A Russian plane landed at Basel Euroairport yesterday evening. The Ilyushin 96 is often used by President Putin.
To get around an EU ban on Russian aircraft it had to fly a long detour, skirting north Africa before heading north – an extra 5,000 km.
It was then given special permission to overfly France and Switzerland to land at Basel.
The Federal Office for Civil Aviation says the reason of the flight was to move embassy staff.
Citizenship remains one of the hardest on continent
The Council of States has rejected a popular initiative that would have let foreigners apply for citizenship after just five years, closing the parliamentary door on the biggest attempt in years to loosen one of Europe's strictest naturalisation regimes
More gun crime in Annemasse
Seven people are in French police custody after a shooting Monday evening at a drug-dealing spot in Ville-la-Grand, on the edge of Annemasse
Geneva land ownership change
The canton of Geneva is set to become the sole owner of the land beneath Stade de Genève, buying out a parcel held by federal railways CFF for CHF 15.84 million
Agriculture warning after record breaking summer
Farmers warn that another summer like this one would eat through their remaining reserves and force cuts to herds and crops
SNB interest rate stable
The Swiss National Bank has kept its key interest rate at zero, sticking with a policy that has held since June 2025 even as oil-driven inflation ticks higher
Phone company going to court
A Swisscom technician who spent 38 years at the company says he was fired for helping his 80-year-old neighbour cancel a subscription she never wanted
