Swiss voters rejected the neutrality initiative by 70.2% on Sunday, with every canton voting No. The result leaves the government room to continue its existing approach to sanctions and international cooperation. It does not end Swiss neutrality or amount to a decision to join Nato.
The food-security initiative also fell, with 72.5% against; turnout was 47%. For everyday life in Zürich, the more tangible changes came further down the ballot: additional Kunsthaus funding, restrictions on tall buildings and a cantonal decision on assisted dying in care institutions. Those results lead today's local desk.
Kabinett Visarte opens its short photography show on Thursday. The calendar also has a five-day gallery exhibition and a Sunday finissage.
A Thursday masterclass at James Joyce joins sparkling wine, Douro wine and salmon pairings in this week’s compact diary.
Ten world briefs travel from Pakistan and Manila to Hong Kong, Bangkok and a new Sound of Music museum.
27 September. The city parliament's high-rise proposal won 62.5% support. It restricts areas permitting buildings of 25–40 metres and requires a special design plan from 60 metres, rather than the executive's proposed 80. The approved approach also links additional building capacity to affordable housing. These are the rules that will shape future projects and neighbourhood debates. SRF.
27 September. Voters approved the additional annual contribution by 55.5%, taking the relevant public contributions to CHF25.8 million. Higher operating, staffing and maintenance costs following the museum's expansion underpin the request. It is a consequential vote for the institution whose exhibitions and artist talks feature in your diary. SRF.
28 September. Zürich Airport has finished introducing its new CT security scanners three months ahead of schedule. The airport says throughput has improved by 30%, although staffing still affects queues and some objects—including thermos flasks and playing cards—can need separate inspection. The practical gain is a smoother security process; the performance figure is the airport's assessment. SRF.
The cantonal measure passed with 68.1%; psychiatric institutions and prisons are exceptions.
A law providing more time for additional teaching duties lost with 59.2% voting No.
Voters backed planning for better connections, including Oerlikon–Altstetten and a ring route.
The approved asylum-organisation reform raises its capital from CHF2 million to CHF42.5 million.
The accepted change raises average annual remuneration from about CHF16,000 to CHF20,800.
27 September. The food-security initiative was rejected by 72.5%. Alongside the neutrality result, it completes a clear defeat for both national proposals on Sunday's ballot. The result is a decision on the proposed constitutional changes; it does not by itself change the prices in your supermarket or eliminate existing food-policy debates. SRF.
Also read: SWI · English results coverage.
28 September. Police arrested five men on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism involving explosives. Homes were evacuated and cordons established near the Gloucestershire airbase as counter-terrorism officers took over the investigation. The men are suspects, and the publicly established facts remain limited. The BBC's developing report is the useful place to follow confirmed updates. BBC News.
28 September. The government says Avanti will move into public ownership in March 2027, following Great Western Railway in December. The change is tied to the operator's contract timetable. For journeys between London and the North, ownership is a significant policy change, but the announcement alone does not promise an immediate improvement in reliability or fares. BBC News.
The 58.5% Yes vote still needs implementing legislation; introduction could be in 2028.
The income- and wealth-tax reduction is due in 2027; municipal taxes are separate.
The proposal lost with 64.3% voting No.
Lowering it to 16 was rejected by 67.4%.
Voters rejected abolition of the CHF22.75 hourly minimum by 67.6%.
28 September. Donald Trump has rejected Iran's proposal while continuing to predict further talks. Tehran wants changes to the blockade, sanctions and frozen assets; restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz remain consequential for trade. The gap between diplomatic optimism and agreed terms matters. Separately, Bloomberg reports that Washington is considering a diesel-export ban—another potential supply shock for importers, rather than a measure already in force. The Straits Times / AFP.
Also read: The Straits Times / Bloomberg · proposed diesel restrictions.
28 September. National Rally and its UDR allies will have fourteen senators after Sunday's indirect elections, enough to form a parliamentary group. That offers resources and institutional visibility, although it leaves the bloc far short of controlling the 348-seat chamber. The result is a step in the far right's expansion through French institutions, not a presidential-election verdict. The Guardian / AFP / Reuters.
28 September. Sunday's attacks killed eight people, including a 16-year-old in Sumy, according to the reported Ukrainian accounts. Data centres used by Kyivstar and Omega were also struck. Russia describes the infrastructure as serving military purposes; that claim should not be confused with independently established use. Damage to communications networks adds to the civilian consequences of the continuing war. The Straits Times / AFP.
Two weeks of talks could unlock roughly $1.2 billion later this year; approval and disbursement remain conditional.
Possible state governments involving the AfD or Left are prompting debate over access to security information.
Manibela’s three-day action over fuel costs disrupts the commuting outlook as police arrange transport assistance.
The city logged 439,532 arrivals over Friday–Sunday, ahead of the separate Golden Week holiday rush.
