https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Right-wing Swiss politicians have called for Switzerland’s gun laws to be relaxed in the wake of the Vienna terrorist attack. https://www.thelocal.ch/20201105/swiss-politicians-call-for-relaxation-of-gun-laws-after-austrian-terrorist-attack Thu, 05 Nov 2020 18:13:14 +0100 swiss-politicians-call-for-relaxation-of-gun-laws-after-austrian-terrorist-attack On Sunday, Switzerland is holding a referendum to decide whether the country should tighten its gun laws. Here we answer the key questions about the vote – and look at why the referendum is as much about Swiss relations with the European Union as it is about gun control. https://www.thelocal.ch/20190519/what-you-need-to-know-about-switzerlands-gun-control-referendum Sun, 19 May 2019 13:39:11 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-about-switzerlands-gun-control-referendum If Swiss voters reject new gun laws in a referendum on Sunday, Switzerland could be forced to leave the Schengen Area. Here’s why. https://www.thelocal.ch/20190516/why-switzerlands-gun-referendum-threatens-its-membership-of-schengen Thu, 16 May 2019 15:00:21 +0200 why-switzerlands-gun-referendum-threatens-its-membership-of-schengen With Switzerland about to vote on tighter gun laws in a referendum on Sunday, we took a look at the figures that shed a light on the country's complicated relationship with guns. https://www.thelocal.ch/20190515/eight-stats-that-help-tell-the-story-of-guns-in-switzerland Wed, 15 May 2019 14:07:09 +0200 eight-stats-that-help-tell-the-story-of-guns-in-switzerland The majority of Swiss voters intend to vote in favour of gun reforms demanded by the European Union, a new survey suggests. https://www.thelocal.ch/20190424/swiss-support-for-tougher-gun-laws-on-the-rise-poll-direct-democracy Wed, 24 Apr 2019 12:09:32 +0200 swiss-support-for-tougher-gun-laws-on-the-rise-poll-direct-democracy The Swiss government decided Wednesday to halt deliveries of spare weapons parts to Saudi Arabia amid concern over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. https://www.thelocal.ch/20181031/swiss-halt-saudi-arms-parts-trade-over-khashoggi-case Wed, 31 Oct 2018 18:58:08 +0100 swiss-halt-saudi-arms-parts-trade-over-khashoggi-case The Swiss government on Wednesday reversed a decision to loosen restrictions on weapons exports to countries wracked by internal conflict following outcry over the planned move. https://www.thelocal.ch/20181031/swiss-backtrack-on-selling-weapons-to-conflict-states Wed, 31 Oct 2018 18:46:13 +0100 swiss-backtrack-on-selling-weapons-to-conflict-states The Swiss economics minister has backtracked on the relaxation of rules on arms exports in the face of pressure. https://www.thelocal.ch/20181031/weapons-exports-switzerland-may-back-down-on-relaxation-of-rules Wed, 31 Oct 2018 11:09:58 +0100 weapons-exports-switzerland-may-back-down-on-relaxation-of-rules The lower house of the Swiss parliament has voted in favour of a proposal that would strip the government of the power to single-handedly change rules on weapons exports. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180927/swiss-mps-reject-plan-to-relax-rules-on-weapon-exports Thu, 27 Sep 2018 23:08:10 +0200 swiss-mps-reject-plan-to-relax-rules-on-weapon-exports Controls on the exports of Swiss munitions are ineffective with arms makers using loopholes in the law to get around restrictions, an explosive new report suggests. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180904/swiss-arms-makers-using-loopholes-to-get-around-export-rules Tue, 04 Sep 2018 21:35:15 +0200 swiss-arms-makers-using-loopholes-to-get-around-export-rules New images appear to show that fighters with the so-called Islamic State (IkSIS) in Syria are in possession of hand grenades made in Switzerland. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180903/isis-using-swiss-made-hand-grenades-in-syria-report Mon, 03 Sep 2018 14:45:40 +0200 isis-using-swiss-made-hand-grenades-in-syria-report Countries should quickly agree a treaty banning the use of so-called killer robots "before it is too late", activists said on Monday as talks on the issue resumed at the UN in Geneva. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180827/activists-at-geneva-conference-urge-ban-on-killer-robots Mon, 27 Aug 2018 22:01:19 +0200 activists-at-geneva-conference-urge-ban-on-killer-robots New research shows there are an estimated 2,332,000 firearms in civilian possession in Switzerland, or 27.6 weapons per hundred inhabitants. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180619/switzerland-ranks-16th-for-civilian-firearms-survey Tue, 19 Jun 2018 18:20:05 +0200 switzerland-ranks-16th-for-civilian-firearms-survey Federal prosecutors are currently investigating the police logistics chief in the canton of Schwyz over allegations he illegally sold weapons over the internet. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180614/swiss-police-logistics-chief-suspected-of-illegal-arms-sales Thu, 14 Jun 2018 12:39:08 +0200 swiss-police-logistics-chief-suspected-of-illegal-arms-sales Police in Switzerland are arming themselves with assault rifles to be better prepared in the event of a terrorist attack, according to reports. https://www.thelocal.ch/20161130/swiss-police-take-up-assault-rifles-over-terror-threat Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:20:44 +0100 swiss-police-take-up-assault-rifles-over-terror-threat The number of illegal weapons confiscated by Swiss customs officers has doubled in the past five years. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160420/tasers-and-ninja-weapons-seized-by-swiss-customs Wed, 20 Apr 2016 15:16:07 +0200 tasers-and-ninja-weapons-seized-by-swiss-customs A 24-year-old Swiss man has been fined nearly 9,000 francs by a court in Germany for accidentally smuggling his military-issue gun across the border. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160407/swiss-army-recruit-forgets-gun-in-car Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:44:28 +0200 swiss-army-recruit-forgets-gun-in-car French police investigating the murder of a British-Iraqi family in the Alps have asked to question a Swiss gunman who killed three women in his home village, police in Geneva said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130104/french-cops-eye-swiss-killer-over-alps-murders Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:09:00 +0100 french-cops-eye-swiss-killer-over-alps-murders A 33-year-old man who shot dead three women in a Swiss village on Wednesday night was a known drug abuser with a history of psychiatric problems, according to Swiss media reports. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130103/swiss-shooter-was-mental-patient Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:45:00 +0100 swiss-shooter-was-mental-patient A gunman has opened fire in a village in southern Switzerland, killing three people and wounding two others, police said on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130103/gunman-kills-three-in-swiss-village Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:55:00 +0100 gunman-kills-three-in-swiss-village