According to the latest worldwide Small Arms Survey, Switzerland ranks sixth among exporting countries, following the US, Germany, Austria, Italy and Brazil. The annual survey by Geneva’s Graduate Institute of International Studies said Swiss exports amounted to USD 191 million (CHF 172 million) compared to the US lead of USD 917 million. Survey authors said […]
Cross-border car fines: lousy information
Last week’s front page story by Pamela Taylor on the risk of massive fines for cross-border driving with Swiss or EU-licensed vehicles has produced more vehement reader interest than any Le News story so far. It also appears that such problems are nothing new, but have been a relatively unknown fact of life for years. Furthermore, […]
Swiss army has more support than it has had in 20 years
ZURICH Despite Swiss voters refusing to back the purchase of 22 Gripen fighter planes from Sweden in a national referendum on 18 May, a new study finds that the army has more support than it has had in 20 years. The concept of neutrality was also favoured by a record 96% of respondents, rising to […]
FIFA, headquartered in Zurich, should no longer be based in Switzerland
High-profile Geneva lawyer Charles Poncet thinks FIFA, the world football body headquartered in Zurich, should no longer be based in Switzerland because it is “doing considerable harm to the image of Switzerland, all the more so because its head, Sepp Blatter, is Swiss.” FIFA is under fire for alleged corruption in the choice of Qatar […]
First all-boys boarding school since 1970 to open in Gstaad next year
Switzerland is known for its boarding schools and now the first all-boys boarding school since 1970 will open in Gstaad next year. The Surval Gstaad school aims to educate international students from ages 13 to 19. It will open with just 25 students, with yearly fees expected to be around CHF 90,000. Headmaster and former […]
Lausanne is renewing its backing for the Béjart Ballet
Lausanne is renewing its backing for the Béjart Ballet. The city has signed an agreement to extend support to the Béjart Foundation for five years. By boosting the city’s image and promoting tourism in the region, the ballet is perceived as an excellent ambassador for the city.
Radioactive waste blame game
For the past 18 months, Swiss authorities allegedly have been covering up the presence of highly radioactive material, which in some areas emits radiation of well over 100 times the permitted amount. According to Le Matin, 120kg of highly radioactive radium-based paint, originally used by the watchmaking industry to make watch faces visible at night, […]
Lausanne is bidding to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games
Lausanne is bidding to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will announce its decision in July 2015 on whether the Games will take place in Lausanne or Brasov in Romania. The Youth Olympics are much like the Olympics but with one small exception, the Olympians are between 14 and […]
The honey bee controversy
Europe and the US have lost 45% of their bees. Given that 80% of Switzerland’s crops and wild plants rely on bee pollination, there is growing concern about the continued decline of Europe’s bee populations. Greenpeace and the European Alliance to Save Bees and Agriculture maintain that excessive use of highly toxic pesticides is largely […]
Tax on “dirty” power?
World Wildlife Fund-Switzerland (WWF) and Pro Solar, an initiative of Swissolar, have launched a joint petition calling for a levy of CHF 0.10 per kWh on electricity produced from non-renewable energy sources. The organizations believe that this would help reduce impact on the environment without putting undue pressure on households and the wider economy. More […]