Joseph de Weck argues that frequent referendums can disperse power and test populists’ claims to represent a majority.
Z.ai and Concordia AI focus on models that others can modify after release, broadening the debate beyond closed US systems.
The UN estimates 61 million tonnes of debris; bulk clearance could take seven to ten years.
City authorities report about 4,900 evacuations as residents confront inundated homes and streets.
Coastal flooding, power cuts and widespread flight cancellations accompanied a storm that killed a man in Brooklyn.
A museum celebrates the songs while restoring the real von Trapp family’s story of exile and resistance.
28 September · morning report. Services were suspended between Monkseaton and Wallsend because of a signalling problem, with a separate overhead-line fault closing Park Lane–South Hylton. The morning report also described a reduced service between Pelaw and Park Lane. It is a useful heads-up for family around Tynemouth: check the live service position before travelling, since disruption and replacement arrangements can change. Chronicle Live.
28 September. Track work planned for the Newcastle–Sydney line on 4 October has been postponed after freight-train failures disrupted Sunday's journeys. Knights supporters were among those stranded. ABC's report puts the sporting frustration alongside the railway's operational problems: the announcement removes one planned obstacle next weekend, without guaranteeing that the service will run smoothly. ABC News Australia.
24 September · catch-up. The council objects to proposals offering up to 80% relief from the Community Infrastructure Levy on qualifying developments. It argues that the discount could reduce funding for local infrastructure at a time of wider budget pressure, and wants tighter conditions. This is a dispute over a proposed development incentive, not an enacted change to household taxation. Twickenham Nub News.
This week’s list includes city-centre closures and temporary signals on Monkseaton Front Street.
The St Martin’s Lane project includes a 300-seat main room and a smaller late-night space.
25 September · weekend discovery. Harriet Mena Hill makes paintings on fragments salvaged from London's Aylesbury Estate, turning demolition material into miniature records of a lived-in place. Her work also extends into wool pieces that soften concrete's hard geometry. Colossal's new profile is an absorbing bridge from your interest in street art to a different question: who preserves a neighbourhood's visual memory when its buildings disappear? Colossal.
28 September. Johan Turi's rarely seen drawings appear alongside work by contemporary Sámi artists in Kiruna. The author of a groundbreaking 1910 Sámi-language book recorded everyday life, beliefs and reindeer herding in images as well as words. The Guardian's feature places the exhibition beside Sweden's current reckoning with its treatment of Sámi people—a reminder that an archive can speak urgently to the present. The Guardian.
28 September. The Toronto Biennial has opened with more than thirty artists and sixteen new commissions, curated by Allison Glenn. Waterways and connections between cities provide a route through the programme, which continues until 20 December. The appeal is a city becoming an exhibition space: follow the reporting for artists and ideas to discover, rather than treating it as a short Swiss outing. The Art Newspaper.
A corn-cob fountain, bathing birds and a climb-through teddy bear turn everyday objects into outdoor encounters.
Four shortlisted artists explore extraction, ecology, identity and industrial change; the winner is announced in December.
2–4 October · opening weekend. Anděl Sudik and Rebecca MacMillan bring their improvisational worlds to Zürich during an October residency. The opening weekend includes a Friday evening programme built around favourite books and panels, Saturday performances and a Sunday student showcase and jam. The event listing sets out the individual sessions, making it easy to choose a show rather than commit to the whole residency. Eventfrog / Theater Ida.
2 October. Harry Fücks and Martina Hulme share an English-language comedy bill at ROBIN's Coffee, Zähringerstrasse 33. Doors open at 19:30 for a 20:00–22:00 show. Standard tickets are CHF20, with CHF15 concessions. This is the compact option for your Friday evening: two performers, one small venue, and no need to build the night around a much larger festival. Eventfrog · original listing.
3 October. Kunsthaus hosts Ottinger in conversation with Milena Hügli on Saturday, connecting the filmmaker's work with the museum's Maria Lassnig programme. Her 1978 portrait of Lassnig gives the encounter a particularly interesting art-and-cinema connection. The talk runs 11:00–12:00 in the Moser building's lecture hall; regular admission is CHF15, with reductions and booking through the museum. Kunsthaus Zürich.
Short exhibitions and one-off viewings · 28 September–4 October
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep–4 Oct | Seelenland · Viviane Lüdi Five-day exhibition; opening Thu 1 Oct, 17:00–19:30. | Galerie 111, Zweierstrasse 111, Zürich |
| 1–3 Oct | Traces · photography Opening Thu 18:00; Fri–Sat 15:00–19:00. | Kabinett Visarte, Schoffelgasse 10, Zürich |
| Thu 1 Oct | Maria Lassnig / Edvard Munch · members’ preview 17:00–21:00; members only. A one-evening preview of a longer exhibition. | Kunsthaus Zürich |
| Sat 3 Oct | Ulrike Ottinger · artist talk 11:00–12:00; CHF15 regular; booking required. | Kunsthaus Zürich, Moser building |
| Sun 4 Oct | Schwarz & Weiss · closing event 14:00–17:00; free. The closing event, not the full exhibition run. | Kulturschüür, Männedorf |
Theater im Zollhaus stages the show at 20:00 on Friday; the listing warns that late admission is not possible.
