Reports of fraudulent calls that scam people out of money by pretending to be from the Swiss authorities have fallen by more than 75%. However, the cyber threat remains high, particularly in the age of AI, the Federal Office for Cyber Security has reported. Fake calls emulating the police or other official entities have been among the most frequently reported incidents in recent years. From January to June, more than 400 reports were recorded each month. However, the situation changed in July...

Swiss precision and electrical engineering companies continue to show strong resilience despite the war in the Middle East and United States tariffs, according to industry association Swissmem. "The recovery in the Swiss technology sector is continuing. However, it remains fragile, unevenly distributed and has recently lost momentum," said Stefan Brupbacher, director of Swissmem. Business expectations for the next 12 months point to cautious optimism. More than a third anticipate an increase ...

Swiss logistics billionaire Klaus-Michael Kühne died in the early hours of Monday morning at the age of 89. The company he helped to build into a global logistics heavyweight, Kühne+Nagel, announced the news. Kühne was a member of the board of directors and the majority shareholder of the group. His holding company also holds shares in, amongst others, Lufthansa, the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, the chemical logistics firm Brenntag, the rail and bus operator Flix, and the Hamburg football cl...

Four of five defendents charged with manslaughter, nine years after a Swiss landslide that claimed eight lives, have refused to give evidence at trial. Two cantonal officials, an external geologist and two representatives of the municipality of Bregaglia are standing trial at the Maloja Regional Court. The central question is whether a major rockslide was foreseeable at the time in 2017 – within a matter of days, weeks or months of the landslide in the southeast village of Bondo. The prosecut...

Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt has described Switzerland as a “free rider” on NATO. Switzerland and Austria are surrounded by NATO member states and would be considerably more vulnerable without the alliance, Bildt said in an interview with the Tamedia group. There is hardly any room left in today’s Europe for neutral and non-aligned states, particularly in the hear of Europe, said Bildt. “The reasons that once led Switzerland to neutrality have disappeared.” + Switzerland and NATO:...

In July, we visited a spring in canton Fribourg in western Switzerland during a record-breaking drought. While the spring appears steady on the surface, the country’s water supply is changing in ways Switzerland is only just beginning to understand. Read more here:

The death toll from a house fire in southeast Switzerland has risen to four with the discovery of two further bodies. Canton Graubünden police reported two further fatalities on Sunday following the blaze in the town of Thusis. All other people in the house have now been accounted for, police added. Of the five people originally reported as missing, one had already been located earlier. Despite the building structure having partially collapsed, it was searched over the weekend for the four mi...

Even before James Bond was created, Ian Fleming had a passionate romance in Switzerland with a young woman from the canton of Vaud. A new travel guide now traces the writer’s connections to French-speaking Switzerland and Lake Geneva. In the Footsteps of Ian Fleming in Switzerland, published in English and French by Editions romandes 180°, invites readers to follow in the footsteps of the man who would later become the creator of James Bond during his time in the 1930s. The itinerary includes...

In many regions, the grape harvest is set to begin as early as August this year. The yield is likely to be lower than in other years, but the quality of the 2026 vintage is "promising". Several winegrowers, such as the Obrecht family in the Jenins wine-growing region of the Bündner Herrschaft, have already started harvesting grapes this week. This means that the "Läset" is taking place around three weeks earlier than usual in most of Switzerland’s wine-growing regions. In the cantons of Schaf...

Switzerland freezes assets, returns illicit funds and provides legal assistance to foreign governments seeking to recover stolen wealth. Has Switzerland ceased to be a safe haven for the fortunes of corrupt heads of state and their families? Only partly. Here are the key facts. Returning assets linked to corruption is a complex and often lengthy process. Switzerland holds a unique position in this field but has also acquired a somewhat dubious reputation. One reason lies in the sheer complexi...

