An international eye on Swiss news collated by Peter Hulm for NuseReal

October 2025

Where should you live if world chaos breaks out? Switzerland (LINK) 30 October 2025

— After Switzerland comes Denmark and Norway. After Singapore, from fifth place onwards are Sweden, Luxembourg, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Iceland. The United States is 24th, France 29th, Italy is 36th, just ahead of China (37th), Russia is 69th, and India is only 104th: climate risk weighs heavily here.

Swiss lawmakers back media copyright fees for digital giants (LINK) 28 October 2025

— But the majority of the House Committee criticised the government for focusing solely on text and image previews, so-called snippets, and the remuneration for their use in its bill. However, the handling by providers of artificial intelligence (AI) must also be regulated, and sent the bill back for revision.

Most Swiss cantons expect budget deficits in 2026: austerity programmes are either already underway or planned. In others such as Zurich and Bern, tax cuts are foreseen. Canton Zug is expecting the highest revenue surplus: "The largest shares of cantonal expenditure are for education, social affairs and health" (LINK) 24 October 2025

— The budget for canton Geneva is in the red with a deficit of CHF409.4 million. Among the measures proposed to curb the rise in costs is the suspension of the annuity (regular payment) for civil servants.

More than 25,000 animals abandoned in Switzerland in 2024: Fish remain by far the most frequently abandoned species: 18,605 were taken in, a figure largely unchanged from 2023. The number of dogs in shelters rose markedly, from 865 to 1,009 (LINK) 24 October 2025

Swiss government to restrict international travel for asylum seekers except Ukrainians (LINK) 22 October 2025

Swiss government rejects ban on children’s headscarves in schools (LINK) 22 October 2025

— The government believes that the state, and therefore also public schools, should remain neutral with regard to religious symbols. It argues that the current law sufficiently ensures that all girls can take part in school, sports and swimming lessons. In individual cases, cantonal authorities had issued headscarf bans for schoolgirls. In a landmark ruling in 2015, the Federal Supreme Court ruled that a general ban on children wearing headscarves in public schools would not be in line with the constitution.

PostBus to test autonomous car service in four Swiss cantons: St Gallen, Thurgau, Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden (LINK) 22 October 2025

Switzerland's massive hiring spree: 85,000 high-paying jobs up to €6,500 (LINK) 22 October 2025

New CHF4m funding from Switzerland for UNCTAD to boost inclusive digital economy for 2025-9 (LINK) 21 October 2025

— State Secretariat for Economic Affairs's Head of Trade Promotion Monica Rubiolo announced the contribution agreement alongside Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan, during the 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) hosted by Switzerland from 20 to 23 October 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Since 2021, UN Trade and Development and SECO have partnered to help developing countries such as Ghana, Peru and Tunisia assess their e-trade readiness and implement reforms.

"Nestlé's new no-nonsense CEO Philipp Navratil is rewriting the rules of CPG turnarounds" (LINK) 20 October 2025

— "We will be ruthless in assessing our talent," he told staff, stressing metrics, accountability, and rewards for delivery. The phrasing startled some. The markets loved it. Within days, Nestlé's share price jumped 9%. Within three weeks of taking the role, he'd announced 16,000 job cuts, roughly 6% of Nestlé’s workforce, paired with a substantial increase in marketing investment.

Geneva schools kick out Swiss kids living in France (LINK) 19 October 2025

— Around 115,000 people work in Geneva but live across the border, where the cost of living is cheaper. French municipalities fuming at having to absorb more than 2,000 extra kids into their classrooms. While some are French, 80 percent of those affected are Swiss. The financial consequences for France are estimated at around 60 million euros in schooling and infrastructure costs, plus another 15 million euros a year thereafter.

Valendas in Grisons joins exclusive Swiss list of World Tourism Organization/UN Tourism.'s 10 'Best Tourism Villages' (LINK) 17 October 2025

— UN Tourism honoured Valendas for its commitment to the global sustainable development of tourism and for its various initiatives to preserve, promote and enhance the cultural heritage and natural resources. Alongside Valendas, the municipality of Evolène (Valais) has been selected to participate in the “Best Tourism Villages” upgrade programme for villages with great potential but which do not fully meet the criteria.

— The locations that can already boast the title of "Best Tourism Villages" in Switzerland are Andermatt (canton Uri), Gruyères (Fribourg), Morcote (Ticino), Morat (Fribourg), Romoos (Lucerne), Saas-Fee (Valais), Saint-Ursanne (Jura), Splügen (Graubünden/Grisons) and Valposchiavo (Graubünden/Grisons).

Much delayed "Alpes" outlet shopping centre in Bellegarde to go ahead after 2.5 year halt (LINK) 17 October 2025

The food giant Nestlé has announced that it plans to sack 6% of its global workforce in an effort to save CHF 1bn. In all 16,000 will lose their jobs. The company’s sales are down — turnover has dropped 2% over the last year (LINK) 16 October 2025

Swiss scientists issue warning after discovering 'enormous' natural phenomenon: Global warming 'is the main cause for the acceleration' (LINK) 16 October 2025

— Researchers from the monitoring group GLAMOS and the Swiss Academy of Sciences say that Switzerland's glaciers lost 3% of their total volume this year. As ABC News reports, that means Switzerland, home to more glaciers than any other European country, has now lost one-quarter of its ice mass over the past decade. "Glacial melting in Switzerland was once again enormous in 2025," the scientists said in a statement. Switzerland has already lost more than 1,000 small glaciers, scientists say, and that melting ice has a major impact on tourism, hydropower, agriculture, and more throughout Europe.

Geneva doubles down on ending cross-border school student access (LINK) 16 October 2025

— The Socialist Party put forward a motion that all students in the school system should be able to finish their studies — that means the phase out could last for as long as the next 15 years. But that's been rejected by the Education Committee.

