Switzerland – News Stories About Switzerland - Page 12

Swiss Offer Small Condoms
—for 12-Year-Olds

Mar 3, 2010 3:38 PM CST

Swiss Offer Small Condoms —for 12-Year-Olds

They complained regulars were too large

(Newser) - Switzerland is now offering extra-small condoms for 12- to 14-year-olds to encourage safe sex. The move comes after a government study turned up two nuggets: more teens are having sex, and many go without protection because regular condoms are too large. The Hotshot is 1.7 inches wide, compared to...

Gadhafi Calls
for Jihad ...
Against Swiss

Feb 26, 2010 5:18 AM CST

Gadhafi Calls for Jihad ... Against Swiss

Libya boss urges Muslims to join holy war against 'infidel nation'

(Newser) - Pious Muslims should avoid cuckoo clocks and Swiss chocolates, and wage a holy war against the "infidel nation" of Switzerland, according to Moammar Gadhafi. "Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate—is against Muhammad, God and the Koran," the...

USA Beats Swiss,
Reaches Hockey Semis

VANCOUVER OLYMPICS

Feb 24, 2010 4:34 PM CST

USA Beats Swiss, Reaches Hockey Semis

A win Friday puts them in the gold medal game

(Newser) - Zach Parise scored twice in the third period, and the US men's hockey team reached the Olympic semifinals with a tense 2-0 victory over Switzerland today. The Americans (4-0) got everything and more from the upstart Swiss, who hoped to advance despite being the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. USA...

Swiss Hookers Trained
to Use Defibrillators

Feb 19, 2010 7:13 AM CST

Swiss Hookers Trained to Use Defibrillators

Town hopes to save lives of elderly sex tourists

(Newser) - Swiss hookers can—quite literally—mend your broken heart. In the Swiss town of Lugano, prostitutes are being trained to use defibrillators to re-start the hearts of their eager but elderly customers. Several men have died doing the deed in Lugano, including a pensioner who recently perished getting busy with...

USA Hockey
Team Wins
Opener

VANCOUVER OLYMPICS

Feb 16, 2010 5:04 PM CST

USA Hockey Team Wins Opener

Young squad easily handles Switzerland, 3-1

(Newser) - The US kids were all right. The youngest collection of American hockey players since the NHL began supplying the talent for the 1998 Nagano Games opened this tournament with a workmanlike 3-1 victory over Switzerland today. Bobby Ryan scored late in the first period, and David Backes and Ryan Malone...

Swiss Taking Gitmo Uighur Bros

Feb 4, 2010 2:15 AM CST

Swiss Taking Gitmo Uighur Bros

Brothers detained since 2001 to be resettled in Alpine region

(Newser) - Two Chinese Uighur brothers will soon be swapping Guantanamo Bay for the Swiss Alps. Switzerland officials have decided to accept the men for resettlement on humanitarian grounds. Authorities believe that Bahtiyar and Arkin Mahmud pose no security risk and should be able to find jobs in their new homes in...

Polanski Must Be Sentenced
in LA: Judge

Jan 22, 2010 6:20 PM CST

Polanski Must Be Sentenced in LA: Judge

Fugitive director can't learn fate in 1977 rape case in absentia

(Newser) - Roman Polanski can't remain under house arrest in Switzerland while he's sentenced in Los Angeles for statutory rape committed in 1977—he must appear in court in the US, a superior court judge ruled today. "I have made it clear he needs to surrender," said Peter Espinoza. "...

Reporters Try to Live on Twitter, Facebook Alone

Jan 22, 2010 11:10 AM CST

Reporters Try to Live on Twitter, Facebook Alone

Journalists will hole up in French farmhouse, use only social media

(Newser) - Five journalists plan to lock themselves in a French farmhouse and try gathering news using only Facebook and Twitter. During their 5-day sojourn, the journalists will be cut off from all other links to the outside world—there will be no TVs, and other web surfing is strictly prohibited. Then...

Swiss Millionaire Hit With $290K Speeding Fine

Jan 8, 2010 3:25 AM CST

Swiss Millionaire Hit With $290K Speeding Fine

Repeat offender handed history's priciest traffic ticket

(Newser) - A Swiss millionaire caught driving his Ferrari Testarossa through a residential area at 85 mph has been hit with the highest speeding ticket in history. The court handed the 53-year-old showoff a $290,000 fine based on his $23 million personal fortune, the fact that he was a repeat offender,...

France No. 1
in Quality of Life

US IS No. 7

Jan 7, 2010 2:00 PM CST

France No. 1 in Quality of Life

It's No. 1 on list, with the US at No. 7

(Newser) - International Living crunches the numbers on everything from cost of living to health care to climate to find the nations with the best quality of life. France tops the list, with the US at No. 7. A sampling:

France (No. 1): "Tiresome bureaucracy and high taxes" can't trump

...

