The flood of money poured into doctors, hospitals, networks of doctors, professional bodies and patient groups by pharmaceutical companies remains substantial. In 2025, these payments – in the form of conference attendance fees, accommodation expen...

On Thursday, around 100 Yemeni tribal leaders launched a “code of honour” at the United Nations in Geneva, committing themselves to protecting civilians during times of conflict and ensuring access to humanitarian aid. This initiative has the sup...

In the face of a wave of demonstrations across Europe, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe defends the right to demonstrate while strongly condemning the violence. For Alain Berset, these mobilisations reveal a deep malaise: the destructio...

People who take cold showers are less likely to be absent from work. This is the conclusion reached by a study carried out by the University of Basel. According to the study, a daily cold shower reduces the number of days missed from work due to illn...

The digitalisation of the rail infrastructure by 2045 is expected to cost CHF7 billion. This has been confirmed by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the Federal Office of Transport in response to an enquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency. SBB’s f...

The Swiss stock market hit a new record on Thursday. The benchmark SMI index rose briefly to just under 14,732 points during the morning, surpassing the previous high set in mid-August by a good 50 points. On Thursday, the blue-chip stocks provided s...

The effects of climate change are already being felt in Switzerland, the National Centre for Climate Services (NCCS) announced on Thursday as the “NCCS-Impacts” research project drew to a close. Heat, drought and extreme weather are taking their ...

Three Swiss brands have made it into the world’s top 100 most valuable brands. Zurich Insurance, Nescafé and Nestlé feature in this year’s ranking by the brand consultancy Interbrand. Zurich Insurance comes out on top, ranking 58th with an esti...

The Swiss save money, but for many, their financial reserves are not enough to cope with a prolonged loss of income. Almost one in two people would struggle to maintain their standard of living after just three months without an income. This is the f...

Swiss Solidarity, the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, has launched a fundraising campaign on Thursday for the war-torn population of Sudan. Swiss President Guy Parmelin will open the National Day of Solidarity as a guest on Sw...

UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti issued an unusually clear threat to relocate the Swiss bank as he stepped up his rhetoric over Switzerland’s plans to make it hold billions of dollars in extra capital. “We are assessing the long term consequences for our a...

The Swiss defence ministry has been tasked with evaluating two long-range surface-to-air defence systems - Israel's Barak MX and France's SAMP/T NG - as potential additions to the US-made Patriot system, the government said on Wednesday. The Federal ...

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is due to begin a three-day trip to North and South Korea. On Thursday and Friday, he will be in Pyongyang, where he will attend the offiical reopening of the Swiss diplomatic office. On Saturday, the foreign min...

The Federal Council on Wednesday adopted a climate adaptation strategy and action plan for 2026–2031, outlining measures to better prepare Switzerland for the impacts of climate change. This strategy sets out objectives for adapting to climate chan...

Swiss citizens will vote on February 28, 2027, whether new nuclear power stations can be built in Switzerland, ten years after their construction was banned. Four other issues are on the agenda. The Federal Council wants to lift the ban on the constr...

Jacques Moretti will be questioned next Monday in Sion in connection with the deadly New Year's Eve fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana. The team of prosecutors handling the case has decided not to summon his wife, Jessica. The Office o...

Twenty injured children from Gaza were brought to Switzerland last year for treatment in Swiss hospitals. Most asylum procedures involving the children and their caregivers have now been concluded. In total, 31 people were granted temporary admission...

Swiss hedgehogs, named Animal of the Year 2026, struggled through the scorching summer as severe food shortages left many mothers weakened and an unusually high number of cubs orphaned. At the start of summer, hedgehog rescue centres in various regio...

The Federal Office for Defence Procurement (Armasuisse) plans to purchase defence equipment directly from American manufacturers in future, rather than through the US government. “That is one of the key lessons learnt from the F-35 purchase,” sai...

The hanging glacier on the eastern side of the Weisshorn mountain above Randa, in southern Switzerland, will continue to be closely monitored and safety measures will remain in place due to the potential dangers, the authorities said on Tuesday. Acce...

The cantonal governments of Basel City and Basel Country have approved the extension of EuroAirport's terminal. The project involves the investment of €157 million (CHF145 million) and is aimed at modernising the infrastructure and improving passen...

UBS recorded a net profit of $2.7 billion (CHF2.2 billion) between July and September. The bank is on track to meet its annual targets and complete the integration of Credit Suisse this year, it said on Wednesday. Profit before tax reached $3.6 billi...

The Jet d’Eau will undergo its annual maintenance work from Monday, which means it will be out of action for nearly five weeks. This year, the pump known as Jura will be removed for servicing at the Geneva Industrial Services (SIG) workshops. Every...

The European Commission wants to make Frontex the key player in deportations. On Tuesday it proposed a new mandate for the agency. The proposal also affects Switzerland, which is involved in Frontex through the Schengen Agreement. The European Border...

Swiss tourism is expected to grow again this winter, following a decline in overnight stays over the summer – the first such decline since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Economists at BAK Economics are forecasting growth in overnight stays, al...

Just under 270,000 people received social assistance in Switzerland in 2025. The social assistance rate stood at 2.9%, which is in line with the previous year’s figure. The number of people receiving social assistance thus rose by 4.5% compared wit...

House prices in Switzerland have continued to rise unabated. The upward trend continued in the third quarter of 2026 for both detached houses and flats. From July to September, the Swiss Residential Property Price Index (IMPI) rose by 1.7% compared w...

Economic concerns, high energy costs and rising interest rates are taking their toll on businesses. This is leading to a rise in corporate insolvencies worldwide. In Switzerland, bankruptcies are even likely to reach a record high, as a study by Alli...

Actual and minimum wages in Switzerland are set to rise by an average of 0.5% and 0.8% respectively in 2026. This was announced on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), based on the provisions of the main collective labour agreements (CLAs)...

A warm spring causes some trees to shed their leaves several weeks earlier in autumn, according to a Swiss experiment involving three native tree species. The findings could help to better predict the impact of climate change on forests and the carbo...