Geneva seizes and destroys dozens of e-scooters (LINK) 16 October 2025

— Some were clocked at over 30 kilometres per hour, well above the 20 limit. Those vehicles were seized and destroyed, and their owners fined several hundred francs.

easyJet could become a Geneva company (LINK) 16 October 2025

— According to reports in the Italian press, the Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is exploring a possible stake or even a full takeover of the British budget airline.

Smarter operations at Geneva Airport transforms passenger journeys (LINK) 14 October 2025

— The new system covers everything from managing aircraft movements and parking stands to planning check-in counters, boarding gates, and baggage belts, as well as sharing flight information across screens and mobile apps. Passengers are also feeling the benefits of self-service bag drop, first deployed at the end of 2023 and now enhanced with new features that make check-in faster and more intuitive. With all counters available for self-service, queues are significantly reduced, something already valued by travellers, whose satisfaction was increased by 70%. This upgrade is helping to cut wait times and improve satisfaction at one of Europe's busiest mid-sized hubs.

Boat services between Switzerland and France to be reduced from 2026 (LINK) 10 October 2025

— Évian–Lausanne line set to lose weekend sailings and have fewer boats operating overall. The biggest cuts will hit the Lausanne–Thonon-les-Bains route, where crossings will be halved and no boats will run at weekends. The Yvoire route will also see fewer sailings, but peak-time services will stay in place to ensure cross-border commuters can still get to work.

— swissinfo: "The adjustments follow the renewal of a cross-border agreement between canton Vaud and French local authorities. France had refused to extend the deal under its current terms, which involved splitting costs equally. After months of negotiations, both sides have agreed to continue sharing the costs of services not covered by ticket sales, but with a scaled-back timetable."

Gear Patrol: "This new Swiss [Tissot] automatic just blew up my expectations for a $500 watch: this kind of accuracy for this little money is basically unheard of" (LINK) 11 October 2025 2025

Nobel-winning economists Duflo and Banerjee will leave US for Switzerland (LINK) 10 October 2025 2025

— The University of Zurich said that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, known for their work in development economics, will move from the US to Switzerland, amid Donald Trump's attacks on universities. Now at MIT, they will establish a new center for development economics.

— The couple will each have an endowed professorship at UZH funded by the Lemann Foundation, the university said. They will also establish and co-lead the new Lemann Center for Development, Education and Public Policy, with an aim to foster policy-relevant research and connect researchers and education policymakers around the world, it added. "We are delighted that two of the world's most influential economists are joining UZH," university president Michael Schaepman said. Duflo said the new Lemann Center would enable the couple, who will retain part-time positions at MIT, to "build on and expand our work, which bridges academic research, student mentorship and real-world policy impact."

Select Swiss airports to roll out new entry-exit system on Monday (LINK) 9 October 2025

— It will allow third-country nationals to be registered electronically, replacing the current manual stamping of travel documents. First in Basel and Geneva on October 12, while in Zurich the date chosen is November 17.

EPFL study: "In the future, [Swiss] dams will serve a variety of purposes" (LINK) 9 October 2025

TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5: Top 5 design elements that set Swiss smartwatches apart (LINK) 9 October 2025

Nouvelliste: Gault & Millau: 10 Valais restaurant chefs in the guide: top is Franck Reynaud of the Hostellerie du Pas-de-l'Ours in Crans-Montana (18 points out of 20)(in French) (LINK) 8 October 2025

Hiking accidents in Switzerland double in 15 years to average of 9,000 a year (LINK) 7 October 2025

— In more than eight out of ten accidents, the people involved tripped, slipped, fell or took a wrong step. Most often, these accidents are due to unsuitable equipment, lack of attention or overestimated physical fitness, officials said.

UNHCR cuts close to 5,000 jobs amid funding shortfall (LINK) 6 October 2025

UNCHR sets up investigative mechanism on Afghanistan (LINK) 6 October 2025

Ukraine says Swiss components found in Russian drones (LINK) 6 October 2025

Pope Leo XIV attends swearing-in of Swiss Guard, first for a pope in nearly 60 years (LINK) 4 October 2025

Vatican's Swiss Guard debuts new uniform (LINK) 2 October 2025

— The new non-ceremonial uniform will be for events outside the Vatican, such as embassy parties and official dinners. This uniform, featuring a yellow and white striped belt and gold buttons, is a revival of a style worn by the guards up until the 1970s. Visitors to the Vatican will still see the guards in their traditional Renaissance-style ceremonial uniforms. More than two dozen new recruits will be sworn into the Swiss Guard this Saturday, following the election of Pope Leo XIV. The Swiss Vatican Guards were stablished in 1506 to guard and protect the pope and his official residence, the Apostolic Palace, as well as cardinals who gather during the papal conclave.

The 135 Swiss Guards don the new uniforms for the first time : The Swiss-made garments were paid for by a benefactor and cost 2,000 euros (around $2,300) apiece. isnce the election of Pope Leo, the guards have noticed "an increase in objects being thrown" at the pope, the information officer told a press confernce, and "it bothers us a bit". — (LINK)

If Earth had not collided with Theia 4.5 billion years ago to create the moon, you would not be reading this, say Berne scientists (LINK) 3 October 2025

— Scientists timed Earth's early formation using a short-lived radioactive marker, manganese-53, which decays into chromium-53. Using this chronometer, the team reached age estimates with an accuracy better than one million years – razor sharp for the dawn of planet-building. Without the delivery of a crucial payload of water and other ingredients, Earth could have remained a rocky world with little water, even while orbiting within the Sun’s so-called habitable zone. Publication in Science Advances, 1 August 2025.