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Switzerland

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Switzerland. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Bern

Head of State

President Viola Amherd

Head of Government

President Viola Amherd

The Monarch collection returns to the Tudor roster this year, with an unusual dial featuring both Roman and Arabic numerals. Photo: Handout

Style Edit

Style Edit: Tudor’s new models at Watches and Wonders 2026

The maison brought back the Monarch collection, complete with quirky dial and numerals, and added new models to its Royal and Black Bay marques.

23 Apr 2026 - 10:00AM

China exports

How a Chinese plastics hub shapes Tesla’s supply chain – and moulds the modern world

23 Apr 2026 - 6:54AMvideocam

Singapore

UN alarmed by Singapore executions for drug-related offences

22 Apr 2026 - 7:21PM

Style Edit

Style Edit: Tag Heuer reimagines the chronograph for Watches and Wonders

From a ground-up redesign of the chronograph to a 500-metre dive watch, the maison’s 2026 line-up is all about pushing boundaries.

22 Apr 2026 - 9:55AM

Powered by the in-house Calibre TH20-11, the new Tag Heuer Monaco comes in three versions, including this one in a black dial with silver subdials and rose gold accents. Photo: Handout

China shipbuilding

The Iran war’s unlikely winner: China’s shipyards

China already dominates global shipbuilding orders – and the Strait of Hormuz crisis appears to be boosting demand.

22 Apr 2026 - 8:00AM

Style Edit

Style Edit: The Omega Speedmaster story – from Apollo 11 to Artemis II

From Nasa’s punishing 1965 trials, to the Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite, ‘Reverse Panda’ and X-33 – this is how a space icon keeps evolving.

21 Apr 2026 - 11:45AM

Style Edit

Style Edit: Jaeger-LeCoultre adds 2 impressive new models for 2026

The 2026 Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère is a technical and decorative marvel, while the new Master Control Chronometre is based on the 1973 Master Mariner Chronometre.

21 Apr 2026 - 10:00AM

The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère is yet another supreme example of the art of watchmaking from one of the most storied names in the business. Photo: Handout

Canada

Canada’s Carney says economic ties with US have become a ‘weakness’

In a blunt video address, Canada’s prime minister promises regular updates on efforts to diversify away from the US.

20 Apr 2026 - 1:09PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli attacks killed over 38,000 women, girls in Gaza since October 2023: UN

About 11,000 women and girls survived the war with injuries that will result in lifelong disabilities.

17 Apr 2026 - 9:42PMvideocam

Style Edit

Style Edit: IWC Schaffhausen celebrates its Pilot’s Watch’s 90th anniversary

New pieces soar with Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn, and the adventurous spirit of Le Petit Prince.

17 Apr 2026 - 10:00AM

IWC Schaffhausen celebrates 90 years of one of its most seminal designs, the Pilot watch, by taking innovative watchmaking beyond the sky and into space. Photo: Handout

Watches and Wonders

Watches and Wonders 2026: travel disruptions and glittering debuts

Richemont’s 10 maisons created plenty of buzz, while Patrick Dempsey dropped in at Tag Heuer and Usher is expected at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

20 Apr 2026 - 2:45PM

The Audemars Piguet booth at Watches and Wonders 2026, currently underway in Geneva. Photo: EPA

Canada

Canada’s Carney secures majority government with special election wins

With a ‌parliamentary majority, Mark Carney will have a freer hand to govern – ‌and solidify his grip on leading Canada.

14 Apr 2026 - 8:45PM

Canada

Canadian PM Carney on verge of majority government amid special elections

Votes are being cast in three districts. Winning just one of them would give the Liberals the ability to unilaterally pass any bill.

14 Apr 2026 - 2:39AMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Sumud aid flotilla departs Spain for Gaza to break Israeli blockade

The Israeli military halted 40 boats assembled by the same organisation in October last year, arresting more than 450 activists including Greta Thunberg.

