Across Europe, young people are taking to the streets. Some protest peacefully; others turn to violence. They say they are angry about uncertain job prospects, poor education and the high cost of living. Zurich and Basel have also seen protests and riots, and a large youth strike is planned for the end of November. Yet […]
Ukrainian refugees struggle with life underground in Swiss bomb shelters
About 100 refugees have spent months living in civil-defence shelters in the Swiss canton of Vaud, reports RTS. The canton’s migrant reception agency lacks accommodation, and residents say life underground is damaging their health. One Ukrainian man in his 40s has been staying in a shelter in Clarens between Vevey and Montreux for several months. […]
America’s drug-price strategy could hit Swiss health-insurance premiums
Efforts to cut American drug prices could cost Swiss health-insurance premium payers hundreds of millions of francs a year, a new study finds. Drug prices in Switzerland are among the world’s highest. In America, they are higher still. The American government wants pharmaceutical companies to charge less for new medicines. For firms such as Roche […]
Ukraine still finding Swiss components in Russian weapons
Ukrainian authorities continue to find components made by Swiss companies in the wreckage of Russian drones and missiles, reports SRF. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to Ukraine’s president on international sanctions, told SRF he wants Switzerland to do more to stop the flow. Ukrainians face missile and drone attacks every night. Mr Vlasiuk describes it as […]
Swiss minister visits North Korea to reopen office
Western officials rarely visit North Korea. On Thursday Ignazio Cassis, Switzerland’s foreign minister, travelled there to try to revive political dialogue. The minister was scheduled to visit North Korea and South Korea from October 29th to 31st as part of Switzerland’s longstanding efforts to support peace on the Korean peninsula, said a government press release. […]
Switzerland releases jet-fuel reserves as Zurich airport faces a shortage
Switzerland has authorised the release of up to 30m litres of jet fuel from compulsory stocks over the next fortnight to avert a shortage at Zurich airport. The volume represents 6.5% of the country’s aviation-fuel reserves. The release of reserves was approved after disruptions to river and rail freight threatened deliveries. The main bottleneck is […]
Switzerland considers doubling police detention period after Bern riots
Police want more time to investigate violent protests. Human-rights groups fear that suspects’ legal protections could suffer. A year after a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Bern turned violent, Swiss lawmakers are moving to double the time suspects can be held in police custody. The riots in Bern on October 11th 2025 were unusually violent by Swiss […]
Crans-Montana fire: bar owners warned of danger years earlier
WhatsApp messages from 2019 suggest that Jacques and Jessica Moretti knew sparklers could set their bar alight, raising questions about whether they should face more serious criminal charges, reported RTS. Jacques and Jessica Moretti, the owners of Le Constellation, a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, warned staff about the risk of fire […]
Theft convictions fall in Switzerland, but foreign nationals still account for more than 80%
More than 80% of those convicted were foreign nationals, and around two-thirds were not permanent residents of Switzerland, according to new federal statistics. As autumn brings shorter days and longer nights, Switzerland enters the season when burglaries tend to rise. Theft, which includes burglary, is among the most common offences recorded in the country’s latest […]
Switzerland’s upper house puts its stamp on the EU deal
After 24 hours of debate, senators backed much of the new bilateral package—but toughened the rules on referendums and immigration. After roughly 24 hours of debate, Switzerland’s Council of States has finished its first examination of most of the country’s sprawling new package of agreements with the European Union. Its verdict was broadly favourable, but […]
