Swiss government spokesman dies during a hike

André Simonazzi, spokesman for the governing Federal Council and Vice Chancellor, has died. Simonazzi died on Friday at the age of 55 after collapsing while hiking, the Federal Chancellery announced on Saturday. Born in 1968 in Monthey in canton Valais, Simonazzi was appointed Vice-Chancellor and spokesman of the Federal Council in November 2008. Since 2009, he has taken part in and kept the minutes of Federal Council meetings and has been responsible for their communications. The location of the fatal hike was not specified. A spokeswoman for the Chancellery told press agency Keystone-ATS that his replacement had not yet been determined by late Saturday afternoon. André Simonazzi "was a servant of the State in the noblest sense of the term", wrote the Federal Chancellery in paying tribute to the deceased. Simonazzi graduated with a degree in international relations. He trained as a journalist at Le Nouvelliste. From 1995 to 1998, he worked for the NGO Caritas Switzerland as press ...