Switzerland - News and perspectives

Swiss abroad

The information hub for the Swiss community abroad

Go to: Swiss abroad

Podcasts

Listen and subscribe to our podcasts

Go to: Podcasts

Debates

Join the discussion in our multilingual debates

Go to: Debates

Mehr

Swiss Abroad

Amherd to the Swiss Abroad on August 1: ‘You shape the image of Switzerland’

National Day address from the President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd to Swiss Abroad.

By swissinfo

Darstellung des Rütlischwurs in der Tellskapelle

Mehr

History

August 1 rituals: how national myths are built and maintained

By David Eugster

Picture of people watching firework show

Mehr

Swiss Abroad

August 1 special: how Swiss expats embrace “Swissness” abroad

People watch the fireworks during the Swiss National Day celebrations in Nyon on Monday 1 August 2022.

Mehr

Swiss Politics

Swiss National Day: should fireworks for private individuals be banned?

By Isabelle Bannerman

Mehr

‘We’ll take the time we need’ with EU negotiations, says top Swiss trade diplomat

This content was published on Jul 31, 2024 ‘Time pressure is the number one trap in any negotiation,’ warns Helene Budliger Artieda regarding negotiations with the EU.

Mehr

Shining a light on Switzerland’s history of child labour

This content was published on Jul 30, 2024 Children were a main source of labour for Swiss families in the 19th and early 20th centuries. An exhibition examines an underexplored aspect of Swiss history.

A Venezuelan soldier in a polling station in Caracas on Sunday.

Mehr

Venezuelan opposition in Switzerland: Maduro regime ‘knows it doesn’t have a majority’

This content was published on Jul 30, 2024 The coordinator of Venezuela’s opposition in Switzerland explains why she got involved in the recent hotly disputed election campaign.

Mehr

Switzerland Today

This content was published on Jul 31, 2024 To avoid spending money on expensive hotel rooms, more and more tourists in Lucerne are sleeping in their vehicles in public car parks. Is this legal?

Mehr

What does the renaissance of universal jurisdiction mean for global justice?

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 Serious crimes should be prosecuted in all countries of the world, according to the principle of universal jurisdiction. The cases are piling up, including in Switzerland.

Sarco, the 3D-printed suicide pod, was presented in Switzerland for the first time on July 17 in Zurich.

Mehr

Why liberal Switzerland is opposed to the Sarco suicide capsule

This content was published on Jul 27, 2024 The media hype is huge. Swiss outlets have been reporting on the Sarco suicide capsule for almost all of July. However, cantonal authorities are putting up resistance.

A nurse holding the hand of an elderly woman in a nursing home.

Mehr

Assisted suicide: death with dignity or ethical dilemma?

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 Assisted suicide is considered a controversial and personal topic. Does it mean death with dignity, or does it inevitably lead to an ethical dilemma?

Our highlights

Mehr

Follow us on WhatsApp

Receive news from Switzerland and our latest stories directly in WhatsApp. Check out our new channel and make sure to hit ‘follow’.

Mehr

Download the SWIplus app and stay informed

Do you want to stay informed abroad? Now our app SWIplus offers even more Switzerland: with news, stories and our briefing!

Mehr

Newsletters

Mehr

Follow us on Threads

We’re now live on Threads too. Tap this link to follow our new account and get updates on all our stories from Switzerland.

Mehr

Follow us on Telegram

You can now also read us on Telegram. Follow this link to subscribe to our channel!

Mehr

Swiss Film Selection

SWI swissinfo.ch offers a selection of Swiss films in English chosen from the Swiss streaming platform Play Suisse.

Mehr

Let’s talk

“Let’s Talk” is SWI swissinfo.ch’s format to discuss relevant topics with high-profile experts and political figures.

Mehr

Special reports

Check out our long format stories on topics like the Swiss pharma industry, Switzerland’s struggles with dirty gold, and living in the Alps.

