1) The suggestion to run your own SMPT server/domain is plain ridiculous. If you do the encryption on your own computer (as you should, if you want security), then it doesn't matter where the server is and who owns it. It will see only encrypted messages anyway.
... and metadata. It actually makes sense to choose a provider that at least tries to protect your privacy for a number of reasons.
#1 While no company can deny a judicial requested they should instist on one.
#2 Freemailproviders in general generate data on their own because thats their bussiness model. Thus it makes sense to pay for the service which gives your provider less incentive to profile you and sell it via the marketing department.
#3 not everyone you contact might use encryption
#4 while any mailprovider should use SSL, e.g. GMX did not for ages.
So, as I said, if you don't care about compatibility with PGP users, just use Thunderbird+Enigmail+GnuPG and any e-mail carrier. I know that it will work with Yahoo! Mail. Maybe it will work with GMail, too - I just never tried configuring Thunderbird to use GMail.
GnuPG (same as PGP) is independent of the provider you use. They might not support it on their website, but one should not do encryption on a remote server anyway.
2) Where the server resides is irrelevant. The Swiss cave in to US pressure and broke even their own bank secrecy laws - do you seriously think that a Swiss-based company will refuse to execute a man-in-the-middle attack (like Hushmail did) if the magic word "terrorism" is mentioned by men in suits? If you want security, choose a solution that does not require you to trust the server - not one that relies on the server being in a "trustworthy country". If you do your own encryption, it doesn't matter if the server is based in the USA or elsewhere. The worst the US authorities can do is cut your e-mail service.
While you are correct that the location may not be relevant in certain cases, for actual law enforcement (not those
creating a surveilance state hunting "torrorists") juristiction does matter. Besides OP specifically asked for providers outside the US.
Encryption can not be provided by a remote server in a meaningfull way. What are you talking about here?
8) Posteo is some German-language crap without even an English user interface. My knowledge of German is limited but it seems to be yet another "trust me" service.
I like that you think something is crap when you dont understand a word about it, makes you look like a very intelligent person.
On a more serious note, I actually thought they had an english UI by now.