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Switzerland

Economics

Politics

U.S.-China Relations

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will meet in Switzerland on May 10-11 for trade talks, Bloomberg reported on May 6.

China, U.S.: Trade Talks To Commence in Switzerland

Energy

The Swiss government wants to cancel the country's 2017 ban on building new nuclear power plants, the Neue Zurcher Zeitung reported on Aug. 28.

Switzerland: Government Wants To Overturn Ban on New Nuclear Reactors

Canada

Australia

Germany

Greece

France

Sweden

United Kingdom

Belgium

Poland

Norway

Austria

Italy

Afghanistan

The Afghan Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would not honor documents, including passports and visas, issued by diplomats linked to the former Western-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at several missions in Europe and other Western countries, AP reported on July 30. 

Afghanistan: Taliban Disavows Some Afghan Diplomatic Missions in Europe and Other Western Countries

Israel

Kuwait

Lebanon

Netherlands

Military & Security

A number of countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Kuwait and Switzerland, urged their citizens to leave Lebanon amid the risk of a broader escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, The National UAE reported on June 27.

Lebanon: Countries Urge Citizens to Leave Lebanon, U.S. Prepares Evacuation Plan

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Seventy-eight of  91 of the participating countries and organizations signed the final communique of Ukraine's Peace Summit in Switzerland, Reuters reported June 17. 

Ukraine, Russia: Peace Summit Highlights Western War Fatigue, Ukraine's Limited Support in Global South

Environment, Science & Technology

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

Iceland

India

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

Assessments

South Africa

Malaysia

New Zealand

President Cyril Ramaphosa is sworn in as member of parliament during the first sitting of the new South African parliament on June 14 in Cape Town, South Africa. Ramaphosa will be inaugurated to a second term in a ceremony scheduled to take place June 19 in Pretoria.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine's Peace Summit, South Africa's Inauguration

Europe

Spain

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.

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

Mexico

Indonesia

Japan

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

Vietnam

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

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

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

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.

Security

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.

SITUATION REPORTS

China, U.S.: Trade Talks To Commence in Switzerland

Switzerland: Government Wants To Overturn Ban on New Nuclear Reactors

Afghanistan: Taliban Disavows Some Afghan Diplomatic Missions in Europe and Other Western Countries

Lebanon: Countries Urge Citizens to Leave Lebanon, U.S. Prepares Evacuation Plan

Ukraine, Russia: Peace Summit Highlights Western War Fatigue, Ukraine's Limited Support in Global South

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

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