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Swiss Info

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 07:26:36 GMT
Switzerland will not recognise ‘sham’ Ukraine referendums
Switzerland has joined other Western nations in condemning Russian plans for referendums in four occupied areas of Ukraine. Speaking on Tuesday at the UN General Assembly in New York, Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said the planned referendums were ...

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 17:09:15 GMT
Switzerland will push for Security Council reform, minister tells UN
By proposing its candidacy as a member of the United Nations Security Council, "Switzerland has shown that it is ready to take responsibility for safeguarding peace and security in the world", Swiss President Ignazio Cassis told the UN General Assemb...

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 16:24:49 GMT
Animal testing on the rise again
Some 575,000 animals were used in scientific experiments in Switzerland last year, up 3% from 2020 and the first increase in five years, reports the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). Testing involving the highest level of pain for th...

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:36:19 GMT
Justice minister concerned about rising migration through Balkans
The numbers of refugees and migrants coming to Western Europe via the Balkans have again “risen sharply”, including to Switzerland, Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said on Tuesday. "People fly to Belgrade and come to Austria with smugglers ...

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 13:24:30 GMT
Energy worries likely to slow Swiss growth, say experts
Swiss economic growth forecasts for 2022 and 2023 have been revised significantly downwards, amid uncertainty over energy supply and inflation. A government expert group has downgraded its expectations for GDP growth to 2% in 2022, compared with the...

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 10:54:36 GMT
Calls mount for culling of problem wolves in Switzerland
Switzerland’s mountain cantons want more federal government money to protect livestock from wolves and more proactive regulation of wolf packs. There should be fewer delays in shooting problem wolves and there should be “active regulation” of ...

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 09:06:00 GMT
Swiss restaurant diners face energy surcharges
Some restaurants in Switzerland are passing on the cost of rising energy prices to diners with the blessing of the industry’s umbrella group Gastrosuisse, Swiss media reports. Restaurants that survived the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns now face a ne...

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 07:25:00 GMT
Fighter jet challenge called off to avoid ‘democratic farce’
A people’s initiative challenging the purchase of F-35A fighter jets has been withdrawn after the Swiss government signed off the deal with the United States. Supporters of the ‘Stop F-35A’ initiative said a nationwide vote would be meaningles...

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 15:41:00 GMT
Swiss monkeypox cases slowing but top 500 mark
Switzerland and neighbouring Liechtenstein have recorded more than 500 cases of monkeypox since the start of the outbreak in May. The Federal Office of Public Health on Monday reported 502 confirmed cases. The canton of Basel-City has the highest in...

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:22:00 GMT
Parliamentary stalemate blocks unilateral Swiss sanctions
The Senate has voted against a change in the law that would allow Switzerland to unilaterally sanction countries and individuals in addition to following those of the European Union. At present, the Swiss government can only opt to follow sanctions ...

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 13:58:00 GMT
Controversial Swiss fighter jet deal signed off
Swiss officials have signed a deal with the United States to buy a fleet of F-35A fighter jets in the face of an ongoing row about their procurement. The Federal Armaments Office (Armasuisse) rubber stamped the purchase of 36 jets on Monday after ye...

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 13:30:00 GMT
Farmers cook record 13 square metre rösti
The world record has been broken in Switzerland for cooking the largest rösti, a popular national dish of grated potatoes. Members of the Swiss Farmer’s Union cooked up the 13 square metre rösti in the shape of the Swiss cross in front of the pa...

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 12:58:00 GMT
High-altitude Swiss mountain restaurant burns down
A restaurant built 3,000 metres above sea level in the Swiss Alps, and a favourite destination for tourists, has been partially destroyed by fire. Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze that consumed the Botta de G...

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 09:58:00 GMT
Swiss government prepares energy crisis unit
The Federal Council is forming a special unit to respond to possible energy shortages, Economics Minister Guy Parmelin confirmed on Sunday. The government has faced criticism from the cantons about coordination and accusations that it is too slow in ...

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 09:52:00 GMT
Swiss jihadist knife attacker jailed for nine years
A woman who stabbed two people in a shopping centre in southern Switzerland in a jihadist-inspired attack has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment by a Swiss court. The 29-year-old woman was found guilty on two counts of attempted murder and be...

