Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday hailed a free trade deal with Switzerland as a landmark achievement, saying it had "huge meaning" for global trade and underscored Beijing's growing openness to the world. READ () »
Tibetan exiles in Bern on Friday urged Swiss authorities to take China to task for its human rights record during a landmark visit by Premier Li Keqiang focused squarely on a trade deal. READ () »
Professor Sam Blili. Photo: University of Neuchâtel
The sailboat of Swiss explorer and adventurer Mike Horn was ordered seized by a Marseille court in a southern French port over a dispute involving a naval architect, according to a media report. READ () »
Geneva cantonal police raided eight erotic massage parlours on Tuesday for an investigation into tax fraud allegedly amounting to several million francs. READ () »
Socialite Paris Hilton modelling De Grisogono jewellery in Antibes, near Cannes, this week. Photo: AFP
A diamond necklace from Geneva jeweller De Grisogono worth 2.5 million francs was reported stolen from Cannes on Thursday, just days after thieves made off with 1.4 million francs' worth of bling from Chopard, another jeweller from the Swiss city. READ () »
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sees a looming free-trade deal with Switzerland as a touchstone for Beijing's growing ties with foreign nations, he told a Swiss newspaper on Thursday ahead of a landmark visit to Europe. READ () »
After a wetter than usual start to spring, Switzerland is bracing for a return to wintry conditions and snow in some locations over the next few days. READ () »
Switzerland, currently in the process of restituting assets to several former autocratic countries, is working on a new law aimed at simplifying the process of freezing and unblocking such funds, the government said on Wednesday. READ () »
Features
Appenzell Innerhoden's 'direct democracy' is practised outdoors. Photo: Sebastien Bozon/AFP
Steffan Millius grips his sword and makes his way through the throngs of people crowding into Appenzell's central square to take part in Switzerland's famous direct democracy in perhaps its purest form. READ () »
"Hausordnung", the German word for the daunting house rules that tenants face in much of Switzerland. Photo: Hausordnung.ch
Finding a place to rent in Switzerland is hard enough. Adhering to the thicket of tenant rules governing everything from running baths to pet ownership can be even tougher, although misconceptions linger over when toilets can be flushed. READ () »
After working for a large company, Swedish-born Ann Söderblom, 31, recently took the plunge from employee to entrepreneur. Söderblom, who advises expats on how to start their own business, tells The Local why Switzerland is the perfect place to set up your own company. READ () »
Christoph Blocher, Swiss People's Party cabinet minister ousted in 2009. Would he still be in government if the people had voted? Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP
Swiss direct democracy means voters get to have their say on almost everything – except who represents them in the seven-person government cabinet. Citizens are being asked to change this in a national vote on June 9th. READ () »
Politics, crime and . . . day care? In Switzerland these days, child care is often front-page news. Authorities and parents are wringing their hands over everything from high prices and long waiting lists to overly detailed regulations that govern child-care facilities. READ () »
Whether you have ever or never visited the Netherlands, the country that crowned a new monarch this year is also celebrating a wealth of special jubilees in its popular capital. Here’s the lowdown on why Amsterdam is the place to be in 2013.
READ () »
Former Merck Serono headquarters in Geneva (Photo:AIA Chicago/Rainer Viertboek)
A project backed by two of Switzerland’s wealthiest men to create a Geneva biotech centre is back on track after German pharma company Merck agreed to sell its sprawling complex in the Swiss city. READ () »
Swiss researchers say they have taken a step closer to unlocking the mystery of ageing after discovering the impact of a longevity gene in mice and then managing to extend the life-span of worms by 60 percent thanks to a basic antibiotic treatment. READ () »
IOC headquarters in Lausanne. Photo: Arnaud Gaillard
Puerto Rican banker Richard Carrion added his name on Wednesday to the list of candidates vying to take over as head of the Olympic movement. READ () »
Swiss Finance Minister Widmer-Schlumpf: "It won't be a pleasant solution." Photo: Federal government
Swiss banks holding US citizens' funds that are not declared to American tax authorities face massive fines under a deal between Switzerland and Washington, a newspaper reported on Wednesday. READ () »
Nestlé headquarters in Vevey in the canton of Vaud. Photo: Nestlé
Swiss-based global food giant Nestle says its has expanded its research and development operations in Singapore, amid robust Asian market growth. READ () »
The website of the French embassy in Switzerland removed a link that allowed users to open a Swiss bank account online after the government in Paris came under fire from an opposition critic. READ () »
Swiss discount supermarket chain Denner can resume selling its brand of Nespresso-compatible coffee capsules across Switzerland following a ruling by a trade tribunal in the canton of Saint Gallen. READ () »
Jakob Kellenberger, former Swiss diplomat and ex-president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, is taking over as head of Swisspeace, the Bern-based research institute. READ () »
