An international eye on Swiss news from NuseReal
Tourism events in Switzerland — myswitzerland — (LINK)
News evemts in Switzerland — swissinfo — (LINK)
EU, Switzerland agree deal to strengthen trade ties in 'turbulent' times after decade of talks. — 20 December 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 24 media reports (LINK)
Switzerland could build new nuclear power plants in response to a people's initiative. — 20 December 2024 (LINK)
— The government put out for consultation a counter-proposal to the popular initiative 'Electricity for all at all times (Stop the blackout)'. The initiators want to enshrine in the Swiss constitution that all 'climate-friendly' forms of electricity generation are permitted. This would allow the construction of new nuclear power plants. The governing Federal Council is opposed to this initiative. Rather than amending the constitution, it wants to amend the Nuclear Energy Act with its counter-proposal, so that new power plants can once again be approved in Switzerland.
Swiss lawmakers urged tighter regulation of the financial sector following their investigation into Credit Suisse's collapse, with their findings casting a harsh spotlight on regulatory authorities while attributing the bank's downfall chiefly to its management. — 20 December 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 18 media reports (LINK)
"Root Beer," "Pepsi" and "Polar" are 2024's most sought-after Rolex models in the pre-owned market, according to Bob's Watches — a leading online marketplace specializing in vintage Rolex watches. — 19 December 2024 (LINK)
— "Batman" experienced steady growth with a 10% increase in 2024. Whereas, "Root Beer" saw a massive rise of 433%, which points to a rising trend for the model. The "Pepsi" also had a significant resurgence, increasing by 134.8% in 2024, while the "Hulk" experienced flat growth after previous moderate increases. The demand for the "Polar" also rose by 157%, which indicates its growing appeal in the pre-owned market for Rolex.
Swiss parliament votes to ban Lebanon's Hezbollah despite govt. opposition, a week after it proscribed Palestinian group Hamas. — 18 December 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 29 media reports (LINK)
— The Swiss government opposed the anti-Hezbollah move after Switzerland's Federal Council said that the Lebanese resistance movement could not be banned as a threat to security under the country's intelligence act because the existing law required sanctions or a ban by the United Nations to be in place for such a move to be applied.
Zurich researcher leads new study: Ecological crises are interconnected and must be tackled in a coordinated way. — 18 December 2024 (LINK)
— The report, authored by 165 experts from 57 countries, analyzes interconnections, future scenarios and options for action surrounding the themes of biodiversity, water, food, health and climate.
— Offshore wind farms reduce CO2 emissions but disrupt marine habitats. Likewise, intensive agricultural practices may increase food production but harm soil biodiversity and contaminate groundwater.
— The authors identified a total of 71 options, divided into 10 fields of action. Some measures positively impact all five elements, such as preserving and replanting forests or protecting mangroves in coastal areas.
Hong Kong could be first to get Swiss start-up's drug for novel diabetic eye disease treatement without injection. — 15 December 2024 (LINK)
Topless anti-Russia protesters damage human rights Broken Chair outside UN in Geneva: four people brought in for questioning. — 14 December 2024 (LINK)
— Topless members of the Ukrainian feminist protest group Femen took chainsaws to a giant wooden sculpture outside the United Nations in Geneva on Friday, prompting police to intervene, witnesses said. The two women wearing the Ukrainian flag as garters shouted "Keep Russia out of the UN" and "Fuck Russia" as they sawed into a monument known as the Broken Chair, leaving over a dozen gashes.
— The three-legged structure, a work by Swiss artist Daniel Berset erected on the Place des Nations in 1997, has become a landmark in the city of Geneva. It was designed to raise awareness about the impact of landmines on civilians in conflict zones.
— Since it was founded in Kyiv in 2008, the Femen movement has won fame and notoriety in Europe for its protests — usually topless — against sex tourism, homophobia and religious institutions.
Switzerland revokes MFN status to India, cites Supreme Court order against Nestle. — 14 December 2024 (LINK)
Swiss government rejects proposed super-rich inheritance tax. — 13 December 2024 (LINK)
— It was responding to a submission by the Young Socialists political group earlier this year to slap a 50% levy on inheritances above CHF50 million ($56 million) to raise money for tackling climate change. The final decision will be made by voters in a ballot that has yet to be scheduled.
Switzerland greenlights use of self-driving cars on motorways from March 2025. — 13 December 2024 (LINK)
Swiss government wants to ban swastika in crackdown on extremist symbols. — 13 December 2024 (LINK)
— The Federal Council now says it wants to ban swastikas, Hitler salutes and SS insignia, and codes such as "18" and "88" as well as certain gestures, objects and greetings. When such symbols are punishable depends on the context. Anyone who flouted the law would be fined CHF200 ($225).
