Ticket inspectors in Switzerland are increasingly contending with more than fare dodgers, reported SRF. According to the Sonntagszeitung, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office convicted 20 passengers in the month to 10 July 2025 for threats, violence, insults and even exhibitionism. On the Swiss Federal Rail network, which carries around 1.39 million passengers daily, there are roughly […]
Swiss retailers squeezed by shopping tourism
Swiss retail endured a bruising first half of 2025. Sales between January and June fell by an estimated 1.9% compared with the same period last year, according to the Swiss Retail Federation, which analysed debit and credit card transactions. Physical stores bore the brunt, with revenues dropping 2.2%, while online sales eked out a modest […]
Rising number of dangerous items removed from luggage at Zurich airport
Safety remains aviation’s paramount concern. Each year, tens of thousands of items deemed hazardous—ranging from lithium-ion power banks and e-cigarettes to spray cans and fireworks—are plucked from passengers’ bags at Zurich airport. The tally is growing steadily, as travellers carry ever more battery-powered gadgets and as inexperienced holidaymakers pack without following the rules, said the […]
Swiss passport ranked 5th most powerful in latest ranking
Once again, Singapore has been named the world’s most powerful passport, granting visa‑free access to 193 destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index published on 22 July 205. The ranking, released on Tuesday, highlights Asia’s growing dominance in global mobility – and the relative decline of traditional powers. Japan and South Korea share second […]
Switzerland to bolster its air defences with German equipment
Switzerland has signed a deal to acquire five IRIS‑T SLM medium‑range air‑defence systems, plugging a long‑recognised gap in its defences, reported armasuisse on 22 July 2025. The systems, made by Germany’s Diehl Defence, will be bought under the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), a NATO‑backed scheme to strengthen continental missile defence. The purchase agreement, worth […]
Proton freezes Swiss investment over surveillance fears
Proton, the Geneva-based encrypted email provider founded 11 years ago by three scientist who met at CERN, will freeze its investments in Switzerland, its chief executive Andy Yen told Le Temps on Wednesday. The company, best known for its privacy-first services, accuses Switzerland of edging towards becoming a surveillance state. The dispute centres on two […]
Swiss government to subsidise night train to Sweden
On 10 July 2025, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Transport (FOT) announced government plans to subsidise new international rail services, with priority given to a planned Basel–Copenhagen–Malmö night train. The FOT will provide CHF 10 million a year between 2025 and 2030 to promote cross-border passenger rail, especially night services, following a mandate from the federal […]
Nearly one third of Swiss struggle to cover their expenses
Swiss households remain worried about their short-term finances, squeezed by high rents, rising health-insurance premiums and job insecurity. A survey by Comparis, an online comparison service, found that more than one in four adults expect their financial situation to worsen in 2025 compared with last year. Nearly a third report struggling to cover all their […]
Special road fee to cross Switzerland demanded in parliament
Switzerland’s roads are cheap to use. A vignette costing CHF 40 francs grants unlimited access to the motorway network for a year. Switzerland’s central location and bargain road charges draw heavy traffic, particularly at Easter, Pentecost and the start of the summer holidays, when kilometre-long queues form at the Gotthard Tunnel as travellers, many from […]
New Swiss personal bankruptcy rules face parliamentary resistance
Switzerland’s Federal Council wants to give the hopelessly indebted a fresh start. Two new legal procedures would allow individuals trapped in debt to shed their debts, but centre-right parties in parliament are pushing to water down the plans, reported SRF. The first element is aimed at debtors with a regular income and would let them […]
