2024 The foreign ministry in Bern has advised against traveling to Israel and Iran.

Swiss suspends flights between Zurich and Tel Aviv

SWISS suspends Zurich-Tel Aviv flights amid Middle East tensions

This content was published on Aug 2, 2024 This is in response to recent developments in the Middle East.

Swiss foreign ministry wary of possible Middle East escalation

This content was published on Jul 31, 2024 A regional conflict must be prevented, said Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on Wednesday. Swiss citizens have been advised to leave Lebanon.

SWISS suspends flights to Beirut

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 Like the rest of the Lufthansa Group, SWISS is suspending flights to Beirut.

Mourners carry the coffins of some of the 12 children and teens killed in a rocket strike at a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Sunday, July 28, 2024.

Switzerland condemns rocket attack on Golan Heights sports pitch

This content was published on Jul 28, 2024 The Swiss foreign ministry has condemned a rocket attack on a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which resulted in the deaths of twelve children and young people.

Inside Geneva – medical help in war zones

This content was published on Jul 9, 2024 From war-torn Sudan to Somalia and, finally, Gaza, these are some of the places Chris Lockyear, Secretary General of MSF, has visited during his career.

Parliament committees approve Swiss UNRWA payment

This content was published on Jun 22, 2024 The foreign affairs committees of the Swiss parliament have backed – with conditions – a donation of CHF10 million ($11.2 million) to the embattled UN agency.

Bodycams: essential for good law enforcement, or a privacy risk?

Did you ever come across bodycams in your place of residence and if so, how do you think the use of bodycams alter the relationship between the public and (transport) police?

Join the discussion

Aug 20, 2024

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Should the Swiss invest more in biodiversity?

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 The Swiss will be voting on a biodiversity initiative on 22 September. It seeks to give nature more space and resources but is considered too extreme by its opponents.

Biodiversity initiative: ‘We don’t want parts of the country sealed off’

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 Better protection for nature or more headaches for farmers? Two politicians discuss the biodiversity initiative in our ‘Let’s Talk’ series.

Storms in Swiss mountain areas keep visitors at bay

Mountain storms put damper on Switzerland’s summer visitor figures

This content was published on Sep 2, 2024 Storms in Swiss mountain areas keep summer visitors at bay.

A CHF100 banknote lying in a cardboard coffin next to a lit candle

How a Swiss banknote’s life comes to an end

This content was published on Aug 28, 2024 A banknote’s life is not eternal. What happens when it’s time to retire?

Public asked how to recover dumped munitions in Swiss lakes

This content was published on Aug 15, 2024 Authorities have launched a public competition for the best ideas for safely removing old ammunition from Swiss lakes

Genetically engineered barley, using the CRISPR/Cas method.

Genetically engineered barley grown in a secured field in Zurich

This content was published on Aug 9, 2024 Swiss scientists use the new CRISPR method of genetic engineering to try to boost crop yield.

To induce death, individuals climb into the pod-looking chamber and press a button inside that releases nitrogen into the chamber. The individual dies as a result of nitrogen hypoxia, a method which the makers claim is not painful.

Assisted suicide for CHF18 ($20)?

This content was published on Jul 27, 2024 This would be an “egalitarian” death, says Fiona Stewart, a founding member of the organisation The Last Resort.

Swiss On shoes share the spotlight at Paris Olympics

This content was published on Jul 26, 2024 At the Paris Olympics, some of the best athletes will be wearing products made by the Swiss sportswear brand, On.

‘Security here, freedom there’ – insights from a US trucker festival in Switzerland

This content was published on Jul 25, 2024 Many attendees at the International Trucker & Country Festival in Interlaken yearn for the freedom associated with the US. An academic in a cowboy hat explains why.

What’s inside a comet?

This content was published on Jul 24, 2024 Watch how two Bern astrophysicists are hoping to dig beneath the surface of a comet to find out more about the origins of the solar system.

Swiss farms make space for beans and lentils

This content was published on Jul 22, 2024 Plant breeders, scientists and farmers in Zurich’s countryside try to make the case for legume cultivation.

Trump, Biden and hatred: how US polarisation affects Americans in Switzerland

This content was published on Jul 20, 2024 A Republican, Democrat and Independent living in Switzerland describe the emotional divide in US politics.

