Swiss Rail has announced it will experiment with smoking restrictions at various train stations in response to customer complaints about second-hand smoke and cigarette butts on platforms impacting on comfort. The tests will be run during 2018 in 5 or 6 stations. A document obtained by the newspaper NZZ listed the stations involved in the […]
Archives for 2017
Tears of joy: the annual onion market returns to Bern
It’s almost that time of year again, when the square in front of Switzerland’s federal government building becomes a sprawling, noisy, confetti-strewn, odiferous altar to all things onion. Continuing a tradition dating from at least the 18th century, Bern’s annual Zibelemärit (Onion Market or Festival) takes place each year on the normally chilly fourth Monday of […]
Saving 4 tonnes of ‘junk’ from landfill: Swiss repair cafés
Switzerland’s Repair Cafés, part of a global movement started in the Netherlands, are turning the old saying: one person’s junk is another’s treasure, into: your junk is your treasure. On October 27th, about 1,500 items – everything from stuffed bears and toy tractors to vacuum cleaners and digital cameras – were saved from Swiss junk piles, […]
FILM: RISK – a fascinating trip into Assange’s singular life
3 November 2017. RISK *** WikiLeaks. Julian Assange. A unique, mysterious figure in the modern annals of technological scandals. Why and how did he release so many sensitive classified files on countless governments? Is he for real, what are his motivations, and what is his future? It is simply astounding how filmmaker Laura Poitras managed […]
Why men in Switzerland die before women
It’s Movember, the season of unlikely moustaches, grown to highlight men’s health. Causes of disease and death are not always clear, however, gender differences in lifestyle and disease offer some clues to lower male life expectancy. Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO) puts male life expectancy at 81.5 years, 3.8 years behind women, who live 85.2 […]
Swiss hate lateness – a study shows just how much
In Switzerland, punctuality is important. Expectations vary by age, gender, political leaning and language. Someone among the 15% that frown upon any degree of tardiness is most likely to be male, over 65, politically right, and Italian speaking, according to figures published in a survey by Sotomo. The survey, done on behalf of the insurance […]
Swiss depression rates far higher among French and Italian speakers
The results of a recent report by Switzerland’s Federal statistical Office reveal big differences in reported depression rates across Switzerland. The data, published by Le Matin over the weekend, show that almost 9% of those in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland suffer from depression, compared to 5.5% in the Swiss-German-speaking part. The regional difference for women […]
How Singaporean passports outrank Swiss ones
Some passports are better than others. To make comparisons easy, Arton Capital has created the Passport Index. The 2017 index ranks 199 passports based on the number of countries the holder can travel to with ease. At the bottom is Afghanistan. Holders of this passport need a visa ahead of travelling for 89% of the countries on the […]
FILM: THE SQUARE – a harsh reflection on the hypocrisy and idiocy of the art milieu
20 October 2017. THE SQUARE ***1/2 An audacious social commentary at this year’s Cannes film festival, Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s film is a harsh reflection on the hypocrisy and idiocy of the art milieu. It also delves into the guilt complex of Northern Europeans vs. immigrants, and the arid state of instant, impersonal sex. The […]
Switzerland moves closer to an international majority
A recent study on the migration backgrounds of Swiss residents shows just how international Switzerland’s population is. The percentage of foreigners in the population at the end of 2016 was 25%1. However, when the definition is expanded to include everyone with a migration background, it rises to 37%. The extra 12% includes naturalised Swiss citizens, except […]