In a real-world example of how construction materials can be reused, a team of 230 EPFL students in Lausanne is building a community pavilion in Ecublens, near the campus, through a low-tech, participative approach. — 13 December 2024 (LINK)
— There's only a few months to go until the pavilion is complete. rebuiLT was launched at EPFL in 2022 as a MAKE project intended to promote circular economy principles. It's being carried out through an initiative involving EPFL, the municipality of Ecublens and various construction-industry organizations.
— The framework and rooftop of the main edifice — large concrete structures taken from a building slated for demolition in Renens — are in place. The walls, made of straw bale and coated in clay, went up this summer, and the windows and a sink were recently installed.
Swiss National Bank takes leap with 50-basis-point interest rate cut amid franc strength. — 12 December 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 46 media reports (LINK)
The 19 greatest Rolex watch models ever, ranked. — 12 December 2024 (LINK)
You can now buy Swiss real estate in Andermatt luxe community of Reuss without being Swiss. — 7 December 2024 (LINK)
— Robb Report: Since first glimpsing its peaks from a helicopter in 2005, Egyptian property tycoon Samih Sawiris has pumped an estimated $2 billion into the most expansive development project in the Alps. Sawiris was granted a unique exemption from stringent Swiss laws limiting foreigners from acquiring property, and until it expires in 2040, you, too, can buy real estate there.
Followup: AI Jesus might 'listen' to you but can't absolve your sins: the history of confessions. — 7 December 2024 (LINK)
— The installation was a two-month project in religion, technology and art titled "Deus in Machina," created at the University of Lucerne. Users were advised not to disclose any personal information and confirm that they knew they were engaging with the avatar at their own risk. The Latin title literally means "god in the machine"; it refers to a plot device used in Greek and Roman plays, introducing a god to resolve an impossible problem or conflict facing the characters.
ETH trebles fees for foreign students in Switzerland. — 6 December 2024 (LINK)
Council of Europe investigates Swiss wolf policy: complaint by two Swiss wolf conservation organizations upheld. — 6 December 2024 (LINK)
Switzerland inaugurates first quantum computer for commercial use at the Uptown Basel competence centre in Arlesheim. It will be available to companies, academic institutions and start-ups in areas such as simulation, optimization and machine learning. — 5 December 2024 (LINK)
Swiss hotel stays reached record level in summer 2024 to 24.4 million, 1.6% up on the same period last year, thanks to foreign demand. — 6 December 2024 (LINK)
Amnesty International calls on Switzerland to exert public pressure on Israel to stop the "genocide" of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. — 5 December 2024 (LINK)
EEAS: "International Geneva Unites for Climate Action". — 4 December 2024 (LINK)
— "International Geneva has adopted its Climate Action Plan on 4 December 2024, with 36 participant institutions (permanent Missions, international Organizations, Academia and civil society entities) firmly determined to reach their climate objectives, in accordance with the Paris Agreement and in line with Switzerland, State and City of Geneva's climate strategies."
— Together, the participant institutions have pledged to implement over 1,000 actions aiming for an average 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, which represents a decrease of 53,000 tonnes of CO2 e.q., comparable to the yearly emissions of 4,100 Swiss residents.
— From energy-efficient buildings to greener mobility, responsible food systems, biodiversity protection, sustainable IT, and improved waste management, the adopted action plans reflect the determination of each institution to operate within planetary boundaries. With clear milestones set for 2025, 2028, and 2030, these plans represent a collective effort to tackle the pressing environmental challenges of our time.
Zurich ranked the No. 1 place in the world for expats: Vienna, Austria, placed second, while Geneva, Switzerland, came in third. Bern 9th, Basel 10th. — 4 December 2024 (LINK)
— One factor that helped propel Zurich to the top of the list is that it recently improved its airport connections, making it a practical home base for people looking to travel to or from other continents.
Swiss authorities release right-to-die activist after ruling out homicide in 'suicide capsule' case. — 2 December 2024 (LINK)
CERN ends cooperation with Russian institutes. — 30 November 2024 (LINK)
— The decision means that some 350 Russian scientists will now be expelled from CERN, which is based near Geneva on Swiss and French territory. Cooperation with Russian scientists associated with CERN under different agreements will continue, the news agency Swissinfo reported. CERN's cooperation with researchers from Belarusian institutes ended earlier this year, when their ICA expired in June.
