Homosexual couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples, said Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter on Tuesday, presenting the government’s arguments for a Yes on the “marriage for all” referendum on September 26. “The state sh...

Switzerland is the innovation leader in Europe – ahead of all 27 EU states – according to a report by the EU Commission. The Alpine country scored best in all seven indicators used to compile the ranking. “Switzerland’s strengths are in attr...

Lockheed Martin's F35-A has come out top in a Swiss evaluation to find a new replacement fighter jet for the armed forces, Swiss public television SRF reported on Monday. The government is due to decide this month between the American F35-A, the Air...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Switzerland has managed to cope well with the coronavirus pandemic from a financial perspective. In its latest country report, the IMF applauded Swiss Covid support measures and monetary policy. “Switzerl...

Switzerland has decided to resume the deportation of rejected asylum-seekers to Afghanistan, it has been confirmed. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) confirmed to Swiss public television, SRF, on Sunday that deportation flights would take pl...

Greenpeace Switzerland has called for better policing of the sustainable investment sector after finding that many funds in this category are failing to deliver on their promises. A study of 51 “sustainable” funds marketed in Luxembourg and Swit...

The auction of a Swiss billionaire’s art collection has been cancelled at the last minute after a CHF6 million ($6.5 million) tax evasion penalty was settled. The Swiss courts had previously found Urs Schwarzenbach guilty of evading taxes by illeg...

The organisers of the Patrouille des Glaciers, an iconic ski mountaineering race between Zermatt and Verbier in the Swiss Alps, have signed a “roadmap” to ensure the continuation of the biennial event. A recent controversy had cast a shadow over ...

The Swiss consumed almost 11% less energy last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and warmer weather, according to the Federal Office of Energy. In total, Swiss residents used up 747,400 terajoules (TJ) of energy in 2020 – a fall of 10.6% compared ...

The proposed 15% minimum corporate tax rate is an opportunity for Switzerland to unite its tax code for the better, says an organisation representing Swiss cities. City finance directors have criticised cantons for trying to plug expected tax gaps u...

Switzerland gave watches to US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at this week’s historic summit in Geneva, Swiss public broadcaster RTS reports. It says Biden chose to give Putin a pair of aviator sunglasses “Made in...

One in five children in Switzerland (21%) has witnessed scenes of domestic violence at home, sometimes with lasting consequences, write two Sunday newspapers. This means that 300,000 children may have been exposed to such scenes, of whom more than 9...

Switzerland is well prepared for the Delta variant of Covid-19 and there is no reason for particular concern at the moment, says Christoph Berger, head of the Federal Commission for Vaccinations. In an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, he...

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis says he does not rule out further talks with the European Union at some point, after the government broke off negotiations on a framework deal. This could come about through dialogue, but Switzerland would have ...

Switzerland says it views positively the outcome of the 109th International Labour Conference, which ended on Saturday. “Switzerland welcomes the decision to repeal or withdraw 29 obsolete international labour instruments,” said the State Secret...

Swiss engineers have found a new type of road surface they say can help reduce heat in cities, while also reducing noise. After testing 20 different types of surface, they have found a “test winner” that reduces heat by 12 degrees, reports Swiss...

Switzerland’s economy will be back to its pre-pandemic level as early as this year and does not need a stimulus package, says Sabine D'Amelio-Favez, director of the Federal Finance Administration. The Confederation has incurred debts of CHF30 bill...

The Swiss government is adding an additional CHF300 million ($330 million) in hardship payments to help small companies cope with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hardship payments were set up to support the worst hit firms, such as restaurants...

The Swiss government has formally adopted a report that sets out the country’s agenda to prevent escalating violence against women. On average a woman dies every two-and-a-half weeks in Switzerland after being attacked. The numbers of reported dom...

A Liberian commander has been sentenced to 20 years in jail in Switzerland’s first war crimes trial in a civilian court. Alieu Kosiah, 46, had faced 25 charges including killings of civilians, rape, recruiting a child soldier and an act of canniba...

A majority of 51% of Swiss would have voted against the framework agreement with the EU, which the government walked away from last month. Only 35% would have backed it, according to a survey. Doubts as to whether the framework agreement with the EU...

Switzerland has one of the most expensive childcare systems in the developed world and also gets bad marks on parental leave, according to a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The Alpine state is ranked 38th out of 41 countries...

The Geneva-based UN refugee agency says war, violence, persecution and human rights violations caused nearly three million people to flee their homes last year, even though the Covid-19 crisis restricted movement worldwide. In its latest Global Tren...

This year Switzerland will provide more than CHF12 million ($13 million) in humanitarian aid to Venezuela and the region, it said at the Donors’ Conference in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants. “This is part of a long-term commitm...

Two Zurich professors have been awarded a European Inventor Award by the European Patent Office (EPO) for their work on storing large volumes of data in DNA strands. Wendelin Stark and Robert Grass, from the Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zuric...

Switzerland is lagging behind most European countries when it comes to solar and wind power. In terms of per capita production, it ranks second to last in comparison with surrounding countries, according to the Swiss Energy Foundation (SES). The fo...

Swiss banks have been able to strengthen their capital bases despite deteriorating economic conditions during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Swiss National Bank (SNB). This applies to the two big banks, UBS and Credit Suisse, and also dom...

Schang Hutter, best known for artistic creations portraying human suffering in places like concentration camps, has died aged 86. Jean Albert (Schang) Hutter was born in 1934 in the northwestern Swiss canton of Solothurn. After training as a stonema...

Swiss President Guy Parmelin says he is hopeful that the Biden-Putin summit in Geneva will serve as a “starting point” for new disarmament negotiations. At a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday evening, Parmelin said he hoped that the summit...

Parliament has approved an annual financial package of CHF150 million ($166 million) to help struggling newspapers and online media in Switzerland. The House of Representatives on Wednesday ironed out final differences over the long-discussed suppor...