Switzerland - News and perspectives

Swiss abroad

The information hub for the Swiss community abroad

Go to: Swiss abroad

Podcasts

Listen and subscribe to our podcasts

Go to: Podcasts

Debates

Join the discussion in our multilingual debates

Go to: Debates

History

Geneva’s early double standards on colonialism

The magazine "Africa explored and colonised", published in Geneva between 1879 and 1894, can also be consulted online at the site of the Swiss National Library.

Following the example of several European cities, Geneva is also reviewing its historical links to colonialism. But a new exhibition shows that some of the most offensive expansionist behaviour came from humanitarian icons.

By Paula Dupraz-Dobias

History

Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials

The Ida Ziegler, one of three ships that belonged to Winterthur merchants

History

How Switzerland profited from colonialism

By Andreas Zangger

History

Switzerland and its colonists

By David Eugster (Text), Corinna Staffe (Illustration)

Golden passport? Certain groups struggle to become Swiss, study shows

This content was published on May 23, 2024 Well-educated and well-off immigrants are pulling ahead when it comes to getting the passport, a new study shows.

Victims and their relatives demonstrate outside the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona in canton Ticino, Switzerland, prior to the start of the trial against former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko on Monday, January 8, 2024.

Swiss conviction of Ousman Sonko sends ‘resounding message’ against impunity

This content was published on May 21, 2024 Former Gambian politician Ousman Sonko was sentenced in Switzerland on May 15 under the universal jurisdiction for crimes against humanity.

illustration of the alpine country; Switzerland, money, graphic, details, WHO and Bill Gates.

Unchecked empires: who watches Geneva’s million-franc foundations?

This content was published on May 22, 2024 Wealthy donors come from around the world to create their non-profit foundations in Geneva. Where does the money come from?

Switzerland Today

This content was published on May 22, 2024 In the news: Schwab’s future, Bürgenstock army, toxic leak, machine exports and Turkish mafia.

The power the US wields over the Swiss financial centre

This content was published on May 22, 2024 In 2012 Konrad Hummler, partner of Wegelin private bank, had to sell the bank under pressure from the US.

Swiss Better Gold Association: ‘We are proud of our results, so far’

This content was published on May 21, 2024 An inteview with Diana Culillas on her work to connect artisinal gold miners to Swiss supply chains.

Economist Federico Sturzenegger: ‘Freedom will restore prosperity to Argentina’

This content was published on May 19, 2024 Javier Milei’s economic adviser defends the Argentinian president’s controversial policies and shares his views on the political situation in the country.

Our highlights

Download the SWIplus app and stay informed

Do you want to stay informed abroad? Now our app SWIplus offers even more Switzerland: with news, stories and our briefing!

Newsletters

Follow us on WhatsApp

Receive news from Switzerland and our latest stories directly in WhatsApp. Check out our new channel and make sure to hit ‘follow’.

Follow us on Threads

We’re now live on Threads too. Tap this link to follow our new account and get updates on all our stories from Switzerland.

Follow us on Telegram

You can now also read us on Telegram. Follow this link to subscribe to our channel!

Swiss Film Selection

SWI swissinfo.ch offers a selection of Swiss films in English chosen from the Swiss streaming platform Play Suisse.

Let’s talk

“Let’s Talk” is SWI swissinfo.ch’s format to discuss relevant topics with high-profile experts and political figures.

Special reports

Check out our long format stories on topics like the Swiss pharma industry, Switzerland’s struggles with dirty gold, and living in the Alps.

Switzerland: How To

How do you dispose of rubbish in Switzerland? What are the visa requirements? It’s all here.

Join the conversation

We’d love to hear what you think about what’s going on in the world. You can find all of our debate questions here.

Pro-Palestine uni protests to be debated in Swiss parliament

This content was published on May 20, 2024 The Swiss People’s Party says it will launch two postulates calling for clarifications about the recent student protests and occupations.

A group of students seated on the floor inside a university hall. In the middle of the group is a sign reading "UZH students against genocide".

Swiss student group condemns campus occupations

This content was published on May 17, 2024 Some aspects of pro-Palestine sit-ins have gone too far, but the right to protest and debate must be upheld, the student association has said.

