Switzerland

Switzerland confirms its first case of monkeypox

VIENNA (Reuters) - Switzerland has detected its first confirmed case of monkeypox, a person in the canton of Bern who contracted it through "close physical contact abroad", the canton said…

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Photo Story: Heatwave in Geneva

People enjoy the warm weather in the plage des Eaux-Vives on the shore of the Lake Geneva, during a heatwave in Geneva, Switzerland. Via EPA-EFE/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

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World in no better place to fight pandemics than before COVID – review panel

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - The world is no better prepared for a new pandemic threat than it was when coronavirus emerged in 2019, and may actually be in a…

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Neutral Switzerland leans closer to NATO in response to Russia

Switzerland's fabled neutral status is about to face its biggest test in decades, with the defence ministry tilting closer to Western military powers in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The defence…

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Swiss voters approve ‘Lex Netflix’ TV streaming funding law

Swiss voters on Sunday backed proposals to make global TV streaming services such as Netflix Inc, Amazon and Disney invest some of their revenues generated in Switzerland into domestic film-making.…

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Analysis: Neutral Switzerland leans closer to NATO in response to Russia

BERN, May 15 (Reuters) - Switzerland's fabled neutral status is about to face its biggest test in decades, with the defence ministry tilting closer to Western military powers in response…

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Swiss voters look set to approve TV streaming funding law

ZURICH, May 15 (Reuters) - Swiss voters on Sunday looked set to back proposals to make global TV streaming services such as Netflix Inc NFLX.O Amazon AMZN.O and Disney DIS.N invest some of their revenues generated in Switzerland…

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Photo Story: The Alpaufzug in Weissbad, Switzerland

An alpine farmer and cows take part in 'Alpaufzug', the ceremonial driving of cattle to the alps, in Weissbad, Switzerland. Via EPA-EFE/GIAN EHRENZELLER

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EU threatens to kick Switzerland out of passport-free zone

Brussels has threatened to throw Switzerland out of the EU’s passport-free zone if it does not back paying more to the bloc's border agency, as the country prepares to vote…

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Swiss release some frozen Russian assets

The Swiss government reported 6.3 billion Swiss francs ($6.33 billion) worth of Russian assets frozen under sanctions to punish Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a drop from early April as around…

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Swiss National Bank opposed to holding bitcoin as a reserve currency

ZURICH, (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank is against buying and holding bitcoin as a reserve currency, Chairman Thomas Jordan said at the central bank's annual general meeting this week. "Buying bitcoin…

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Swiss gold exports to the United States rocketed in March

Swiss shipments of gold to the United States surged in March to their highest since May 2020, Swiss customs data showed, as investors spooked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and…

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Fossils of giant marine reptiles found high in the Swiss Alps

Fossils from some of the largest creatures ever to swim Earth's oceans - whale-sized marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs - have been found in a counterintuitive place: atop three mountains in…

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Swiss OK agreement on classified information exchange with NATO

BERLIN, April 27 (Reuters) - Switzerland's government approved on Wednesday an agreement that forms the basis for exchanging sensitive information with NATO, it said. Such agreements make it possible, among other things,…

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WHO backs Pfizer’s oral COVID therapy Paxlovid for high-risk patients

The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the use of Pfizer Inc's oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment in high-risk patients after an analysis of trial data by the U.N. agency showed the…

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Swiss to keep mum on Russian commodity deal sanctions rulings

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland will maintain tight non-disclosure rules as part of its Russian sanctions package and keep conversations with trading houses on their purchases of Russian crude confidential, the government agency…

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U.S. surpasses Germany as top Swiss export market as pharma booms

ZURICH (Reuters) - The United States overtook Germany as Switzerland’s biggest export market last year, mainly thanks to strong growth in chemical and pharmaceutical products over the last two decades,…

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Swiss adopt latest round of EU sanctions on Russia

ZURICH, April 13 (Reuters) - Switzerland has adopted the latest round of European Union sanctions against Russia and Belarus for Moscow's military aggression against Ukraine, the government said on Wednesday,…

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Swiss parliament panel narrowly rejects curbs on Russian energy deals

