An investigation by Swiss broadcaster RTS shows that many of the Russian oligarchs with close relations to Switzerland had not been hit by sanctions earlier in the week. However, some have since been added to Switzerland’s official sanction list. A number of well-known Russian oligarchs live in Switzerland, who are among the nation’s wealthiest residents. […]
Swiss supermarket stops printing receipts
From Tuesday, 1 March 2022, Swiss supermarket Coop stopped automatically printing customer receipts. From now on anyone wanting a receipt will need to ask for one. This policy will apply to automatic and staffed tills, said the company. Already tested on self-service check out terminals, the company expects the move to save 400 tonnes of […]
Chart of the week: Swiss retirement age compared
Switzerland’s retirement age of 65 for men and 64 for women puts its state pensioners in the youngest half of OECD retirees. This week, when a Swiss parliamentarian asked in which direction pension reform was heading, he received a written response that said the state pension system could be stabilised from 2030 with a rise […]
Young Swiss smoking less and drinking more
A new study of Switzerland’s young people shows how views and habits have changed among this group over 10 years. Overall, 19 year old Swiss smoke less, do less sport and consume more alcohol than they did 10 years ago. In addition, the vast majority reported being generally satisfied with life. Around three quarters said […]
Covid: weekly cases and hospitalisations rising again in Switzerland
This week, 120,9017 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Switzerland, up 24% from the 97,335 cases reported a week earlier. In addition, the reported number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised edged up slightly from 340 to 352 compared to the week before. The 7-day average case number had been in constant decline since the end of January. However, the number […]
Swiss inflation jumps sharply in February
The high inflation across the world is rippling as far as Switzerland. During the month of February 2022, Swiss prices rose 0.7%. Compared to the same month in 2021, prices were 2.2% higher, making this the highest price increase in two decades. The 0.66% monthly consumer price rise in February represents an annualised rate of […]
Seven Swiss cantons do not have bomb shelter space for everyone
In Switzerland, every resident must have a place in an atomic bomb shelter within a 30 minute walk of their home. The distance is extended to a 60 minute walk in mountain regions. However, the rules on atomic shelters have not been followed in a number of cantons and municipalities, reports RTS. According to the […]
Switzerland adopts EU sanctions against Russia
On 28 February 2022, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced that the neutral nation would adopt the packages of sanctions against Russia imposed by the EU on 23 and 25 February 2022 in view of Russia’s continuing military intervention in Ukraine. The assets of the individuals and companies listed are frozen with immediate effect, said the federal […]
Swiss prosecutor requests maximum fine for Credit Suisse for money laundering
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Prosecutor requested that Credit Suisse be fined the maximum of CHF 5 million allowed under Swiss law for money laundering related to its dealings with a network of Bulgarian drug traffickers, reported RTS. The trial began two and a half weeks ago at the Switzerland’s Federal Penal Tribunal in Bellinzona. Two […]
Oxo-degradable plastics banned in Switzerland from April 2022
Everything in the universe eventually breaks down and degrades. This means claims regarding biodegradability are easy to make. However, the real question is: how long does it take and what does it breakdown into? In some cases, materials pitched as being friendly to the environment often fall significantly short of environment friendly claims upon closer […]
