Stories from Bern · Switzerland

Swiss judicial authorities have uncovered accounts related to a 25-year-old arms deal case. The recovered funds in the arms case total 617 million USD, which is approximately 21 billion TWD.

The Bern City Council has mandated that all municipal positions be listed using gender-neutral language. This directive requires job titles to explicitly include both male and female designations. The administration is responsible for implementing this change across the city.

The Museumsquartier plans to expand services through structural investments in individual buildings. The project requires between 60 and 80 million Swiss francs. The Bern community has reportedly approved the necessary funding. The expansion aims to address competition from Netflix, gaming, and social media. The plan includes structural renovations for individual museums and the creation of a new shared park to establish a museum quarter ambiance. The project area is located near the Kirchenfeld Quartier, south of the Old Town. A meeting zone is also planned for the center of the district.

The Swiss National Council rejected a proposal to reduce the maximum weekly working hours for nurses from 50 to 45 hours. SVP National Councilor Diana Gut says the proposal is too expensive and could lead to costs in the billions. The source stated that no majority financing solution has been reached despite three rounds of discussions with affected stakeholders. There is a stated risk that insurance premium payers may face cost increases of two to four percent. The report was filed from the Federal Palace. SP National Councilor Farah Rumi, a professional nurse, stated that the commission's version of the proposal does not change the daily lives of caregivers. The decision was met with dissatisfaction from nursing personnel. The new draft addresses the issue of trained nursing specialists leaving the profession after several years.

Karimova is not expected to leave her prison in Uzbekistan until late December 2028. Consequently, the charges held against her in Switzerland will expire by that date. The investigation into the bank where she allegedly hid millions, Lombard Odier, and its former wealth manager remains ongoing.

A left-wing citizens' association is launching a popular initiative to stop the purchase of F-35 fighter jets. Minority politicians noted that clear public resistance would be required to reconsider the procurement process. The F-35 purchase discussion may be blocked for several years pending a potential referendum. While the initiative to halt purchases is gaining traction among left-wing groups, support remains cautious. Co-initiator Margaret Kienanellen stated she is not giving up and hopes the SP and Green parties will join the movement. Co-initiator Margaret Kinanellen stated she hopes the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party will support the movement. Co-initiator Margaret Kinanellen is seeking support from the SP and Green parties to reach the required 100,000 signatures.

The organization Umverkehr has begun collecting signatures for the Mobility Bonus initiative. Margret Kienanellen, a former SP National Councilor and initiative initiator, stated that it is offensive that the public must learn about cost increases through media reports. Initiator and former SP National Councilor Margret Kienanellen stated that the rising costs of the jets are problematic. The group's move follows reports that the F-35 program is becoming more expensive than originally planned. Switzerland has already paid approximately 1.5 billion Swiss francs for the procurement as of the end of 2025. Total costs could exceed 3 billion Swiss francs by the time a potential vote occurs in two to three years. The initiative aims to regulate pricing and performance standards in contracts but is unlikely to stop the purchase entirely.

Swiss judicial authorities have unfrozen accounts belonging to the family of Wang Chuan-fu, a prominent arms dealer. The unfreezing involves over $670 million retrieved by Wang Chuan-fu's 19-year-old son, Wang Jiaxing, in Vaud, Switzerland.

The Swiss National Science Foundation supported more than 6,000 research projects last year. Total funding reached approximately 1.2 billion Swiss francs. The foundation is expected to receive roughly 200 million francs less between 2027 and 2029. This reduction will necessitate changes to future funding strategies.

The Swiss National Science Foundation provided record funding to researchers last year, totaling approximately 1.2 billion Swiss francs. This funding supported more than 6,000 research projects. However, the foundation is expected to face budget cuts of around 200 million Swiss francs between 2027 and 2029. This funding level represents the highest amount of support provided to date. Only 30% of submitted applications received funding due to an explosion in demand.