Proponents of the initiative argued that Switzerland “doesn’t stretch,” blaming mass immigration for causing overcrowding Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to cap the population as concerns over economic damage trumped immigration fears in what some called the country’s Brexit moment. The proposal, put to a referendum on Sunday, aimed to limit Switzerland’s population to 10 million by 2050. According to government figures, 55% of those taking part rejected the initiative, with 45% voting in favor. The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), a longtime critic of mass immigration and close ties with the EU, launched the referendum. If passed, the government would have guaranteed that permanent residency – now about 9.1 million – stays below the threshold. Approaching the limit would have forced Bern to scrap its free-movement pact with the EU. Although not a ...
Posts
Thousands took to the streets of Geneva ahead of the summit at a nearby French resort town Riot police in Geneva clashed with protesters on Sunday ahead of a Group of Seven summit in neighboring France. The violence disrupted a No-G7 demonstration which drew thousands. Geneva lies around 30 km from Evian-les-Bains, a French resort town on the shores of Lake Geneva where the 2026 G7 summit is scheduled to take place Monday to Wednesday. The Swiss authorities closed 25 of the 35 border crossings with France from Thursday afternoon, citing security concerns. Around 60 organizations representing a range of causes, including feminist groups, trade unions, and supporters of Palestinian and Kurdish statehood, took part in the Geneva march. Organizers said around 20,000 people attended; police estimated the crowd at 7,000 at the start of the demonstration. Poli...
Moscow has repeatedly urged Washington and Tehran to de-escalate while maintaining contact with all parties in the conflict US President Donald Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping for their roles in bringing about a peace settlement with Iran. Moscow has repeatedly offered its mediation services and urged all sides to de-escalate. Trump made the remarks on Sunday in an interview with the New York Times, hours after he announced that Washington and Tehran have reached a Pakistani- and Qatari-mediated deal to end the conflict. According to several media reports, a 14-point memorandum of understanding includes provisions on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, easing of US sanctions, and unfreezing of Iranian assets, with a formal signing ceremony to take place in Geneva on Friday. Iran is also expected to reaffirm its pledge to abstain from nucle...
James Boyard is the highest-ranking official kidnapped in the country in years James Boyard, the chief of staff of the Haitian Defense Ministry, has been kidnapped along with his family amid escalating gang violence, media reports claimed on Saturday. Boyard, a respected security expert and author, serves as chief of staff to Haiti’s newly appointed defense minister, Mario Andresol, and as inspector general of the national police. Local media reported that unidentified armed men snatched Boyard on Thursday in Bourdon, one of the few areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince, still considered relatively safe, though most of the city is controlled by gangs. A person familiar with the situation confirmed the kidnapping to AP. Police sources told the New York Times that Boyard was abducted along with his wife and six-year-old daughter, a US citizen, and that a ransom was demanded. While it remains unclear wh...
The emerging agreement restores the regional balance to a pre-war state after $100 billion in spending and numerous casualties, Seth Moulton says US President Donald Trump’s looming Iran peace deal looks like a “surrender document” and fails to deliver anything America did not have before the war, Democratic congressman Seth Moulton has said. The comments come after Trump announced on Saturday that a peace framework would be signed the next day and would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In an apparent reference to Iran’s enriched uranium, he said, “at the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust” and destroy it. Media reports also claimed that the deal includes sanctions relief and the dismantling of the US blockade of Iran, while the strait will be operated without a toll regime. Iranian officials said, however, that the signin...
The State Department says operators use visa fraud to secure US citizenship for foreign-born children The US State Department has announced a global crackdown on what it describes as illegal “birth tourism” schemes. The effort involves revoking hundreds of visas and dismantling networks in Africa and Europe that allegedly helped foreign nationals travel to the US to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children. “No foreigner is permitted to obtain a visitor visa for the primary purpose of acquiring US citizenship for a child by giving birth in the US,” the State Department wrote on X on Wednesday, announcing the crackdown. While it is not illegal for foreigners to give birth in the US, the authorities say the crackdown targets visa fraud, including applicants who misrepresent their travel purpose or use organized networks to enter under false pretenses. “Illicit ...