Canton Vaud’s population office (SPOP) has decided to stop providing emergency assistance to around 40 Ukrainians whose applications for S permits have been rejected. As a result, they could be required to leave Switzerland and return to the countries where they first sought refuge. The decision has been condemned as “inhumane” by a coalition of organisations and political parties. “Around 40 people are affected by decisions to withdraw emergency assistance. Some of those decisions have been ...

Construction activity in canton Basel Country reached a record high in 2025. Despite a slowdown in residential construction, the total value of construction work rose to an all-time high of CHF2.5 billion ($3.1 billion), according to the cantonal statistics office on Friday. The total value of construction work rose by 4.8%, or CHF116 million, compared with the previous year. Growth was driven mainly by non-residential construction, where investment increased by 24% to CHF515 million, and pub...

Switzerland is stepping up efforts to tackle radicalisation, which has been on the rise since 2023. On Friday, the government, cantonal authorities and local councils launched a national charter. The charter sets out a political commitment to tackling all forms of radicalisation and extremism, according to a press release. It also provides practical tools for people and organisations, including parents and teachers, who may come into contact with young people at risk. The number of minors bec...

Five people are missing after a major fire broke out in a building housing a restaurant and several flats in canton Graubünden, in eastern Switzerland, police said on Friday. Eight people were injured, including two who were seriously hurt. Police said 14 people were able to leave the burning building in Thusis. The injured were treated at the scene before being taken to hospitals in Chur, Thusis, Ilanz and Zurich. Emergency operations are continuing, a police spokeswoman told the Keystone-SD...

Switzerland’s neutrality is not always easy to explain, especially abroad. Many Swiss expats have to grapple with preconceived notions. Swiss neutrality is a hallmark of Switzerland. Abroad, however, it is sometimes criticised. Swiss citizens living abroad are regularly asked about it and have to explain what neutrality means for Switzerland. Several Swiss Abroad have shared their experiences with Swissinfo. "I’m Switzerland" is an idiom in the US. "Here in the US, you often hear that when so...

A majority of Swiss citizens would reject the initiative calling for a return to a strict interpretation of neutrality, according to the first survey by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). But voters appear divided over the food security initiative, which is more popular with the Swiss Abroad. The numerous campaign posters put up by the yes camp, promising to preserve peace in Switzerland, do not appear to be convincing the electorate at present. With just over a month to go before the ...

A court in Bali, Indonesia has sentenced a Swiss tourist to one year in prison for insulting the Bali sacred Day of Silence. The 26-year-old tourist was found guilty of violating Indonesia’s new criminal code by posting social media messages about the Hindu religious holiday observed on the tourist island. On this day people are required to stay home and are urged to remain silent and meditate. The Denpasar District Court determined that he posted the messages even after he was informed of th...

Carry traders are increasingly turning to the Swiss franc in the near term for their source of funding as the threat of intervention and higher interest rates saps the appeal of borrowing in the yen. Hedge funds boosted their net short position in the franc to near a two-month high in the week through August 11, according to the latest data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. At the same time, they reduced their yen shorts for a second week. “The market has recently added short Swi...

Switzerland’s foreign trade rebounded in July, with exports showing strong growth following a decline the previous month. The growth was once again driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector, as well as a recovery in sales to the European Union. During the month under review, exports surged by 13.8% in nominal terms (unadjusted for inflation) and compared with the previous month to CHF27.79 billion ($34.88 billion), while imports fell by 4.5% to CHF19.65 billion, according to figures ...

Should Switzerland join an international democracy alliance? The fictional question behind a recent performance in Zurich questions the country’s global role and the links between politics and theatre. In September 1946, in a famous speech at the University of Zurich, Winston Churchill called for a “United States of Europe” to follow the cataclysm of the Second World War. Almost 80 years later, on a balmy Friday evening in the same hall, his spirit is being invoked. This time, however, the ta...

