Last night snow fell in parts of Switzerland, according to Meteonews. Noch ein Schneebild aus Tiefenbach im Kanton Uri, aufgenommen heute Morgen auf einer Höhe von 2100 Metern über Meer. Hier liegen rund 30 cm #Neuschnee. #wintereinbruch #schnee @Blickch @20min @nau_live @watson_news @LuzernerZeitung @infokantonuri (rv) pic.twitter.com/JrqU3OB9Oj — MeteoNews (@MeteoNewsAG) September 6, 2019 Most snow fell […]
New 100 Swiss franc note coming soon
Recently, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) unveiled the new 100 franc banknote. The note’s design is inspired by Switzerland’s tradition of humanitarianism, represented on the note by water. The note remains blue but is much smaller than the existing one, making it easier to fit into wallets. The note is the last one in Switzerland’s ninth series […]
Swiss trade with much of South America should soon be tariff free
A deal agreed between EFTA and the South American Mercosur bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, with a combined population of 260 million, is close to signing. EFTA includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Under the deal, 95% of Switzerland’s CHF 3.6 million annual exports to the bloc would be tariff free. The […]
Fine upheld against activist returning to Switzerland with expelled Afghan
A fine of CHF 800 imposed on Anni Lanz by the authorities in Brig in December 2018 was unheld by a judge in Sion last week, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS. The 74 year old activist from Basel was caught bringing a failed Afghan asylum seeker back to Switzerland in violation of Swiss law. The […]
Muslim politician in Geneva quits party after voicing differences on gay marriage
Earlier this year, Sabine Tiguemounine, a parliamentarian from the Green Party, made news when she decided to sit in an area of Geneva’s parliament building open to the public, rather than in the main area where parliamentary members normally sit. Earlier in 2019, the canton introduced rules preventing public officials, including members of parliament, showing […]
Is Greta Thunberg’s sea voyage to New York really less polluting than flying?
To avoid the high carbon footprint of flying, Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish climate activist is instead sailing from Europe to New York to attend a global United Nations summit. However, there is a snag. According to the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung, the coming and going of her fellow crew members from New York by […]
Work related stress rising in Switzerland
Work-related stress is affecting more and more people in Switzerland, according to a study published by the Federal Statistical Office. In 2012, 18% said they felt stressed at work most of the time. By 2017, the same figure had risen to 21%. Nine potential drivers of on-the-job stress were looked at. Only 11% said they […]
Swiss unemployment down in second quarter of 2019
In the second quarter of 2019, the percentage of Switzerland’s population working rose by 1.1% and the percentage unemployed fell to 4.2%, based on the higher International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) measure. In the second quarter of 2019, 5.1 million people were working in Switzerland, 60% of the population. The number working rose 1.1% compared to […]
Swiss health insurers to send patients to pharmacy first
Swiss healthcare is typically ranked the world’s second most expensive, as a percentage of GDP, after the US. In Switzerland, compulsory health insurance premiums cover 37% of healthcare costs. Much of the rest is covered by tax payers and non-reimbursable out-of-pocket payments by individuals. As part of a plan to reduce costs, this week, the […]
Swiss fact: Ritalin was invented in Switzerland
The drug Ritalin sometimes given to people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy was first formulated in Switzerland. In 1944, Leandro Panizzon synthesized methylphenidate in Basel while working for CIBA (now Novartis). He tested the drug on himself and his wife Marguerite, nicknamed Rita. Rita played tennis and the drug improved her performance […]
