Swiss Abroad

US president grew from Swiss roots

This content was published on Jan 12, 2011 A pioneer in the field of humanitarian aid, Hoover had a family that extended beyond his Iowa and Oregon upbringing to reach canton Aargau and the town of Oberkulm. He is one of several influential people in American history whose family trees had roots in Switzerland. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in…

Swiss Politics

Swiss aim for UN Security Council in 2023-24

This content was published on Jan 12, 2011 Membership of the Security Council would give Switzerland an additional instrument to represent its interests and to achieve its foreign policy objectives, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. Within the UN, Switzerland belongs to the western regional group, WEOG, that is entitled to two non-permanent seats on the Security Council every two…

Swiss Politics

Tunisian embassy attacked by fire bombs

This content was published on Jan 12, 2011 The fire bombs failed to ignite and caused minimal damage, Bern police said. The attack took place shortly after midnight and the unknown assailants managed to get away. Police have appealed for witnesses and said they were studying motives for the attack. Tunisia has been rocked in recent days by a wave of violence that…

Swiss Politics

Arizona rampage hits home for Swiss

This content was published on Jan 10, 2011 “Such events always bring back memories,” said Hanspeter Uster who survived, with a bullet in his lungs, the shooting spree in Zug’s parliament that killed 14 people. Swiss media on Monday expounded on the rampage in Tucson, Arizona, that left six dead and at least 13 wounded, some critically, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords who was…

Swiss Politics

Foreign ministry criticises Israeli demolition

This content was published on Jan 10, 2011 It said in a statement on Monday evening that the move was in violation of international law and undermined efforts to resume peace negotiations. “[The ministry] points out that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and that its annexation by Israel is considered as illegal by the international community,” said…

Swiss Politics

EU calls on Swiss to open up energy market

This content was published on Jan 10, 2011 Günther Oettinger said Switzerland’s excellent infrastructure and flexible water power capacity could make it one of Europe’s foremost energy reservoirs. Referring indirectly to stalled negotiations – launched in 2007 – between Switzerland and the EU on an energy accord, he said that a full opening up of the Swiss market was crucial. The Swiss electricity…

Swiss Politics

WikiLeaks might move to Switzerland

This content was published on Jan 10, 2011 Two French-language newspapers, Tribune de Genève and 24 Heures, published on Monday what they described as an exclusive interview with Assange. He is currently in Britain where he faces extradition hearings in connection with rape charges against him in Sweden. “Switzerland is a possibility; and our main domain name is a .ch,” Assange told the interviewers.…

Swiss Politics

Cyber attack threats “are everywhere”

This content was published on Jan 10, 2011 swissinfo.ch talked to Kurt Nydegger and Gérald Vernez from the defence ministry, who have been asked to present a strategy paper by the end of 2011 on possible technical and legal measures to avert attacks. Switzerland is particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks because of its high-tech infrastructure, while the danger is real but hard to…

Swiss Politics

Swiss gun tradition surprises tourists

This content was published on Jan 10, 2011 A railway station, the noise of trains, the coming and going of crowds on the platforms. Office staff prepare to start another working day while tourists head off to explore the country. Teenagers into hip hop wear baseball caps on back to front and jeans that are much too big. Nearby a group of soldiers…

Swiss Politics

Poll finds support for anti-gun move

This content was published on Jan 9, 2011 A poll by the Isopublic institute shows that 45 per cent of the respondents said they were in favour of the initiative, while 34 per cent came out against. More than 20 per cent are still undecided. The poll which was published in a Sunday newspaper also found that women are more likely to vote…

Swiss Abroad

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