Civil society groups have called for a ban on automatic face recognition devices and video surveillance technology in Switzerland. Three organisations, including the Swiss chapter of Amnesty International, said a combination of both tools was highly...

The government seeks to renew its policy to support assistance measures by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It asked parliament to approve plans to continue international monetary cooperation to the tune of CHF10 billion ($10.8 billion) by 202...

The Swiss government wants to make helmets mandatory for cyclists over the age of 12 in a bid to reduce road accidents. It has asked parliament to approve a plan giving the government the right to introduce mandatory helmets for children aged betwee...

European Union Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič says he wants a “clear political signal” from Switzerland that it is “serious” about working on a joint framework for relations. Šefčovič, who met Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Bru...

Switzerland has slipped to 25th place in an international comparison of English language proficiency, down seven places from 2020. The Alpine country has dropped out of the top 20 for the first time in a ranking of more than 100 countries released o...

By the middle of the century, Switzerland’s climate will be drier and warmer, with less snow and more intense precipitation, according to scenarios drawn up by federal weather agency MeteoSuisse. However, the effects will vary greatly depending on ...

The population of red kites in Switzerland has grown strongly in recent decades and now accounts for about 10% of the world’s population, according to research by the Swiss Ornithological Institute. That gives the Alpine country a “high internati...

Children can recognise adult emotions even behind face masks, according to a study by researchers at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV). Mandatory face masks in schools and pre-schools have raised concerns about children's development and emoti...

Women make up half of the highly skilled workforce in Switzerland, but work fewer hours, according to a study published on Tuesday. One in three would like to work more, under certain conditions. Women often opt for part-time work, and the liberal p...

Following the Swiss gymnastics abuse scandal that blew up last year, the sports ministry wants tougher action to deal with ethics violations and to better protect young athletes in the future. Sports Minister Viola Amherd on Tuesday presented a seri...

Switzerland have brushed aside Bulgaria 4-0 to secure a place at next year’s controversial World Cup in Qatar. Playing in Lucerne on Monday night, Switzerland qualified for a fifth successive World Cup in some style, having also hit the post twice...

A British biotech firm is set to start clinical trials in Switzerland of a skin patch vaccine against Covid-19 that uses T-cells and could offer longer-lasting immunity than existing vaccines. Emergex announced on Monday that it had received the gre...

A drive by the Swiss authorities last week to convince more people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 met with some success, but not as much as was hoped. The Federal Office of Public Health said on Monday that 104,689 doses were administered compar...

Zurich looks set to become the second Swiss canton to allow 16-year-olds to vote on local matters – provided the parliamentary decision is also accepted by a referendum. The cantonal parliament passed the motion on Monday despite opposition from s...

The European Union says it wants to establish a concrete plan to re-open bilateral talks with Switzerland next year. Maroš Šefčovic, the European Commission Vice-President responsible for Swiss relations and for Brexit, said the two sides would �...

Swiss child and youth support agency Pro Juventute has received 40% more calls from young people with suicidal thoughts during the pandemic. The non-profit foundation speaks to around 700 children and youths every day, which is far more than during ...

Being excluded from the European Union’s flagship research funding programme Horizon Europe has increased the risks of a brain drain of scientists and young start-ups from Switzerland, top university officials have warned. “We will of course dev...

The Glasgow climate agreement secured at the COP26 conference late on Saturday has delivered a mixed bag, say Swiss media. Uncertainty remains a leitmotif in many papers. “The outcome of Glasgow is delicate in that it turned out ambivalent,” wro...

Lukas Gloor, the director of the Bührle Foundation - from which the controversial Bührle art collection comes - will step down at the end of the year. The collection is currently at the centre of a row about its origins. Around 200 artworks from t...

The Covid-19 vaccine booster may be available to younger people this year, according to interviews in the Sunday press. Meanwhile, the head of the Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force has warned that more must be done to fight the present Covid...

Switzerland’s president Guy Parmelin is to visit the United States to cement cooperation on vocational education and training (VET). The move is part of a wider effort to intensify bilateral relations in the areas of business, education, research a...

Several leading Swiss epidemiologists have expressed reservations about tightening the scope of the Covid certificate, as has happened in neighbouring Austria. The Swiss Covid certificate, compulsory since September 13 for admission to restaurants, ...

Some 3,000 people opposed to the Swiss government’s anti-coronavirus measures gathered near Bern on Friday in a peaceful protest that had been authorised by the city authorities. Police were present but did not intervene. Speakers included Robert ...

Geneva’s cantonal parliament has approved a law to reduce outside lighting at night in an environmental move. But there are exceptions, and not everyone is happy. The law, approved on Thursday, limits the use of illuminated outdoor signs and night...

Swiss President Guy Parmelin has drawn a mixed assessment of the national “vaccination” week now drawing to a close. In an interview on Friday with public broadcaster RTS, he said he was “sad” that some of the free concerts organised as part...

Switzerland’s justice minister, Karin Keller-Sutter, has called for humanitarian aid for migrants stuck at the European Union’s eastern border but says Europe must not give in to blackmail by Belarus. In an interview with the Friday edition of t...

The organisers of the annual Baselworld watch fair, which was cancelled the past two years due to the pandemic, have again postponed the 2022 spring edition. The relaunch of Baselworld, the world’s largest and oldest watch and jewellery trade fair...

Swiss Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga has praised a surprise US-China declaration on climate change made this week at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. "If the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases want to work together, that's a good...

As of Friday morning, trains are running again with a reduced service on the Geneva to Lausanne rail line. The line had been suspended since Tuesday afternoon after land collapsed near the tracks. The first passenger trains were able to circulate on...

Switzerland has cancelled plans to erect a marketing and meeting venue in Beijing at the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in light of expected Covid-19 restrictions. The Swiss foreign ministry had already been forced to mothball plans to host a H...