The St Gallen Abbey Archives has launched a major project to digitise its collections. By the end of 2028, around 2.2 million pages from historical books and records are to be preserved for research and future generations. Specifically, around 1.5 mi...

Thousands of flats that had previously been blocked by urban planning restrictions can now be built in the Swiss city of Zurich. The recently amended federal ordinance has lifted a construction freeze on around 4,000 flats in Zurich. This was reporte...

The hot summer of 2026 caused economic damage amounting to CHF400 million in Switzerland. And weather events could also result in high costs next year, according to a study by the credit insurer Allianz Trade. Labour productivity also suffered as a r...

The Swiss Senate has approved a motion to ban the use of the Swiss cross on products manufactured abroad. The request follows a change in practice by the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) in March 2026. This allows the Swiss cross to b...

Kühne+Nagel, a Swiss logistics firm with German roots, intends to shed full light on its activities during the Second World War, particularly its links with the Nazis. The Schwyz-based company has confirmed statements to this effect made by its chai...

Water levels in lakes across eastern Switzerland have fallen to a record low. Lakes Untersee and Zurich have never recorded lower water levels. The drought, which has persisted for months, is particularly evident on the Untersee, the western part of ...

Swiss Post has dedicated a new series of stamps to five Swiss livestock breeds at risk of extinction. These are the Appenzell bearded hen, the Roux du Valais sheep, the Rhaetian Grey cattle, the red-necked goat and the small tricolour mottled rabbit....

Half a gram of dust from space has allowed researchers at the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich to unravel how the asteroid Bennu was formed. In 2023, a NASA probe brought 120 grams of rock samples from the asteroid Bennu back to Earth. H...

The Swiss Senate has tabled a motion calling on the government to relax the protection of journalistic sources. This would make it easier to prosecute breaches of official secrecy. Under the criminal code, journalists are not required to disclose the...

Almost half of all Swiss people regularly get annoyed with other road users, according to a traffic survey commissioned by insurance group Axa. Around 26% of road users surveyed get annoyed by others several times a week, and 23% even do so every day...

The number of tuberculosis cases in Switzerland last year reached its highest level since 2018. The increase is attributable almost entirely to people of foreign origin, particularly teenagers and young adults. According to figures released today by ...

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) decided on Thursday to keep its key interest rate at 0%, where it has been since June 2025. The central bank made its quarterly decision as inflation remains under control in Switzerland. "If necessary, the [SNB] is prep...

The Moon once had its own magnetic field, according to Swiss researchers who analysed data collected by probes flying over the far side of the Moon. The analysis, published on Wednesday in the specialist journal Science Advances, lends support to the...

Switzerland intends to continue offering its diplomatic channels to help unblock peace processes that have stalled in the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, said at the UN in New York. Bern could facilitate talks a...

The summer drought and hail storms caused CHF59.2 million in crop damage, according to agricultural insurer Hagel Schweiz. This is almost three times as much damage as last summer. The months of April to August were the driest and hottest since recor...

The House of Representatives does not support the popular initiative ‘Yes to the security of medical supplies’. Parliamentarians instead endorsed the government’s direct counter-proposal. The chamber agreed that while the initiative addresses a...

Swiss residents move home five times on average during their lives, and despite a housing shortage, only about half spend more than three months searching for a new place. These are the two main findings of a survey conducted by the property portal N...

Archaeologists in Basel have uncovered an almost intact medieval hot-air heating system during renovation work at the site of the former Gnadental monastery, a find described as unique in Switzerland. The heating system was uncovered in the courtyard...

Lawmakers wants to set an upper limit on the size of the wolf population in Switzerland. If this threshold is exceeded, it should be possible to cull wolves in the affected region. After a vote in the Senate, the House of Representatives also passed ...

After two difficult years, there are growing signs of a recovery in the chocolate industry, say experts. Cocoa prices have fallen significantly from their record highs and there are signs of increased demand. Analysts at the Swiss bank Vontobel say t...

This summer's heatwaves caused around 600 excess deaths in Switzerland. Even people under 65 were affected. Weekly mortality figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show just how severe the impact was during this summer, the hottest since r...

Austrian property tycoon René Benko has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after an Innsbruck court found he had caused losses to creditors. The founder of the now-bankrupt Signa property group had paid an advance on rent of €360,000...

Switzerland remains one of the world's best countries for pensioners, ranking fourth in an international study after slipping one place from last year. In 2024, it topped the ranking. Norway currently offers the best conditions for retirees, accordin...

Premium Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli has pulled its project for a flagship store in Dubai over concerns about the regional impact of the war in Iran. Lindt’s plans for the combined museum and retail outlet have been suspended “in light...

Galderma, the Swiss dermatology company, recently opened a new headquarters for the Americas in Miami, lured by the city’s mix of high-income spenders and a booming plastic surgery industry that attracts visitors from around the world. The firm, wh...

Roche’s experimental obesity shot enicepatide cut both blood sugar and body weight in type-2 diabetes patients who were overweight or obese in a mid-stage trial. Patients receiving the highest 24-milligram dose had a 2.65% reduction in HbA1c - a me...

The Swiss Senate has backed tough new capital rules for UBS, requiring the banking giant to finance 90% of its foreign holdings with core equity capital. The new rules are intended to tighten the "too-big-to-fail" framework in Switzerland. The Senate...

Former Guatemalan police chief Erwin Sperisen has once again challenged Switzerland before the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that the more than 14-year-long proceedings against him violate his right to a trial within a reasonable time. Spe...

Swiss President Guy Parmelin has called on world leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly in New York to “show that cooperation remains possible”. Drawing on Switzerland's experience as a multilingual nation, he said the county has learned to ...

The Swiss passport takes 9th place in a global ranking, with 119 visa-free destinations and 54 countries requiring a visa on arrival or other entry formalities for Swiss citizens. A standard visa is required for 25 destinations. There are no downside...