12 Apr 2026 - 6:40PM

Global Sumud Flotilla Steering Committee members attend a press conference as the humanitarian flotilla prepares to depart for Gaza, from Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Taiwan

Takeaways from Cheng Li-wun’s press conference about meeting with Xi Jinping

KMT chairwoman says that with talks in Beijing, her party has taken the first step to defuse tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

10 Apr 2026 - 4:28PM

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s biggest opposition party, says “Taiwan can shake hands without sacrificing anything”. Photo: Reuters

Japan

Solomon Islands residents live in fear of WWII bomb explosions

With more people on the islands killed or injured due to the munitions, a UN team calls for international efforts to remove the danger.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:15PM

Science

‘To do something nobody’s done’: physicist Zhu Zijie leaves Europe for China

Rising star scientist returns to China to undertake cutting-edge research in the field of cold atoms.

30 Mar 2026 - 6:18PMvideocam

Germany

Hundreds flee as fire rips through German nightclub

3 people were injured in the fire in Kehl, southwestern Germany. Authorities said most of the building will have to be torn down.

30 Mar 2026 - 1:08AM

Smoke rises from the roof of a building, the site of a fire at the K nightclub in Kehl, southwestern Germany on Sunday. Photo: Feuerwehr Kehl / AFP / Handout

Science

Cambridge top architect Francois Penz relocates to China from UK

Pioneering French professor who blended architecture with film joins Nanjing University in a full-time position after 45 years at Cambridge.

28 Mar 2026 - 6:11PMvideocam

Electric & new energy vehicles

Pain at the pump fuels EV rush in China, driving a timely boost for carmakers

Brent crude above US$110 is pushing mainland buyers away from petrol cars, lifting China’s EV makers despite fading subsidies.

27 Mar 2026 - 9:00PM

Crime

French court sentences Islamic scholar to 18 years in prison for rape

Tariq Ramadan, currently in Switzerland, was found guilty of raping three women in a Paris trial.

26 Mar 2026 - 11:34AM

Swiss Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan. Photo: AFP

Cathay Pacific

Cathay’s European flights could offset Middle East losses, experts say

Hong Kong flag carrier’s decision to extend flight suspensions due to war may have only limited financial impact on overall passenger operations, they say.

25 Mar 2026 - 9:55AM

An aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from a fire near Dubai International Airport on March 16. Photo: AFP

France

France raids bank in probe of diplomat over Epstein links

Investigations follow revelations published in the Epstein files by the US Justice Department.

25 Mar 2026 - 9:51AM

Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Hong Kong developer banks on arts and finance synergy in West Kowloon cultural hub

Sun Hung Kai Properties pushes its ‘Central 2.0’ vision in West Kowloon, linking arts, culture and wealth management despite market headwinds.

23 Mar 2026 - 8:34AM

Made in China 2025

Global drug giants double down on China amid push for self-reliant supply chains

Multinationals are building self-reliant supply chains in China to insulate local markets from potential trade disruptions, say analysts.

20 Mar 2026 - 2:30PM

AstraZeneca’s booth at the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, July 17, 2025. Photo: EPA

Ukraine war

Kremlin says Ukraine peace talks on ‘situational pause’ amid Iran war

The Kremlin confirms halt as Russian newspaper claims the Middle East crisis could force Ukraine towards territorial compromise.

19 Mar 2026 - 6:20PM

A man walks past portraits of Russian soldiers in a St Petersburg street exhibition. Photo: AP

China trade

Papers please: China raises pressure on Panama with ship inspection wave

Intensified inspections for Panama-flagged vessels – among the world’s most common registrations – retaliation for canal port seizure, source says.

16 Mar 2026 - 7:30PMvideocam

United States

Trump’s ‘racist hate speech’ fuelling rights violations in US, UN panel says

UN watchdog is ‘deeply disturbed’ by dehumanising language and condemns the use of lethal force in recent immigration and protest crackdowns.

12 Mar 2026 - 2:45PM

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Switzerland

Style Edit: Tudor’s new models at Watches and Wonders 2026

The maison brought back the Monarch collection, complete with quirky dial and numerals, and added new models to its Royal and Black Bay marques.

How a Chinese plastics hub shapes Tesla’s supply chain – and moulds the modern world

UN alarmed by Singapore executions for drug-related offences

Style Edit: Tag Heuer reimagines the chronograph for Watches and Wonders

From a ground-up redesign of the chronograph to a 500-metre dive watch, the maison’s 2026 line-up is all about pushing boundaries.

The Iran war’s unlikely winner: China’s shipyards

China already dominates global shipbuilding orders – and the Strait of Hormuz crisis appears to be boosting demand.

