Geopolitics

LafargeHolcim admits to paying off armed groups in Syria

This content was published on Mar 2, 2017 On Thursday, the company issued a press release responding to allegations made in numerous publications in 2016 about the company making deals with Syrian armed groups. An independent investigation supervised by its board’s finance and audit committee revealed the then Syrian branch of the then Lafarge company (before its merger with Holcim) had dealt with…

Foreign Affairs

Switzerland to lead peace talks in Mozambique

This content was published on Mar 2, 2017 Members of the Frelimo party-led government and the opposition party Renamo had fought on opposite sides during the bitter civil war that ravaged the country between 1976 and 1992 and claimed around a million lives. Afonso Dhlakama, leader of Renamo had rejected the results of 2014 election which saw Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of the Frelimo…

Foreign Affairs

Protests over squatters’ rights lead to injuries, damage

This content was published on Feb 26, 2017 Last week, following a court order, police cleared a group of people belonging to a collective out of a house near central Bern which they had been occupying as squatters. The occupants did not go willingly, arguing that city and cantonal authorities could have found another solution to let them stay. They set up barricades…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss emigrants head ‘home’ from Russia

This content was published on Feb 23, 2017 This image, taken in 1920, is from the Swiss Social Archives in Zurich and is currently part of an exhibition at the Swiss National MuseumExternal link in Zurich, “1917: Revolution, Russia and Switzerland”.

Foreign Affairs

France and US buy most Swiss-made small arms

This content was published on Feb 21, 2017 Switzerland’s exports of war materiel are on the decline, yet there are some interesting developments in their distribution.

Foreign Affairs

ICRC suspends Afghan operations after staff killed

This content was published on Feb 9, 2017 One of Switzerland’s most iconic humanitarian aid organisations suffered its worst attack in 20 years.

Foreign Affairs

Switzerland condemns deadly Red Cross Afghan ambush

This content was published on Feb 8, 2017 Burkhalter expressed condolences to the families of the victims, the ICRC and the Afghan authorities. He also called on the attackers to release two further ICRC staff who were kidnapped in the ambush. A Swiss foreign ministry statement called on “all parties in armed conflict to respect the need to protect humanitarian actors deployed throughout the world, whose work aims to bring relief…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss-based scientist sues Trump as ex-US envoy blasts policy

This content was published on Feb 3, 2017 An Iranian scientist in Switzerland is suing US President Trump and top officials over the immigration ban, which an ex-US envoy also criticises.

Foreign Affairs

Tibetans demonstrate against Xi Jinping’s Swiss state visit

This content was published on Jan 15, 2017 Unlike in 1999 during President Jiang Zemin’s visit, demonstrators were only allowed to protest a few hundred metres from the parliament, away from the gaze of Chinese dignitaries. In 1999, Tibetan sympathisers unfurled “Free Tibet” banners in front of the Swiss parliament square. Their actions angered Jiang, who later told the Swiss government that they had…

Foreign Affairs

China’s first state visit to Switzerland since 1999

This content was published on Jan 6, 2017 Next week, China's president will take a trip to Switzerland, marking the first such state visit since 1999. The last visit was disastrous.

Geopolitics

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Geopolitics

More

LafargeHolcim admits to paying off armed groups in Syria

More

Switzerland to lead peace talks in Mozambique

More

Protests over squatters’ rights lead to injuries, damage

More

Swiss emigrants head ‘home’ from Russia

More

France and US buy most Swiss-made small arms

More

ICRC suspends Afghan operations after staff killed

More

Switzerland condemns deadly Red Cross Afghan ambush

More

Swiss-based scientist sues Trump as ex-US envoy blasts policy

More

Tibetans demonstrate against Xi Jinping’s Swiss state visit

More

China’s first state visit to Switzerland since 1999

Popular Stories

Most Discussed