Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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Are pesticides making farmers sick? What we know so far

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Switzerland is investigating whether exposure to pesticides increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease among farmers. While Parkinson’s is recognised as an occupational disease for farmers abroad. Switzerland, however, lacks key data to draw firm conclusions. In Germany, farmers who have used pesticides for more than 100 days during their working lives and later develop Parkinson’s …

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Swiss stock market jolted by Greenland tensions

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

The Swiss stock market opened lower on Monday, like other European markets, as investors digested the escalation of geopolitical tensions over Greenland and the threat of new US tariffs on eight European nations. Safe haven investments like the Swiss franc benefited against this turbulent backdrop. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your …

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Swiss food bank saves 8,500 tonnes of food from going to waste

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Last year the Schweizer Tafel food bank saved around 8,500 tonnes of food from going to waste and gave it to people in need. This represents an increase of 11% compared to 2024. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Products from the food industry were a key driver of this … Continue reading »

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How to speak Davosian – for beginners

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Switzerland has four official languages, but regular visitors to Davos have mastered a fifth: a form of English that is rich in possibility, ambition and occasional wisdom. Although this Davos dialect is initially even harder on the ears than Swiss German, it can become second nature, given enough practice and self-delusion. We are pleased to …

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Swiss-Italian shipping giant MSC invests in Libyan port of Misrata

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Libyan authorities have announced a strategic partnership deal worth $3 billion with a Qatari fund and Swiss-Italian shipping giant MSC’s subsidiary to develop Misrata port. An agreement was signed on Sunday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to a press release from Misrata Free Zone Authority (MFZ), the partnership …

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Greenland emerges as new source of Swiss gold imports

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Greenland has been in the headlines after US President Donald Trump threatened to annex the Danish-ruled territory. Less attention has been paid to its gold exports. Switzerland has been strengthening its position as the world’s leading hub for gold trading and refining by opening a new import channel from Greenland. + Get the most important …

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Swiss to vote on preserving cash as a payment system

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

On March 8, the Swiss will decide whether the availability of cash should be enshrined in the constitution. A popular initiative and the government’s counterproposal are both on the ballot. An explainer. How do the Swiss use cash currently? According to a recent study by the Swiss National Bank (SNB), Swiss residents are moving away …

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Hundreds join anti-WEF protest march in Switzerland

2026-01-17

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2026-01-17

Around 600 opponents of the World Economic Forum (WEF) have joined a two-day protest march to Davos, which will host the WEF annual meeting next week. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Around 600 people set off from Küblis in southeastern Switzerland on Saturday for the mountain resort of Davos. …

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Six Swiss cantons call for rail network expansion

2026-01-17

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2026-01-17

Six Swiss cantons - Basel City, Basel Country, Geneva, Ticino, Valais and Vaud - have submitted a joint request to the Federal Council demanding urgent investments in rail services and infrastructure to deal with an overloaded network. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "Every day tens of thousands of people …

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Swiss authorities predict worsening housing shortage in 2026

2026-01-17

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2026-01-17

The director of the Federal Office for Housing, Martin Tschirren, expects the housing shortage in Switzerland to get worse this year. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "The causes of the housing shortage cannot be changed so quickly," Tschirren told Blick newspaper in an interview on Saturday. The causes include …

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Warmer winters threaten southern Swiss ski resorts

2026-01-16

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2026-01-16

Ski resorts in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino are suffering acutely from a lack of snow. Southern Switzerland hasn't seen this little snow in a long time. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Resorts where ski legends like Doris De Agostini and Lara Gut-Berahmi once learned to ski are …

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Swiss President ready to negotiate with Trump at WEF

2026-01-16

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2026-01-16

Swiss President Guy Parmelin says he is prepared to negotiate with his United States counterpart Domald Trump, who will lead a large delegation at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Parmelin is one of several Swiss government Davos attendees, along with including foreign …

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US tariffs dimmed Gruyère sales less than expected

2026-01-15

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2026-01-15

Sales of Gruyère cheese did not decline as sharply last year as feared in light of US tariffs. According to the Interprofession du Gruyère (IPG), the decline was “largely” offset by strong sales figures in Switzerland. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox “Ultimately, sales figures in 2025 will be slightly …

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Swiss consumer group warns of rise in dropshipping scams

2026-01-15

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2026-01-15

More than 1,500 complaints relating to dropshipping have been lodged in Switzerland, according to the German-language consumer protection organisation Konsumentenschutz. These fake online shops are particularly annoying for consumers. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In total, the organisation received 8,640 requests for advice, complaints and reports relating to dropshipping, …

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WEF chairman welcomes Trump visit but doesn’t expect any ‘miracles’

2026-01-15

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2026-01-15

The new co-chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), André Hoffmann, says he has no great expectations of Donald Trump's appearance at the forum. "I don't expect any miracles," said the heir to Swiss pharma firm Roche on Thursday in the business newspaper Handelszeitung. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox …

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Swiss cantons strengthen tax attractiveness for companies

2026-01-15

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2026-01-15

Companies in Switzerland will benefit from tax relief between 2023 and 2025 as a result of changes to tax law. As a result, the cantons are strengthening their tax appeal for companies. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In many international locations, companies are now being taxed more heavily. This …

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French President Emmanuel Macron to attend WEF in Davos

2026-01-15

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2026-01-15

French President Emmanuel Macron will be attending the World Economic Forum next Tuesday, the Elysée announced on Wednesday. No information was given on a possible meeting with US President Donald Trump, who is due to speak at Davos on Wednesday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The French president will …

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Greenpeace reports sharp rise in private jets to WEF in Davos

2026-01-15

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2026-01-15

More and more top managers and political figures are travelling to the World Economic Forum in Davos by private jet, according to an analysis by Greenpeace. Compared to 2024 and 2025, the number of private flights registered at the surrounding airports increased by 10%. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox …

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Swiss competition regulator investigates Microsoft for price hikes

2026-01-15

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2026-01-15

The Swiss Competition Commission (ComCo) has opened an investigation into US software giant Microsoft over recent increases in licence fees. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox These could be indications of unauthorised restrictions of competition, wrote ComCo in a press release on Wednesday. A preliminary investigation has therefore been opened. …

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Trump’s peace is not working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo  

2026-01-15

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2026-01-15

The American president has declared peace but violence and greed still prevail in the resource-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The civilian population continues to pay the price for conflicting geopolitical interests. Despite the precarious security situation, Switzerland has stepped up its humanitarian aid. “Bombs are still falling, and we don’t know who is …

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