Switzerland requires all able bodied men to dedicate around a year of their time to military service. To remove the gender discrimination inherent in the current system, some have proposed compulsory universal public service for both young men and young women. This week, the Federal Council rejected the idea, which is set to be put […]
Halloween in Switzerland in 2024
Many expats, particularly north Americans, may be surprised to discover that Halloween is not a big event in Switzerland. But it is catching on. Long before Halloween existed, a Gaelic festival known as Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the descent into winter darkness. Some believed it was the time when the […]
Cutting Swiss tax free allowance sparks mixed reactions
From 2025, the tax free allowance for goods imported into Switzerland will fall from CHF 300 per person to CHF 150, decided the Federal Council this week. While some, such as Swiss retailers are happy with the change, many consumers and consumer associations are not. Politicians in St. Gallen and Thurgau, two cantons bordering on […]
Put your mushrooms in the sun for an autumn vitamin D boost
One source of vitamin D is sunlight. Sunlight interacts with our skin to produce it. As winter approaches, the amount of sunlight we are exposed to and its intensity falls. This means that during the winter, we are more reliant on getting vitamin D from what we eat. Mushrooms are a key source. However, the […]
Widespread hygiene deficiencies in Swiss hospitals
According to a study by Swissmedic, there are deficiencies in the disinfection, sterilisation, packaging and storage of medical products in Swiss hospitals. The recently published report based on a study done in 2023 by Swissmedic shows that almost all of the 25 Swiss hospitals inspected have deficiencies in the disinfection, sterilisation, packaging and storage of […]
Poll shows a majority favours Swiss motorway extension
On 24 November 2024, Swiss voters will decide on four proposals. One is whether to endorse a government plan to expand Switzerland’s motorway infrastructure in six places. A recent poll suggests a majority are in favour of the government’s plan, reported 20 Minutes. The poll was run last week by Tamedia and the results were […]
Mushroom picking warning heightened due to lack of antidote
Consuming some mushrooms can be deadly. The risk of fatality is even higher this mushroom season due to a shortage of antidote, warned tox info this week. According to RTS, around 100 people are poisoned by mushrooms a year. The toxic mushrooms for which there is currently no antidote are known as Death cap (Amanite […]
Swiss university remains top-ranked in continental Europe
ETH Zurich remains the best university in continental Europe, according to the World University Ranking, published by Times Higher Education. ETH Zurich was ranked eleventh worldwide in the 2024 ranking, the same position as in 2023. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the next Swiss university in the ranking moved up one […]
Swiss farmers protest at subsidy cuts
On Wednesday, farmers came together in Bern to protest against planned cuts to subsidies, reported RTS. Because of the way farming is structured in Switzerland, farmers are heavily reliant on the support of tax payers to make ends meet. The federal government, which is running and projecting fiscal deficits, has come up with ways to […]
New government private jet scheduled for 2025
The jet is used by the Federal Council, Switzerland’s cabinet, and made the news in 2021 after forced landings led to missed diplomatic meetings in Anji in China and Tokyo in Japan. This week, the delivery date for a new jet was announced, reported SRF. The current plane, a 23-year-old Cessna Citation Excel 560XL, will […]
