Campaigners supporting the environmental group Greenpeace have briefly disrupted a Champions League match in Switzerland in a protest against the Russian energy giant Gazprom, a sponsor of the game. Four activists on October 1 abseiled from the roof of the stadium to the field in Basel and unfurled a banner that read: “Gazprom. Don’t Foul The Arctic.”

The political, business and academic elites at the World Economic Forum expressed renewed optimism at the global economy, with more liquidity, more unity in Europe and the fiscal cliff scaled by U.S. politicians. But other risks – especially that of not doing enough to combat persistent corruption – are emerging as new threats to a fragile global economy beset by challenges.

India Adda has been buzzing with interesting conversations over the past three days with government officials and prominent business leaders engaging in constructive dialogues. What is delightful is that the conversations are unceasing. As WEF 2013 gets into the discussion mode, delegates having been to the Congress Centre can be seen sitting in groups at the India Adda comparing notes and views on the emerging global trends, India in the context of the world economic order, the issues colouring Brand India and the upcoming competition.

The Geneva International Cultural Exchange Committee invites the public to join them as they welcome their next cultural exchange with our sister city Croissy-sur-Seine, France. A delegation of 20 of which six are from the Rive Droite/Rive Gauche Swing Band will be coming to Geneva on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

Waitresses walk past in Swiss lederhosen. ‘Carbivores’ chow down on traditional Swiss potato cakes. And images on the walls depict trains climbing the Alps in the Bernese Oberland. But this isn’t a scene from a Swiss tourism pamphlet. It’s a typical afternoon in a converted English pub—normally known as the Mudlark—a few meters from the London Bridge Tube Station.

The cultural institutions of most countries are autonomous, unconnected with any local educational facility. But China’s Confucius Institutes are different, leading to criticism from some teachers, education authorities and parts of the media.

Although many Holly- and Bollywood scenes are shot in Switzerland, until now the country’s efforts to promote itself haven’t been anything to sing and dance about. The new head of Film Location Switzerland aims to professionalise the sector to attract more producers...

UBS has announced that David Hayward Evans is its new head of philanthropy and values-based investing Asia-Pacific, based in Singapore...He also managed public-private partnerships for public diplomacy campaigns undertaken by the British government in China and India.