Two weeks after the solar eclipse, Switzerland will be treated to another astronomical spectacle. At dawn on Friday August 28, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible. Shortly after 6am, 94% of the Moon will be shrouded in the Earth’s shadow. In Bern, the eclipse will begin at around 4.33am and reach its peak at around 6.12am, causing the Moon to take on a distinctive brick-red colour. At that point, however, the Moon will be just above the horizon, so mountains, hills and buildings may obstr...

Genentech, the Californian subsidiary of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, has secured worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and market an experimental treatment for obesity from the South Korean company Hanmi Pharmaceuticals. The agreement excludes South Korea, Hanmi stated in a press release issued today. + Can Swiss pharma giant Roche reshape the obesity market? Hanmi stands to receive a total of $2.3 billion under the agreement, a figure largely contingent upon the achievement of clini...

Swiss private equity firm Partners Group will exit its private credit investment in Gong cha after Bain Capital bought the Taiwanese bubble tea brand from TA Associates this month. The Swiss-based company said it has entered an agreement to be fully repaid, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. Partners Group in 2019 had provided a financing package of more than $200 million to support TA Associates’ acquisition of Gong cha and also took a minority equity stake. The returns on the invest...

Some 1,200 swimmers took part in the Geneva lake crossing on Sunday. Online registration for the event had filled up within a matter of minutes. “The aim is to have fun,” said Olivier Boillat, one of the organisers, a few minutes before the first group of swimmers set off at 8am. The 1,200 participants enjoyed water temperature of 21.5 degrees Celcius for the tenth edition of the event. Between Wednesday and Thursday, the lake’s temperature had dropped by more than 7 degrees to 17.7 degrees. ...

The owner of a Swiss bar at the centre of a fatal fire, Jacques Moretti, has been remanded in custody accused of violence against his wife, reports the Léman Bleu media outlet. The couple’s lawyers have stated that these allegations are being investigated in proceedings separate from those relating to the tragedy. The New Year’s Day fire at The Constellation bar in southwest Switzerland left 41 people dead and 115 injured According to the Geneva-based media outlet, Jessica Moretti was the vic...

A visit to a vital Swiss water source during a record-setting drought reveals a spring holding steady on the surface but a water supply picture that’s shifting in ways the country is only beginning to understand. In a corner of canton Fribourg, western Switzerland, Julie Boillat peers into a spring burbling 1,100 litres of clear water every minute. "I think we could drink it," says Boillat, a hydrogeologist with the canton's environment office. She and her team have come to gather data for so...

Rhythmic jingling, the clatter of whips or the solemn sounds of the alphorn: since Friday, the town of Schüpfen in canton Bern has been showcasing the full range of sounds and noises that Swiss folklore has to offer. Over 3,000 active Trychler, Treichler, Trinkler, Trichjer, Scheller, Einscheller, Sonneurs and Schellenders have travelled from all over Switzerland to attend the three-day Swiss National Scheller and Trychler Festival (a gathering to celebrate traditional Swiss cowbell ringing)....

There have been several resignations from the board of the Beloved Foundation, which provides support to victims of the Crans-Montana fire tragedy. In total, between late June and mid-August, four out of nine members stepped down from their posts. Representatives of the families of the Italian, Swiss and French victims have therefore stepped down. “I would like to make it clear that these people did not all leave at the same time,” Christian Cardon, the director of the Foundation’s executive ...

In Switzerland, many people’s first taste of independence and freedom was a moped. Following a period of decline, they have been enjoying a revival for some years, particularly on the roads of German-speaking Switzerland. A report on a gathering of ‘Töfflibuebe’ (moped boys) amid clouds of nostalgia and bluish smoke. For his ride, Claudio Lang has chosen the Condor-Puch X30 NS. At first glance, there’s nothing special about it: a red frame, a chrome fuel tank and mudguards, spoked wheels and ...

In Switzerland, an average of 5.5% of registered passenger cars are fully electric. This is shown by the latest data from the online platform Energie Reporter, as well as from Energie Schweiz and Geoimpact. There are significant differences between the cantons: the frontrunner is the canton of Zug, with 12% of its cars being electric – more than twice the Swiss average. It is followed by Zurich with 7%, and Lucerne and Nidwalden with 5.8% each. The lowest figures are recorded in Geneva at 3.8...

