Switzerland
On April 2, new tariffs initiated by Trump, which could lead to a global trade war, come into force in the United States. Tariffs of 15% will affect countries with the largest trade deficit.
The Ukrainian band Ziferblat will perform under number 5 with the song "Bird of Pray" in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025. Along with Ukraine, Iceland, Poland, and other countries will perform in the semi-final.
The Ukrainian ski acrobatics team consisting of Brykina, Okipniuk and Kotovsky won a silver medal at the Freestyle World Championships in Engadine. This is the fifth award in history.
Maksym Perchuk won gold in the individual competition, and the men's and women's teams won victories in the team competitions. Emily Conrad also brought home a bronze in the individual championship.
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been acquitted by a Swiss court in a corruption case. They were accused of fraud and embezzlement of $2.26 million in FIFA money in 2011.
A failure occurred at the Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland, which led to the shutdown of the nuclear reactor. The cause of the network connection failure is being investigated, and the timing of the restoration is unknown.
Access to medicines in frontline territories remains critical due to hostilities. Doctors record the destruction of pharmacies and problems with logistics, especially for the elderly.
The Ukrainian IT industry continues to grow, increasing its share in exports and paying over $1 billion in taxes. Ukraine exports IT services to 147 countries, including Microsoft, Meta, NASA and Google.
The UK and the EU are discussing the seizing of frozen Russian assets to increase defence spending and increase pressure on Putin. The negotiations will include legal and financial cover for the confiscation.
The Ukrainian band Ziferblat presented the contest version of the song "Bird of Pray" for their performance at Eurovision 2025 in Basel. The updated composition features orchestral sound and new vocal parts in the chorus.
The NBU published data on payment transactions in Ukraine for 2024. Credit transfers dominated with 3.6 billion domestic transactions worth over UAH 43 trillion, and 7.1 million international transfers were also made.
The Italian singer Olly refused to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 due to the coincidence of dates with his solo tour. The artist decided to focus on concerts instead of traveling to Basel.
The commander of the Swiss Armed Forces announced his readiness to provide 200 troops for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. This requires a request from the UN and the approval of the Swiss government.
Representatives of the USA and Russia are meeting informally in Switzerland to discuss the war in Ukraine. The meetings are taking place with the participation of individuals with diplomatic experience, although their official status remains unclear.
The winners of the national selection, Ziferblat, will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel.
President Zelenskiy said Putin would try to invite Trump to a parade in Moscow as a “prop. ” He emphasized the importance of Europe's participation in future negotiations on Ukraine.
Egor Kurtzev, 15, became the figure skating champion at the European Youth Olympic Festival. The athlete scored 130.15 points in the free skate program, beating an Estonian and a Swiss.
The Swiss Federal Council has approved a €1. 6 billion support program for Ukraine for 2025-2028. The program covers economic recovery, development of services and protection of civilians.
Singer Emmi will represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song “Laika Party”. One of the authors of the song about the Soviet space dog is Larisa Tormi, a Russian woman living in Ireland.
Social networks are full of memes after the National Selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Users paid special attention to the image of the host Vasyl Baidak and his “wedding” costume.
The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service has uncovered Russia's attempts to purchase sanctioned goods through third countries. The main intermediaries are Turkey, Serbia, India, Central Asian countries and China.
More than 300 thousand Ukrainians voted through Diia in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. At the peak of voting, the app processed 18 thousand requests per second instead of the usual 800-900.
The song “Bird Of Pray” by Ziferblat has won the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. The winner was determined by the jury and viewers, including 362.4 thousand votes via Diia.
The final of the National Selection for Eurovision 2025 will take place today at 18:30. The show will feature 10 finalists and Ukrainian showbiz stars, and the winner will be determined by the jury and viewers via Diia and SMS.
Designer Ivan Frolov is designing a costume for the Eurovision Song Contest finalist KHAYAT. The image will include the symbols of the morning dawn and golden strings, reflecting the concept of the artist's performance.
A plane crash has occurred in the canton of Bern near the regional airfield in Grenchen. Several passengers were injured and rescue operations are ongoing.
On February 8, the final of the National Selection for Eurovision 2025 will take place, where 10 performers will compete. According to bookmakers' predictions, the main contender for victory is the band Ziferblat with the song "Bird of Pray".
Ukraine has joined the Confédération Interalliée des Officiers de Réserve (CIOR) as an associate member. The decision was unanimously supported by the heads of national associations of reserve officers of NATO countries.
Yaroslav Lavreniuk won a bronze medal at the European Junior and U20 Championships in Sigulda. The 17-year-old athlete from Zhytomyr showed a time of 1:42.82, losing to two Latvian athletes.
The draw for the 1/16 finals of the Champions League took place in Nyon, where Lunin's Real Madrid will face Manchester City and Trubin's Benfica will face Monaco. The first matches will take place on February 11.