Swiss decide against banning Hezbollah after Hamas banned. — 28 November 2024 (LINK)
— Switzerland's Federal Council says the group could not be banned as a threat to security under the country's intelligence act because the existing law required sanctions or a ban by the United Nations to be in place for such a move to be applied.
— It said it banned Hamas over the "unprecedented terrorist attacks" of October 7, 2023, in line with the practice of proscribing organizations on a case-by-case basis only "for extremely serious reasons."
Switzerland's Canton Bern passes bill to study Bitcoin effect on utilizing excess energy. — 28 November 2024 (LINK)
Massive Netflix scam is stealing account and credit card info from users in 23 countries: SMS messages are being used in a widespread phishing scare campaign — 27 November 2024 (LINK)
Bluewin: Netflix and Disney Plus users need to be careful now — (LINK)
Swiss French-speaking regions join forces to fight post office closures. — 27 November 2024 (LINK)
Swiss government adopts three-pronged approach to end violence against women. — 25 November 2024 (LINK)
— The first is to combat the causes of violence against women. This is often due to gender stereotypes. The second area defined is a further training offensive, for example for healthcare professionals and judicial authorities. Thirdly, greater awareness is to be raised on the topic of protection against sexual violence.
Thawing permafrost threatens dozens of mountain huts in Switzerland. — 25 November 2024 (LINK)
Swiss vote against expansion of motorways - funds for Eurovision Song Contest approved in Basel. — 24 November 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 19 media reports (LINK)
Switzerland to add more solar power to rooftops and highway noise barriers. — 21 November 2024 (LINK)
Switzerland has fallen 12 places to 33rd place in a climate protection ranking in the space of a year. The main reason for the fall is the "standstill" in climate policy until 2030, say environmental organisations WWF and Greenpeace. — 20 November 2024 (LINK)
A breath of fresh air — HEAD Genève 2024 Graduation Show. — 20 November 2024 (LINK)
Nestle to cut costs, boost marketing under new CEO. — 19 November 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 21 media reports (LINK)
Portugal wins World Cheese Awards as UK misses out due to post-Brexit customs. Swiss cheeses 2nd and 3rd. — 18 November 2024 (LINK)
— It's a soft and buttery sheep's milk cheese from Portugal, made by Quinto do Pomar in the Serra da Gardunha in the centre of the country that has been named the best in the world. The cheese topped the charts (86 points) at this year's World Cheese Awards, which was held in Viseu, northern Portugal, beating two Swiss cheeses: Tea Fondada (84 points) and Alpenhorn Mifroma (84) — coming in second and third place, as well as Spanish and American cheeses: La Cava Barus García-Baquero and Bayley Hazen Blue, which rounded off the Top 5. Awards 2025 in Berne 13-15 November 2025, for first time in Switzerland (link in German)
PrimeEnergy Cleantech has been officially declared bankrupt, the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC) reported. Hundreds of people in French-speaking Switzerland had invested in the company that specializes in photovoltaic installations. — 18 November 2024 (LINK)
Geneva Conventions conference on Middle East scheduled for March 2025. — 14 November 2024 (LINK)
Switzerland stakes its claim as Europe's hottest tech centre: Founderful, the Swiss pre-seed fund, announces it has raised an over-subscribed $140 million fund from investors looking for exposure to the growing number of technology-focused start-ups based in the country. — 14 November 2024 (LINK)
Watch gifted to John Lennon months before death belongs to Yoko Ono not man who bought it not knowing stolen by her chauffeur, Swiss Federal Court rules. — 14 November 2024 (LINK)
— The Patek Philippe 2499 perpetual calendar chronograph, a "holy grail" of the vintage watch market, was stolen by the Japanese artist's former chauffeur and "there was no evidence to show that Yoko Ono intended to donate to the driver something as special as the watch, engraved with an inscription, that she had given to John Lennon two months before his death," the court ruled in its decision, per Bloomberg.
Top Swiss court confirms Yoko Ono's ownership of John Lennon's watch. — (LINK)
Swiss parliamentary committee proposes foreign aid cuts and military funding boost. — 13 November 2024 (LINK)
French cross-border workers in Switzerland fear 'discriminatory' unemployment reform. — 13 November 2024 (LINK)
"The marketing lie Lindt chocolate just admitted to telling about its Excellence dark chocolate bars." — 13 November 2024 (LINK)
"Lindt Chocolate isn't 'expertly crafted' — it's actually full of lead." — 12 November 2024 (LINK)
— The lawsuit against Lindt & Sprüngli began with a 2023 report by Consumer Reports which found that 28 dark chocolate bars contained lead and cadmium. Eight of those bars were found to have high levels of cadmium. One of those was a Lindt bar. Another 10 of those bars were found to contain lead—one of those was a Lindt bar.
