This week, the Federal Council unveiled criteria that could allow Switzerland to temporarily limit the free movement of persons from the European Union and EFTA countries, reported RTS. The work follows the newly negotiated safeguard clause, part of the broader framework governing Swiss–EU bilateral relations. Under the plan, the government will monitor a set of […]
One fifth of staff to go at UN migration agency in Geneva
the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which has been hit hard by US foreign aid cuts, is laying off around 20% of staff at its Geneva headquarters, reported RTS. Around 20% of the organisation’s roughly 1,000 staff based in Geneva are to be cut according to several sources familiar with the situation. One employee told […]
French government decides not to halve unemployment benefits for cross-border workers
Several hundred thousand French residents work in Switzerland. These workers pay unemployment insurance in Switzerland. However, their unemployment benefits, should they find themselves out of work, are covered by the French administration. In November 2023, French authorities announced a plan to cut the amount they pay to unemployed cross-border workers. This week, several French parliamentarians […]
Switzerland to return to Afghanistan
Switzerland will reopen its humanitarian office in Afghanistan in autumn 2024 instead of summer as initially announced, reported SRF. Four employees will be sent from Switzerland to oversee humanitarian projects financed by the Swiss federal government in the Afghan capital Kabul. According to the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, a spokesperson for Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry confirmed […]
NATO to open an office in Geneva
NATO has signed an agreement with Switzerland to open an office in Geneva, reported RTS. The new office will be similar to ones in New York and Vienna and is the fruit of discussions that began in 2022. NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) says it is opening the liaison office to facilitate exchanges with […]
Former Swiss president to head Council of Europe
On 25 June 2024, Alain Berset was elected the new secretary general of the Council of Europe. Six months ago, Berset was a member of Switzerland’s cabinet, known as the Federal Council. in 2023, he was also Switzerland’s president. The Council of Europe is a European organisation focused on upholding human rights, democracy and the […]
Iranian president cancels Geneva trip after arrest petition
Three Iranians living in Switzerland requested the arrest of Ebrahim Raïssi, Iran’s president who was scheduled to visit Geneva on Wednesday, reported RTS. Raïssi later cancelled his visit, reported the newspaper Le Temps. Three Iranians, supported by more than 300 petitioners, requested the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) arrest the president while […]
Afrik Rire – live English comedy comes to Geneva
The sixth edition of the Geneva comedy festival aims to make Geneva’s cultural diversity resonate through laughter. This year it presents comedy in English which includes well-established comedians from across the english-speaking world. The 10 first readers to email: info@lenews.ch with their names and email addresses will get FREE TICKETS. Here’s Aisha Alfa one of […]
Swiss government throws lifeline to Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is facing financial difficulties due to numerous crises and record numbers of people in humanitarian distress, alongside a fall in donations. This week, Switzerland’s Federal Council offered to provide a CHF 50 million loan and delay the repayment of Covid loans by four years to give the […]
One third of Russian diplomats in Switzerland could be spies
On 26 June 2023, Switzerland’s Federal Intelligence Service warned of the increasing risk of spying in Switzerland. According to the report, Russia has destroyed the rules-based order for peace in Europe. The effectiveness of international forums such as the UN has continued to decline and there are no signs of a stable new world order. […]
