Lake Geneva is getting warmer and hit a record high in 2022, according to a recently published report by the International Commission for the Protection of the Waters of Lake Geneva (CIPEL). Since 2012, the average water temperature at the bottom of Lake Geneva has risen by one degree, while the average surface temperature has […]
Serious acts of anti-semitism rise 7-fold in French-speaking Switzerland
Anti-Semitic incidents increased by 68% in French-speaking Switzerland last year, according to CICAD, an organisation dedicated to fighting anti-semitism. The number of serious attacks in 2023 was seven times the number in 2022. Almost half of these acts occurred after the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel. During 2023, the Intercommunal Coordination Office against Anti-Semitism […]
Switzerland slips in democracy ranking
In 2023, Switzerland slipped one place in the EIU democracy ranking to eighth place behind Norway, New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Ireland. Overall, only 24 (14%) out of the 167 nations surveyed were classified as full democracies. The relatively small populations of these flag bearers of democracy means only 8% of the global […]
Swiss inflation drops to 1.3%
Over the 12 months to the end of January 2024, annual inflation in Switzerland fell from 3.4% to 1.3%. The latest rate is 0.4 percentage points lower than a month earlier – it was 1.7% at the end of December 2023. At the same time, on a monthly basis, inflation rose from 0% in December […]
Man shot dead during hostage incident in Switzerland
On 8 February 2023, a man armed with an axe, a hammer and a knife held 13 people hostage on a train near the Swiss town of Yverdon-les-Bains, reported RTS. The man, an asylum seeker from Iran, was initially tasered by police as he ran towards them armed. After failing to stop he was fatally […]
Swiss unemployment rises more than expected
The number of people unemployed in Switzerland rose by more than most economists expected in January 2024. The rate at the end of January rose to 2.5%, up from 2.3% at the end of 2023, reported the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). A group of economists predicted it would be between 2.2% to 2.5%, […]
Swiss sirens pass this year’s tests
Every year, Switzerland tests its apocalyptic-sounding sirens on the first Wednesday of February. This year it was done on 7 February 2024 at 13:30. Around 5,000 sirens across the country were sounded and 14 millions alerts were sent out on the Alertswiss app. The same day Switzerland’s Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport […]
Swiss prefer to holiday close to home
Passing through a Swiss airport during peak holiday season might give an impression Swiss like holiday in far away places. However, a survey by the Swiss Bankers, a company that provides holiday related financial services, shows most like to stay close to home. In 2023, 25.9% of total holiday spending was made in Switzerland, followed […]
Basel wants more clout in Bern
It is often said that Switzerland has 26 cantons. However, technically it has 20 full and 6 half cantons. Basel-City is one of Switzerland’s half cantons. This means it only gets one seat in the Council of States, Switzerland’s federal upper house, compared to the two each full canton gets. Some cantonal politicians in Basel-City […]
Geneva to vote on seven proposals
Voting papers for the next lot of referenda are long in Geneva. A total of 10 questions on seven subjects will be put to voters. In addition to the two votes on state pensions (one to spend more, one to spend less), there will be questions on a monster building development, the minimum number of […]
