A report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows at least 2.5 million of the people living in Switzerland’s 13 largest cities are exposed to noise levels above 55 decibels, a level at which noise becomes annoying and above the 50 decibels that disturbs sleep. This number, which relates only those living in Switzerland’s 13 largest urban […]
Archives for May 2017
Swiss healthcare ranked third globally for preventing death
A study of data from 195 countries from 1990 to 2015 published recently in the medical journal The Lancet, ranks Switzerland’s healthcare system third. The analysis looked at mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care. It considered both healthcare access and quality and was designed with […]
Could compulsory military service be extended to Swiss women?
20 Minutes. In Switzerland all able men must serve in the country’s military when they turn 18. Women can sign up however this is not legally required and few do. The minimum military training male Swiss citizens must undertake depends on rank. For the lowest rank of corporal the minimum is 260 days, which starts with initial […]
The sometimes weird but wonderful Valais Festival of New Music – 1 to 5 June 2017
By Peter Hulm Music from helicopters, a Swiss men’s choir swinging back and forth on hydraulic pistons in a church, a political Tibetan pop-rock group — ForumWallis’s excursions into experimental music might sound more weird than wonderful, unless you’re there. In fact, the Festival of New Music has developed a reputation over the past 11 […]
FILM: Neptune reports from Cannes with her favourites
26 May 2017. Neptune reports from Cannes The Cannes Film Festival is a universe unto itself. When you are here in mid-May and accredited (an absolute necessity for entering the massive “bunker” – whether press or industry), you are in a hermetic bubble pertaining to the film world. Nothing exists outside this obsession with all […]
Switzerland sees steep rise in number of mothers working
Recent figures from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical office show that in 2016 74% of women with children under 15 were working. In 1996, the same percentage was 61%. The percentage of mums working climbs significantly with the level of education. In 2016, 79% of those with tertiary qualifications were working, compared to 61% of mums in […]
Vegan condoms launched in Geneva
When most think of vegan products they think of food, however this product is not for eating. Launched this week by Gabrielle Lods, a Geneva-based scientist, the product is certified to european conformity, known as CE marking. Baisez bien – baisez bio! Choisis tes préservatifs en latex bio, sans parabènes ni produits toxiques #condom #vegan #organic #freeshipping […]
Roger Moore’s love of mountains and life in Switzerland
On 23 May 2017, Roger Moore passed away at the age of 89 after a short battle with cancer. Born in 1927 in Stockwell in south west London he started his film career at the age of 17 achieving fame in the fifties and sixties after starring in the British television series Ivanhoe and The […]
Big debts at 18 because parents didn’t pay Swiss health insurance bills
20 Minutes. A recent article in the newspaper 20 Minutes highlights the nasty surprise some young people experience when their parents fail to pay their health insurance premiums. Turning 18 is one of life’s key milestones. It corresponds with the end of school and entry into a new world. In Switzerland it is also a […]
Some Swiss cantons overwhelmed with confessions of tax evasion
Ahead of the automatic exchange of bank account information, which comes into effect at the beginning of next year, Swiss residents with undeclared foreign bank accounts are rushing to come clean to the tax authorities, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS. According to RTS, 380 have come forward in Fribourg, 173 in Valais, 254 in Jura, around […]