Voters in Switzerland have cast their final ballots on Sunday on an initiative championed by the top right-wing party to cap the rich Alpine country’s population at 10 million. Early results showed Swiss voters were leaning against it.
The populist Swiss People’s Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighboring European Union.
Some have dubbed the proposal a “Swiss Brexit” because it could jeopardize Switzerland’s deep ties to the European Union anchored by deals that foster economic growth, cultural ties and cross-border travel, among other things. Switzerland is not one of the EU’s 27 member states, but it is all but surrounded by four of them
Recent polling from the gfs.bern agency suggested that it could be a close contest.
Preliminary results shared by the federal government showed that nearly 53% of voters rejected the proposal, with nationwide turnout exceeding 57%. Results were still pending from many of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.
The number of people living in Switzerland has soared by nearly one-quarter over the last generation, and foreigners today make up nearly one-third of the population.
Critics say the boom in migration has brought foreign labor and skills to sectors such as healthcare, finance, pharmaceuticals, and technology.
The right-wing party put forward the “sustainability initiative” measure, saying Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programs, natural resources and way of life have been strained by the spike in demographic growth.
The federal government, Parliament and EconomieSuisse, a major business association, oppose the idea.
In Geneva, Switzerland’s second-largest city and a hub of U.N. institutions and humanitarian groups, early results showed about two-thirds of voters in the region opposed the measure.
Geneva will be hosting the G7 economic summit this week, welcoming U.S. President Trump among other world leaders.
Maria Lalu, a former diplomatic mission worker from the Philippines who arrived in Switzerland in the early 1980s, said she supported the proposal. “I have nothing against immigration. I also am a stranger,” she said after casting her vote, adding that she wants immigration to be more orderly.
Schoolteacher Natascha Robert said she voted against the bid, expressing concern that approval could hurt Switzerland’s relationship with the EU. She also said Switzerland’s growing diversity is an asset.
“I think people always have something to bring us,” she said outside a polling station in the central Paquis neighborhood, emphasizing that she was born in Switzerland to two Swiss parents. “Does that mean that we have more foreigners, I feel less Swiss? Really, not.”
Swiss democracy gives voters a direct say in policymaking through referendums typically held four times a year. Most ballots are cast through the mail, and in-person voting ends at noon local time on Sunday.
A “yes” vote would require the Swiss government to take action to cap the population by 2050.
If the population reaches 9.5 million before then, the government would be forced to restrict asylum, family reunification and residency permits, and may have to scrap Switzerland’s EU deal on the free movement of people.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has reported that Switzerland had a foreign-born population of 32% as of 2024, behind only Luxembourg and Australia among the group’s 38 member countries.
International migration has long been a sensitive issue in Europe, as nations grapple with an aging population and increasing anti-foreigner sentiment. While that sentiment in other European countries centers on migrants from the developing world, most foreigners in Switzerland are Europeans.
Since Switzerland and the EU eased restrictions on citizens living and working across their borders in 2002, the Swiss population has grown by 23%, to 9.1 million as of the end of last year. Economic output has also increased, up 24% over the same period, government data show.
Swiss voters have repeatedly tackled the immigration issue over the last half-century. Only one such referendum — “Against mass immigration” in 2014 — narrowly passed, after campaigners stoked fears about overpopulation and rising numbers of Muslims in the country.
While many countries have limits on immigration, none has ever voted to limit its population, Swiss experts say.

Marvita Davis, 70, was a teenager in Harlem the last time the New York Knicks won a championship, in 1973.
“I was like, Oh, I like this game. I can get into this game,” recalled Davis, who went on to play basketball at Northeastern University.
She maintained her love of hoops – even though she had knee and hip replacements and can no longer play – and her love of the Knicks, despite their more than a half-century of futility. “I will support all my hometown teams, regardless of how bad they are,” said Davis, a retired computer programmer.
On Saturday night, that longstanding fanhood paid off when the Knicks finally won an NBA title again by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
Davis watched as the game was projected onto a screen on the front lawn of her apartment building with other residents in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. Others watched from bars in the East Village and fire escapes in the West Village and erupted as the clock hit zero.
“It’s euphoria,” Davis said.