'Overwhelmed' Polanski Thanks Supporters

Dec 28, 2009 2:45 PM CST

'Overwhelmed' Polanski Thanks Supporters

Also thanks 'unknown friends' around the world

(Newser) - In his first public comments since he was locked up in September, Roman Polanski has written a letter of thanks to French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy and his many “unknown friends” around the world. “I would like every one of them to know how heartening it is when...

Calif. Court Won't Dismiss Polanski Case

Dec 21, 2009 4:05 PM CST

Calif. Court Won't Dismiss Polanski Case

Misconduct by original judge not sufficient to throw out charges

(Newser) - A California appeals court won't drop the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski on the basis of alleged judicial misconduct. A 70-page opinion issued today acknowledged the " extremely serious allegations " the fugitive director's raised about alleged misconduct by the judge who first handled the case in 1977. Polanksi...

To Protest Swiss Ban, Exec Puts Minaret Atop Office

Dec 11, 2009 11:57 PM CST

To Protest Swiss Ban, Exec Puts Minaret Atop Office

Non-Muslim businessman calls country's support 'scandalous'

(Newser) - The recent passage of a ban on minarets so irked a Swiss businessman that he’s added one to his company headquarters. Shoe-store-chain owner (and non-Muslim) Guillaume Morand calls “shameful” the 57% of voters who approved the right-wing effort to keep the Muslim towers from the country’s skyline....

Sarkozy
to Muslims:
Be Discreet

Dec 8, 2009 12:38 PM CST

Sarkozy to Muslims: Be Discreet

French president sympathizes with Swiss in minaret ban

(Newser) - People of all faiths, but especially Muslims, must “refrain from ostentation and practice their religion in humble discretion,” Nicolas Sarkozy opined today, sympathizing with the Swiss voters who approved a minaret ban last week. In a column in Le Monde, the French president warned Muslims that doing anything...

Polanski Moved
to Secret Location

Dec 4, 2009 5:37 AM CST

Polanski Moved to Secret Location

Swiss seek to shield director from the media

(Newser) - Roman Polanski has been shifted from a Zurich jail to an undisclosed location for "security reasons and personal protection," say Swiss authorities. Polanski will be released to his Alpine chalet today and authorities plan to restrict access to the neighborhood if the media become disruptive. The filmmaker will...

Minaret Ban
Shoves Swiss
Hard to the Right

Dec 1, 2009 12:38 PM CST

Minaret Ban Shoves Swiss Hard to the Right

Surprise vote shows anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim sentiment on the rise

(Newser) - The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) got a surprising shot in the arm with Sunday’s vote to ban minarets in the country. Though it’s been growing rapidly since its 1980s inception, the SVP has had little success in referenda until now, with critics accusing it of racism...

Check Out Polanski's
Chalet—Er, Prison

CHATEAU LEAVENWORTH

Nov 30, 2009 8:57 AM CST

Check Out Polanski's Chalet—Er, Prison

Director awaiting extradition can throw parties, but can't leave

(Newser) - Security technicians put the final touches on the electronic monitoring system at Roman Polanski’s Swiss chalet ahead of the director’s arrival there under house arrest. Swiss officials say they await only the arrival of $4.5 million in bail, after which Polanski will be free to leave prison...

Swiss Projected to
Approve Minaret Ban

Nov 29, 2009 8:38 AM CST

Swiss Projected to Approve Minaret Ban

Nationalist measure reflects rising anti-Muslim sentiment

(Newser) - Swiss voters approved a move to ban the construction of minarets in a vote today on a right-wing initiative that labeled the mosque towers as symbols of militant Islam, early projections showed. The Swiss looked to have swung from only 37% supporting the proposal a week ago to 59% in...

Polanski to Be Moved to
House Arrest

Nov 26, 2009 6:32 AM CST

Polanski to Be Moved to House Arrest

Director will trade jail cell for Swiss chalet

(Newser) - Swiss authorities have decided not to appeal a decision to grant bail to Roman Polanski and the director will definitely be moved from his prison cell to his chalet in an Alpine resort within days. Polanski will have to wear an electronic bracelet and remain under house arrest during extradition...

Polanski Could Go
Free on $4.5M Bail

Nov 25, 2009 12:25 PM CST

Polanski Could Go Free on $4.5M Bail

Director remains in jail pending appeal of Swiss court ruling

(Newser) - Roman Polanksi may soon be free to take a pricey vacation from jail to his Swiss chalet, with ankle bracelet. A Swiss court has agreed to free him on $4.5 million bail, the BBC reports, provided he surrender his passport and submit to electronic monitoring. He's still behind bars...