Mehr

Switzerland: How To

How do you dispose of rubbish in Switzerland? What are the visa requirements? It’s all here.

Mehr

Join the conversation

We’d love to hear what you think about what’s going on in the world. You can find all of our debate questions here.

Mehr

Switzerland condemns rocket attack on Golan Heights sports pitch

This content was published on Jul 28, 2024 The Swiss foreign ministry has condemned a rocket attack on a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which resulted in the deaths of twelve children and young people.

Mehr

Inside Geneva – medical help in war zones

This content was published on Jul 9, 2024 From war-torn Sudan to Somalia and, finally, Gaza, these are some of the places Chris Lockyear, Secretary General of MSF, has visited during his career.

Mehr

Parliament committees approve Swiss UNRWA payment

This content was published on Jun 22, 2024 The foreign affairs committees of the Swiss parliament have backed – with conditions – a donation of CHF10 million ($11.2 million) to the embattled UN agency.

A light blue sign surrounded be trees. In big letters at the centre it says, ‘west bank field office’. IAt the top in smaller lettering it says United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), with ‘west bank’ in the bottom left and ‘Jerusalem’ bottom right.

Mehr

Green light for Switzerland’s CHF10 million UNRWA contribution

This content was published on Jun 13, 2024 Switzerland is set to pay CHF10 million to UNRWA to cover the organisation’s most urgent needs in Gaza.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Mehr

‘Less impressive and less important’: Switzerland’s role as an intermediary in Iran

This content was published on Jun 10, 2024 Cyrus Schayegh, a professor of international history at the Geneva Graduate Institute, discusses Iran’s future foreign policy and why Switzerland’s role in the region could fade.

Mehr

Swiss Parliament calls for greater control of aid in Palestine

This content was published on Jun 5, 2024 The Senate has passed a proposal calling for stricter controls to ensure that funds are not used to finance terrorism.

Mehr

Swiss House of Representatives does not want to recognise Palestine as a state

This content was published on Jun 4, 2024 By 131 votes to 61 with 2 abstentions, the House of Representatives said ‘no’ to the postulate put forth by the Social Democratic Party.

Protesters light flares as they take to the streets to call on the Israeli cabinet to sign a hostage deal and hold early elections during a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 1.

Mehr

Switzerland backs Biden’s Gaza peace plan

This content was published on Jun 2, 2024 Switzerland supports a new peace proposal pushed by US President Joe Biden for a hostage agreement and a ceasefire in Gaza.

A woman in a brown top and brown and white headscarf is on her knees, screaming, amidst the wreckage of her tent. A child in a white striped blue Puma tracksuit is standing beside her.

Mehr

Switzerland ‘extremely concerned’ about spiralling violence in Middle East

This content was published on May 30, 2024 Switzerland has strongly condemned Hamas’ recent rocket fire on Israel and Israel’s attacks on a camp for displaced people in Rafah.

Masked Palestinian members of the "Ezz Al-Din Al Qassam" militia, the military wing of Hamas, hold their weapons and pose for the media during a march on the streets of Gaza City, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013. Arabic on headband reads, "No God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet, Ezz Al-Din Al Qassam brigade." (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Mehr

Swiss parties in favour of banning Hamas

This content was published on May 29, 2024 Swiss political parties want to ban Hamas and classify it as a terrorist organisation in Switzerland, which would prevent financing and propaganda activity.

Mehr

Explainer: Switzerland and the recognition of Palestine

This content was published on May 24, 2024 On Wednesday Ireland, Spain and Norway said they would recognise a Palestinian state. What are the chances of Switzerland following suit?

Mehr

Pro-Palestine uni protests to be debated in Swiss parliament

This content was published on May 20, 2024 The Swiss People’s Party says it will launch two postulates calling for clarifications about the recent student protests and occupations.

A group of students seated on the floor inside a university hall. In the middle of the group is a sign reading "UZH students against genocide".

