Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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What can the thousands of Swiss citizens stranded in the Middle East do?

2026-03-05

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2026-03-05

Following the bombings of Iran and the Islamic Republic's retaliatory strikes, thousands of Swiss travelers are stranded in major Gulf cities without the prospect of returning home soon. How should they handle the situation and what can travellers do if they have travel plans in the coming days? Since the Israeli-American attack on Iran last …

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Swiss parliament backs faster approval of pesticides

2026-03-05

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2026-03-05

New plant protection products must be approved more quickly. Following in the footsteps of the House of Representatives, the Swiss Senate approved a parliamentary proposal on Thursday by 31 votes to 12, calling for pesticides approved in Europe to be approved in Switzerland too. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox …

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The Swiss franc is brimming with strength, but how serious is the problem?

2026-03-05

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2026-03-05

The strong Swiss franc is causing growing concern in economic circles. Is it time for the Swiss National Bank to step in? And just how serious is the problem? Swissinfo takes a closer look. Is the strength of the Swiss franc historic? In nominal terms, the franc is currently trading near historic highs. It has … Continue...

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Trump’s ‘risky gamble’ in Iran, $2,000 cheques for all (or no one), and an AI ‘clash of egos’

2026-03-04

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2026-03-04

Welcome to our press review of events in the United States. Every Wednesday I look at how the Swiss media have reported and reacted to three major stories in the US – in politics, finance and science. This week media – old and new – were filled with images of explosions in the Middle East … Continue reading...

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Swiss lawmakers save funding for Red Cross museum in Geneva

2026-03-04

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2026-03-04

Swiss government funding for Geneva's International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum was narrowly saved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Swiss lawmakers in Bern supported a proposal by Laurence Fehlmann Rielle of the left-wing Social Democratic Party: 93 votes to 92, with …

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Swiss court clears UBS in Bulgaria case

2026-03-04

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2026-03-04

The Federal Criminal Court on Wednesday acquitted UBS in the Bulgarian funds case, which dates back to the Credit Suisse era. For the judges in Bellinzona, the bank was not guilty of aggravated money laundering. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The court also discontinued proceedings it had initiated against …

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Second Swiss parliament chamber rejects cuts to Swissinfo

2026-03-04

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2026-03-04

The Swiss government wanted to cancel federal contributions to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC)’s international services. This would have severely affected the financing of Swissinfo. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted against the proposal, following a similar vote in the Senate in December. The savings measure was one of 65 cost‑cutting proposals from the …

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Lausanne creative studio picked to design new Swiss banknotes

2026-03-04

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2026-03-04

The Lausanne design studio Emphase has won the Swiss National Bank's (SNB) competition to create the new banknote series. Their design on the concept "Switzerland and its altitudes" was selected over five other submissions, the SNB announced on Wednesday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The SNB has commissioned the …

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When does neutrality law apply? Swiss government faces difficult decision over the Middle East conflict

2026-03-04

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2026-03-04

The Swiss government could soon face a delicate decision: if the conflict involving Iran drags on, Switzerland may have to apply its law of neutrality. This could restrict military overflights and arms exports to the United States. This is not without potential consequences for the Swiss defence industry. The recent US attack on Iran may …

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Swiss shoe company On exceeds CHF3 billion in sales for the first time

2026-03-03

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2026-03-03

For the first time, the Zurich-based shoe and apparel manufacturer generated sales of more than CHF3 billion (about $3.81 billion). At the same time, it succeeded in improving profitability. Sales rose by 30% to CHF 3.01 billion in its 15th anniversary year, On announced on Tuesday. The strong Swiss franc slowed development, resulting in growth …

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2025 judged an excellent year for Swiss wine

2026-03-03

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2026-03-03

Swiss winegrowers produced wine of 'excellent quality' last year thanks to favourable weather conditions. After a poor year in terms of volume in 2024 due to bad weather, the harvest volume rose to 82 million litres of wine. This is seven million litres more than in the previous year (+9.3%), as announced by the Federal …

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Swiss entrepreneurs to be better insured against unemployment

2026-03-03

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2026-03-03

Entrepreneurs who pay unemployment insurance contributions will be better insured against loss of livelihood. Following on from the House of Representatives, the Senate on Tuesday adopted a committee draft aimed at speeding up their access to these benefits, subject to certain conditions. At present, people who occupy a position similar to that of an employer, …

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European investors snapped up Swiss SMEs in 2025

2026-03-03

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2026-03-03

Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain attractive to foreign buyers. An analysis by consultancy Deloitte shows that more Swiss SMEs were acquired by foreign investors in 2025 than ever before. Swiss public broadcaster SRF business editor Charlotte Jacquemart puts the figures into perspective. How many Swiss SMEs were acquired by foreign investors in 2025? …

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Swiss initiative launched for better protection of internet users

2026-03-03

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2026-03-03

A new popular initiative wants to hold tech giants to account. Proponents want Big Tech to take stronger action against illegal content such as child abuse, fraud and disinformation. The text of the initiative was published in the Federal Gazette on Tuesday. The initiators have until September 3, 2027 to collect the 100,000 signatures required …

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UBS told to tone down lobbying in row with Swiss government

2026-03-03

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2026-03-03

UBS has been told to tone down its lobbying campaign in the row with the Swiss government over capital reforms, even as the lender explores plans to extend its chief executive’s tenure beyond next year. Switzerland’s largest bank has been at odds with the government for nearly two years over plans to force it to … Continue...

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Climate solutions series: a Swiss community living on 2,000 watts

2026-03-03

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Send a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/910414/open_sms) What does a good life look like when you cap your energy use at 2,000 watts? We take you inside Zurich’s "Hunziker Areal", a car‑free, cooperative neighbourhood turning a bold climate target into liveable daily routines. From shared workshops and tool libraries to efficient buildings and smart mobility, we unpack how design and community can shrink...

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Swiss stock market takes slight tumble as war in Middle East escalates

2026-03-02

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2026-03-02

The war in the Middle East is leading to losses on the world's major stock exchanges at the start of the week. However, the Swiss Market Index (SMI) did not fall quite as sharply in early trading as its key European counterparts. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox On the … Continue reading...

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Gender pay gap widens slightly in Switzerland

2026-03-02

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2026-03-02

Switzerland has moved up one place to 20th in a ranking of equality in the workplace, but its situation is stagnating. The pay gap between men and women has widened to 17.4% and the proportion of women working full-time has fallen, according to the PwC 2026 index. + Get the most important news from Switzerland … Continue...

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SWISS cancels flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai

2026-02-28

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2026-02-28

After Iran was attacked by the US and Israel on Saturday, Swiss International Airlines will no longer be flying to Israel until March 7. As many airspaces are closed, the airline also cancelled its Saturday and Sunday flights to Dubai. A total of 14 flights to and from Tel Aviv were affected, SWISS announced on … Continue reading...

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Swiss data centres can improve energy efficiency by 46%

2026-02-28

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2026-02-28

Swiss data centres and server rooms have the potential to improve energy efficiency by 46% if technology and operations are systematically optimised. According to the Swiss Energy Platform of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, savings are possible through more efficient cooling systems, higher operating temperatures, waste heat utilisation and the use of energy-efficient hardware, …

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