Swiss police remove protestors from University of Bern.

Swiss police clear pro-Palestinian students protesting in Bern

This content was published on May 15, 2024 Police moved in early on Wednesday to remove some 30 pro-Palestinian student protesters from a Bern university building.

Red Cross sets up Rafah emergency field hospital

This content was published on May 14, 2024 The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.

Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva

This content was published on May 14, 2024 The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.

Students hang up large signs and sit on the floor in a university building in Fribourg

Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities

This content was published on May 13, 2024 Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.

About 60 people crowd into the entrance of a university building. One is waving a Palestinian flag.

Swiss pro-Palestine protest reaches University of Bern

This content was published on May 13, 2024 Another Swiss university joins sit-ins to protest the worsening situation in the Middle East.

Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership

This content was published on May 11, 2024 On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).

Student protesters at a sit-in at University of Lausanne

Lausanne students end night-time Gaza protest

This content was published on May 9, 2024 The night-time occupation of a building at the University of Lausanne that began on May 2 ended on Wednesday evening.

Police officers supervise Pro-Palestinian demonstrators during protest in the entrance hall of the main building of the ETH Zurich on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. (

Swiss Jewish group concerned about university protests

This content was published on May 8, 2024 The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities worries that protests are taking on ideological and radicalised features.

Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation

This content was published on May 8, 2024 After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.

A blowing flag with the emblem of the Red Cross on top of the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC in Geneva, Switzerland

Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October

This content was published on May 8, 2024 The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.

The hall of EPFL’s architecture building in Lausanne is currently occupied by around 50 Pro-Palestinian protesters.

University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave

This content was published on May 7, 2024 Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.

Pro-Palestinie sit-in at University of Lausanne.

University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in

This content was published on May 7, 2024 The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.

Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott

This content was published on May 4, 2024 Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.

How do you tackle fake news and disinformation?

How do you recognise fake news when you see it, and what should be done to reduce its impact?

Join the discussion

May 20, 2024

4 Likes

9 Comments

View the discussion

Watch now

What is at stake in the two initiatives on healthcare costs?

This content was published on May 22, 2024 Rising healthcare costs are the main concern of Swiss voters going to the ballot boxes on June 9.

The small robot aiming to explore volcanic tunnels on the moon

This content was published on May 7, 2024 In the not-too-distant future, a hopping Swiss-developed robot could be bound for the moon to pave the way for future missions.

How drug prices are negotiated in Switzerland and beyond

This content was published on Apr 23, 2024 Switzerland’s pharmaceutical sector supplies drugs worldwide, but not all countries receive them with the same price tag. Here’s why.

woman in black shirt pointing at camera with blue background and emojis

How you view the problem of low birth rates in Switzerland

This content was published on Apr 22, 2024 Why do you think the Swiss birthrate has fallen so low. What impact will this have?

Guerreiro do Divino Amor poses in front of the "Fountain of Helvetia", part of the installation at the Swiss Pavilion in Venice.

An Alpine carnival: Switzerland stars as a superfiction at the Venice Biennale

This content was published on Apr 20, 2024 The Swiss-Brazilian artist Guerreiro do Divino Amor will represent Switzerland for the 60th edition of the Venice Art Biennale.

Switzerland’s long-standing love of cartography

This content was published on Apr 17, 2024 Long world-renowned, Swiss maps have in recent years managed to reach a wider public.

Moon robots learn to walk – in Zurich

This content was published on Apr 13, 2024 Scientists in Switzerland are developing robots that will one day explore the Moon or Mars.

a customs officer looking through luggage

Drug-busting with customs officers at Zurich airport

This content was published on Apr 12, 2024 Watch: Gino the sniffer dog helps in the search for cocaine smuggled into Switzerland via Zurich airport.

Flexible retirement could help plug labour gaps in Switzerland

This content was published on Apr 3, 2024 At a stretch, people of retirement age could be persuaded to stay at work longer.

Former CERN director Herwig Schopper – a centenarian on the impact of physics

This content was published on Mar 22, 2024 The German physicist and former director of CERN looks back at some of the highlights and encounters of his career.

