Swiss government speaks out against new US executions
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Switzerland has said it regrets the United States’ decision to resume federal executions, after a second one was carried out on Thursday.
“Switzerland rejects the death penalty under all circumstances and is committed to its universal abolition,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Twitter on Friday.
“For this reason we regret the decision of the United States to resume federal executions after a 17-year interruption.”
The US Justice Department executed convicted murderer Wesley Purkey on Thursday, the second federal execution in a week after a 17-year pause, a Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman said.
This followed the execution of convicted murderer Daniel Lewis Lee on July 14.
Several executions were initially delayed when a judge ruled on Monday that there were still unresolved legal challenges. The condemned men had argued that lethal injections constituted “cruel and unusual punishments”. But the Supreme Court voted 5-4 that the executions could continue.
Another man who kidnapped and killed five people is set to become the third federal inmate to be executed this week, news agencies say.
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A 36-year-old man from Ticino lost his life on Saturday in Val Malvaglia, in the north of canton Ticino, during a wingsuit jump from a plane.
Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church numbers dropping in French-speaking Switzerland
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As in German-speaking Switzerland, the number of members of the Reformed Church in French-speaking Switzerland is also declining.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 20km during holiday weekend
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The traffic jam at the Gotthard north portal reached a length of 20 kilometres on the motorway between canton Nidwalden and canton Uri.
Swiss Interior Minister visits Cannes Film Festival
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Swiss Interior Minister left the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday after three days of intensive dialogue, meetings and film screenings.
Swiss theatre director breaks with tradition at Vienna’s Rathausplatz
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With the proclamation of the "Free Republic of Vienna", the start of the festival on Friday evening was unusually political.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.