Style Edit: The Omega Speedmaster story – from Apollo 11 to Artemis II

From Nasa’s punishing 1965 trials, to the Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite, ‘Reverse Panda’ and X-33 – this is how a space icon keeps evolving.

Style Edit: Jaeger-LeCoultre adds 2 impressive new models for 2026

The 2026 Master Hybris Inventiva Gyrotourbillon À Stratosphère is a technical and decorative marvel, while the new Master Control Chronometre is based on the 1973 Master Mariner Chronometre.

Canada’s Carney says economic ties with US have become a ‘weakness’

In a blunt video address, Canada’s prime minister promises regular updates on efforts to diversify away from the US.

Israeli attacks killed over 38,000 women, girls in Gaza since October 2023: UN

About 11,000 women and girls survived the war with injuries that will result in lifelong disabilities.

Style Edit: IWC Schaffhausen celebrates its Pilot’s Watch’s 90th anniversary

New pieces soar with Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn, and the adventurous spirit of Le Petit Prince.

Watches and Wonders 2026: travel disruptions and glittering debuts

Richemont’s 10 maisons created plenty of buzz, while Patrick Dempsey dropped in at Tag Heuer and Usher is expected at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Canada’s Carney secures majority government with special election wins

With a ‌parliamentary majority, Mark Carney will have a freer hand to govern – ‌and solidify his grip on leading Canada.

Canadian PM Carney on verge of majority government amid special elections

Votes are being cast in three districts. Winning just one of them would give the Liberals the ability to unilaterally pass any bill.

Sumud aid flotilla departs Spain for Gaza to break Israeli blockade

The Israeli military halted 40 boats assembled by the same organisation in October last year, arresting more than 450 activists including Greta Thunberg.

Takeaways from Cheng Li-wun’s press conference about meeting with Xi Jinping

KMT chairwoman says that with talks in Beijing, her party has taken the first step to defuse tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Solomon Islands residents live in fear of WWII bomb explosions

With more people on the islands killed or injured due to the munitions, a UN team calls for international efforts to remove the danger.

‘To do something nobody’s done’: physicist Zhu Zijie leaves Europe for China

Rising star scientist returns to China to undertake cutting-edge research in the field of cold atoms.

Hundreds flee as fire rips through German nightclub

3 people were injured in the fire in Kehl, southwestern Germany. Authorities said most of the building will have to be torn down.

Cambridge top architect Francois Penz relocates to China from UK

Pioneering French professor who blended architecture with film joins Nanjing University in a full-time position after 45 years at Cambridge.

Pain at the pump fuels EV rush in China, driving a timely boost for carmakers

Brent crude above US$110 is pushing mainland buyers away from petrol cars, lifting China’s EV makers despite fading subsidies.

French court sentences Islamic scholar to 18 years in prison for rape

Tariq Ramadan, currently in Switzerland, was found guilty of raping three women in a Paris trial.

Cathay’s European flights could offset Middle East losses, experts say

Hong Kong flag carrier’s decision to extend flight suspensions due to war may have only limited financial impact on overall passenger operations, they say.

France raids bank in probe of diplomat over Epstein links

Investigations follow revelations published in the Epstein files by the US Justice Department.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | Hong Kong developer banks on arts and finance synergy in West Kowloon cultural hub

Sun Hung Kai Properties pushes its ‘Central 2.0’ vision in West Kowloon, linking arts, culture and wealth management despite market headwinds.

Global drug giants double down on China amid push for self-reliant supply chains

Multinationals are building self-reliant supply chains in China to insulate local markets from potential trade disruptions, say analysts.

Kremlin says Ukraine peace talks on ‘situational pause’ amid Iran war

The Kremlin confirms halt as Russian newspaper claims the Middle East crisis could force Ukraine towards territorial compromise.

Papers please: China raises pressure on Panama with ship inspection wave

Intensified inspections for Panama-flagged vessels – among the world’s most common registrations – retaliation for canal port seizure, source says.

Trump’s ‘racist hate speech’ fuelling rights violations in US, UN panel says

UN watchdog is ‘deeply disturbed’ by dehumanising language and condemns the use of lethal force in recent immigration and protest crackdowns.

Exclusive | Hong Kong developer banks on arts and finance synergy in West Kowloon cultural hub