That was the feeling throughout all five boroughs. Car horns, fireworks, “Let’s go Knicks” chants and Jay-Z’s Empire State Of Mind and Frank Sinatra’s Theme From New York, New York filled the streets, subways and bars until well after midnight. (Some shouted an expletive directed at Spurs star Victor Wembanyama too.)
“The city is alive, man, like never before,” said Nick Pineda, a 47-year Bronx resident who works in information technology and watched the game at Habana Outpost, a Brooklyn restaurant that also projected the game outdoors.
Firefighters drove through the city holding a Knicks blanket. Even bus drivers got some love from residents.
“B-52! B-52! B-52!” fans who filled sidewalks in Brooklyn chanted as a bus rolled past.
Predictably, as after most championships – even ones less than a half-century in the making – some fans climbed atop traffic lights and a police car.
Rashid Taylor, a 51-year-old Brooklyn native, said Jalen Brunson was the driver that guided them to the victory.
“They got the champion, fearless leader just taking them through all the fire,” Taylor said of Brunson, who scored 45 points in the Game 5 win. “This team is just heart and soul and passion and not backing down.”
There is only more celebration ahead. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ticker tape parade on 18 June, and said city hall will present the team the keys to the city – a symbolic gesture to recognize New York’s notable citizens.

GENEVA (AP) — Voters in Switzerland have cast their final ballots on Sunday on an initiative championed by the top right-wing party to cap the rich Alpine country’s population at 10 million. Early results showed Swiss voters were leaning against it.
The populist Swiss People’s Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighboring European Union.
Some have dubbed the proposal a “Swiss Brexit” because it could jeopardize Switzerland’s deep ties to the European Union anchored by deals that foster economic growth, cultural ties and cross-border travel, among other things. Switzerland is not one of the EU’s 27 member states, but it is all but surrounded by four of them
Recent polling from the gfs.bern agency suggested that it could be a close contest.
Preliminary results shared by the federal government showed that nearly 53% of voters rejected the proposal, with nationwide turnout exceeding 57%. Results were still pending from many of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.
The number of people living in Switzerland has soared by nearly one-quarter over the last generation, and foreigners today make up nearly one-third of the population.
Critics say the boom in migration has brought foreign labor and skills to sectors such as healthcare, finance, pharmaceuticals, and technology.
The right-wing party put forward the “sustainability initiative” measure, saying Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programs, natural resources and way of life have been strained by the spike in demographic growth.
The federal government, Parliament and EconomieSuisse, a major business association, oppose the idea.
In Geneva, Switzerland’s second-largest city and a hub of U.N. institutions and humanitarian groups, early results showed about two-thirds of voters in the region opposed the measure.
Maria Lalu, a former diplomatic mission worker from the Philippines who arrived in Switzerland in the early 1980s, said she supported the proposal. “I have nothing against immigration. I also am a stranger,” she said after casting her vote, adding that she wants immigration to be more orderly.
Schoolteacher Natascha Robert said she voted against the bid, expressing concern that approval could hurt Switzerland’s relationship with the EU. She also said Switzerland’s growing diversity is an asset.
“I think people always have something to bring us,” she said outside a polling station in the central Paquis neighborhood, emphasizing that she was born in Switzerland to two Swiss parents. “Does that mean that we have more foreigners, I feel less Swiss? Really, not.”
Swiss democracy gives voters a direct say in policymaking through referendums typically held four times a year. Most ballots are cast through the mail, and in-person voting ends at noon local time on Sunday.
A “yes” vote would require the Swiss government to take action to cap the population by 2050.
If the population reaches 9.5 million before then, the government would be forced to restrict asylum, family reunification and residency permits, and may have to scrap Switzerland’s EU deal on the free movement of people.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has reported that Switzerland had a foreign-born population of 32% as of 2024, behind only Luxembourg and Australia among the group’s 38 member countries.
International migration has long been a sensitive issue in Europe, as nations grapple with an aging population and increasing anti-foreigner sentiment. While that sentiment in other European countries centers on migrants from the developing world, most foreigners in Switzerland are Europeans.