Decommissioned Bernese trams sent to Ukraine.

Swiss trams embark on a rare journey to Ukraine

This content was published on Jul 15, 2024 SWI swissinfo.ch speaks to the specialists preparing Swiss trams for transfer to Ukraine and to the Lviv public transport staff who will operate them.

How Swiss tourism bosses town deal with the effects of influencers

How Swiss tourism bosses deal with the effects of influencers

This content was published on Jul 12, 2024 Influencers tempt tourists to “must see” Swiss sites, sometimes sparking over-tourism. A Swiss tourism boss reveals how the industry deals with it.

The Swiss ‘have always crossed borders’

This content was published on Jul 12, 2024 Over the centuries, the Swiss have been tireless migrants, with successive waves spreading to every continent – for various reasons.

External Content

Reuters International

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:51

Summit drafts ‘blueprint’ for AI use in military; China opts out

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:51

East Timor turns out in force for Mass with Pope Francis

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:38

Ukraine strikes Moscow in biggest drone attack to date

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:32

UK pay growth cools, keeping BoE on track for another rate cut

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:31

EU’s Vestager triumphs in crackdown on Apple’s tax deal, Google’s practices

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:24

Explainer-Why does Apple have to pay Ireland $14.4 billion?

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:20

Top Russian official reports swift advance in Ukraine, rules out talks for now

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:19

Factbox-Which EU member states have introduced temporary border checks?

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:17

Ukraine identifies Russian suspect in July attack on children’s hospital

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:07

Italy oyster farmers dream of pearls from warming Mediterranean

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:02

Norway’s spy chief sees Russia more likely to attempt sabotage

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:57

Russia teams up with China at start of big naval drills

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:52

UK fund firms Schroders and abrdn name new CEOs to reboot ailing fortunes

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:51

Israel strikes tent camp in Gaza safe zone, dozens reported killed or wounded

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:27

Islamic scholar’s rape acquittal overturned by Geneva court

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:17

EU to trim proposed tariffs on Tesla, other EVs from China

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:15

Three Israeli police killed in Sept. 1 West Bank shooting attack

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:10

UK inquiry into baby murders by nurse Lucy Letby to begin

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 10:58

India’s Modi had advantage in ‘controlled’ election, opposition leader Gandhi says

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 10:34

Alleged killer of Ugandan Olympian dies from burns, hospital says

Bloomberg Business

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 12:16

Glencore Billionaire Alex Beard Appears at UK Court Accused of Corruption

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:51

MSC CEO Vows to Standalone as Global Shipping Rivals Team Up

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 11:42

Stock Futures Slip as Wary Traders Brace for CPI: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 08:18

UBS Weighs Wealth Tie-Up to Compete in Cutthroat Indian Market

This content was published on Sep 10, 2024 – 08:00

Oaktree Alums Get €400 Million of Commitments for Debut PE Fund

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 – 22:17

Stocks Rise as Buyers Scoop Up Bargains After Rout: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 – 16:52

Germany Toughens Border Controls With Migration Tensions Rising

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 – 16:30

WTO Warns Nations That Protectionism May Widen Rich-Poor Gap

This content was published on Sep 9, 2024 – 06:00

Vitol Sees Chinese Gasoline Demand Peaking This Year or Next

This content was published on Sep 7, 2024 – 05:30

UBS Should Increase Capital Levels, Central Bank Chief Tells NZZ

This content was published on Sep 6, 2024 – 22:31

Stocks Hit by Jobs in Worst Week Since March 2023: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Sep 5, 2024 – 23:55

Stocks Fall as Jobs Leave ‘Little Room for Error’: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Sep 4, 2024 – 23:49

Treasuries Soar as Jobs Fuel Bets on Jumbo Fed Cut: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Sep 4, 2024 – 15:18

Global Goods Trade Recovery Extends Into Third Quarter, WTO Says

This content was published on Sep 4, 2024 – 11:08

Luxury Slump Leads Some Swiss Watchmakers to Seek State Aid

This content was published on Sep 4, 2024 – 05:30

Trafigura Struck $400 Million Cash-for-Iron Ore Deal With MinRes

This content was published on Sep 4, 2024 – 00:03

Stocks Hit by Biggest Selloff Since August Crash: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Sep 3, 2024 – 19:50

