In 2017, 51.7% of voters in Moutier, a French-speaking Swiss town of around 7,000 people, voted to leave the predominantly German-speaking canton of Bern and become part of the canton of Jura, a process expected to be completed by 1 January 2021. In Switzerland, changing canton is a big deal involving changes in tax rates, […]
Thanksgiving 2018: where to go in Switzerland
Every year on the fourth Thursday of November – the 22nd this year, Americans come together with family and friends to reflect, be thankful and consider those in need, while sharing a traditional, usually sizable, meal. The traditional thanksgiving feast is not for committed vegans. The turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table, but […]
Minimum return on Swiss pensions unchanged
A government commission looking at the rate, called for a reduction to 0.75%, while unions demanded a rise to 1.25%. In the end the Federal Council decided to take the middle road and leave the rate at 1% for 2019. The rate is the minimum pension funds must apply to employment related 2nd pillar pension […]
Children as young as 11 held responsible for phone debts at Swisscom
Before the advent of mobile phones few children had phone contracts. Now, many young children have them. So what happens when payments are missed? If the contract is with Swisscom, then children as young as 11 could have debt collectors pursuing them, according to a case reported by RTS. According to RTS, a 22 year-old […]
French road protests likely to affect traffic in parts Switzerland
This Saturday, protests by the “Yellow vests”, a group protesting over rising French fuel prices, are expected to cause gridlock on roads across France, according to various French newspapers. It is feared the effects could spillover into nearby Switzerland. The group is voicing its anger over rising fuel prices, which have risen because of higher […]
Switzerland’s rising rate of farm suicide
The high and rising suicide rate among Switzerland’s male farmers stands in contrast to the declining rate among rural men working in other professions, according to a new study by the University of Bern published by the newspaper SonntagsZeitung. The suicide rate among male farmers was 38 per 100,000, a rate that has been rising […]
Swiss ski season starts early
Recent heavy snow has allowed several Swiss winter resorts to open early. Some high-altitude resorts have received as much as two metres of snow. Some of the resorts that have opened are only running lifts at the weekends. Last weekend, Verbier opened the area of the resort known as Lac des Vaux. Snow up to […]
Electric cars in Switzerland must soon make fake noise
Starting mid next year, electric and hybrid cars in Switzerland must emit noise to improve pedestrian safety, in particular the safety of those with impaired sight. The news was reported in the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag and confirmed by the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). Electric and hybrid cars will need to be fitted with external […]
FILM: KURSK – damning testimony to the Russian mishandling of a submarine crisis – a must see.
9 November 2018. By Neptune KURSK **** It is summer 2000. The crew and families of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk are celebrating the wedding of one of their sailors before the men set out to sea the next day. It is a typical joyous moment – full of drinking, dancing, speeches and camaraderie. Despite […]
More than one million people exposed to traffic noise pollution in Switzerland
A recent report by Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) estimates that more than one million people in Switzerland are exposed to traffic noise above the legal limit. The data, from 2015, was generated by software, traffic noise data and building maps. During the day, 1.1 million people are bothered by noise, a figure […]