A Wikipedia editing workshop runs 18:00–21:00 at Karl*a, Kirchgasse 14.
Thursday’s Kunsthaus preview runs 17:00–21:00; this invitation is specifically for museum members.
25 September · harvest report. France's agriculture ministry estimates a Champagne harvest roughly half the size of last year's. Vinetur's Spanish-language report separates the volume shock from producers' more optimistic comments about quality. Reserve wines can cushion the consequences, so a smaller harvest does not translate mechanically into the same fall in bottles sold—or an immediate change in the price of your next purchase. Vinetur · Spanish.
25 September · weekend discovery. At Terra Madre, Massimo Montanari describes food identity as something made through exchange, adaptation and encounters between social classes. WineNews's Italian account is a rewarding read for anyone who enjoys the stories behind a meal: recipes may feel rooted and local while carrying centuries of movement. It is a historian's argument about culture, rather than another list of supposedly authentic dishes. WineNews · Italian.
28 September. Westcombe cheesemaker Tom Calver is experimenting with a richer pasture, including nineteen plant species, fewer animals and lower milk yields. The Guardian's profile follows the costs and ambitions behind that choice. His belief that the landscape should speak through the cheese makes this a useful companion to winegrower profiles: the story is about husbandry and flavour, with the claimed effects still part of the producer's account. The Guardian.
Zürich first, with nearby tastings worth the trip · times are local
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 28 Sep | Casa Ferreirinha · Wine & Dine 18:00–22:00; CHF250 including menu and wines; book with the organiser. | Restaurant Wunderbrunnen |
| Wed 30 Sep | Afterwork tasting 16:00–19:00; free. Groups over six should reserve. | Mövenpick Wein, Brunnenstrasse 14, Volketswil |
| Wed 30 Sep | Falstaff Sparkling Festival Public session 16:30–20:00; advance ticket CHF59. | AMERON Zürich Bellerive au Lac, Utoquai 47 |
| Thu 1 Oct | Telmo Rodríguez · masterclass and flying dinner Masterclass 14:30; flying dinner from 17:00. Booking and price through the listing. | James Joyce, Pelikanstrasse 8, Zürich |
| Thu 1 Oct | Wine & Salmon 18:30–21:00; six stations; CHF89; reserve ahead. | Baur au Lac Vins, Dorfgasse 46, Männedorf |
Year-to-June exports rose 8% by volume to 306.2 million litres; value was broadly flat at NZ$2.108 billion.
New analysis of 2024 accounts finds turnover up 0.9%, with services offsetting weaker product sales.
Value declined 2.2% and volume 1.5%, according to the latest trade figures reported by Vinetur.
Slow Food’s coming campaign links cheese to livelihoods, skills and the future of upland places.
A tour of Kölsch brewhouses explores the 200ml Stange and the coaster signal that stops the next refill.
28 September. Maggie Sass distinguishes internal, interpersonal and systemic friction in a new Learning Guild piece. It is a useful challenge for capability leaders: a course cannot repair unclear decision rights, conflicting incentives or a broken hand-off. Her practitioner framework offers a way to diagnose the obstacle before designing an intervention. The practical question for your next conversation is simple: what would still stop someone succeeding after they had learned the skill? The Learning Guild.
28 September. The FDA has approved Atebrioz, or zilurgisertib, for patients aged twelve and over with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, a rare condition involving abnormal bone formation. Reuters describes a 63-patient study with a reduction in new bone formation at 24 weeks. Mirum expects an October launch; the reported approval is established, while launch plans remain the company's forecast and pricing has not been announced. The Straits Times / Reuters.
25 September · financing. ADARx's IPO raised $446.3 million in gross proceeds, alongside a $100 million private placement by AbbVie. Its factor B programme is in phase two, and the financing supports continued clinical development. The deal is a useful signal of investor appetite in RNA medicines, but the money raised should not be mistaken for evidence that the experimental treatments will succeed. Fierce Biotech.
The return of rights gives the Swiss company strategic options ahead of Indivior’s Supernus merger.
Lists cover around $30 billion of imports on each side; legal steps remain before the changes take effect.
Live listing checked 28 September. Zürich · 80–100% · job 135454. The role combines enterprise skills strategy, taxonomy and AI capability, with practical learning and measures of adoption. That is a particularly close fit for your work across learning, capability and business transformation. The employer specifies the Quai Campus and no remote working. No closing date or salary is displayed, so the original advert is the place to review the scope and apply. Zurich Insurance · original advert.
