Switzerland

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

Science & Technology

The European Court of Human Rights issued a landmark ruling that the Swiss government had violated some of its citizens' human rights by not doing enough to curb climate change in a case brought by more than 2,000 elderly women, Reuters reported on April 9.

Switzerland: Europe's Top Human Rights Court Rules Against Bern in Landmark Climate Change Case

Liechtenstein

Norway

Iceland

India

Economics

India and the European Free Trade Association, or EFTA, signed a free trade agreement on March 10 valued at $100 billion, Times of India reported on March 11.

India: Government Signs Trade Agreement Worth $100B With EFTA

The right-wing, anti-immigration Swiss People's Party, or SVP, won the most votes in Switzerland's federal elections at 28.6%, Reuters reported on Oct. 22. 

Switzerland: Right-Wing Party Wins Swiss Federal Election

United Kingdom

British Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch met Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin in Bern, Switzerland, to initiate talks on an upgraded free trade agreement between the two countries, with formal negotiations set to start on May 22, Reuters reported on May 15.

U.K., Switzerland: Governments Kick off Trade Negotiations

United States

Switzerland's Zurich Insurance Group said on April 5 that it was leaving the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA), which is part of the broader Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), Reuters reported the next day.

Switzerland: Zurich Insurance Exits Net-Zero Insurance Alliance

Ukraine

Military & Security

A Swiss parliamentary committee adopted a motion that would allow for the reexport of Swiss-made weapons to conflict zones under specific circumstances, notably "where there is a violation of the international ban on resorting to force, and specifically in the case of the Russian-Ukrainian war," Reuters reported Jan. 24.

Switzerland, Ukraine: Swiss Parliament to Approve Reexport of Arms to Kyiv

France

Germany

Cyber

Security

Several law enforcement agencies arrested 12 ransomware gang members in Switzerland and Ukraine, Europol announced in an Oct. 29 press release.

Switzerland, Ukraine: Ransomware Operators Arrested in Police Bust

Vietnam

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The U.S. Treasury Department officially labeled Vietnam and Switzerland currency manipulators in a long-delayed report, saying that both countries intervened in currency markets to prevent balance of payments adjustments through June 2020, Reuters reported Dec. 16. 

U.S.: Treasury Department Labels Vietnam, Switzerland Currency Manipulators  

Assessments

Europe

Spain

Italy

Russia

A photo taken on July 5, 2022, shows the dried-up river bed of the Po River in Italy's Veneto region. Water levels in Italy's largest river have reached record lows amid a severe drought.

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Record-low rainfall is disrupting crop yields, energy production and trade flows at a time when European countries are already battling soaring food and fuel prices.

A Severe Drought Turns Up the Heat on Europe’s Economic and Energy Crises

Snapshots

Switzerland's national flag (left) is pictured next to the EU flag at the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium. 

European Disintegration

The uncertainty may only be temporary, as Bern’s strong trade ties with the bloc will likely eventually bring it back to the negotiating table.

Switzerland Calls Off EU Partnership Talks -- For Now

Brexit

Brussels' threat to end EU traders' ability to carry out securities transactions in the Swiss market is a reminder that the commission could take similar steps in trade negotiations with London.

EU, Switzerland: A Stock Market Dispute Could Damage Swiss-EU Economic Ties

Global Perspectives

Serbia

Albania

Contributor Perspectives

Swiss player Xherdan Shaqiri's celebration after scoring a World Cup goal against Serbia included flashing the Albanian eagle. Shaqiri was born in Kosovo, whose ethnic Albanian population fought a destructive conflict with Serbia in the 1990s.

Switzerland's Albanian contingent and Serbia's manager battled with gestures and words, showing how close to the surface the wounds of Kosovo remain.

The Balkan Wars Revisited at the World Cup

The money and influence that collegiate athletics wield in the United States have no peer in the European educational system.

Unlike in the United States, high-level academic sports programs and the big business they generate are simply not found on the Continent.

The European Difference in Collegiate Athletics

The European Free Trade Association's members, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway, each have their own trade agendas.

The Fate of the Eurozone

The future of the small but wealthy European Free Trade Association is intertwined with that of its larger and better-known cousin, the European Union.

Trade Profile: The Fate of Europe's Other Trade Bloc Hangs in the Balance

Trade Profiles

Canada

Mexico

China

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

Ireland

North America Unrivaled

U.S. President Donald Trump signed two presidential actions on trade March 31. The first orders the Department of Commerce to review U.S. bilateral trade deficits and to determine their cause, and the second increases enforcement of anti-dumping and countervailing duties measures. This marks the next step in revamping U.S. trade policy.

U.S.: President Signs 2 Orders on Trade

Media

Graphics

Potential Replacements for the Dollar as the Global Reserve Currency

Investors should therefore take seriously the possibility that the dollar could become a less secure asset in the years to come. But it's unclear what might replace the dollar: The euro? The Japanese yen? The Chinese yuan? None are close to being ready to assume its mantle. In fact, many are headed in the wrong direction.

Which Currency Could Replace the Dollar?

Reflections

If commodity prices slide again, the interest rate gulf between the U.S. and the rest of the world could grow.

Beyond Quantitative Easing

China in Transition

It has been a busy couple of days for the world's central banks. Since the U.S. Federal Reserve made its decision to hike interest rates, other central banks are faced with a choice: Do they track U.S. actions to protect their currencies, or do they stand pat and take their chances?

Where the Fed Goes, Other Central Banks May Not Follow

Columns

On the Road

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Lebanon

Turkey

The Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland. The politically neutral space hotels provide can make them ideal spaces for leaders to convene for consultation in times of crisis.

Old Leaders in a New Africa

Any place elite barons of authority convene can, at least temporarily, join the ranks of the world's important spaces. In countries where power is contested, a hotel's neutral space might be the only option for political or military rivals to engage in talks or to trade information, though this can also attract intelligence agency surveillance.

The Temporary Halls of Power

A Resolution on Who Owns Gene Editing

Agriculture

The fight for ownership of the powerful gene-editing technique known as CRISPR-Cas9 is over, at least for now. The victor in the patent case, however, is less important than the fact that policy continues to lag behind scientific progress.

The idea has been around for centuries, and it has found support from all sides of the political spectrum.

Globalization

What will it take to eliminate poverty? Given enough time, market forces might be sufficient. But another approach could accelerate the process: a guaranteed basic income. While hardly in the mainstream yet, the concept of a guaranteed basic income has a long history, and it is gaining adherents around the world.

Universal Basic Income and Radical Populism: Making the Link

SITUATION REPORTS

Switzerland: Europe's Top Human Rights Court Rules Against Bern in Landmark Climate Change Case

India: Government Signs Trade Agreement Worth $100B With EFTA

Switzerland: Right-Wing Party Wins Swiss Federal Election

U.K., Switzerland: Governments Kick off Trade Negotiations

Switzerland: Zurich Insurance Exits Net-Zero Insurance Alliance

Switzerland, Ukraine: Swiss Parliament to Approve Reexport of Arms to Kyiv

Switzerland, Ukraine: Ransomware Operators Arrested in Police Bust

U.S.: Treasury Department Labels Vietnam, Switzerland Currency Manipulators

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