Since Switzerland and the EU eased restrictions on citizens living and working across their borders in 2002, the Swiss population has grown by 23%, to 9.1 million as of the end of last year. Economic output has also increased, up 24% over the same period, government data show.
Swiss voters have repeatedly tackled the immigration issue over the last half-century. Only one such referendum — “Against mass immigration” in 2014 — narrowly passed, after campaigners stoked fears about overpopulation and rising numbers of Muslims in the country.
While many countries have limits on immigration, none has ever voted to limit its population, Swiss experts say.

How We Rate Rumors
0-20%: Unlikely – Lacks credible sources
21-40%: Questionable – Some concerns remain
41-60%: Plausible – Reasonable evidence
61-80%: Probable – Strong evidence
81-100%: Highly Likely – Multiple reliable sources
RUMOR ASSESSMENT
55%
Plausible
Apple’s reported plans to bring a boatload of upgrades to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max later this year could give Samsung the jolt necessary to spring into action and introduce some much-needed changes to the Galaxy S27 Ultra, some of which customers have been clamoring for years. A new rumor highlights three changes that we should expect in early 2027.
The removal of the subpar 3x telephoto unit could make room for a bigger battery, not to mention an additional camera upgrade on the Galaxy S27 Ultra
Samsung has already been rumored to get rid of the 3x telephoto camera, which has been the subject of criticism as the company retained it on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Instead, yeux1122’s blog states that the 5x periscope zoom camera offers superior image quality, not to mention improved stability when capturing the more detailed shots.
Since the internal space will be freed with the removal of one camera, Samsung can finally address the battery capacity complaint, with the rumor stating that the Galaxy S27 Ultra will finally break through the 5,000mAh capacity ceiling. While we hope the manufacturer embraces silicon-carbon technology in the future to maintain competitiveness over Chinese rivals, a bigger lithium-ion cell is always welcome.
Whatever monetary resources are saved by not moving towards silicon-carbon battery R&D can be reinvested in software optimization, enabling the Galaxy S27 Ultra to last longer. As for the next upgrade, Samsung’s upcoming flagship could finally sport a camera bar design, giving the firm the freedom to implement Qi2 MagSafe-style wireless charging.
This paramount change will allow the Galaxy S27 Ultra to adopt various charging accessories supporting the Qi2 standard, eliminating a major compatibility obstacle. Historically, Samsung’s ‘Ultra’ range of flagships has always accounted for the lion’s share of shipments, but they have also been accompanied by an equal share of complaints.
One area that Samsung hopes to tackle is the features disparity existing between the Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27+. To address this conundrum, the company is reported to be introducing the Galaxy S27 Pro. With only minor specification differences between the Galaxy S27 Ultra, Samsung can ensure that its best flagship series is yet to arrive next year.
Then again, the Galaxy S27 Pro’s existence shouldn’t distract Samsung from focusing on the Galaxy S27 Ultra, as the latter will still be the company’s latest and greatest. Also, with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max packing next-generation upgrades in late 2026, the Korean technology behemoth will need to be at its imperious best to gain some traction.
News Source: yeux1122’s blog

In 1940, the imperial regimes of Germany and Japan joined what would be known as the Axis powers, bound by mutual opposition to the United States. They fought a world war, and they lost it, and their populations spent the next 85 years with shrunken militaries and a heavy reliance on their former enemy, America, for security.
Now, both countries’ wariness of America has resurfaced, alongside heightened fears about a surging world power, China, and an aggressive Russia. Tokyo and Berlin are rushing to rebuild their militaries. And, once again, they are strengthening ties.
Their cooperation is expected to gather momentum at the meeting of the leaders of the Group of 7 nations in Evian, France, this week. It already includes sharing know-how, technology and weapons, like drones and helicopters, critical to the countries’ respective efforts to rearm.
It is hardly an Axis redux. This time, Japan and Germany are banding together from a defensive posture, with Berlin supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia, and Tokyo wary of threats posed by China and North Korea. They are joining other like-minded “middle powers,” like fellow Group of 7 members Britain, Canada and France — their enemies in World War II. And they are casting themselves as champions of international law and institutions that serve as bulwarks against the bullying behaviors of the world’s most powerful countries.