ZURICH, April 6 (Reuters) - The foreign affairs committee of the Swiss parliament's lower house has narrowly rejected a proposal by the centre-left Social Democrats to ban physical and transit trade in…

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WHO lays out plan to emerge from emergency phase of pandemic

(Reuters) - The World Health Organization released an updated plan for COVID-19, laying out key strategies that, if implemented in 2022, would allow the world to end the emergency phase of the…

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Neutral Swiss adopt more EU sanctions against Russia

Neutral Switzerland had adopted more European Union sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, the cabinet said on Friday, keeping the country in line with EU measures it has decided to…

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Swiss report more than $6 billion worth of sanctioned Russian assets

ZURICH, March 24 (Reuters) - The Swiss government has frozen around 5.75 billion Swiss francs ($6.17 billion) worth of Russian assets in Switzerland covered by sanctions, and the number is likely to rise,…

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Neutral Swiss rule out arms deliveries to Poland

Swiss neutrality rules out delivering weapons to Poland, Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said on Monday during a visit to Ukraine's neighbour. "Poland's first wish is actually for arms deliveries. But that is not…

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Swiss media speculate on whereabouts on Putin’s alleged mistress and Russian oligarchs

Switzerland’s weekend press focused on the whereabouts of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s alleged mistress who has been rumoured to be hiding in the Alpine nation. Newly sanctioned Russian oligarchs said to…

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Russians have up to $213 billion stashed offshore in Swiss banks

Switzerland's secretive banks hold up to $213 billion of Russian wealth, the country's financial industry association estimates, as sanctions on Russia give a rare glimpse inside Swiss vaults. The Swiss…

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Photo Story: Exhibition dedicated to 100th anniversary of The Kid movie by Charlie Chaplin

A visitor looks at items shown in the temporary exhibition 'The Kid' dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the 1921 American silent comedy-drama film. The movie was written, produced, directed…

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Swiss gold exports to China ease from five-year high

LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Swiss exports of gold to China in February eased from the previous month's five-year high, but shipments to India recovered, Swiss customs data showed on…

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UPDATED: Switzerland steps up economic sanctions against Belarus and Russia in line with EU

ZURICH, March 16 (Reuters) - Neutral Switzerland has adopted more European Union sanctions against Russian individuals and entities published on Tuesday in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the government said on Wednesday. "Switzerland's…

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Switzerland: The land that inflation left behind

BERN, (Reuters) - While the rest of Europe grapples with surging prices, in Switzerland inflation is so tame that some key costs are actually falling. The price of healthcare - a big…

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Swiss adopt new EU sanctions on Russia

ZURICH, March 4 (Reuters) - The Swiss government on Friday widened sanctions against Russia in step with further measures imposed by the European Union, tightening exports and financial services to the country…

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UPDATED: Neutral Swiss adopt sanctions against Russia

ZURICH, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Neutral Switzerland will adopt European Union sanctions against Russians involved in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and freeze their assets, the government said on Monday in a sharp…

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Swiss halt new bank business with Russians on EU sanctions list

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland told its banks to halt new business with people and entities on a European Union sanctions blacklist, which the neutral country has adopted to ensure it is not…

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EPP calls for Switzerland’s possible blacklisting after Credit Suisse Leaks

The main political grouping in the European Parliament called on Monday for a review of Switzerland's banking practices and for the country's possible inclusion in the EU's dirty-money blacklist after…

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Swiss gold exports to China surge to highest since December 2016

LONDON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Swiss exports of gold to mainland China surged in January to their highest since December 2016, but shipments of bullion to India fell, Swiss customs…

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Swiss government decides to lift nearly all COVID-19 restrictions

ZURICH, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Switzerland will lift almost all its coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the government said on Wednesday, as fears waned that a spike in infections fuelled by the Omicron variant…

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Swiss reject ban on animal testing in referendum

ZURICH, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Swiss voters rejected a proposal by animal rights activists to make Switzerland the first country to ban medical and scientific experiments on animals, but approved…

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Swiss to vote on becoming first country to ban animal testing

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland votes on Sunday whether to become the first country to completely ban medical testing on animals, after animal rights campaigners gathered enough support to stage a…

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Swiss inflation hits 13-year high in January

ZURICH, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Swiss consumer price inflation touched 1.6% in January, the highest level since late 2008, as it moved closer to the 2% upper band of the…

