Flashover fires—such as the one that struck the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana on New Year’s Eve—are well known to firefighters but little understood by the public. A flashover is the moment at which a developing fire spreads suddenly and engulf an entire room. The process typically unfolds in stages: 1. In the initial phase, one […]
Switzerland’s 2026 official government portrait
Every year, the Swiss government publishes an official portrait of the Federal Council, the nation’s 7-member executive. One member acts as president for the year, although the position confers no extra power. This year the president is Guy Parmelin. He was president in 2021. For the official 2026 portrait of the Federal Council, Guy Parmelin, […]
Deadly fire in Crans-Montana leaves more than 40 dead and more than 100 injured
A fire in a bar in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana in the early hours of New Year’s Day has left about 40 people dead and 115 injured, many of them seriously, according to a Police statement. Swiss federal and cantonal authorities described the blaze as one of the worst tragedies the country has known. […]
Switzerland to allow catch-up payments into third-pillar pensions
Private retirement saving is popular in Switzerland; nearly 60% of workers hold a pillar 3a account, which lets savers prepare for retirement while benefiting from annual tax relief. From January 1st 2026 they will gain more flexibility: missed contributions will be allowed to be made up retroactively. Today contributions to the third pillar are capped […]
Switzerland’s last commuter paper prints its final edition
20 Minutes, Switzerland’s free commuter newspaper, appeared in print for the last time on Tuesday, ending a 26-year run, reported the newspaper. Its publisher, TX Group, had announced the decision in the summer. The closure also consigns to history the blue distribution boxes that once stood at railway stations and tram stops across the country. […]
Swiss People’s Party seeks tougher language rules for citizenship
Lawmakers from the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) have tabled a motion to tighten language requirements for naturalisation, reports RTS. They want applicants for a Swiss passport to demonstrate B2 oral and B1 written competence in one of the national languages — a higher bar than at present. Under current federal rules, candidates must be able […]
Swiss citizen convicted for fighting in Ukraine
For the first time, a Swiss citizen who fought in Ukraine as a volunteer has been convicted by a military court, reported RTS. The ruling comes as around 15 similar cases are under investigation and has revived debate over the boundaries between law, morality and personal freedom. Last Thursday a military court near Zurich found […]
Swiss to vote on accession to UN nuclear-ban treaty
Swiss voters will be asked to decide whether the country should accede to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, according to the government. On 23 December 2025, The Alliance for a Nuclear Weapons Ban submitted 135,000 signatures to the Federal Chancellery, enough to trigger a nationwide vote. The initiative is backed by […]
The Swiss link to the Wham Christmas song
How the music video for 80’s hit song “Last Christmas” by the group Wham came to be filmed in Saas-Fee in Switzerland is a story of chance. According to Blick, roughly a year before the video was shot, Beat Anthamatten, director of the Grand Hotel Walliserhof in Saas-Fee, met one of the crew filming a […]
Religion continues to fade in Switzerland
Each generation, it seems, is a little less religious than the one before. New figures from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) suggest that although parents remain the main conduit of religious affiliation, the transmission is weakening over time. Christmas services still draw respectable crowds. For much of the rest of the year, however, pews […]