Switzerland’s neutrality is not always easy to explain, especially abroad. Many Swiss expats have to grapple with preconceived notions. Swiss neutrality is a hallmark of Switzerland. Abroad, however, it is sometimes criticised. Swiss citizens living abroad are regularly asked about it and have to explain what neutrality means for Switzerland. Several Swiss Abroad have shared their experiences with Swissinfo. "I’m Switzerland" is an idiom in the US. "Here in the US, you often hear that when so...

Swiss building materials giant Holcim is set to acquire German wall and flooring specialist Fermacell from James Hardie for €840 million (CHF784 million), as the Chicago-based building materials group divests its European fibre cement business. Based in Düsseldorf, Germany, Fermacell is expected to generate revenue of around €430 million in 2026 and employs about 1,000 people, according to statements released by Holcim and James Hardie on Thursday evening. The company operates six manufacturi...

Zurich’s first queer memorial was unveiled on Thursday by members of the LGBT+ community. Situated in Sihlfeld Cemetery, it stands as a symbol against hatred. The new memorial commemorates people who have lost their lives because of anti-queer violence or exclusion, according to HAZ-Queer Zürich. It also honours the courage of those who campaign for the rights of the queer community. The memorial complements the rainbow burial ground already established at Sihlfeld Cemetery. Thought to be the...

Sofia was Switzerland’s most popular girls’ name last year, while Noah remained the top choice for boys, according to figures published on Friday by the Federal Statistical Office. Having ranked third the previous year, Sofia has now overtaken Emma and Mia, names that have featured prominently in the top three for several years. + Emma and Noah most popular Swiss baby names in 2024 Noah also remains a regular at the top of the boys’ list, having topped the rankings 12 times since 2010. Last y...

Rivers reduced to trickles, scorched landscapes and forests taking on autumn colours weeks ahead of schedule: such scenes highlight the severity of a drought unmatched in Switzerland for decades. Since spring, Switzerland and much of Europe have been gripped by an exceptional drought. Between April 1 and July 31, around one-fifth of Switzerland’s monitoring stations recorded their lowest water levels for this period since measurements began, according to the Federal Office for the Environment...

China and Switzerland have concluded negotiations on further development of their free trade agreement. In future, there will be virtually no customs duties on Swiss exports to China. Federal President and Minister for Economic Affairs Guy Parmelin and Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao concluded negotiations on optimising the existing free trade agreement on Thursday in Bern. This was announced by the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER). Switzerland ha...

The financial situation of the Swiss insurance sector is “generally sound”, according to a report by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) published on Thursday. Insurers significantly increased their capital last year. According to the FINMA report, Swiss insurance companies posted an aggregate annual profit of CHF24.4 billion ($30.6 billion) in 2025, up 136% year-on-year from CHF14 billion. Annual profits for non-life insurers and reinsurers rose particularly sharply, rea...

From this Thursday, artists can submit their songs to represent Switzerland at the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Bulgaria. The application period runs until September 7. Entries can be submitted via an online platform. The selection process will be based on an internal procedure combining the assessments of national and international expert juries and a fan jury. Furthermore, Lasse Nymann, the new musical director of the Swiss Eurovision delegation, is responsible for th...

The increasing summer heat is changing the way Swiss people travel. According to a survey, more than half of the population has already adjusted their travel plans because of the heat, or intends to do so in future. According to a representative survey carried out by Marketagent on behalf of the tour operator Dertour Suisse, 27% of the 1,000 respondents have already adjusted their holiday plans due to the heat. A further 29% intend to do so in future. Meanwhile, 37% do not plan to make any ch...

