An international eye on Swiss news collated by Peter Hulm for NuseReal

February 2026

US special envoy Witkoff plans to meet Ukraine's top negotiator in Geneva
Dozens of delegates have walked out of Russian ambassador Gennady Gatilov's speech to the UN conference on disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland. They gathered outside the room holding the Ukrainian flag, returning once the ambassador had finished speaking. — (LINK)

Why did US abstain from UN General Assembly vote? Tammy Bruce, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, says she welcomed the General Assembly resolution's appeal for a ceasefire. But she said the resolution included "language that is likely to distract" from diplomatic efforts to end the war rather than support them — without explaining what specific language was at issue. The US delegation had pressed for a separate vote on paragraphs involving Ukraine's territorial integrity and international law, but its push was rejected. — (LINK)

SEALSQ Corp and its parent company WISeKey International Holding Ltd announce the relocation of their Geneva headquarters to Pont-Rouge in August 2026 and Geneva Quantum Center of Excellence, aimed at establishing Geneva as a leader in applied quantum technologies, integrating various fields such as quantum computing and cybersecurity — 23 February 2026 (LINK)

Dogs significantly change air in homes, say Swiss scientists — 23 February 2026 (LINK)

— According to the study, a large dog at rest emits about the same amount of CO2 as an adult human. The amount of ammonia emitted is also comparable. This gas is produced when proteins are broken down and is released via the skin and the air we breathe. According to the data, however, dogs had the greatest influence on particles in the air. By shaking, scratching or stroking, they stir up large quantities of dust, pollen, plant residues and microbes. Large dogs release two to four times more microorganisms than a human in the same room. The animals act as mobile "carriers", transporting biological material from the outside to the inside and distributing it throughout the room through their activities.

GEN: Geneva expertise in medicinal and aromatic plants — 20 February 2026 (LINK)

Football fans face police checks after Sunday's rail fire — 19 February 2026 (LINK)

Rail traffic between Geneva and Lausanne was disrupted after football fans caused a fire at Lausanne station — 15 February 2026 (LINK)

Swiss Alpine roads closed due to avalanche danger — 17 February 2026 (LINK)

Thousands of costumes from Geneva's Grand Theatre opera house go on sale on 14 and 15 February — 14 February 2026 (LINK)

Blatten landslide and aftermath: Avalanche cuts off traffic to Swiss Lötschental valley: Car transport operations also had to be suspended on the BLS Lötschberg rail service. — 12 February 2026 (LINK)

Roger Federer's Hall of Fame induction ceremony sells out in 2 minutes — 11 February 2026 (LINK)

UBS plans to hire up to 3,000 people in India and open a new Hyderabad site, while also preparing to cut about 3,000 jobs in Switzerland as it integrates Credit Suisse — 11 February 2026 (LINK)

Road to the First International Conference of the Global Framework on Chemicals being held in Geneva on 16 to 20 November 2026 — 11 February 2026 (LINK)

EU delegation in Geneva receives special honorary award for 11 years of social media excellence — 9 February 2026 (LINK)