Mehr

Swiss student group condemns campus occupations

This content was published on May 17, 2024 Some aspects of pro-Palestine sit-ins have gone too far, but the right to protest and debate must be upheld, the student association has said.

Swiss police remove protestors from University of Bern.

Mehr

Swiss police clear pro-Palestinian students protesting in Bern

This content was published on May 15, 2024 Police moved in early on Wednesday to remove some 30 pro-Palestinian student protesters from a Bern university building.

Mehr

Red Cross sets up Rafah emergency field hospital

This content was published on May 14, 2024 The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.

Mehr

‘No kids’ holidays are booming in Switzerland. Blatant discrimination or a stroke of genius?

Canny tourist operators have realised that many people will pay a premium to remove kids from their holidays. What does this say about society?

Beteiligen Sie sich an der Diskussion

Jul 17, 2024

11 Mag

22 Kommentare

View the discussion

Watch now

To induce death, individuals climb into the pod-looking chamber and press a button inside that releases nitrogen into the chamber. The individual dies as a result of nitrogen hypoxia, a method which the makers claim is not painful.

Mehr

Assisted suicide for CHF18 ($20)?

This content was published on Jul 27, 2024 This would be an “egalitarian” death, says Fiona Stewart, a founding member of the organisation The Last Resort.

Mehr

Swiss On shoes share the spotlight at Paris Olympics

This content was published on Jul 26, 2024 At the Paris Olympics, some of the best athletes will be wearing products made by the Swiss sportswear brand, On.

Mehr

‘Security here, freedom there’ – insights from a US trucker festival in Switzerland

This content was published on Jul 25, 2024 Many attendees at the International Trucker & Country Festival in Interlaken yearn for the freedom associated with the US. An academic in a cowboy hat explains why.

Mehr

What’s inside a comet?

This content was published on Jul 24, 2024 Watch how two Bern astrophysicists are hoping to dig beneath the surface of a comet to find out more about the origins of the solar system.

Mehr

Swiss farms make space for beans and lentils

This content was published on Jul 22, 2024 Plant breeders, scientists and farmers in Zurich’s countryside try to make the case for legume cultivation.

Mehr

Trump, Biden and hatred: how US polarisation affects Americans in Switzerland

This content was published on Jul 20, 2024 A Republican, Democrat and Independent living in Switzerland describe the emotional divide in US politics.

Decommissioned Bernese trams sent to Ukraine.

Mehr

Swiss trams embark on a rare journey to Ukraine

This content was published on Jul 15, 2024 SWI swissinfo.ch speaks to the specialists preparing Swiss trams for transfer to Ukraine and to the Lviv public transport staff who will operate them.

How Swiss tourism bosses town deal with the effects of influencers

Mehr

How Swiss tourism bosses deal with the effects of influencers

This content was published on Jul 12, 2024 Influencers tempt tourists to “must see” Swiss sites, sometimes sparking over-tourism. A Swiss tourism boss reveals how the industry deals with it.

Mehr

The Swiss ‘have always crossed borders’

This content was published on Jul 12, 2024 Over the centuries, the Swiss have been tireless migrants, with successive waves spreading to every continent – for various reasons.

Mehr

100 years of Swiss Abroad congresses

This content was published on Jul 10, 2024 A look back at 100 years of the Swiss Abroad Congress

Mehr

Breaking protocol: Jojo Mayer and the machine

This content was published on Jun 27, 2024 He is one of the most influential drummers of recent decades, known both as a skilled technician and a visionary. Jojo Mayer talks to SWI swissinfo.ch about technology, tradition – and the future of music.

Mehr

I spy: political snooping around International Geneva

This content was published on Jun 25, 2024 Geneva is fertile ground for spies in search of state secrets. We visited four places that have left their mark on the history of espionage.

Mehr

Demolished buildings offer new home for CO2 emissions

This content was published on Jun 20, 2024 A Swiss company believes it has a solution to help the concrete industry decarbonise and permanently remove one million tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

Mehr

Geneva Conventions turn 75: are they still effective?

