If you’ve found recent mornings a little too dark, don’t worry, help is on its way. At 3am next Sunday 29 October 2017, Swiss time moves back one hour, giving Swiss residents an extra hour to sleep (or party). Until fairly recently however, there was no Daylight Saving Time (DST) in Switzerland. In 1978 Swiss […]
Archives for October 2017
Switzerland’s organic honey myth – and how bees are paying the price
In Switzerland and around the world, honey bees are dying. Why do we care? Not just because we love honey. Countless fruits and other plants we depend upon can’t thrive without pollination by bees. Two culprits are largely responsible for honey bee die-offs, say researchers and beekeepers. One villain is the Varroa mite. This parasite […]
Uneasy breathing – 9 million die from pollution
Take a deep breath, but not too deep. A recent report published in The Lancet estimates 9 million people died prematurely from pollution in 2015, accounting for 16% of all deaths globally, 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence. The rich-world is not spared. The biggest killer, air pollution, accounted […]
FILM: BORG vs McENROE – better than any thriller
27 October 2017. BORG vs McENROE ***1/2 Whether you’re into tennis or not, this is a brilliant look at opposite characters, world-class competition and the confines of celebrity. Done by Danish director Janus Metz, it covers the crucial years in the early 1980s when Borg was the king of the courts and McEnroe was the […]
One billion franc Swiss winter Olympic bid sparks backlash
On Wednesday, Switzerland’s Federal Council said it would stand behind the country’s winter Olympic bid to the tune of nearly one billion francs, according to newspaper 20 Minutes. The town of Sion, in Valais, is throwing its Olympic hat into the ring as the centerpiece for the 2026 winter games. Other cantons would also host […]
Swiss government announces TV tax cut ahead of vote to eliminate it
On Wednesday, the Federal Council said it will cut Switzerland’s TV-Radio tax from CHF 451 to CHF 365 annually from 2019. According to Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard, the cut is made possible by cost savings from simplifying the system and an increase in the numbers who will pay it – everyone will soon pay, not […]
Paternity leave plan rejected by Switzerland’s executive
Yesterday, Switzerland’s Federal Council rejected an initiative proposing paid paternity leave, and it recommends parliament do the same. It thinks the estimated CHF 420 million cost is too high. It also fears the proposed hike in social security tax (APG) to fund it, could hurt the economy. The plan, which will be put to a […]
End of tax-free online shopping delayed by a year
Last year Switzerland’s government announced plans to change the rules on charging VAT on imported goods. Currently, most things ordered abroad and sent through the post to Switzerland that attract VAT of less than CHF 5, are waived through customs free of charge. This means if you buy clothing worth less than CHF 62.50, or […]
A third of Switzerland’s population mistrusts Islam, according to survey
Recently, the Swiss federal statistical office published preliminary results of a survey on Switzerland’s attitudes toward foreigners, which included questions on nationality, race, language and religion. The survey, which questioned 3,000 people across Switzerland, was designed to take the pulse of multicultural coexistence in Switzerland, a nation which is home to people of more than […]
Guides to Swiss mountain biking: Verbier
When it comes to mountain biking, Switzerland spoils for choice. After spending much of the summer exploring some of what’s on offer, Le News decided it was time to dish up a taste, in bite sized chunks, starting with Verbier. Like the skiing, Verbier’s downhill mountain biking is at the more adventurous end of the […]