Galderma Owners Lead $1.3 Billion Rush of Europe Share Sales

This content was published on Sep 3, 2024 – 18:52

Carlyle Picks Banks for $4.7 Billion Acrotec’s Zurich IPO

This content was published on Sep 3, 2024 – 17:39

Swiss Regulator’s New Head Seeks Power to Curb Bank Growth

‘Signatures scam’ reveals cracks in Swiss system

This content was published on Sep 6, 2024 Paper was regarded as a guarantee of security in the Swiss voting system. Those days are over. An analysis of a far-reaching paradigm shift.

Dossier Center identifies Putin’s two secret sons with Alina Kabaeva

Russian investigation confirms Putin’s son was born in Switzerland

This content was published on Sep 5, 2024 Vladimir Putin’s and Alina Kabaeva’s first son is believed to have been born in Switzerland under secretive circumstances.

The major battle of the autumn session will be fought on domestic policy, especially the funding of the army.

What you need to know about the Swiss autumn parliamentary session

This content was published on Sep 4, 2024 An overview of what’s on the agenda at the upcoming autumn session of the Swiss parliament.

Das Bundeshaus in Bern, aufgenommen bei starkem Wind

Poll: Switzerland is rather sceptical about the future

This content was published on Sep 5, 2024 Overall, people in Switzerland and the Swiss Abroad are doing well. But they are more pessimistic about the future than they were a year ago.

The mystery of Switzerland’s surging imports of Uzbek and Kazakh gold

This content was published on Sep 3, 2024 Switzerland’s imports of gold originating in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have boomed since Russia attacked Ukraine. Trade data and expert analyses suggest some could be surreptitiously coming from Russia in violation of sanctions.

Workers at a Russian precious metals company place gold bars in a mould.

Explainer: Why Switzerland remains a ‘big buyer’ of Russian gold

This content was published on Sep 3, 2024 SWI swissinfo.ch explains how gold sustains Russia’s war effort and why Russian gold still finds its way to Switzerland.

From absolutism to democracy in Bhutan: 50 years of Swiss support

This content was published on Sep 1, 2024 In 1975 Helvetas was the first international development organisation to work in Bhutan. It now plans to withdraw from the Himalayan country.

In the city of Bucharest, Romania, temperatures reached 42 °C this summer.

How to keep cities cool during heatwaves

This content was published on Aug 29, 2024 How can hot summers be made more tolerable for city-dwellers? SWI swissinfo.ch asked an expert at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.

How a Swiss banknote’s life comes to an end

This content was published on Aug 28, 2024 A banknote’s life is not eternal. What happens when it’s time to retire?

The colors inside and outside the Villa reflect Le Corbusier's purist palette: blue, light gray, burnt amber, pink, green, and medium gray.

Villa Baizeau: The domino piece left by Le Corbusier in Tunisia

This content was published on Aug 27, 2024 In the 1930s, Le Corbusier’s Villa Baizeau in Tunisia marked a bold departure from traditional architecture, embodying a quest for freedom and unique beauty. Today, it houses Tunisia’s secret police.

Erich Biehle looks at sketches in his studio.

The final interview with Swiss textile designer Erich Biehle: ‘Paris was the world!’

This content was published on Aug 26, 2024 Swiss textile designer Erich Biehle died in June aged 83. Just before his death he spoke to SWI swissinfo.ch and reflected on his career and life.

black-and-white photo of men's yodelling group

How centuries of Swiss emigrants left their mark on the US

This content was published on Aug 24, 2024 Over time, some 460,000 Swiss have started a new life in the United States – bringing traditions and culture across the Atlantic with them.

The heady history of humans and alcohol

This content was published on Aug 25, 2024 A short cultural history of an everyday toxic substance, from the Swiss National Museum.

In Focus

Swiss federal votes on September 22

Biodiversity and pensions are on the agenda for the federal votes on September 22.

Taiwan: a model democracy

Taiwan has developed into an exemplary democracy. This can be seen in schools as well as in election campaigns – despite or because of its precarious status.