20 Minutes. An announcement made on Monday on a train from Geneva to Bern left a military serviceman from Vaud shocked. On Monday morning, after a flood of passengers boarded the train in Fribourg, a Swiss Rail train manager asked Swiss Rail employees and military personnel to stand up and give their seats to standing members […]
Switzerland 4th happiest country
The world’s happiest country, according the latest World Happiness Report, is Norway, with Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland almost on par. The report’s authors say that these four countries are clustered so tightly that the differences among them are not statistically significant. Norway (7.537), Denmark (7.522), Iceland (7.504), and Switzerland (7.494) are almost equal, with Switzerland’s […]
Acceleration in number of Swiss emigrating
According to government statistics released today, the number of Swiss living abroad increased by 2.9% in 2016, reaching close to 775,000. This means around 1 in 9 Swiss nationals lives outside Switzerland. Growth in the number leaving has been accelerating. In previous years the growth rate was around 2%. At the end of 2015, there were 8,327,126 […]
Swiss fact: one in seven Swiss drink no alcohol
A recent report1 shows that around 1 in 7 Swiss drink no alcohol. Of the 13.8% who avoid alcohol completely, 6.5% have avoided it all their lives, while a further 7.3% are former drinkers who haven’t consumed alcohol over the last 12 months. The number of Swiss non-drinkers has climbed since 2011 when only 11.7% […]
A message from Switzerland to the President. It’s terrific, it’s that good it’s ridiculous.
If anyone says the Swiss don’t have a sense of humour, send them this video. Aired on the Deville Late Night Show, a comedy show produced by Swiss broadcaster SRF, it is a message from the “Swiss government” to US President Donald Trump. It’s terrific, it’s that good it’s ridiculous. Nearly 10 million have viewed it on YouTube. […]
What could the Chinese year of the fire rooster bring to Switzerland?
Every year in the Chinese lunar calendar is associated with one of 12 animals combined with one of five elements: metal (gold), earth, water, wood or fire. This year is the year of the fire rooster and celebrations to mark the new year take place on Saturday 28 January 2017. Roosters are hardworking, resourceful, courageous, […]
Swiss fact: Switzerland’s president has no Twitter account
Political Twitter habits vary enormously across cultures and personalities. The US is at one end of the spectrum and Switzerland at the other. A look at some other European nations throws up a few surprises. US President elect Donald Trump seems to have decided he can govern in 140 characters. He currently has more than […]
Why was China’s president not served Chinese fondue rather than a cheese one?
A few days ago, RTS showed Chinese president Xi Jinping in Bern eating cheese fondue, a food quite alien to the Chinese palate, although local cheeses can be found in parts of China and it is being eaten increasingly in western foods such as pizza and burgers. From the look on his face in the video it […]
How Roger Federer dealt with defeat
Is Roger Federer considering a career change? The Tweet below suggests he might be. He tweeted this after losing to Alexander Zverev at the Hopman Cup. At least I have a backup career as a bongo player ?? pic.twitter.com/C8xl0pW9Pu — Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) January 4, 2017 As they say, laughter is the best medicine. And […]
50 percent of Swiss sleep with their pets, estimates vet
20 Minutes. Is it OK to sleep with your cat or dog? There appears to be no evidence that the practice presents any dangers to human health. According to vet Gabrielle Brunner, from Basel, the phenomenon is widespread in Switzerland. “I estimate that half of Swiss do it” she told 20 Minutes. From a sanitary perspective […]
