Global military expenditure hit record levels last year, with governments shelling out nearly $2 trillion (CHF1.8 trillion). Switzerland was the 14th biggest exporter of weapons, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
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Suíça contribui com o ‘boom’ no comércio global de armamentos
The United States accounted for 39% of all global military spending. The US, China, India, Russia and Britain together were responsible for 62% of the total expenditure internationally, which increased 2.6% last year from 2019.
Swiss defence expenditure was nearly CHF6 billion in 2019, according to the latest official figures. This represented 2.5% of the country’s total economic output (gross domestic product – GDP).
On average, countries around the world spent 2.4% of their GDP on weaponry last year, up from 2.2% in 2019, according to SIPRI.
Efforts to curb the war materiel industry in Switzerland have so far failed to produce results at the ballot box. Last November, voters gunned down a popular initiative to ban the Swiss National Bank, pension funds and foundations, from holding shares or lending money to global companies which generate more than 5% of their annual sales from war materiel.
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Production in Switzerland's secondary sector fell in the second quarter of 2025. The decline was more pronounced in the construction sector than for industry.
Swiss army recruits remain in hospital after gruelling test exercise
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Four potential recruits for the elite Swiss grenadier unit were hospitalised last week after taking part in a gruelling exercise in hot weather. Three remain in hospital with one placed temporarily in an artificial coma.
University of Basel to mark 125th anniversary of Nietzsche’s death
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This month the University of Basel is celebrating the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who was a professor there from 1869 to 1879. August 25th marks the 125th anniversary of his death.
Trump tariffs: Swiss brands struggle to adapt to 39% tariff
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Swiss brands like Victorinox, the manufacturer of the iconic pocket knife, are struggling to adapt to the 39% tariff imposed by the United States on imports of Swiss goods.
Fish and aquatic plants are under ‘severe pressure’ in Swiss rivers and lakes
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Fish, aquatic plants and other animals in Swiss rivers, lakes and streams remain under 'severe pressure', according to the Federal Office for the Environment.
Swatch withdraws ‘slanted eyes’ ad after China uproar
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The Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch has apologised and withdrawn an advertising campaign worldwide following accusations of racism in China. The ad features a model pulling the corners of his eyes.
Police identify bodies of three climbers who died in Swiss Alps
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Police have formally identified the bodies of three climbers who died in the Upper Valais region in early August: they are from Germany, France and Austria.
Bern exhibition reunites Kirchner paintings after 92 years
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The painting Sonntag der Bergbauern (Alpsonntag) [Sunday of the Mountain Farmers (Alp Sunday) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) is being transferred from Berlin to Bern to feature in an upcoming exhibition at Kunstmuseum Bern.
Voters approve extension of Engadine Airport in Switzerland
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Residents in the Upper Engadine region gave the greenlight on Sunday to the expansion of the regional airport at Samedan, one of Europe’s highest airports (1,707 metres) that serves the nearby resorts of St Moritz and Davos.
Private equity group Advent to buy U-Blox for $1.3 billion
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Private equity group Advent International has agreed to take over Switzerland's U-Blox Holding in a cash offer worth CHF1.05 billion ($1.30 billion).
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How do Swiss arms end up in conflict zones?
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How have arms found their way from neutral Switzerland, a country that likes to underline its humanitarian tradition, to conflict countries?
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A people’s initiative collected enough signatures in 2019 to force a nationwide vote on the issue. It proposes enshrining rules for war materiel exports in the constitution, which would take this responsibility away from the government. On Friday the government issued a counterproposal that would give parliament the power to adjust the rules for selling…
Initiative calls for end to ‘warmongering with our money’
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A total of 104,902 had been confirmed as valid, said the pacifist Group for a Switzerland Without an Army, the Young Green Party and the Association for a Ban on Arms Dealing. People’s initiatives must be signed by at least 100,000 citizens within an 18-month period in order to be considered for a vote at…
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The launching of the campaign kicked off with one of the group’s members, 86-year-old Louise Schneider, being picked up by police for spraying “Geld für Waffen tötet” (money for weapons kills) on the Swiss National Bank (SNB). The bank is currently undergoing renovations, so the graffiti was sprayed on a wooden protective wall. The text…
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