The Local - Switzerland's news in English

Switzerland's six-legged calf goes global

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:36:00 +0200

Lilli the six-legged calf has become a global sensation since her first major photo shoot in a Swiss newspaper this week.

Swiss woman's captors: Free bin Laden's wives

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:21:00 +0200

A bid to release a Swiss woman kidnapped in Yemen has suffered a blow after her abductors made excessive demands, including for Osama bin Laden's widows to be freed, a tribal chief said on Thursday.

Gory YouTube clips prompt call for action

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:02:51 +0200

As video footage of horrific Swiss deaths filters onto the web, an ethics expert has called on companies like Facebook and YouTube to advise users on what's acceptable.

Mafia members moving to Switzerland

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:51:00 +0200

At least four suspected members of Italy’s major mafia organisations are thought to be resident in Switzerland.

Swiss racism on the rise: human rights chief

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:06:00 +0200

Switzerland's government needs to do much more to tackle rising racism and xenophobia, a Commissioner from the European Council on Human Rights said in a letter to the Swiss foreign ministry.

Roche raises hostile bid for US Illumina

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:08:00 +0200

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Thursday raised its hostile bid for US gene mapper Illumina to $51 a share, up 15 percent from its previous offer price of $44.50 per share.

How foodies felt their way to Swiss blind dining

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:20:00 +0200

Total darkness can serve to enhance a top-notch gourmet experience, as Catherine McLean discovered on a recent visit to a trailblazing restaurant where the lights are off and the food's out of sight.

Swiss solar plane will try 48-hour flight to Morocco

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:46:00 +0200

The Swiss sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse will attempt to fly from Switzerland to Morocco in coming weeks, in its longest flight to date, organisers said on Wednesday.

Catastrophes cost $370 billion in 2011: Swiss Re

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:57:00 +0200

Catastrophes and man-made disasters cost the world economy a record $370 billion in 2011, reinsurer giant Swiss Re said on Wednesday, raising an estimate it issued in December.

Sex abuse dentist jailed for 15 months

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:53:00 +0200

A dentist accused of indecent exposure and performing sexual acts on patients has been sentenced to 15 months in prison with no parole and a hefty fine.

Most young sex criminals don't re-offend: study

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:34:02 +0200

The majority of young sex offenders do not go on to re-offend after sentencing, according to a study published in the Swiss Journal of Criminology.

300 Swiss died by assisted suicide in 2009

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:48:00 +0200

Three hundred Swiss residents died in 2009 by assisted suicide, according to the first such official data published by the Swiss Federal Statistics Office on Tuesday.

81-year-old Swiss arrested for child sex

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:11:00 +0200

An 81-year-old Swiss former magnet therapist has been arrested in Cambodia for the third time for sexually abusing children.

Dentist on trial for patient sex abuse

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:31:37 +0200

A dentist may receive a prison sentence and the suspension of his practice for sexually assaulting patients at his practice in Vevey, on Lake Geneva.

Muslim girls must swim with boys: Swiss court

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:43:00 +0200

A Muslim family in Basel has been fined 1,400 francs ($1,550) for refusing to let its daughters participate in mixed swimming classes.

Swiss customs seize Roman sarcophagus

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:52:00 +0200

A Roman sarcophagus, believed to have been excavated illegally from an archaeological site close to Turkey's Antalya, has been seized by authorities from a Swiss warehouse, a customs official said on Monday.

Roche extends hostile $5.7 billion Illumina bid

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:53:00 +0200

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Monday extended its hostile $5.7 billion bid for US gene mapper Illumina by four weeks.

'Give prostitutes the right to sue fee dodgers'

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:42:00 +0200

Federal Councillor Andrea Caroni is calling for prostitutes to be entitled to take action for unpaid fees.

Swiss abroad angry with 'unfair' Swiss banks

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:53:13 +0200

The Council of the Swiss Abroad has passed a unanimous resolution calling on Swiss banks not to discriminate against citizens living in foreign countries.

Teen girl dies in police chase car crash

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:47:04 +0200

A powerful Audi crammed with teenagers crashed on Sunday morning in Zurich Altstetten after escaping from police, killing one 16-year-old girl.