Artificial intelligence is not only consuming attention—it is also consuming electricity and water. A surge in AI activity has driven up demand for data-centre capacity across Europe, and the Swiss are increasingly uneasy about its environmental … [Read more...]
News and Features
More than 25,000 animals abandoned in Switzerland in 2024
More than 25,000 animals were abandoned in Switzerland in 2024, according to the Swiss Animal Protection Society (PSA), which warns of a worrying rise in the number of pets left behind. The charity recorded 32,079 animals taken in by shelters … [Read more...]
Swiss insurers overwhelmed by weight-loss drug demand
Switzerland’s health insurers are hiring extra staff—not to process claims for surgery or cancer care, but to handle a surge in requests for weight-loss injections, reported SRF. A survey by SRF’s consumer programme Espresso found that such … [Read more...]
Switzerland’s right calls EU deal a colonial pact of subordination
Switzerland’s biggest party, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), has denounced the government’s proposed package of new agreements with the European Union as a colonial treaty that would undermine the country’s sovereignty and direct … [Read more...]
Homeless in Bern: no papers, no shelter
In Bern this winter, homeless people without residence permits may have nowhere to sleep but the streets, reports SRF. A new regulation from the canton restricts access to emergency shelters to those with valid papers—a move the city calls inhumane … [Read more...]
Guides
Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and … [Read More...]
6-step guide to hiring a cleaner in Switzerland
Brought to you by quitt.ch - No. 1 provider of registration and administration services for domestic help in Switzerland. 1. What do cleaners cost in Switzerland? Cleaners are expensive in Switzerland and good personnel are hard to find. Prices … [Read More...]
Activities
Lausanne’s Olympic Museum – a great family day out
In 1915, the Olympic headquarters moved from Paris to Lausanne, a peaceful stable place at a time when war was tearing Europe apart. It is still there today, on the shimmering shores of Lake Geneva. Today’s picturesquely set modern … [Read more...]
Switzerland’s spectacular dams and their uncertain future
Switzerland’s 604 hydroelectric plants aren’t just powerhouses for clean energy. Some dams are also dramatic destinations. But their source of fuel is literally drying up. By Bill Harby Switzerland’s glaciers are shrinking. In 2015, of 99 Swiss … [Read more...]
Five gorgeous Swiss parks for contemplating autumn splendor
By Bill Harby Whether you prefer thickets of grand old trees, a formal English garden, or a pocket park, these five urban green spaces offer colourful ways to rustle through autumn leaves. Geneva: Park La Grange One minute you’re in bustling Geneva … [Read more...]