In China, the space available for queer subcultures is shrinking. A drag artist from Zurich experienced this first-hand while on tour. In a small venue in Kunming, southern China, ‘Soya the Cow’ is rehearsing her act. The Zurich-based drag queen – or ‘Drag Cow’, as she calls herself – tackles themes including how humans treat animals and homosexuality in the animal kingdom. Whether her show can go ahead later that afternoon, however, is far from certain. “The tour started in Shanghai. But the...

A Swiss court will examine who was responsible for an accident that nearly cost a Russian figure skater her life during a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne in 2020. The skater, suspended from a hoop, fell approximately four metres onto the ice at the Vaudoise Arena in Switzerland. An investigation blamed the incorrect installation of a winch used to hoist her into the air. But the report did not identify any human negligence. It is now up to the Lausann...

Privacy concerns are growing in Switzerland about smart glasses that can film and take photos, particularly around public swimming pools. At first glance, they look like ordinary sunglasses, but they have several built-in technical features. So-called smart glasses can take photos, record videos, and in some cases even record conversations. Depending on the model, the data can be transferred directly to a smartphone or to a cloud. These very possibilities are now sparking political debate in ...

Changing fauna caused by melting glaciers could make it more likely for bees to pass diseases on to one another. This is shown by a new study led by the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Normally, wild bees and honeybees avoid each other whilst foraging by specialising in different plant species. This natural separation reduces the risk of cross-contamination with pathogens. However, as a result of changes to the plant world caused by glacial melt, bees are increasingly using the same fo...

The pharmaceutical industry is the engine of the Swiss economy. If the pharmaceutical industry is struggling, Switzerland's tax revenues will decline, says René Buholzer, CEO of Interpharma, the association of research-based pharmaceutical companies. In an interview with Swiss public broadcaster SRF, Buholzer also warns that price pressure from the United States is preventing new drugs from being developed in Switzerland. SRF: Why does such a powerful industry need political support from a fe...

Whether it was the relationship between members and the committee, the theme of the 2027 congress, or the diaspora’s contribution to Switzerland: during a marathon session, members of the Council for the Swiss Abroad, part of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, held lively discussions. Ninety-three delegates from around the world travelled to Central Switzerland to take part in this year’s second meeting of the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA), a meeting whose packed agenda led to lengthy ...

Swiss hearing aid manufacturer Sonova is launching new devices powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that are designed to better filter out speech from background noise. This is made possible by a new, specially developed AI chip, according to the company. With the new EON family from the Phonak brand, Sonova aims to defend its technological leadership in a rapidly growing market. EON represents the third generation of Sonova’s own real-time AI. + Swiss multinationals see gold in China’s si...

The federal government and the cantons are planning to introduce a mandatory reporting requirement for any indications of organised crime. An employee at a land registry office who notices suspicious real estate purchases, or a food inspector who finds evidence of money laundering during an inspection at a bar: In the future, they may be required to inform law enforcement authorities if they encounter evidence of organised crime. This was confirmed by Eva Wildi-Cortés, director of the Federal...

In his latest film, premiered in Locarno, Canadian filmmaker Denis Côté follows a woman who delivers assisted death to strangers. But beneath the film’s meditation on mortality lies a deeply personal story of illness, survival and artistic renewal. Though Switzerland has historically been home to some of the highest rates of assisted suicide in the world, a new player has joined the global leaderboard: Quebec, the home province of Canadian filmmaker Denis Côté, where reports indicate that med...

In an open letter, a number of prominent Israelis are calling on the Swiss government to halt trade in products from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. They cite an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which declares Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories to be illegal. Switzerland currently has no such import ban on goods from Israeli settlements. For certain products - food, wood products, or furs- there is a declaration req...

“Ambassadors of Switzerland” or “freeloaders”? The image of Swiss citizens living abroad remains a topic of controversy in Switzerland. Many Swiss people living abroad point to their contributions to the economy, culture and Switzerland’s international connections. Yet certain stereotypes persist. At the SwissCommunity Days in Brunnen, members of the Council of the Swiss Abroad discuss criticism, misconceptions and possible ways to foster greater understanding between Switzerland and its dias...

