Switzerland was ranked tenth in the latest 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published by Transparency International this week. The index ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, with results ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). This year’s index reveals that corruption levels are at […]
US diplomats in Geneva report suffering from Havana syndrome
Several US diplomats in Geneva appear to be victims of the Havana syndrome, according to RTS. The mysterious syndrome was first reported in Havana in Cuba in 2016 by US and Canadian embassy staff, but may have been occurring earlier. The symptoms include ear pain and ringing, nausea, disorientation, dizziness and cognitive difficulties. Brain scans […]
US court rejects Swiss Gruyere cheese challenge
In Switzerland, Gruyère is a cheese with a strict recipe originally produced in a region (with a town) of the same name in the Swiss canton of Fribourg. On 7 January 2022, a judge at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia affirmed a ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark […]
Switzerland wants to make it easier for some foreign students to stay
On 27 October 2021, the Federal Council put forward a plan to change the rules around foreign students working in Switzerland upon completing study at a Swiss university. The proposed rules would allow those graduating from Swiss universities with masters or doctorates in fields with a shortage of workers to work in Switzerland more easily. […]
US moves Switzerland to its highest Covid-19 risk level
On 30 August 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised the travel advisory risk levels of seven nations, including Switzerland, from level 3 (Covid-19 high) to level 4 (Covid-19 very high), the highest level. The CDC and US state department advise people in the US to avoid travelling to Switzerland and […]
Almost all Swiss now out of Afghanistan
By 24 August 2021, all those working for the Swiss government and their close family members had either successfully left Afghanistan or made it to a secure part of the airport in Kabul, according to RTS. 15 Swiss citizens now remain in the country in addition to those at the airport. A total of 292 […]
Afghanistan — “We Tried to Tell You”
Afghanistan’s war has lasted over four decades and not 20 as is often claimed, notably since the US-led invasion of October 2001. Mort Rosenblum, who has covered Afghanistan since the early days of the Soviet occupation of the 1980s, explores the current US disaster and the crucial role of good reporting in getting people to […]
Preacher accused of racial discrimination by Swiss prosecutor
In a long running case dating back to 2017, a Swiss prosecutor has accused a Libyan preacher of racial discrimination and started legal proceedings against the man, reported SRF. It is alleged that the 68 year old Libyan gave a hate speech targeting Jews, Christians, Hindus, Russians and Shiites in a mosque in the town […]
Zurich airport: 5% to 10% of passengers not boarding due to Covid document issues
During July 2021, around 5% to 10% of long-haul passengers, many in transit, were unable to depart from Zurich airport because their Covid-19 documents did not comply with destination country regulations, reported the newspaper Le Temps. In June 2021, around 700 passengers, most of which were in transit, found themselves stuck at Zurich airport. According […]
The last time Switzerland made it to the quarter-finals
On Monday, 28 June 2021, Switzerland knocked world champions France out of Euro 2020 after extended play and a shoot out in Bucharest to make it through to the quarter finals. The last time Switzerland made it to the quarter-finals of a major football competition was during the World Cup in 1954, 67 years ago […]
