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© 2026 DailyDropNo. 14
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, SUN., OCT. 18, 2026No. 14 · Morning, 6:00 a.m. CEST6 a.m. CEST
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Foreign affairs · US and Russia✓ 3 outlets · reasons for and duration of the exemption unconfirmed

Trump exempts Russia from new sanctions provided for by a recently passed law – amid the crisis with Kyiv

Le Temps, RTS and Google News Switzerland agree in reporting that the US president on Friday evening refrained from imposing major new punitive measures on Moscow. It remains open how he justifies this and how long the exemption applies.

On Friday evening Donald Trump exempted Russia from new, far-reaching sanctions provided for by a US law passed only recently. Le Temps, RTS and the headline roundup of Google News Switzerland agree in reporting this; the two French-speaking Swiss outlets place the step in the context of an acute crisis between Washington and Kyiv. How the president formally justified the exemption, which measures remain suspended in detail and for what period, cannot be seen from the reports at hand. Reactions from Kyiv, Moscow or Brussels were also not to be found in the reports by early Sunday morning.

What matters is what the report does not say. It speaks of new sanctions provided for by the law, not of a lifting of existing measures. US sanctions laws often give the president the option of suspending individual provisions for a limited time by means of an exemption, a so-called waiver. Whether this is such a waiver is not stated in the reports; nor is it stated whether Congress can object. We therefore note: what is documented is the decision on Friday evening to forgo the new measures; everything else is open.

For Switzerland the question is not abstract. Since 2022 the Federal Council has largely adopted the EU’s sanctions packages against Russia, and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) implements them. Banks, commodity traders in Geneva and Zug, and insurers also align their internal rules with American requirements, because payments in dollars almost always run through US banks. The further Washington and Brussels drift apart in their course toward Moscow, the harder it becomes for these firms to assess their risks and to vet customers from the affected region.

What to watch next: whether the US government publishes the wording of the exemption, whether the EU announces new steps of its own, and whether the Federal Council or Seco comment on the consequences. Until then the current legal situation applies unchanged to Swiss companies, and Switzerland’s existing sanctions against Russia remain in force. Added to this is the political backdrop: the report comes in a week in which several international crises make headlines at once, from the street protests in France to the situation around the Strait of Hormuz. Precisely for that reason it is worth waiting, with so consequential a decision, until several independent sources confirm the wording, and not passing on rumors of alleged backroom deals. Anyone working with a Russia link should rely on the official communications of Seco and not on headlines.

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World · France✓ 4 outlets · participation figures differ widely

France: hundreds of thousands protest against high living costs, violence and looting on the sidelines

In France, people took to the streets again on Saturday against high living costs. The Tribune de Genève and 24 heures report around 800,000 participants, a figure that expressly rests on figures given by the organizers. The Tages-Anzeiger speaks of tens of thousands and writes that most rallies passed off peacefully; at the same time its headline mentions violence and looting that had spread over the course of the day. No official figure from the authorities was available in the reports at hand. 24 heures quotes a demonstrator as saying that people are trying to keep others from demonstrating, but that it is not working. 20 Minuten had already reported earlier on new mass protests and compiled the key questions and answers; its title quotes the protest cry “We’re fed up!” The reports make clear that the anger is directed at rising prices and at the situation of households. For Switzerland the topic is close: Geneva, Basel and the Jura are closely tied to France, and tens of thousands of cross-border commuters travel back and forth every day. The media have so far reported no disruption to border traffic. The differences between the figures are a common result of different ways of counting: organizers usually count higher, police authorities lower. Anyone who wants to gauge the scale should ask who did the counting.

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Domestic · Politics✓ 3 outlets · reactions from parties and business still to come

Billionaire Alfred Gantner wants to tax firms that recruit abroad: 1.35 billion francs a year for households

The entrepreneur and billionaire Alfred Gantner proposes making companies pay that recruit staff abroad. According to reports by 24 heures, the Tribune de Genève and Google News Switzerland, the levy could bring in around 1.35 billion francs a year. The money is to flow back to households, and according to the summary the idea is meant to slow immigration. Whether it is an incentive levy with redistribution, a tax or some other model, and how high the rate per recruited person would be, the previews leave open.

The proposal comes at a time when immigration is politically charged. At its delegates’ assembly in Bulle on Saturday, the SVP once again reaffirmed its course against the Bilaterals III, and in parliament and the cantons there is dispute over skilled workers, the housing market and infrastructure. A model that holds firms financially to account thus meets existing fronts: business associations traditionally warn against additional costs.

Whether parties pick up the idea and whether it would be compatible with the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, the reports leave open.

For readers: this is the idea of one individual, not a bill. Before such a proposal can take effect, it needs a popular initiative or a parliamentary motion, consultation procedures and, in the end, a vote.