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 06:57:00 GMT
Swiss president expresses 'deepest sympathies' at passing of the Queen
Swiss President Ignazio Cassis is in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday. On Sunday he signed the book of condolences for the late monarch, who died on September 8. Cassis, accompanied by his wife Paola, signed the book of condole...

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 12:55:00 GMT
Swiss shun gyms despite absence of pandemic-related restrictions
Covid-related restrictions may be long gone but the Swiss are not rushing back to the gym. Older clients now tend to avoid fitness centers while young people have discovered other types of activities. The Swiss Federation of Health and Fitness Cente...

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 10:34:28 GMT
Russian tourists flock to Switzerland amid war in Ukraine
Russia is at war, but that doesn't stop its citizens from travelling, the NZZ am Sonntag reported on Sunday. Swiss hotels registered 61,214 overnight stays by Russian tourists as of the end of July, according to market data from the organisation Swi...

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 10:20:42 GMT
Swiss electricity data reaches government with major delays
The Swiss government lacks up-to-date information on national electricity production and consumption, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. This is due to the lack of digitalisation of the electricity companies. The lack of information was...

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 14:24:18 GMT
Ukraine: Switzerland calls for probe over Izyum mass graves
Switzerland says it is deeply disturbed by fresh reports of mass graves in Izyum, a territory in east Ukraine that was until recently occupied by Russian forces. The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs called for "an independent and thorough...

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 09:16:57 GMT
Switzerland and the US plan annual talks
Switzerland and the United States want to continue their strategic partnership in the form of an annual dialogue, according to memorandum of understanding signed to this effect in Washington on Friday. This declaration of intent represents a "signif...

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:50:00 GMT
Switzerland sets out revised C02 law plan
Following the rejection of a proposed climate law last year, the Swiss government has mapped out new changes to the legislation. The new C02 law strips out unpopular tax and levies that saw the downfall of the last proposal at the ballot box. The n...

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 12:23:38 GMT
Swiss regulator gives green light to first drug to prevent Covid-19
Swissmedic has issued a temporary marketing authorisation for AstraZeneca’s drug Evusheld, making it the first Covid-19 prophylaxis drug approved by the Swiss medical regulator. This authorisation means that the drug, which is administered as an i...

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:48:00 GMT
Billions of francs approved to save Switzerland’s glaciers
A nationwide vote on banning fossil fuels in Switzerland has been averted after parliament agreed on a CHF3.2 billion ($3.3 billion) climate action package. Supporters of the ‘Glacier Initiative’ say the new measures go some way to satisfying th...

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:07:41 GMT
Switzerland ends fast-track visas for Russian nationals
The Swiss government decided on Friday to stop issuing facilitated visas for Russian nationals. This brings Swiss visa rules in line with the European Union. At its meeting on September 16, the Federal Council (executive body) agreed to suspend comp...

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:20:00 GMT
Switzerland pledges CHF3 million to help Pakistan after floods
Switzerland is allocating CHF3 million ($3.1 million) to help Pakistan confront one of the worst natural disasters in its history. This in response to an appeal for international aid from the Pakistani authorities, as almost a third of the country ha...

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:08:43 GMT
Russian culture and language lessons scrapped over Z-symbol
A Russian cultural association lost permission to teach in Switzerland after one of its members displayed the controversial Z-symbol at an Alpine wrestling festival. The Z-symbol is painted on Moscow’s military vehicles in Ukraine and is considered...

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 12:02:24 GMT
Swiss Federal Court: No jail-time for terror group affiliate
Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court has ruled that an Iraqi convicted only of association with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State groups will not be imprisoned. The decision came in response to an appeal by the attorney general. In July 2021, the Federa...

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 11:39:18 GMT
Swiss parliament approves purchase of F-35 jets from US
Switzerland’s House of Representatives has approved the purchase of new F-35 fighter jets from the United States. The decision clears the path for Bern to sign the purchase contract, despite a pending initiative on the issue of Swiss fighter jets. ...

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:34:38 GMT
Basel museums to review origins of art collections
Five museums in Switzerland's art hub of Basel plan to examine the origins of objects in their collections amid efforts across Europe to identify the rightful owners of cultural assets. On Thursday, the Basel City cantonal government announced that ...



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