After more than three years, Zurich city government has set out the framework for a 35-hour working week. However, it has yet to decide which department will host the pilot scheme. Same pay for fewer hours: Zurich should lead the way by launching a pilot scheme for shift workers, including police officers, public transport staff and carers. + Read more: ‘we can afford to work less’ That was the demand made by left-wing parties in the city parliament on March 15, 2023. “We urgently need to slo...

The Swiss armed forces are making progress in tackling discrimination and sexual violence. Half of the planned measures have already been implemented, with the remainder under way. Only one of the 16 measures is behind schedule. In 2025, the Swiss armed forces launched a 16-point action plan to tackle discrimination and sexual violence. Eight of the measures have already been implemented, including a compulsory online awareness-training module for all recruits and the introduction of an anony...

Building a new nuclear power station in Switzerland would cost between CHF14 billion ($17 billion) and CHF43 billion, according to a new report by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences. Such a project would probably only be financially viable with substantial government support, the institution said on Friday. In recent years, private investors around the world have invested in projects of this scale only when governments have shouldered a significant share of the risk. The report’s wide c...

A flat fire in Schaffhausen, northern Switzerland, left 11 people injured on Thursday night. Police said nine were taken to hospital. A female police officer from Schaffhausen police was also among those injured, police said in a statement issued in the early hours of Friday. The extent of the 11 people's injuries was not immediately clear, a spokesperson for Schaffhausen police told the Keystone-SDA news agency. Emergency services were called to a fire in Schaffhausen’s Riet district shortly...

The iconic Swiss shoe brand Bally is in deep crisis. If the company ultimately goes bankrupt, its significant historic collection is also at risk. Can 40,000 shoes from the Bally archive be saved? At the train station in Schönenwerd, in the canton of Solothurn, northwest Switzerland, stands a huge outlet centre. Beyond that, there isn't much: small housing estates for workers, modern apartment buildings, and a Coop supermarket. Just over 5,000 people live here – a typical suburban commuter to...

The Australian pharmaceutical group CSL Behring has cut just under 10% of the workforce in Bern, the company announced on Thursday. In February, it emerged that the company was planning job cuts. Tamedia’s Bern-based publications cited a figure of around 180 jobs likely to be at risk – roughly 10% of the workforce. CSL Behring has now stated in a press release issued on Thursday that the transformation process has been completed and that the company has “strengthened its long-term competitive...

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is still courting Christine Lagarde to take over as its next chair, according to people familiar with the matter. The issue was reportedly discussed at a meeting of the organisation’s board this week. The European Central Bank (ECB) head appears ready to take the role, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal business. However, Lagarde wants to be sure that tensions between the WEF and its founder and former chairman Klaus Schwab have ...

The Kunstmuseum Basel is staging an exhibition dedicated to the print work of the American pop art pioneer, Roy Lichtenstein. Numerous prints donated by the artist’s foundation are on display for the first time. The exhibition “Sweet Dreams, Baby!” brings together around 50 works spanning all periods of the artist’s career, the Kunstmuseum Basel announced on Thursday. The museum is presenting a major donation from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation to the public for the first time. In 2023, to m...

Switzerland is boosting gas supply for the coming winter. A key element of this is an option to purchase gas, which can be sourced from the transit pipeline from France to Italy if required, as announced by the Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES). This is roughly equivalent to one-tenth of winter consumption. The measure is a response to low storage levels in European Union countries and uncertainties on the international energy markets, FONES announced on Thursday. Switzerlan...

The active ingredient in "magic mushrooms" does more than just confuse the brain. Psilocybin directs brain activity more decisively towards what is happening in the present moment. A new study published in the science journal Nature offers a fresh explanation as to why psychedelic therapy may be successful, as explained by the international research team, which includes the University of Zurich that carried out the study published today. For years, classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD...