An international eye on Swiss news collated by NuseReal
Tourism events in Switzerland — myswitzerland — (LINK)
News events in Switzerland — swissinfo — (LINK)
The value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland currently stands at CHF7.4 billion ($8.4 billion), the Swiss government announced. This represents an increase of CHF1.6 billion in one year. Additional assets have been identified, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). (LINK). — 1 April 2025
— In addition to these CHF7.4 billion, 14 real estate assets of individuals, companies or entities targeted by the European Union's sanctions against Russia have been taken over by Switzerland.
How to detect criminal activities on Signal or WhatsApp? Ana-Maria Cretu from EPFL's Security and Privacy Engineering Lab shares her expertise on safety versus privacy concerns. — — 1 April 2025 (LINK)
"Trying to solve child sexual abuse completely through technological means is probably not the right solution. Technology will not solve all our problems. There are other ways to address [the issue], such as trying to raise awareness among parents, children and educators, and by designing means that children can use to report this kind of behaviour when it occurs." — (LINK)
Swiss central bank resumed foreign currency buying spree in 4th quarter of 2024 — 31 March 2025 (LINK)
— In 2024, the bank now headed by Martin Schlegel had returned to buying foreign currency for the first time since mid-2022. Previously, the SNB had acted as a large-scale seller in order to keep the franc high and thus reduce imported inflation. SNB officials were particularly active in the third quarter, when the purchases reached CHF728 million.
— Latest: Safe harbour Swiss franc rises amid tariff uncertainty: The euro is thus slightly down against the franc on 31 March compared to March 28, trading at CHF0.9528. The dollar for its part is trading at CHF0.8790, slipping once again below the 88 cent mark. Gold reached a new record high: spot trading was at $3115.10 an ounce, up 0.97%. — (LINK)
Red Cross outraged over killing of eight medics in Gaza — 30 March 2025 (LINK)
FIFA: court acquits Blatter and Platini on fraud allegations a second time — 28 March 2025 (LINK)
— The prosecution alleged that payments authorized by Blatter, now 89, and made to Platini, 69, were not for actual work, as the defence claimed. Between 1998 and 2002, Platini invoiced FIFA for CHF 300,000 annually, and the organization paid the invoices.
Geneva Environment Network: "International Geneva tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, of nature, land and biodiversity loss and of pollution and waste" — 28 March 2025 (LINK)
UBS has no intention of leaving Switzerland, compliance chief says — 28 March 2025 (LINK)
Switzerland's finance sheriff takes on UBS and banking elite — 26 March 2025 (LINK)
— Walter, 60, a German citizen with decades of experience in top-level regulation including in the US, is using a tumultuous period in Swiss finance to establish a forthright, public presence for Finma that few in Zurich or Geneva are accustomed to. Under his watch, Finma has communicated penalties or investigations against seven banks and fintech firms, including Julius Baer Group Ltd, using the limited powers that the body has to the full.
— Most conspicuously, he's publicly pushed for the strictest possible stance on the future capital requirements for UBS Group AG, facing off against the bank in a showdown where the stakes are rising rapidly. Executives at the global wealth manager in Zurich are even exploring whether the full introduction of the higher requirement could compel them to move their headquarters out of the country altogether, Bloomberg has reported.
UBS considers moving headquarters out of Switzerland amid capital rules clash: Switzerland's only remaining global bank — (LINK)
ETH Zurich's revolutionary Browser Use secures $17m to empower AI agents for effortless website navigation — 24 March 2025 (LINK)
— "The story of Browser Use began at ETH Zurich's Student Project House accelerator, founded by Magnus Müller and Gregor Zunic. Their journey, starting in 2024 during their master’s degrees in data science, reflects a blend of academic rigor and entrepreneurial spirit. Müller’s prior experience in web scraping combined with Zunic's data science expertise proved to be a potent mix. Their breakthrough idea was to leverage data science principles to guide browser actions, effectively teaching AI agents how to interact with websites programmatically. The rapid development of a Browser Use demo in just five weeks, followed by its open-sourcing, speaks volumes about the team's capabilities and the immediate appeal of their solution. Being part of Y Combinator's prestigious Winter 2025 batch further validates their innovative approach and potential for growth."
— "Browser Use gained significant traction thanks to its integration into Butterfly Effect's viral Manus tool. This Chinese startup leveraged Browser Use to power Manus, showcasing the practical applications and effectiveness of the technology in real-world scenarios. The virality of Manus significantly amplified awareness of Browser Use, propelling it into the spotlight and attracting wider developer interest."
Le News: Switzerland slides to 13th in happiness ranking in 2025 from 1 in 2012: it has lost ground on social support (20th) and freedom (20th). — 21 March 2025 (LINK)
— The Swiss also rank poorly on helping strangers (126th). Nations where money is tight and life is tough typically lead on this measure.
Albinen: this charming Valais village will pay you to live in a paradise nestled in the mountains: the details. — 21 March 2025 (LINK)
Glacier melt puts unique microbial ecosystems under threat: "algae will multiply, leading to more photosynthesis, a higher concentration of organic matter available for microorganisms, and eventually a proliferation of both algae and bacteria." — 21 March 2025 (LINK)
— "Microorganisms, although invisible to the naked eye, play a crucial role in their ecosystems: they purify the water, recycle nutrients and regulate important cycles like those involving nitrogen and carbon. Ultimately, they support the food chain and are crucial to many environmental equilibria."
— "If we take Switzerland as an example, nearly all its main rivers — including the Rhone, Inn and Adige — derive from glacier-fed streams. So the changes that take place at high altitudes have a direct impact on everything that occurs downstream."
Guardian: It's victory for Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe as first African and first woman to win IOC elections — Sebastian Coe was snubbed, and with good reason: he might have changed things. — 20 March 2025 (LINK)
— IOC "confirming its status as one of the few electorates on Earth never to have had a change election. Another one is Fifa, with those two organisations' eternal contest to be the worst-run governing body remaining easily the hardest-fought rivalry in world sport."
7 most beautiful towns in Switzerland that you never heard about: Gruyères, Morcote, Stein am Rhein, Ascona, Evolène<, Murten (Morat), Soglio — 20 March 2025 (LINK)
Swiss drugmakers Novartis and Roche ditch some diversity programmes on U.S. concerns — 19 March 2025 (LINK)
Before-and-after satellite images show upsetting glacier loss in Swiss Alps — 18 March 2025 (LINK)
Moldova, Ukraine, Switzerland: The top 10 fastest-warming countries are all in Europe. — 15 March 2025 (LINK)
Army Colonel Joins Swiss govt after Defence Minister criticised by Right quits. — 12 March 2025 (LINK)
Swiss man, 61, arrested over 2024 and 2015 Geneva parcel bomb attacks. — 12 March 2025 (LINK)
— The arrested man is also suspected of sending threatening letters and ransom demands. Several media reports indicate these letters were sent to the watchmaker Patek Philippe, based in Plan-les-Ouates.
— Suspect is Genevois war photographer and martial arts specialist. — (LINK in French)
Swiss stock exchange operator SIX to cut 150 jobs in efficiency drive, including in Switzerland. — 12 March 2025 (LINK)
Swiss abbot of Saint-Maurice Abbey resumes role 5 months after cleared in abuse investigation. — 11 March 2025 (LINK)
Israel hails cancellation of 'biased' Geneva Conventions meeting in Switzerland on Palestinians for March 7. — 6 March 2025 (LINK)
EPFL scientists and others have identified previously unknown neural modules in the brain that control movement and adapt during skill learning. Their findings challenge long-held ideas about how the brain organizes movement. — 5 March 2025 (LINK)
— These modules change and adapt as skills are learned, providing a new framework for understanding how the brain refines motor control.
Geneva to host new international talks on plastic pollution on August 5-14. — 4 March 2025 (LINK)
Swiss sign human rights declaration for 2025 European Women's Football Championship from July 2-27. — 4 March 2025 (LINK)
Swiss National Bank chief snubs Bitcoin, says it's too volatile and risky for reserves. — 2 March 2025 (LINK)
Scientists at EPFL have revealed how quantum interference and symmetry dictate molecular behavior in collisions with gold surfaces, offering new insights into molecular interactions. The findings can have important implications for chemistry and materials science. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)
EPFL startups raised a record CHF 512 million in 2024, continuing to attract investors despite a downward trend in venture capital for Switzerland as a whole. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)
The World Economic Forum and VivaTech have agreed to launch a European Centre for AI Excellence (CAIE) in Paris in 2025. — 27 February 2025 (LINK)
Largest marine reptile uncovered in the Swiss Alps: marine giant lived approximately 205 million years ago, during the late Triassic period. Its size, estimated to be over 50 feet (15m) long, rewrites our understanding of marine life at the time. It's about the same length as 6 cars lined up bumper to bumper. — 23 February 2025 (LINK)
Russia, US have been holding secret talks on Ukraine in Switzerland for months. — 21 February 2025 (LINK)
— Sources say the participants were not government officials but individuals with diplomatic or security backgrounds, without naming them. It is not known exactly what was discussed, whether Ukrainian representatives were involved, or when these meetings first started.
Paralyzed Idaho man stranded in Switzerland after skiing accident when U.S. insurance blocks action. — 21 February 2025 (LINK)
British tennis player Emma Raducanu hiding behind the umpire's chair after spotting a man who had "exhibited fixated behaviour" provided a stark reminder of the dangers faced by female athletes on a regular basis. — 21 February 2025 (LINK)
Swiss nomadic people, the Sinti and Yenish travellers in Switzerland, were victims of crimes against humanity in the 20th century, says government. — 20 February 2025 (LINK)
— Around 2,000 children of the Swiss Traveller community are believed to have been taken away from their families. Between 1926 and 1973, Pro Juventute's Hilfswerk für die Kinder der Landstrasse (Charity for the Children of the CountryRoads) took around 600 Yenish children away from their families. They were forcibly placed in homes or in foster families. "In disregard of the principles of the rule of law," the federal government wrote on Thursday.
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset will pay an official visit to Geneva, Switzerland, from 24 to 26 February as part of the process of stepping up co-operation between the Council of Europe and the international institutions based there. — 18 February 2025 (LINK)
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei denied entry to Switzerland from Britain due to lack of visa. — 11 February 2025 (LINK)
— Ai Weiwei, 67, was imprisoned in China in 2011 and banned from traveling after making statements critical of the government. He was eventually released and left the country.
UBS whistleblower verdict thrown out despite US Supreme Court win. — 10 February 2025 (LINK)
Audrey Hepburn's retreat where she enjoyed 'complete privacy' is now on the market for $20 million. — 8 February 2025 (LINK)
— The 18th-century farmhouse has 12 bedrooms, eight bathrooms, over 10,000 square feet, and 40 acres of land. It has a 50-foot heated pool, multiple fireplaces, a large library and even a renovated kitchen with navy drawers, marble countertops, and stainless steel appliances. Located near Geneva and the French border it is found in the small Francophone town of Tolochenaz. Hepburn passed away in 1993.
Switzerland unfreezes $15m in seized assets of three Russians implicated in corruption case uncovered by the late tax advisor Sergei Magnitsky. A Jan. 21 Swiss Supreme Court ruling withdrew Hermitage Capital's private claimant status in the money laundering case — 6 February 2025 (LINK)
— Dmitry Klyuev, Vladlen Stepanov and Olga Stepanova were all sanctioned by the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia over their roles in the $230 million tax refund fraud scheme uncovered by Magnitsky in 2008.
— Magnitsky was arrested and imprisoned in Moscow shortly after he testified in the 2008 case on accusations seen as retaliation for his work. He died in pre-trial detention in November 2009 after being denied medical treatment and subjected to harsh conditions.
— In a Feb. 4 letter to Swiss bank UBS shared with The Moscow Times, Hermitage Capital warned that releasing the previously frozen assets would violate U.S., British, Canadian and Australian sanctions. "Despite the Swiss prosecutor's decision to unfreeze certain funds, banks remain bound by international sanctions laws and must not release any funds to sanctioned individuals," it wrote.
Blackrock Plans to Launch a Bitcoin ETP in Switzerland: Bloomberg. Blackrock could start marketing it as soon as this month, according to the story. — 5 February 2025 (LINK)
The rapidly fading economics of solar panels in Switzerland. — 31 January 2025 (LINK)
— In the canton of Vaud, the price paid for injected electricity has already fallen from 17.6 cents per kWh to 10.15. The margin between what Romande Energie charges (32.78) and pays (10.15) is 22.63 cents per kWh, a gross margin of 69%. Romande Energie is the canton's monopoly electricity provider. Those with solar panels cannot sell their excess electricity to a competitor at a better price. Based on recent experience and with new laws coming into force in 2026 some fear the price could fall again.
Swiss tax authority forced to buy Bahamas domain name after URL typo. — 31 January 2025 (LINK)
Albinen in Valaisan Switzerland will pay you to 20,000 euros move here: residents enjoy easy access to outdoor activities throughout the year, from winter sports to summer hiking and climbing.. — 31 January 2025 (LINK)
Switzerland's publicly-owned central bank bought $1.8 million in Trump Media shares. — 31 January 2025 (LINK)
— This is according to an SEC filing from November obtained by CREW. The transaction marks the first known apparent instance of a foreign government-connected entity being invested in the president's public company.
