Since 1 December 2022, contracts that online platforms often get hotels to sign to stop them offering prices lower than those offered via the platform are no longer legally enforceable in Switzerland due to a change in law. This week, broadcaster RTS published the results of a market test it performed to see if the […]
2022 a good year for most Swiss
More than half of the Swiss surveyed recently described 2022 and good or fairly good, reported RTS. At the same time, 15% described the year as bad or very bad. The remaining 26% were neutral. The survey, run by Link, interviewed 1,238 people of all ages across Switzerland. In addition to questions on views of […]
iPhone bug overloads Swiss emergency services
The latest iPhones and Apple watches automatically call emergency services when triggered by movements typically associated with accidents. False alerts on these devices have been causing emergency service phones to ring unnecessarily, particularly in the canton of Valais, reported RTS. The false alerts are being caused by the devices confusing skiing with car crash movements. […]
Medicine shortage worsens in Switzerland
Switzerland is running out of a number frequently used medicines such as paracetamol, aspirin, child cough sirup, self-injecting adrenaline pens and some antibiotics, amoxicilline for example, reported RTS. Switzerland’s Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES) has described the situation as problematic and is looking at measures to alleviate the problem. The situation is not […]
Record number of recreation-related accidents in Switzerland in 2022
Accident insurer Suva recorded a record number of recreation-related accidents in 2022, reported RTS. Suva, a not-for-profit insurance company in Switzerland, insures around 2 million individuals in Switzerland every year. In 2022, it recorded around 290,000 non-work related accidents, a record figure, 14% higher than in 2021 and 4% higher than before the pandemic in […]
1 in 8 young people in French-speaking Switzerland has an e-cigarette habit
In French-speaking Switzerland 1 in 8 young people aged 14-25 is a frequent e-cigarette smoker, reported RTS. The study by Unisanté shows that two thirds would like to stop the highly addictive habit. The e-cigarette of choice for most children and young people is the disposable kind shown above. They are relatively cheap, small, easy […]
Switzerland leads again on male life expectancy
Data published by the OECD show Switzerland leading on male life expectancy at birth. The latest figure (2021) is 81.9 years. Other nations with high male life expectancy include Iceland (81.8), Norway (81.7), Japan (81.6) and Sweden (81.4). The year before, male life expectancy in Switzerland was 81.0, lower than Australia (81.2), Iceland (81.6), Japan […]
Switzerland remains in top 10 most democratic countries
On 1 February 2023, The Economist Intelligence Unit published its annual report on democracy around the world. During 2022, Switzerland rose to 7th place, up from 10th in 2021. The average global index score stagnated in 2022. Despite expectations of a rebound after the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions, the score was almost unchanged, at 5.29 […]
Corruption report: nepotism and conflicts of interest should be Switzerland’s focus
The 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published on 31 January 2023, shows that most countries are failing to stop corruption. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The global average remains unchanged […]
99 percent of Swiss sirens pass this year’s tests
Every year, Switzerland tests its apocalyptic-sounding sirens on the first Wednesday of February. This year it was done on 1 February 2021 at 13:30. The same day Switzerland’s Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) announced that 99% of fixed sirens were functioning. Cantons and municipalities are required to fix or replace the […]