Tandem jumps are even more dangerous than BASE jumping.

Should tandem BASE jumping be banned in the Swiss Alps?

This content was published on Mar 19, 2024 A new type of extreme sport is making people see red in the Alpine town of Lauterbrunnen: tandem BASE jumping.

How we work: comment moderation

This content was published on Mar 13, 2024 Are comments on SWI swissinfo.ch censored? How do we moderate your contributions? In this video we make our moderation transparent.

‘Yes’ to more state pension in Switzerland

This content was published on Mar 3, 2024 Watch the reaction to Sunday’s vote on raising Swiss state pensions.

A man looking at a vegan cheese wheel on a table.

Redefining what Swiss cheese can be

This content was published on Feb 29, 2024 New Roots has managed to grow from a market stall to a 4,000m2 factory in a span of eight years.

How we work: sources

This content was published on Feb 28, 2024 How does SWI swissinfo.ch track down and vet sources? Find out in the latest installment of our “how we work” series.

Read more: How we work: sources

External Content

Each day, SWI swissinfo.ch selects and presents content from our European public service media partners as part of a project of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Reuters International

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:56

Two-thirds in US fear violence could follow election, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:55

Pope clears sainthood for Italian millennial known as ‘God’s influencer’

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:55

Slovakia shooting suspect says he wanted to hurt Fico, not kill him

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:54

Estonia says Russia removed navigation buoys on border river

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:50

Pope Francis praises natural beauty in meeting with plastic surgeons

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:46

Russia says main power line to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant goes down, no safety threats

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:41

UK’s anti-smoking laws could be lost in pre-election parliamentary rush

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:33

With no flights before election, UK’s Rwanda migrant scheme may never get off ground

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:28

Factbox-What did Ireland, Norway and Spain announce on a Palestinian state?

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:24

Nine killed in Mexico stage collapse at campaign event

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:13

Keir Starmer’s turnaround paves path to power for Britain’s Labour

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:09

Mourners pack Iranian city for Raisi burial

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:08

Kosovo lawmakers back deal to rent jail space to Denmark

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 15:06

Russia says EU will feel ‘full measure’ of retaliation over frozen assets plan

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 14:56

Putin decree outlines Russian response to any US seizure of frozen assets

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 14:56

In rural South Africa, voters weigh frustration and ANC loyalty

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 14:54

UKMTO: merchant vessel reportedly boarded off Somalia

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 14:26

Israel reprimands Irish, Norwegian, Spanish envoys over Palestine move

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 14:25

Russian army’s deputy chief of General Staff arrested as military corruption probe widens

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 14:22

Rishi Sunak’s UK election decision prompts Conservative anger, frustration

Bloomberg Business

This content was published on May 23, 2024 – 13:31

Stocks Rally as Nvidia Keeps AI Juggernaut Going: Markets Wrap

This content was published on May 22, 2024 – 16:51

Glencore Keeps Russian Aluminum Contract But Metal Flows Dry Up

This content was published on May 22, 2024 – 16:00

Copper Frenzy Draws Mining Giants to Argentina After Milei’s Reforms

This content was published on May 22, 2024 – 13:51

US Futures Steady as Nvidia Results Grab Spotlight: Markets Wrap

This content was published on May 22, 2024 – 11:17

Morgan Stanley Was ‘Angry’ as Archegos Fell, Witness Says

This content was published on May 22, 2024 – 10:00

Billionaires in US, Southeast Asia Say Higher Taxes Are Top Risk

This content was published on May 22, 2024 – 07:00

Nigeria Taps Tinubu’s Ally to Build a $13 Billion Highway

This content was published on May 21, 2024 – 22:17

S&P 500 Hits Fresh Highs in Countdown to Nvidia

This content was published on May 21, 2024 – 19:14

World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab Stepping Down by 2025

