The Local Switzerland

2020 Swiss budget: Tourism, sport and education the major winners

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 11:43:47 +0100

Switzerland on Tuesday has begun its annual budget review process, with sport, education and tourism expected to be among the beneficiaries.

Zurich cops won't report on criminals' ethnicity

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 13:24:23 +0200

Zurich communal authorities have instructed city police to stop releasing the nationality of criminals to the media to avoid stigmatization.

Foreign workers struggle to find the right job

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 11:27:55 +0200

Immigrant workers are often overqualified for the job they do in Switzerland, and are less likely to occupy a management position, new government statistics show.

Swiss take Libya to court over hostages

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:42:00 +0200

Switzerland on Monday approved legal action to prosecute the Libyan regime for holding Swiss citizens Rachid Hamdani and Max Goeldi hostage, the justice ministry said.

Qaddafi arrest warrants gain Swiss support

Tue, 17 May 2011 17:57:31 +0200

Switzerland is backing an initiative by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest the Libyan leader on charges of crimes against humanity, according to media reports.

Swiss try to confiscate 'Baby Doc' millions

Mon, 02 May 2011 19:04:00 +0200

The Swiss finance ministry announced Monday that it had taken legal action to secure the confiscation of Haiti ex-dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier's frozen Swiss millions after a 25-year court battle.

Libya bomb suspects lose detention appeal

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:11:00 +0200

The pre-trial detention of two Swiss engineers suspected of helping Libya build a nuclear bomb did not violate their human rights laws, a court ruled on Tuesday.

Swiss politico dropped from music fest over Qaddafi links

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:32:00 +0200

The famed Salzburg music festival has withdrawn an invitation to former Swiss politician Jean Ziegler to speak at the event's opening, citing alleged links to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.

President: Allied aircraft can use Swiss airspace

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:25:00 +0200

Micheline Calmy-Rey, Switzerland's president, has said the neutral country will allow allied aircraft into its airspace when attacking Libya. "Neutrality is not indifference," she argues.

Swiss diplomats ditch Tokyo

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:37:00 +0100

Swiss authorities said Sunday their embassy in Tokyo will temporarily move to Osaka amid fears that wind changes could carry more radioactive particles from Japan's stricken nuclear plant to the capital.

Libyan rebel meets Calmy-Rey for talks

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:28:00 +0100

Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey on Wednesday met a member of Libya's rebel leadership in the capital Bern to find more about the insurgents' aims.

Swiss call for justice over Libya kidnapping

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:01:00 +0100

Switzerland wants to prosecute those responsible for the "kidnapping" of two Swiss businessmen in Libya, President of the Confederation Micheline Calmy-Rey said on Sunday.

Swiss admit million dollar Qaddafi payout

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:32:00 +0100

Switzerland released a compensation payment worth over a million dollars to one of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's sons last summer, Swiss authorities revealed on Thursday.

Swiss condemn Qaddafi violence

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:49:00 +0100

Switzerland on Monday condemned "targeted violence" by Libyan authorities against anti-regime protests and suspended a key step in resolving a bitter standoff with the ruling Kadhafi family.

Mubarak has 'tens of millions' in Swiss accounts

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:28:00 +0100

Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak and his entourage have assets in Switzerland worth tens of millions of dollars, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Swiss ease Egypt travel curbs

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:55:00 +0100

Switzerland on Thursday lifted restrictions on travel to Egypt's Red Sea resorts but warned that non-urgent visits to the rest of the country should be avoided.