Geneva's iconic Fairmont Grand Hotel Unveils Europe's largest hotel asset auction in February 2025. — 31 January 2025 (LINK)
Switzerland targets 65% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. — 29 January 2025 (LINK)
Six months into his tenure, Swiss vice-chancellor to step down in March: The government said Arcidiacono’s departure is voluntary and mainly due to personal reasons. — 29 January 2025 (LINK)
Super-Earth discovery at University of Geneva reveals an exoplanet potentially capable of sustaining life:super-Earth HD 20794 d. — 28 January 2025 (LINK)
— Fruit of 20 years of observations using the best telescopes in the world.
20 Top Companies in Geneva:Geneva is a storied destination for banking and watchmaking. Check out what else the city’s industries have to offer. — 28 January 2025 (LINK)
Swiss St Bernard foundation turns 20. — 28 January 2025 (LINK)
— Since its establishment, almost 500 puppies have been born at the foundation's breeding station in the Lower Valais.
Secretariat Building in Chandigarh by Le Corbusier: Monumentality and Modernism. — 28 January 2025 (LINK)
Infomaniak data centre in Geneva used to heat 6,000 homes. — 27 January 2025 (LINK)
UBS lays off 'hundreds' of staff in fresh wave of job cuts: UBS is looking to shed another $5.5 billion in costs. — 27 January 2025 (LINK)
New Swiss model improves epidemic predictions — in small countries. — 23 January 2025 (LINK)
GESDA: the future of conflict prevention with predictive peacebuilding. — 22 January 2025 (LINK)
Swiss state-owned PostFinance bank now offers ETH staking. — 18 January 2025 (LINK)
— This addition comes about a year after PostFinance first offered trading and custody of cryptocurrencies, in collaboration with Sygnum Bank.
Switzerland faces a monetary identity check, thanks to Bitcoin: a group of Bitcoin diehards wants to force the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to hold Bitcoin alongside gold, dollars, and euros as part of its official reserves. — 18 January 2025 (LINK)
Geneva Airport nearly matches pre-Covid passenger levels with fewer flights in 2024: 17.8 million passengers, just 0.73% below 2019 levels, with 3.73% fewer flights. — 17 January 2025 (LINK)
Switzerland's best art exhibitions to see in 2025. — 16 January 2025 (LINK)
Leaders congregate at the DavosWeb3 Roundtable to shape the future of decentralized technologies. — 16 January 2025 (LINK)
Swiss AMINA Bank removes custody fees for USDC to woo stablecoin holders. — 16 January 2025 (LINK)
World Economic Forum says Trump to take part virtually in Davos meeting, days after inauguration. — 14 January 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 28 media reports (LINK)
— Trump has attended the forum in-person twice before, in 2018 and 2020. Trump will speak to Davos participants virtually on Thursday, Jan. 23, Børge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum, told reporters.
Three out of ten Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland have a job. — 14 January 2025 (LINK)
— According to the figures, 12,280 people with S status were employed on December 30, 2024. This results in an employment rate of 29.6%. The government had set a target of 40% in November 2023.
Coop washes its hands of The Body Shop in Switzerland. — 14 January 2025 (LINK)
Residential property prices in Switzerland continued their ascent last year, albeit at a slower pace towards the end of the period. Rents, on the other hand, stalled after two years of high inflation.. — 13 January 2025 (LINK)
Swiss households are increasingly turning away from meat. The proportion of households that consume animal products without restrictions has fallen from around 71% in 2022 to around 64%, according to a survey by the University of St Gallen. — 13 January 2025 (LINK)
Swiss scientists have taught fungi to generate electricity. — 11 January 2025 (LINK)
— Their fungal battery invention is 3D-printed - with fungal cells mixed into the printing ink - and has the unique advantage of being biodegradable. Once it's served its purpose, the battery digests itself from the inside.
Horizon Europe reopens to Swiss researchers after three-year hiatus. — 10 January 2025 (LINK)
UBS investigates undisclosed Nazi-linked accounts at Credit Suisse. — 4 January 2025 (LINK)
Lonely Planet: Where to eat and drink in Geneva right now: this city's food scene has become more daring and diverse. — 4 January 2025 (LINK)
— Le Restaurant opened last November on rue du Rhône and was awarded a Michelin star within a year. At Place Longemalle, Balila is serving up bold, family-style Lebanese feasts. Les Armures: fondue paysanne with mushrooms and bacon. Café des Négociants, Carouge: pan-fried frog thighs in garlic and fresh parsley and top it off with roast doe in chestnut sauce.
Swiss company bankruptcies rise to record high in 2024. — 3 January 2025 (LINK)
Swiss chancellery registers proposal to add Bitcoin to national reserves. — 1 January 2025 (LINK)
Crans-Montana has become a canvas for the world's street artists. — 30 December 2024 (LINK)
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