In 2017, Switzerland spent CHF 8.3 billion on welfare. This comes out at between CHF 397 (Nidwalden) and CHF 2,029 (Basel-City) per person depending on the canton of residence. The figures were CHF 1,705 in Geneva, CHF 1,454 in Zurich and CHF 1,308 in Vaud – click here for figures for other cantons. The high […]
New Grand Saint Bernard puppies arrive in Switzerland
On 9 January 2020, Barryland, a foundation in Martigny dedicated to preserving and showcasing the iconic Grand-Saint Bernard dog, announced the arrival of ten new pups. The five female and five male pups were born on 24 December 2019, just in time for Christmas. Both the mother and father are short haired dogs of the […]
Swiss get more PET recycling points in bid to close recycling gap
In Switzerland, 82% of PET plastic bottles are recycled, 12% less than the 94% rate for glass bottles. The Swiss PET recycling association has been hard at work with municipalities, retailers, schools and transport network operators expanding the number of PET collection points in the hope of closing this gap. In 2019, an additional 3,000 […]
2020 Winter Youth Olympics kick off in Lausanne
The 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games were declared open in Lausanne on 9 January 2020, by Simonetta Sommaruga, Switzerland’s president. The 8,000 spectators present at the Vaudoise Arena saw seven stories performed by local youth emphasising the Olympic spirit and the theme of home – Lausanne is the home of the Olympic governing body. Participants competing […]
Trump to attend World Economic Forum in Davos
US President Donald Trump plans to attend the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos this month, according to a White House press release. The press release said a Presidential Delegation will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, from January 20 to January 24, 2020. The delegation will be led by Steven […]
Switzerland is expensive, but not for the reasons most think
Anyone who has done a weekly shop in Germany, France, Italy or Austria and compared prices to Switzerland, knows how much more it costs on the Swiss side of the border. The cost difference is sometimes pinned on the higher take-home pay paid to Swiss supermarket workers. Right? Wrong. The website barometre des prix allows the public to easily compare the […]
Young cyclists could soon be allowed to ride on Swiss footpaths
As part of an effort to make cycling safer for children, Switzerland’s government is planning to change the law to allow children under 12 to cycle on footpaths, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. This year, The Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) plans to introduce a package of measures aimed at improving traffic flow and safety. […]
The Swiss-made plane that went global and starred in Hollywood films
In 1939, Pilatus, a small aircraft maintenance company for the Swiss Air Force was founded in Stans in the canton of Nidwalden. By 1944 it had produced its first aircraft: the Pilatus SB-2 Pelican. However, it wasn’t until 1959 that Pilatus really took off with the launch of the Pilatus Porter PC-6. The PC-6 was […]
Unemployment in Geneva higher than neighbouring France
In December last year, the Observatoire statistique transfrontalier published unemployment figures for the French region surrounding Geneva. French unemployment calculations broadly follow the method used by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which includes all available job seekers – ILO definition of unemployment and French definition of unemployment. Official Swiss figures however include only those registered […]
Facebook’s Libra has failed, says Switzerland’s president
Facebook’s plan to launch its digital currency Libra is unlikely to succeed Ueli Maurer, Switzerland’s president, told SRF. Maurer doesn’t think central banks will accept the basket of currencies underpinning the cryptocurrency. “The project, in this form, has thus failed” he said. Plans for the digital currency, which is to be issued and governed by […]