Deadline reminder · checked 28 September. London, Bristol, Leeds or Edinburgh · £126,523–£148,850 · closes Tuesday 29 September. A continuing opportunity from Friday's paper, now at its deadline: lead enterprise development, scalable delivery and AI-enabled learning across a large financial-services group. The advert specifies at least two office days a week. Your regulated-industry and capability experience is relevant; the UK location requirement is the main practical question. Lloyds Banking Group · original advert.
Continuing vacancy · checked 28 September. London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham or Liverpool · R20571. This continuing vacancy leads the firmwide L&D function, initially with an audit focus, and reports to the Director of L&D. Regulatory quality, learning effectiveness, budgets and leadership all feature strongly. Regular travel to London and other offices is required. It is a credible match for enterprise learning leadership, with professional-services and audit depth worth weighing carefully. BDO · original advert.
26 September · Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri finished fourteenth and Lando Norris retired after a race that erased the promise of their starting positions. Piastri's first-corner lock-up damaged his tyres; Norris's race ended after a restart incident involving the Alpines. McLaren's account points to tyre difficulties and straight-line performance. Read it alongside the independent race report for the difference between the team's diagnosis and the wider picture of a costly weekend. McLaren · race report.
Also read: Grande Prêmio · independent race coverage · Formula 1 · official classification.
27 September. The Wallabies beat South Africa 42–38 in Perth after leading 42–17 and then, during a frantic closing spell, being reduced to eleven players by yellow cards. They had thirteen back on the field when the game ended. Jack Snape's analysis relives the scrambling defence and extraordinary final minutes. A year before Australia's home World Cup, it was a powerful lift for the side and its supporters. The Guardian · analysis.
27 September. Western Force beat the Waratahs 17–12 in Sydney and will host next week's Super Rugby AUS final at Hale School. Both teams had already qualified, so the immediate prize was home advantage. Ethan Dobbins scored both Waratahs tries, but the Force overturned a 12–7 half-time deficit and held off late pressure. The decider will give the Tahs an immediate chance to respond. The West Australian.
Carreras’s standout try helped Bath win Friday’s opener.
Saturday’s first-team game is listed for 16:30 at Athenaz, with the reserve fixture at 14:30.
The federation lists Switzers/Palezieux opposition and a 15:00 kick-off on Saturday.
After serious injuries, the Australian finished second in Montréal behind Brandon McNulty.
26 September. Nuclidium's chief executive discusses copper-based radiopharmaceuticals intended to connect diagnosis and treatment. In SWI's interview, she is explicit that demonstrating clinical efficacy and utility remains the challenge, even after substantial fundraising. For your pharma lens, it is a useful founder profile because the ambition and the remaining proof are visible together: financing creates the opportunity to test a medicine, rather than settling the clinical question. SWI swissinfo.ch · interview.
27 September. A new profile follows the artist and stage designer ahead of her Design Museum retrospective. Her work moves between performance, architecture, installation and large public encounters. The interesting thread is her habit of turning research and conversation into a space people can inhabit. For someone drawn to art, improvisation and learning design, it is an invitation to think about what an audience physically does—not only what it is told. The Guardian · profile.
28 September · the week ahead. Tuesday: Lloyds' application deadline. Thursday: Traces opens at 18:00; Telmo Rodríguez's masterclass starts at 14:30. Saturday: Ottinger at Kunsthaus, 11:00. Sunday: the Männedorf closing event, 14:00–17:00.
A useful German sentence for the gallery: Die Ausstellung dauert nur drei Tage. The exhibition lasts only three days.
Try this week. Take one task that regularly stalls. Ask the person doing it to describe the last attempt, step by step. Mark each obstacle as a missing skill, a difficult interaction or a rule or process that gets in the way. Choose one small change and observe the next attempt. This is a design experiment inspired by today's Learning Guild piece: start with the work, then decide what learning can usefully change. Maggie Sass · the framework behind the idea.
Original logic puzzle · about 4 minutes. Four fictional friends—Ada, Ben, Cara and Dan—each go out once, on different evenings from Tuesday to Friday. Their outings are a gallery, a comedy show, a wine tasting and a museum, each used once.
Who goes where, and on which evening?
**Tuesday:** Dan, comedy. **Wednesday:** Ada, museum. **Thursday:** Ben, gallery. **Friday:** Cara, wine. Ben cannot be Tuesday because Dan is; he cannot be Wednesday because the following day's event is the gallery, not wine; and he cannot be Friday because he must precede the wine tasting. So Ben is Thursday and wine is Friday. Cara must therefore be Friday. Ada's museum visit falls on Wednesday, leaving Dan's comedy evening on Tuesday. There is exactly one solution.