— Lawsuits ensued as consumers felt it was the perfect opportunity to go after the company whose marketing claimed that its chocolate products were "expertly crafted with the finest ingredients" and were "safe, as well as delightful."
New research challenges Einstein's predictions on cosmic expansion. French-Swiss team examined 100 million galaxies at four distinct points in cosmic history: 3.5, 5, 6, and 7 billion years ago. — 13 November 2024 (LINK)
Over $100 million worth of watches sold in Geneva last weekend. — 12 November 2024 (LINK)
Swiss village of Brienz-Brizauls southwest of Davos threatened by vast rockslide must be evacuated again by its 100 inhabitants: over past 20 years an Alpine rockslide has been moving 1m per year. — 9 November 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 57 media reports (LINK)
Switzerland's cross border workers reach record level. — 9 November 2024 (LINK)
— At the end of September 2024, around 403,000 people residing in France, Germany, Italy and further afield crossed into Switzerland to work. This figure is 2.4% higher than at the the same point in 2023. The total number has grown by 19% in the five years since 2019 when the figure was 339,000.
— 57% of cross-border workers were resident in France, 23% resident in Italy, 16% in Germany and another 4% from further afield. At 112,000 (28% of the total), the canton of Geneva had the largest number of cross-border workers. Many of these people are Swiss citizens, who in search of a lower cost of living, have decided to move across the border and retain their jobs in Switzerland.
Road Trip Expo 2024 boosts Switzerland's tourism with 30,000 visitors at Palexpo, Geneva, 8-10 November. — 8 November 2024 (LINK)
— "With over 50 exhibitors showcasing the latest in travel gear, leisure vehicles, and road trip essentials, the expo offers a dynamic platform for discovering new innovations, gaining expert advice, and networking with brands and fellow travelers. It has quickly established itself as the ultimate destination for those passionate about exploring the open road and experiencing the best of outdoor adventure, making it an essential stop for anyone seeking the perfect road trip experience."
Switzerland's innovative floating solar panels: the 35 platforms generating photovoltaic energy would recover the energy investment in just over two years with a significant reduction in carbon footprint. From January through May, as water levels recede, the platforms rest on the lakebed at Lac des Toules. — 7 November 2024 (LINK)
CERN selects new director-general: British physicist Mark Thomson. — 6 November 2024 (LINK)
Swiss NGOs decry rise in wolf culling despite fewer attacks. — 6 November 2024 (LINK)
Swiss 'burqa ban' to take effect from 2025. — 6 November 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 17 media reports (LINK)
Switzerland and the EU are still at odds over cohesion payments. According to the Swiss government, further negotiations are also necessary on immigration and electricity. But substantial progress made on institutional issues and state aid. — 6 November 2024 (LINK)
Switzerland loans funds for new IOM building in Geneva, demolishing old one. — 6 November 2024 (LINK)
Mysterious bamboo cart discovered in melting glacier in Switzerland. — 6 November 2024 (LINK)
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), created in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland. — 4 November 2024 (LINK)
UBS Asset Management launches Ethereum-based tokenized fund. — 4 November 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 6 media reports (LINK)
Switzerland's first biosphere reserve, the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch in the canton of Lucerne, is a family-friendly destination with stunning mountain views. — 3 November 2024 (LINK)
— Designated in 2001, it encompasses the 630km2 Emme River valley between Bern and Lucerne, an easy day trip or two away. It offers a range of educational and interactive experiences "for young and old alike". "These activities provide hands-on learning opportunities about the region's ecosystems and the importance of preserving them, all set against the harmonious backdrop of Swiss mountains."
Switzerland exploring new form of burial: Werde Erde, which means become soil, proposes a process similar to composting. Tests being carried out at the University of Lausanne using dead pigs. — 1 November 2024 (LINK)
— Cremation, the choice of 90% of people, consumes a similar amount of energy to what someone would consume domestically in one month. Emissions add around 400 kg of CO2 to the atmosphere along with pollutants such as the mercury contained in dental fillings.
— The person's remains are laid on a bed of wood chips and straw and then covered with green plants. The bed provides carbon while the green plants provide nitrogen, the two key ingredients required to compost the body. The process takes place in an enclosed container over a period of 30 to 40 days. Microorganisms present on the skin and in the plants transform the body into soil. Like cremation, only the bones remain. These are then ground and added to the soil.
— Traditional burial does not compost. The microorganisms that stimulate decomposition are missing deep under ground at the depth of most burials.