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Panorama · Mountains✓ 4 outlets · number of evacuees is given differently

Titlis cableway out of service: helicopters bring several hundred people from the mountain to the valley, the figures differ

On Saturday afternoon the Titlis Connect cableway between Stand in the canton of Nidwalden and the summit stopped running. 24 heures and the Tribune de Genève write that helicopters evacuated 120 people and that around 200 people had to leave the area. Blick and Google News Switzerland, citing the operator, report that the cableway is at a standstill because of a technical fault and that around 200 people are being flown out by helicopter. The figures thus differ depending on the time and the source.

On the cause of the fault there is only the operator’s statement that it is a technical defect. Whether anyone was injured, whether passengers were stuck in the cabins and when the cableway will run again cannot be seen from the reports. The Titlis region is a much-visited excursion destination, especially on an autumn weekend with guests from Switzerland and abroad.

Evacuations by air are a common but costly procedure when cableways fail: every rescue depends on the weather, on the number of helicopters available and on the order in which people on the mountain are looked after.

Anyone planning a trip in the coming days should check the operating status on the operator’s website before setting out. Open questions for the operator concern the cause, the length of the repair and possible compensation for guests whose outing was spoiled.

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Sport · Hockey, football, skiing✓ 4 outlets · details on injury status open

Ambri beat Servette 6:3, Manzambi scores for Aston Villa, Sion get past Cham and Hirscher skips Sölden

In the National League, Ambri beat Servette 6:3 on Saturday evening and thereby ended the Geneva side’s winning streak; Blick and Google News Switzerland report that Ambri remain in the leading group. In football, the Geneva native Johan Manzambi headed in the 1:0 for Aston Villa at Newcastle, his third goal in four starts (24 heures, Tribune de Genève). Both outlets also mention that he had to leave the pitch early; the reason and severity are not spelled out in the previews.

In the Swiss Cup, FC Sion advanced in the second round at Cham (Zug) in the rain, after the Valais side were under pressure until the 93rd minute. In alpine skiing, 24 heures announced that Marcel Hirscher will not compete at the season opener in Sölden. The 37-year-old Austrian, who holds a Dutch license, decided after the first training sessions to postpone his comeback. When he will return is open. There is also news from Basel in tennis: Novak Djokovic is competing at the Swiss Indoors after a 15-year break, as Le Quotidien Jurassien reports. The tournament in Roger Federer’s home country is considered one of the most important indoor tournaments in Europe.

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In brief
  • Djokovic in BaselNovak Djokovic is competing at the Swiss Indoors for the first time in 15 years (Le Quotidien Jurassien).
  • Pope Leo XIVThe Pope was due to leave the hospital on Saturday (RTS, Google News Switzerland).
  • Democrats in TexasJames Talarico has the Democrats dreaming of a win in the Southern state (Watson, Google News Switzerland).
  • Protests in IndiaGrowing protest against youth unemployment and alleged exam fraud (Blick, Google News Switzerland).
  • NeuchâtelRecord as part of breast cancer month: a tartlet specialty 82.5 centimeters in diameter (24 heures, Tribune de Genève).
  • Formula 1The Brazilian Rafael Câmara, 21, will drive for Haas next season (24 heures, Tribune de Genève).
  • Summer truffleThe heat has halted the harvest at a truffle farm in Bavois VD (24 heures).
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Unverified — what we could not confirm

Trump is lifting all sanctions on Russia with his decision. No. Le Temps, RTS and Google News Switzerland speak of an exemption from new sanctions provided for by a law; there is no mention of a lifting of existing measures.
In France, 800,000 people took to the streets on Saturday. The figure comes from the organizers (Tribune de Genève, 24 heures). The Tages-Anzeiger speaks of tens of thousands; no figure from the authorities is available.
The Titlis cableway flew 200 people out by helicopter. Blick and Google News Switzerland give around 200 according to the operator; 24 heures and the Tribune de Genève write of 120 people evacuated by helicopter, with around 200 having had to leave the area.
Glossary · dotted words — economics, law, security and science terms explained in the context of the story. The list grows every day.
INSIDETrump exempts Russia from new sanctions provided for by a recently passed law – amid the crisis with KyivForeign affairs · US and RussiaFrance: hundreds of thousands protest against high living costs, violence and looting on the sidelinesWorld · FranceBillionaire Alfred Gantner wants to tax firms that recruit abroad: 1.35 billion francs a year for householdsDomestic · PoliticsTitlis cableway out of service: helicopters bring several hundred people from the mountain to the valley, the figures differPanorama · MountainsAmbri beat Servette 6:3, Manzambi scores for Aston Villa, Sion get past Cham and Hirscher skips SöldenSport · Hockey, football, skiing