Before Christmas, Switzerland’s parliament approved the purchase of a new fleet of fighter jets costing CHF 6 billion, according to RTS. The plan, which aims to defend Swiss airspace beyond 2030, has now been approved by both Switzerland’s upper and lower houses. Any contract to supply the aircraft will require a foreign supplier to invest […]
Archives for 2019
Swisscom achieves 90 percent 5G coverage, despite public resistance
Swisscom, Switzerland’s largest mobile operator, announced that it has achieved its plan to reach 90% of Switzerland’s population with 5G signals by the end of 2019. The installed infrastructure will allow it to deliver a basic service, which will be slower than the final version but still 1,000 times more effective than 4G. The first […]
New fines for single use plastic in Geneva
From 1 January 2020, single use plastic products will be banned in the city of Geneva. Offenders will risk fines of at least CHF 100. Offering free single-use plastic bags at retail checkouts will be banned across the canton from 1 January 2020. The law enacting the ban was passed earlier in 2019 by Geneva’s […]
Number on welfare in Switzerland falls for first time in 10 years
In 2018, the number of people receiving social welfare in Switzerland fell from 278,300, or 3.3% of the population, to 272,700, 3.2% of the population. The last time the number fell was in 2008 when it dropped from 3.1% (233,500) to 2.9% (222,600) of the population. The percentage of people on welfare varies significantly by […]
FILM: ECHO – vignettes of life up in the cold dark north – 4 stars
27 December 2019. By Neptune. ECHO **** (vo Icelandic) What is it that makes Icelandic films so unique and exceptional? Is it their simplicity about human traits and foibles? Is it their attention to the lesser of us, those who are lonely? Is it their deadpan humor and minute observation of the banalities of life? […]
5 totally-not-stuffy Swiss museums for kids of all ages
By Bill Harby Winter weather is the perfect time for families to explore Switzerland’s fine museums. Some suggestions: Swiss Museum of Transport Lucern No wonder this is the most-visited museum in Switzerland with its hands-on exhibits showing the history and future of Swiss transport on railways, highways, waterways and skyways. Don’t tell your kids about […]
Switzerland’s newest winter sport – fatbiking is way more fun than it sounds
By Bill Harby As if Switzerland isn’t already an embarrassment of winter wonderland sport riches, now we have another one. It’s called fatbiking or, for the politically correct, snowbiking. The tyres on these muscular mountain bikes are – surprise – fat, with deep treads to grip snowy ski runs and trails. This style of bike […]
Ice skating in canton Zürich
Whether you usually pirouette on figure skates, or shave ice on hockey skates — or use the “third skate” (your butt), Canton Zürich has great rinks to put glide in your stride. Check out the list below, and if you have another favorite ice skating spot in Zürich Canton to recommend, let us know! Holiday […]
20 ice skating rinks around Lake Geneva. Get your skates on!
Ice skating season is here so get your skates on! There are ice-skating rinks all over Geneva, Vaud and neighbouring Fribourg. Entrance prices vary and all rinks have skates that you can hire. The links below will take you to the relevant websites for prices, locations and opening and closing times. The ice skating season […]
French strikers vow to disrupt new cross-border train service for a long time
Early this week, the union representing French Léman Express train workers issued a press release stating that the current social conflict will be long, according to the newspaper Tribune de Gèneve. The press release concluded by stating that striking train workers are determined to turn the Léman Express into the Nothing Express. In addition to […]