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Credit Suisse faces money laundering charges in trial of Bulgarian cocaine traffickers

ZURICH, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse will face charges in a Swiss court on Monday of allowing an alleged Bulgarian cocaine trafficking gang to launder millions of euros, some…

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Switzerland aims for new EU talks on improving troubled ties

ZURICH, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Swiss President Ignazio Cassis wants to thaw frosty ties with the European Union by seeking a new package of bilateral agreements and believes his country…

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Swiss to abolish import duties on industrial goods from 2024

ZURICH, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Switzerland will abolish import duties on industrial goods from the start of 2024 in a bid to shore up the country as a place to…

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Swiss start relaxing pandemic measures

ZURICH, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Switzerland on Wednesday began easing coronavirus pandemic restrictions as fears waned that a spike in infections fuelled by the Omicron variant would overwhelm the health…

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Court says Credit Suisse faces $45.5 million claim in money-laundering case

Swiss prosecutors are pursuing around 42.4 million Swiss francs ($45.5 million) in compensation from Credit Suisse in a money-laundering trial due to begin on Feb. 7, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court (FCC)…

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Nestle to pay cocoa growers to keep children in school

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) - Nestle will start paying cocoa farmers cash if they send their children to school rather than out to tend crops as part of a push to purchase…

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Swiss government tells banks to hold more capital for Swiss home mortgages

ZURICH, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The Swiss government will require banks to hold additional capital for residential mortgages from the end of September, it said on Wednesday, as it aims…

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UPDATED: WHO head says ‘dangerous’ to assume pandemic is nearing end

Jan 24 (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday it would be dangerous to assume that the highly transmissable Omicron was the last variant…

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Swiss franc rises to near 7-year high as safe haven flows resume

ZURICH, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The Swiss franc rose 0.2% early on Monday as safe-haven inflows driven by concerns over Ukraine pushed the currency to its highest level against the…

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Swiss cabinet extends quarantine, work-from-home rules into February

ZURICH, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Switzerland will extend until the end of February coronavirus quarantine and work-from-home rules and plans to keep until the end of March other curbs on…

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Photo Story: Patrouille Suisse flyover in Wengen

The Patrouille Suisse jets perform prior to the Men's Downhill race at the Fis Alpine Skiing World Cup in Wengen, Switzerland, 15 January 2022. Via EPA-EFE/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

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Switzerland tests digital currency payments with top investment banks

ZURICH, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Switzerland's central bank has successfully used digital currency to settle transactions involving five commercial banks, the Swiss National Bank said on Thursday, the latest trial…

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Swiss halve quarantine period to five days to tackle Omicron wave

ZURICH, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Switzerland will halve its quarantine time to five days to help tackle a wave of coronavirus infections that threatens to hamstring the economy, the government…

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Swiss airports see 50% fewer passengers than pre-pandemic

Amid flight cancellations and coronavirus related travel restrictions, Swiss airports are expecting half the number of passengers over the holidays than before the pandemic. This is still more traffic than…

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Swissmedic approves Roche’s Ronapreve to treat COVID-19 patients

ZURICH, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Swiss drugs regulator Swissmedic said on Monday it approved Ronapreve, an antibody treatment jointly developed by Roche and Regeneron, to treat COVID-19 patients. "In this…

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Swiss to allow simple legal gender transition from Jan. 1

ZURICH, Dec 26 (Reuters) - People in Switzerland will be able to legally change gender by a visit to the civil registry office from Jan. 1, putting the country at…

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SWISS plans to cancel 2,900 flights over winter

In an article in the German-language media SonntagsBlick, SWISS International Airlines indicated that the rapid spread of the Omicron variant is causing many people to change travel plans. Although SWISS…

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Thousands of fake Covid-19 certificates uncovered in Switzerland

Criminal proceedings have been launched in Switzerland following the discovery of around 8,000 fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates that were issued in the eastern canton of St Gallen. Police believe the…

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Switzerland to tighten pandemic measures from Monday

Switzerland is ordering more COVID-19 vaccination doses, the government said, as it tightened pandemic curbs while opting not to embrace -- for now -- an even stricter limited lockdown. It…

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