Swiss Abroad

“Only wealthy” should support poor relatives

This content was published on Jan 5, 2009 On Monday the Swiss Conference of Social Institutions presented new guidelines in which the minimum income before the authorities can request you to support your next of kin doubled. For individuals the minimum goes from SFr60,000 ($54,470) to SFr120,000 and from SFr80,000 to SFr180,000 for multiple-income families. The guidelines are directed at the cantonal and…

Swiss Politics

Gloomy outlook forecast for the climate

This content was published on Jan 3, 2009 However much they might like to look on the bright side, three Swiss experts who spoke to swissinfo about their hopes and fears, are concerned that action on climate change is not being taken quickly enough. Professor Martin Beniston, a climate expert at Geneva University, hopes that the economic crisis will be over soon, before…

Swiss Politics

Swiss youth believe in politics

This content was published on Jan 3, 2009 swissinfo spoke to four Swiss teenagers about their fears, anxieties and hopes for Switzerland and the world at large. “I’m a little anxious about the future,” says Simone Woodtli, a 17-year-old high school student who lives in Trüllikon in canton Zurich. Besides the financial crisis, she is also worried about youth violence: “We can’t continue…

Swiss Politics

New year, new laws come into effect

This content was published on Jan 2, 2009 As a direct result of the global economic crisis, people with savings in Swiss banks will benefit from a tripling of account holder protection from the current SFr30,000 limit to SFr100,000 ($28,180 – $93,950). Three public agencies, the Federal Office of Private Insurance, the Swiss Federal Banking Commission and the Anti-Money Laundering Control Authority, have…

Swiss Politics

Hundreds take part in anti-Israel rally

This content was published on Jan 2, 2009 The demonstrators, including many families, held signs equating the Jewish state with Nazi Germany, while others accused Israel of being a “terrorist” state. The march, organised by pro-Palestinian groups in Switzerland, ended near the Israeli embassy which was sealed off by dozens of policemen. Participants in the rally also waved Palestinian flags and called for…

Swiss Politics

Do not buy pets online, warns rights group

This content was published on Jan 2, 2009 STS said many dealers were simply trying to get rich at the expense of trustful buyers. The protection agency said it should be a sign of dubious practices if an online seller offers several different breeds of a dog, for example, or a continuous supply of puppies. STS said every imaginable animal could be bought…

Swiss Politics

Merz calls for fairness in Swiss politics

This content was published on Jan 1, 2009 Merz, who has been head of the finance ministry since the beginning of 2004, tells swissinfo why action had to be taken to inject money into the country’s largest bank, UBS, and the Swiss economy. The 66-year-old, who has made a speedy recovery from a quintuple heart bypass operation in September, added that the continuing…

Swiss Politics

Alpine caviar and papayas come to Switzerland

This content was published on Jan 1, 2009 Warm water from springs and the Lötschberg rail base tunnel is being used for the project. Dmitri Pugovkin, who is a biologist from Siberia, catches an almost metre-long sturgeon in a net from the tank, grabs it forcefully but carefully and lays the wriggling fish on a board. The researcher, who is working on the…

Swiss Politics

Arab anger inflamed by suffering in Gaza

This content was published on Dec 31, 2008 As Arab foreign ministers meet in Cairo to seek a common position in response to the Israeli attacks, Syrian-based Swiss journalist Karin Wenger tells swissinfo about the public outrage felt across the Arab world. Hamas said on Wednesday it was prepared to study proposals for a ceasefire that would require Israel to halt attacks and…

Swiss Politics

Caution urged as Taser law comes into force

This content was published on Dec 31, 2008 Amnesty International says the guns have been known to kill people and should only be used as a last resort and under strict conditions. Taser guns were approved as part of a new law applicable from January 1 governing the use of force by federal police and border guards. It aims to ensure a minimum…

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“Only wealthy” should support poor relatives

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Gloomy outlook forecast for the climate

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Swiss youth believe in politics

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New year, new laws come into effect

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Hundreds take part in anti-Israel rally

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Do not buy pets online, warns rights group

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Merz calls for fairness in Swiss politics

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Alpine caviar and papayas come to Switzerland

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Arab anger inflamed by suffering in Gaza

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Caution urged as Taser law comes into force

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