Tribune de Genève. A family from Geneva was recently hit with an unexpected bill at the Swiss customs post at Bardonnex according to Tribune de Genève. Returning from their holiday in Italy, the family was hit with a customs bill of around ten times the value of the bones they had bought for their dog. […]
Swiss gay divorce rate higher than heterosexual
20 Minutes. Since 1 January 2007, gay couples in Switzerland have been able to register their partnerships under Swiss federal law. At a federal level, same sex partnerships are governed by rules known in French as LPart and in German as PartG, rather than by laws covering heterosexual marriage. A number of Swiss cantons offered […]
Euro 2016 – Swiss brothers play against each other
The start was key to Switzerland’s win against Albania in yesterday’s UEFA Euro 2016 match, according to Switzerland’s coach Vladimir Petković. Speaking to John Atkin at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, after the teams 1-0 win against Albania, he said “We handled the emotion of the occasion better. We used the nervous energy very positively. I think we played […]
Switzerland’s most expensive footballer
Last week, Swiss-born footballer Granit Xhaka, transferred from German football club Borussia Monchengladbach, to the English club Arsenal, ahead of the start of the European Championships on 10 June 2016. The Swiss mid-fielder, born to Kosovar Albanian parents in Basel, was transferred for £33.8 million according to London’s Evening Standard, the highest sum ever paid for a […]
Phil Collins hits the stage in Lausanne this Friday
Le Matin. Former Genesis drummer and singer, Phil Collins will be performing in Lausanne on Friday, 3 June 2016 to raise money for the charity, Little Dreams, which he started with his former Swiss wife Orianne. The 65 year-old singer drummer has been suffering from health problems and has rarely been seen on stage over […]
3 cheers for Switzerland! – the prisoners of war interned in Switzerland in 1916
“It is difficult to write calmly about it for the simple reason that I have never before in my life seen such a welcome accorded to anyone, although for twenty-eight years I have been present at every kind of function in half the capitals of Europe. At Lausanne some 10,000 people, at 5am, were present […]
What’s in a name – most common Swiss surnames and their meaning
Like Smith, the most common name in England, the most frequent surnames in Geneva and Zurich come from professions. In some parts of Switzerland common names also relate to geography or places. An example of a well-known name with geographic origins in Switzerland is the royal Austrian name Habsburg, which has its home in the eponymous Swiss commune […]
No laughing matter – French satirist makes fun of Switzerland’s president
The French satire news show Le Petit Journal recently made fun of a speech made by Swiss president Johann Schneider-Ammann. The speech, made to commemorate Switzerland’s day of the sick on 1 March 2016, recommends laughter to those suffering from illness. The message however, is delivered with no trace of humour. This absence of humour now has […]
Have you ever wondered what Adele might sound like in Swiss German?
Below, the 23 year old Swiss singer Marina Ortega sings the Adele track “Hello” in Swiss German. Her Swiss German version was posted on her the music sharing website Soundcloud. On her Facebook page she describes herself as a singer and songwriter with a passion for motorsport. The singer from Lake Zurich started playing the piano when she was […]
David Bowie’s life in Switzerland
David Bowie died on 10 January 2016 two days after his 69th birthday. His death was announced on his Facebook page. January 10 2016 – David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with… Posted by David Bowie on Sunday, 10 January 2016 Tributes to the artist have flooded […]
