Swiss banking giant UBS should be required to fully back its units abroad with highest-quality equity capital in Switzerland, a senior central bank official reiterated. At a time when lawmakers are discussing potentially watering down such a requirem...

Basel-based agribusiness firm Syngenta slightly improved its operating profit in the first half of 2026, despite a slight decline in turnover. In the months from January to June, the Group’s turnover fell by 2% year-on-year to $12.2 billion (CHF9.8...

Chronic pain leaves its mark on the brain according to a study by the Inselspital in Bern and the University of Fribourg. The researchers found that the structure of the cerebral cortex in people suffering from chronic pain differs from that of healt...

The election to renew the entire Swiss Federal Supreme Court will not take place in the autumn, but rather in the winter. This has been decided by the judicial committee of both parliamentary chambers. The reason for this is a past romantic relations...

Switzerland has expressed its solidarity with Nepal after flash floods left dozens dead and hundreds missing. There are currently no reports of any Swiss nationals among the victims. Following the devastating flash floods in Nepal, the Swiss foreign ...

The Swiss government is stepping up efforts to tackle the heat and drought affecting Switzerland. More than CHF70 million ($87 million) has been made available at short notice to help forests adapt to climate change and support farming businesses. Th...

From November 2, biometric identity cards will be issued by the relevant authorities in Switzerland and Swiss diplomatic missions abroad. At its meeting on Wednesday, the Swiss government approved the necessary amendment to the ordinance. According t...

Risks in the Swiss property market eased slightly in the second quarter of 2026, marking the first improvement in risk conditions in three years. Moneypark’s Real Estate Risk Index (RERI) fell from 3.7 to 3.5 points in the second quarter, moving ba...

The Swiss Federal Railways reported a profit of CHF126 million ($157 million) in the first half of the year, up from CHF48 million a year earlier. The increase was driven by higher passenger numbers, its property business and a recovery in freight tr...

On the second day of the trial over the Bondo landslide in canton Graubünden, the defence called on Tuesday for the defendants to be acquitted. Former Bregaglia mayor and parliamentarian Anna Giacometti (Radical-Liberal Party) had acted in line with...

Klaus-Michael Kühne’s death signals the end of a swashbuckling dealmaking era for the German tycoon’s empire while transferring his $49 billion fortune to a low-key Swiss foundation. As part of a longstanding succession plan, Kühne’s portfoli...

The independent mediation body for disputes between the Geneva police and the public – the only body of its kind in Switzerland – recommends an institutional framework to prevent racial profiling. Among its other recommendations, published for th...

The number of asylum applications in Switzerland is now expected to be even lower than previously forecast in 2026. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has revised its projections downwards and expects around 22,000 applications by the end of t...

Raiffeisen’s profits rose by almost a fifth in the first half of 2026. However, as part of its strategy to improve long-term sustainability, Switzerland’s second-largest banking group is cutting jobs in a bid to boost efficiency. Raiffeisen Switz...

The Aargau cantonal government has been tasked with drawing up legislation to ban headscarves for schoolgirls aged 16 and under in schools. The cantonal parliament approved a motion to that effect submitted by lawmakers from the Radical-Liberal Party...

A committee of the Swiss Senate has proposed a different way of funding the military rearmament programme from that put forward by the government. Under its plan, the VAT increase would be smaller, unspent budget allocations would also be used and th...

More and more people are using artificial intelligence (AI) both at work and in their private lives. According to a survey, this figure stands at 80% of the population, which represents a doubling over the course of two years. Its use is particularly...

The Swiss economy grew more strongly in 2025 than previously thought, according to the latest data. Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 1.6% at constant prices, as the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) announced on Tuesday. The State Secretariat for ...

The hype surrounding The Odyssey is not confined to cinemas. Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation has also sparked growing interest in Homer’s work in Swiss bookshops. In German-speaking Switzerland, there has been an increase in demand for Homerâ...

Punctuality at Zurich Airport improved during the peak summer season of 2026. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), on the other hand, had to contend with more cancellations and diverted landings, meaning that its punctuality did not improve. Across...

A whale embarked on an unusual journey in Fribourg, western Switzerland, on Tuesday. The 11-metre, 1,650-kilo taxidermy specimen is one of the attractions at the Natural History Museum. It was moved to the institution’s new premises. The whale, whi...

The situation on the Weisshorn near Randa, canton Valais in southwestern Switzerland, remains tense: following several glacier collapses on Monday, the local authority has raised the alert level to 3. Further collapses in the coming days cannot be ru...

Greater resilience in the face of heatwaves, severe weather or pandemics: through its ‘Resilience Weeks’, the City of Zurich is aiming to better prepare the public for crises. Among other things, participants will learn where they can access drin...

Two-thirds of mountain walkers carry on along the route through dangerous sections despite feeling afraid and unsure. According to the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU), it is mainly younger and inexperienced walkers who underestimate the r...

The legendary Zurich Zoofäscht is set to be revamped. After almost 40 years, the current organising committee is stepping down from organising the charity gala. From 2028, Zurich Zoo will take over the organisation of the event and further develop t...

In the Swiss canton of Lucerne, fires in designated fire pits and in charcoal barbecues have been permitted again since Tuesday lunchtime. However, the ban on fires in and near woodland remains in force, even following the rainfall of the past few da...

The Trump administration has extended sanctions against the sprawling network of Iranian oil trader Hossein Shamkhani, targeting his Wellbred group of commodities businesses as part of a wide-ranging set of measures intended to isolate Iran. The Trea...

The Swiss public will soon be able to pay for essential goods by card, even in the event of a technical fault. The Swiss government, banks, payment service providers and retailers are set to introduce offline card payments by the end of 2027. In the ...

The first buildings constructed between 1969 and 1984 on the site of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) are to be listed as historic monuments. The aim is to preserve this iconic example of 20th-century architecture while ensur...

A Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in the Azores while en route from Chicago to Zurich. The reason was a chemical odour on board. The aircraft is a Boeing 777 with 222 passengers and 16 crew membe...