This content was published on Jun 11, 2024 This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. But how relevant are these, and international law, especially for younger generations?

Mehr

Swiss reject health insurance initiative: the reactions

This content was published on Jun 9, 2024 Here is what supporters and opponents of the “Premium Relief Initiative” had to say after Sunday’s vote.

External Content

Reuters International

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:56

Woman, daughter killed by Russian shelling on Ukraine’s Nikopol, official says

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:54

Family doctors in England to begin industrial action

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:50

Hundreds gather across Nigerian cities to protest cost of living crisis

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:49

Death of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, Oct 7 mastermind, confirmed, Israel says

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:43

Japan seeks extradition of anti-whaling activist Watson from Denmark

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:38

Elusive Hamas leader Deif masterminded Oct 7 attack on Israel

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:10

Explainer-Will Venezuela’s disputed election lead to new era of isolation?

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:09

Signs of imminent prisoner exchange between Russia and the West multiply

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:06

Georgia aims to ‘reset’ relations with U.S. after Washington pauses aid

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:05

Shell beats forecasts with $6.3 billion second quarter profit

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 12:03

UK charges 17-year-old boy with murder in Southport child killings

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 11:59

Factbox-Which Hamas leaders have been targeted in assassination attempts?

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 11:48

Barclays announces $960 million buyback, lifts outlook as investment bank shines

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 11:46

EU approves Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s $14 billion Juniper deal

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 11:24

Stripping of jailed opposition lawmaker’s status invalid, Turkey’s top court rules

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 11:13

European shares lower on earnings, bonds boosted after Fed

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 10:43

UK manufacturers show fresh signs of life after election, PMI shows

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 10:30

China dismisses Germany accusations over cyberattack

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 10:28

Iranians mourn Hamas leader Haniyeh’s assassination

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 10:26

Moldova expels Russian diplomat, summons envoy to protest over treason case

Bloomberg Business

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 11:18

European Stocks Drop as Earnings Dampen Sentiment: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 10:12

UBS Moves Into Debt Swap Market Pioneered by Credit Suisse

This content was published on Aug 1, 2024 – 00:35

Stocks Storm Back on Fed Day as Nvidia Surges 13%: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Jul 31, 2024 – 17:59

Tech Rally Lifts European Stocks as Fed Rate-Cut Signal Awaited

This content was published on Jul 31, 2024 – 16:28

Swiss Stocks Halted for Hours in Second Outage in 13 Months

This content was published on Jul 31, 2024 – 16:04

Bunge Delays Completion of $8.2 Billion Viterra Acquisition

This content was published on Jul 31, 2024 – 07:20

SNB Reports Half-Year Profit as Strong Stocks Offset Franc Gains

This content was published on Jul 31, 2024 – 00:00

Tech Stocks Hit as Microsoft Down 6% in Late Hours: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Jul 30, 2024 – 14:00

UBS Vetting of Credit Suisse Clients Being Reviewed by Regulator

This content was published on Jul 30, 2024 – 11:00

Luxury Heir Alleges His $13 Billion Hermès Fortune Has Vanished

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 – 22:50

Stocks Edge Up as ‘Big-to-Small’ Rotation Pauses: Markets Wrap

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 – 17:18

Banque Havilland Begins Closure of Swiss and Liechtenstein Units

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 – 16:00

Vitol Hands Traders Record $6.5 Billion Payout After Profit Boom

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 – 15:43

French Power Demand Set for Summer High as Temperatures Soar

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 – 13:55

Mozambique Wins Fraud Suit Over Credit Suisse Bond Scandal

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 – 11:35

Renewed Franc Surge Could Make the SNB Consider More Rate Cuts

This content was published on Jul 28, 2024 – 16:03

Fed Is About to Nod at a Rate Cut as Job Growth Moderates

This content was published on Jul 27, 2024 – 19:44

Gategroup Unit Reaches Agreement With Unions, Averting Strike

This content was published on Jul 27, 2024 – 13:59

WTO Members Signal Progress on Draft E-Commerce Deal

This content was published on Jul 27, 2024 – 06:00

Better ‘Boring’ Than Wrong, SNB’s Jordan Says in Career Review

Mehr

Faster, higher, stronger, Swisser: let the 2024 Olympic Games begin!

