Brought to you by Yotel Geneva. There’s a brand new hotel in Founex, called the YOTEL, part of an international hotel chain of the same name. What gives it its difference and pizzazz is the added concept of the Danish “Hygge”, which stands for warmth, relaxation and general happiness, of which that northern country is so […]
Yodelling submitted to UNESCO as cultural heritage candidate
Swiss yodelling has been put forward as an officially endorsed candidate for inclusion in UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, reported RTS. Yodelling is currently practised by around 12,000 yodellers across Switzerland and shows no sign of falling in popularity. The tradition is typically passed down through the generations within families, clubs and schools. In […]
Brits abroad for more than 15 years can now vote
From 16 January 2024, British citizens living abroad are now eligible to register to vote in UK general elections, regardless of how long they’ve been living outside the UK. A new law passed in 2022, which came into force this week removes the previous 15-year time limit. The UK Electoral Commission is calling on voters […]
2023 Switzerland’s second warmest year since measurements began
The weather in Switzerland in 2023 was volatile. 2023 began mildly with highs of around 20 °C and a pronounced lack of snow in the mountains. Spring brought record rain, and summer began with the lowest rainfall since measurements began. Heat waves followed by heavy rainfall fell on southern and eastern Switzerland in July and […]
Swiss doctors warn against sleep gummy bear trend
An increasing number of parents looking for a quiet stress-free evening are turning to gummy bears laced with melatonin, a phenomenon trending on social media, reported SRF. Melatonin is a sleep hormone. It is triggered by darkness. But taking it at the wrong time can alter a person’s internal clock. Unlike sleeping pills, melatonin does […]
Swiss set to vote on compulsory service for men and women
Currently, Switzerland has a system of military conscription that applies only to men. Some would like to see a gender neutral alternative. This week, the organisers of a popular initiative calling for a system of compulsory community service that is applied to both men and women reached the milestone of more than 100,000 signatures, reported […]
Swiss politicians and voters care about different things
Democracy is built around the idea of political candidates promising policies that voters want. A recent survey suggests there are significant differences between what Swiss voters and political candidates consider important. According to the survey run by gfs.berne based on responses collected in April and May this year, several topics that have received significant political […]
Switzerland to vote (again) on Covid laws
On the 18 June 2023, Swiss voters will be asked to accept or reject the government’s extension of the COVID-19 Act on 16 December 2022. As a precaution, Switzerland’s parliament extended the period of application of the legal provisions on certain measures in the COVID-19 Act from mid-December 2023 until mid-2024. The law enables the […]
Swiss politics: the growing youth gender divide
Since 2010, young men and women in Switzerland have moved apart politically at an accelerated pace, according to a Sotomo poll run on behalf of the newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, reported RTS. The study, which asked respondents to place themselves on a political scale between 0 and 10, with 0 being extreme left and 10 […]
Switzerland’s cantons make bigger than expected profits in 2022
In 2022, together, Switzerland’s cantons were expected to spend CHF 1.1 billion more than they brought in from taxes. Instead, they made a collective profit of CHF 3.5 billion, a positive delta of CHF 4.6 billion, reported RTS. Switzerland collects tax at three levels: municipal, cantonal and federal. Cantonal taxes are typically the largest slice. […]