This content was published on May 21, 2024 – 15:57

Nestlé Courts People Taking Weight-Loss Drugs With Frozen Pizza

This content was published on May 21, 2024 – 12:37

Roche Breast Cancer Medicine to Get Expedited FDA Review

This content was published on May 20, 2024 – 20:36

It’s PhDs Against MBAs in Credit Investing as Quants Jump In

This content was published on May 20, 2024 – 16:01

BOE’s Broadbent Says UK Interest Rates May Drop This Summer

This content was published on May 20, 2024 – 14:15

Asian Stocks Rise After US Gains, China Support: Markets Wrap

This content was published on May 20, 2024 – 14:10

Energy Mogul Makes 100-Year Bet on Argentina’s Mineral Wealth

This content was published on May 17, 2024 – 14:26

Dow Makes History to Close Week Above 40,000 Mark

This content was published on May 17, 2024 – 13:45

FIFA Amends Rules to Allow Headquarters to Move From Zurich

This content was published on May 17, 2024 – 10:09

Unilever to Keep Making Russian Ice Cream After Split

This content was published on May 16, 2024 – 23:07

Dow Average Touches 40,000 Before Pulling Back: Markets Wrap

This content was published on May 16, 2024 – 15:44

UBS Considering US CEO Role for Karofsky in Strategic Revamp

Hashim Djojohadikusumo, pictured here in 2019 in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, owes CHF131 million ($145 million) to the Geneva tax authorities.

Swiss tax dispute taints Indonesian politics

This content was published on May 19, 2024 An Indonesian businessman and former Geneva resident claims bankruptcy after financing his brother’s political campaigns. But what about electoral laws?

Swiss distiller creates world’s best vodka in Cape Verde

This content was published on May 20, 2024 From Appenzell to an island in the Atlantic: how José Steiner shifted careers to become an award-winning vodka distiller.

Up and Away – Season 2

This content was published on May 18, 2024 The documentary series “Up and Away” follows three Swiss families who have relocated to Rwanda, Spain, and Germany. How are they adapting to their new lives?

Infertility: how Switzerland is failing many couples who want a child

This content was published on May 17, 2024 Infertility affects around one couple in seven in Switzerland, but access to assisted reproductive technology is hindered by the lack of treatment and restrictive legislation.

From the cute to the horrific: Switzerland’s weirdest museums

This content was published on May 22, 2024 Switzerland has some of the biggest and best museums in the world, but it is also home to some really bizarre and niche ones.

Taiwan’s fight against digital disinformation

This content was published on May 16, 2024 The citizens of Taiwan – with government support – are successfully fighting back against fake news.

Swiss artists remix Ferdinand Hodler for the 21st century

One of Hodler's more iconic works: Der Tag (The Day), 1904/1906

This content was published on May 15, 2024 Zurich’s Kunsthaus highlights Ferdinand Hodler’s more progressive stances through the eyes, and works, of contemporary artists.

Is Geneva still the capital of peace?

This content was published on May 13, 2024 As multilateral diplomacy and Swiss neutrality come under pressure, Geneva’s reputation as a place of peace is also at risk.

Ten Swiss traditions on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list

This content was published on May 6, 2024 Yodelling might be the next Swiss tradition to make it onto the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list along side a ‘once in a generation’ festival and watchmaking.

Press freedom under attack: our journalists bear witness

This content was published on May 3, 2024 To mark World Press Freedom Day, SWI swissinfo.ch’s international journalists talk about the obstacles they have faced in their reporting.

Dominic Nahr named Swiss press photographer of the Year

This content was published on Apr 30, 2024 Dominic Nahr, known for his war reportages, is the big winner of the Swiss press photography awards this year.

From Bond to Bollywood: scene-stealing Switzerland on the big screen

This content was published on Apr 29, 2024 A scenic cinematic tour of films in which Switzerland’s natural beauty and landmarks have played an unforgettable role.

Jia Zhang-ke, Chinese filmmaker and member of the Concorso internazionale Jury, poses during a photocall at the 71st Locarno International Film Festival, Wednesday, August 1, 2018, in Locarno, Switzerland. The Festival del film Locarno runs from 1 to 11 August. (KEYSTONE/Alexandra Wey)

An outsider at home, a master abroad: Jia Zhangke’s struggles to film the real China

This content was published on Apr 21, 2024 The Chinese director was a guest of honour at the Visions du Réel festival. He explained to SWI how he manages to avoid censorship.

In Focus