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 Switzerland’s weapons exports have seen a 38 percent increase in 2020, according to official government figures. https://www.thelocal.ch/20201020/swiss-weapons-exports-up-38-percent-despite-pandemic Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:32:32 +0200 swiss-weapons-exports-up-38-percent-despite-pandemic 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 A campaign to prohibit investment by Swiss public funds in the global weapons industry has collected over 104,000 signatures to force a vote. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180723/popular-initiative-to-stop-swiss-public-money-funding-weapon-makers-will-go-to-a-vote Mon, 23 Jul 2018 13:15:41 +0200 popular-initiative-to-stop-swiss-public-money-funding-weapon-makers-will-go-to-a-vote 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 Swiss media outlets reported recently that the number of registered guns in the country climbed nearly 10 percent last year, but what is the story behind the figures? https://www.thelocal.ch/20180314/beyond-the-headlines-did-swiss-gun-ownership-really-jump-9-percent-last-year Wed, 14 Mar 2018 14:34:12 +0100 beyond-the-headlines-did-swiss-gun-ownership-really-jump-9-percent-last-year A 61-year-old Swiss man suspected of selling arms illegally to Austria has been arrested by police in St Gallen. https://www.thelocal.ch/20171221/huge-weapons-cache-seized-from-swiss-suspected-of-selling-arms-to-austria Thu, 21 Dec 2017 11:06:09 +0100 huge-weapons-cache-seized-from-swiss-suspected-of-selling-arms-to-austria An 86-year-old woman has been arrested in Bern for spray painting an anti-war message on a billboard surrounding the Swiss National Bank, reported news agencies. https://www.thelocal.ch/20170411/woman-86-arrested-for-spraying-anti-war-graffiti-on-swiss-national-bank Tue, 11 Apr 2017 13:10:18 +0200 woman-86-arrested-for-spraying-anti-war-graffiti-on-swiss-national-bank Several prisons in Switzerland are looking into ways to defend themselves against drones over fears they could be used to deliver weapons to prisoners. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160830/swiss-prisons-fear-drone-deliveries-to-inmates Tue, 30 Aug 2016 14:42:33 +0200 swiss-prisons-fear-drone-deliveries-to-inmates The threat to humans from robots is no longer the stuff of science-fiction according to a Swiss lawyer who has proposed an international treaty to protect us – and the robots – from harm. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160602/swiss-lawyer-warns-of-deadly-threat-from-robots Thu, 02 Jun 2016 12:53:00 +0200 swiss-lawyer-warns-of-deadly-threat-from-robots