We often get asked who our audience is at swissinfo.ch. Well, we’re aimed at an inteational community who are interested in Switzerland, and Swiss citizens living abroad. To know our readers better, we asked our fans on Facebook to tell us who they are and what their coection to Switzerland is. Here’s three people who shared their stories of their interest in Switzerland and why swissinfo.ch matters to them. David, Mexico: "Leaing to ski changed my life!" (Courtesy of David Martinez ) “I was bo in Mexico City in 1958. Actually I live in Monterrey, the third largest city of Mexico, located 200 km away from the US Border. I am married and I have three sons: David Alejandro, 24; Daniel Andrés, 20 and finally María Insony, 18. My wife's name is Laura and she is from Acapulco.I currently work as a language Teacher in two Primary Schools, teaching French, as well as in a Junior High School. I speak Spanish, French, English and a bit of GermanWhy my interest in Switzerlan

Neuchâtel Castle: on September 25 local voters will decide whether to give foreign residents the right to stand for election at the cantonal level (Keystone) If you live in Switzerland but you are not Swiss, your political rights such as the ability to vote depend largely on where you reside. A look at regional differences and the cultural and linguistic factors that influence local decisions. I was bo in canton Jura to Italian parents. But despite not having Swiss nationality, I was able to vote for the first time on my 18th birthday in communal and cantonal elections in my local village, Bassecour. Today, I live in Be, but as I’m not Swiss, I’m not allowed to go to my local voting office to cast my ballot. Nor was this possible when I worked in Lugano in canton Ticino, which follows the same practice widely implemented in Swiss-German regions. “There is a ‘Röstigraben’ [an imaginary cultural and social divide between German and French-speaking parts of the country

The music of Swiss cellist Martin Tillman has provided the backdrop for pirates, soldiers and comic book heroes in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. But his latest album is a tribute to a different leading lady: his wife. Following a move from Zurich to Los Angeles nearly 30 years ago, Tillman’s career took off after he met and worked with composer Hans Zimmer on films ranging from Pirates of the Caribbean to Blackhawk Down and The Dark Knight Rises. Originally trained as a classical cellist, he delved into uncharted musical genres for his instrument and now composes sweeping, atmospheric soundscapes involving global collaborations. Perhaps none of Tillman’s work has more of his heart and soul in it than his latest album, Superhuman. He composed it as a tribute to his wife, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. Here’s his take on working in Hollywood, composing that album and living with one foot in the US and the other in Swit

One month into his new Geneva job, Swiss ambassador Valentin Zellweger (centre) was already hosting top officials like US Secretary of State John Kerry (Keystone) From his sixth-floor office window Valentin Zellweger has sweeping views of his new realm – Inteational Geneva – that stretches from the deep-blue lake northeast of the centre up towards the airport, and includes institutions like the United Nations European headquarters and the World Trade Organization. Zellweger took over as the new Swiss ambassador to the UN and inteational organisations in Geneva on August 1. Although only several weeks into the new job, he agrees with his predecessor, Alexandre Fasel, that the Geneva posting is definitely ‘the best on offer’ in the Swiss foreign ministry.“Geneva is much more important than I ever imagined. I was astonished at the huge variety and importance of the work done here,” declares the tall blond bespectacled diplomat. It must seem a far cry from his previous

In conversation in Mongolia: Joha Schneider-Amma (left) and Jean-Claude Juncker (Keystone) Two years after the country voted to curb immigration from the EU, it is desperate to reach a deal with Brussels. But few in Europe want to strike a pact that could be a template for post-Brexit Britain. The Swiss president was on an urgent mission to Mongolia. Outside a yurt a 15-minute drive from Ulan Bator, Joha Schneider-Amma finally managed to grab some time with the person he had travelled so far to see. The yurt-side huddle in July was not about peacemaking between warring nations - the sort of negotiations for which neutral Swiss diplomats are famous. Instead Mr Schneider-Amma was frantically trying to secure progress on a crucial matter for Switzerland’s economy, and potentially for Britain’s exit from the EU. His small Alpine state, surrounded by the EU but not part of it, had inadvertently become a test bed for how the bloc stands up to demands for special treatment f

Watch your step, it's a long way down (Keystone) The news we won’t report: men over 50 are at risk of falling off mountains. One of the inherent risks of being an editor is deciding what constitutes news, which is why a recent television report about the danger of hiking in the Alps – especially for middle-aged men like me – caught my attention. It is true that men fall off mountains and die. So do cows and sheep. And most likely other animals too, which the Swiss may or may not keep statistics for. But what intrigued me as editor was the emphasis on gender and age in a report candy-wrapped with aerial shots of knife-edge trails snaking along a high grassy ridge, as this clip illustrates. Before moving ahead with a swissinfo.ch version of the report originally aired on the nightly current affairs programme, we fact-checked the story. Lo and behold, the Swiss Alpine Club actually keeps such statistics. Of the 142 people who died in the Swiss Alps last year, 114 were

Most buyers are attracted by low Chinese prices, even if they are aware the goods are likely counterfeits (swissinfo.ch) Chinese online retailers are targeting customers looking for a bargain in expensive Switzerland. More and more Swiss are being seduced by the unbeatable prices on offer. It is estimated that around 20,000 packages a day make their way to Switzerland from China. Electronics, textile and clothes, mobile phone and tablet cases, handbags, and counterfeits of all kinds are some of the products the Swiss like to order from China. While Swiss consumers are ecstatic the same caot be said of the country’s online vendors. “By choosing the unknown in this maer, there is always a certain risk in terms of quality,” says Patrick Kessler, president of the Swiss Association of Distance Selling. It is a risk that some are willing to take. An artisan, who wished to remain anonymous, told swissinfo.ch that he had purchased a “Made in China” Ulefon mobile phone two m

These are the top stories we're following in the week starting September 19. Valentin Zellweger (centre) (Keystone) Tuesday It’s been a whirlwind start to his new job: meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry, attending the Human Rights Council and hosting the Swiss ambassadors’ aual get-together. swissinfo.ch talks to Valentin Zellweger, the new Swiss ambassador to the United Nations and inteational organisations in Geneva, about the challenges of his new posting and how a small nation like Switzerland can make a difference in Inteational Geneva. (Keystone) Wednesday In Switzerland, foreigners can vote in certain local or regional ballots – but it’s rare. The extent of political rights accorded to foreign residents depends very much on where they live. On September 25 the citizens of canton Neuchâtel could shake things up if they approve a parliamentary proposal to give foreign residents’ the right to stand for election at the cantonal level. swissinfo.ch

Did you know that you don't have to be a scientist to do science? In Switzerland, efforts to democratise the scientific process start with inviting citizens to answer their own questions.

The art guide is Switzerland's best-selling publication (GSK) The 1,000th edition of the art guide “Schweizerische Kunstführer” is out – time for a virtual trip through the archives of Switzerland’s best-selling publication. Here’s a round-up of some special, lesser-known but unmissable art sites in various Swiss cantons. The blue wonder The Blue Arrow at a small station then called Marin-Epanier, between Neuchâtel and Be (bls historic) Swiss Federal Railways’ so-called “Red Arrow” is famous among train-lovers as the first Swiss fast train. By contrast, the “Blue Arrow”, which took to the rails in Be in 1938, is often forgotten. As the first electrically powered train it cost half as much and was a much more ground-breaking iovation in the history of the commuter train. A Blue Arrow carriage is on display in the Lucee Museum of Transport. The last preserved twin car was restored in 2014 and takes passengers on one-off special-occasion trips. Editio