Swiss Abroad

Free trade trumps human rights in China deal

This content was published on Dec 10, 2013 More than two-thirds of the parliamentarians present in Bern on Tuesday voted in favour of ratifying the deal after debating its pros and cons. The Senate is expected to debate the FTA in March. Most of the discussions focused on whether the government should return to the negotiating table to demand further protocols setting out…

Swiss Politics

OECD seeks inspiration from FATCA model

This content was published on Dec 9, 2013 The new system will probably by based on US anti-tax evasion legislation known as FATCA – the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, according to Pascal Saint-Amans, director of the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration. Saint-Amans spoke to swissinfo.ch about the plans to introduce automatic exchange of tax information which the OECD intends to…

Swiss Politics

Spying investigation needs ‘real information’

This content was published on Dec 8, 2013 “In relation to Edward Snowden it will be very difficult to obtain information from Russia,” Lauber told the Zentralschweiz am Sonntag newspaper. “Without real information, I cannot do very much.” The cabinet approved a request on Friday from the Federal Prosecutor’s Office to open criminal proceedings into alleged spying on Swiss soil by foreign secret…

Swiss Politics

Getting the story behind the stories

This content was published on Dec 7, 2013

Swiss Politics

Swiss welcome WTO reform accord

This content was published on Dec 7, 2013 In a statement Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said the agreement was an “important step” that would contribute to strengthening the multilateral trade system and give new vigor to future WTO negotiations. The approval by nearly 160 ministers came after Cuba dropped a last-gasp threat to veto the package of measures. “For the first time…

Swiss Politics

OSCE adopts human rights resolutions

This content was published on Dec 6, 2013 One resolution concerns freedom of expression and freedom of religion; another aims to improve living conditions for the Roma and Sinti people, with special emphasis on women, youth and children. Also approved were measures relating to information technology, human trafficking, and protection of energy networks in the case of disasters. Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter…

Swiss Politics

Media mourn loss of Nelson Mandela

This content was published on Dec 6, 2013 Flags flew at half-mast in South Africa after President Jacob Zuma announced Mandela’s death in a late night television address. Mandela spent years in jail before, as the country’s first black president in 1994, leading the transition from white minority rule and ending apartheid. The Swiss president, Ueli Maurer, said it was with “great sadness”…

Swiss Politics

De Klerk’s change of heart

This content was published on Dec 6, 2013 The interview was recorded in Gdansk; de Klerk was among a number of Nobel Peace Prize winners invited to Poland to mark the 25th anniversary of the peace prize to Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. De Klerk’s change of heart

Mandela: a life

This content was published on Dec 5, 2013 After 27 years in prison, Mandela emerged as a national hero. Acclaimed by many at home and abroad for his efforts to end apartheid, he was awarded the Nobel Peace prize with Frederik de Klerk in 1993. He became president in 1994, retiring from office in 1999.

‘He was so warm-hearted’

This content was published on Dec 5, 2013 At the time, Berthoud was working for Swiss Radio International, which later became swissinfo.ch. He was covering the Swiss foreign minister’s visit to Cape Town, and the trip included the chance to meet Mandela and ask him a few questions. Berthoud, who worked for swissinfo’s German department until December 2012, shared his memories with colleague…

Swiss Abroad

Popular Stories

Most Discussed