This content was published on Jul 26, 2024 On Friday evening 128 Swiss athletes will float down the River Seine in Paris as part of the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Mehr

‘Security here, freedom there’ – insights from a US trucker festival in Switzerland

Mehr

Why do two Swiss researchers want to find ice on comets?

This content was published on Jul 24, 2024 Using a new type of instrument, two astrophysicists from the University of Bern are hoping to get a bit closer to unravelling the mystery of the origins of the solar system.

The insect situation in Switzerland (in the picture a butterfly) is considered 'worrying'.

Mehr

Biodiversity loss in Switzerland in six graphs

This content was published on Jul 23, 2024 Biodiversity loss in the Alpine nation is above the world average, and over a third of animal and plant species are endangered. Can the trend be reversed?

Mehr

Will a drastic hike in Swiss inheritance tax lead to an exodus of billionaires?

This content was published on Jul 23, 2024 A proposal to levy an inheritance tax of 50% on the super-rich has provoked emigration threats from wealthy Swiss residents.

Being resistant to cold and heat and rich in protein, lentils are making a comeback on Swiss fields and plates.

Mehr

Legumes – Swiss farmers’ secret weapon against climate change

This content was published on Jul 22, 2024 A group of farmers is betting on lentils and chickpeas as part of the solution to climate change in Switzerland.

Mehr

Swiss direct democracy is Eurovision’s latest challenge

This content was published on Jul 19, 2024 As the country gets closer to naming the city to host next year’s Eurovision, political and financial wrangles have entered the fray.

OSA President Filippo Lombardi poses with participants of the Swiss Community Youth Camp on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

Mehr

Anniversary Trip to the Square of the Swiss Abroad

This content was published on Jul 17, 2024 The 100th Congress of the Swiss Abroad came to an end with a visit to the Swiss Abroad Square in Brunnen. A photo gallery.

Mehr

The Olympic truce: noble myth, harsh reality

This content was published on Jul 14, 2024 The Olympic truce is rarely respected. We take a look at the history behind this ‘invented tradition’.

Mehr

The Swiss ‘have always crossed borders’

This content was published on Jul 12, 2024 Over the centuries, the Swiss have been tireless migrants, with successive waves spreading to every continent – for various reasons.

The Congress of the Swiss Abroad, taking place July 11-13 in Lucerne, will mark the 100th time that Swiss citizens living abroad will meet in Switzerland.

Mehr

After 100 years, the Swiss Abroad Congress remains politically significant

This content was published on Jul 10, 2024 While the Congress has evolved over the years, its core mission remains the same: to unite the Swiss Abroad and raise awareness of their specific needs.

Albert Anker's "The Reader" (Die Lesende), 1883. The exhibition at the Bern Museum of Fine Arts highlights the artist as a promoter of literacy for women when this idea was a taboo.

Mehr

The revival of Albert Anker: from old-school artist to progressive activist

This content was published on Jul 6, 2024 The quintessential Swiss artist, much-loved by traditionalists, has found new praise as an early advocate of women’s education.

Mehr

Swiss theatre director Milo Rau stages revolution in Vienna

This content was published on Jun 30, 2024 As new artistic director of the Vienna Festival, the Swiss director Milo Rau is putting the Austrian government, the Freedom Party and himself on trial.

In Focus

Mehr

Taiwan: a model democracy

Taiwan has developed into an exemplary democracy. This can be seen in schools as well as in election campaigns – despite or because of its precarious status.