Switzerland News

January 14, 2019

App launched to help Swiss voters

The Swiss have launched an app that provides background information as well as the results of all votes nationwide – including some dating back to the 1800s. On Monday, the federal and cantonal authorities unveiled VOTEinfo, which helps users educate…

January 14, 2019

One dead and highest alert level for avalanche risk in Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) has declared large swathes of eastern Switzerland, including the popular ski resort of Davos, at maximum risk of avalanches. On Monday, two workers trying to set up explosives for…

January 14, 2019

Swiss and Italian leaders discuss cross-border tax deal

By spring, the Italian government is expected to clarify its position on a new tax system for cross-border commuters between Italy and Switzerland. “It is a delicate issue that must be digested sufficiently, with both administrative and political evaluations. It…

January 14, 2019

Swiss town cut off by heavy snowfall

More than 2,000 people in the Swiss Alps were isolated Monday after heavy snowfall cut roads and rail links as storms continued to wreak havoc across the region. Swiss authorities have raised avalanche warnings in several regions to their highest…

January 14, 2019

Swiss bank crypto services ‘tip of the iceberg’

The worlds of crypto-assets and traditional finance have been brought closer together by Swiss bank Vontobel’s Digital Asset Vault. More banks are expected to follow suit, often in combination with technology firms to bring cryptocurrencies to the masses. Digital Asset…

January 14, 2019

Ten hooligans behind bars in Zurich

Following an attack on German football fans in Zurich, ten hooligans suspected of violence are now in pre-trial detention. The ten men, aged 21-34, were arrested on Wednesday. Zurich city police and the public prosecutor’s office announced on Monday that…

January 14, 2019

Why debt collection is booming in Switzerland

The number of debt collections has doubled over the past 20 years. Fewer Swiss are paying their taxes, health insurance bills or online purchases on time. “Only the Greeks are less punctual,” claimed the headline in the newspaper, the SonntagsZeitung,…

January 14, 2019

Germany requests Swiss help in AfD party funding case

Germany has filed a request for mutual legal assistance with Switzerland with regard to potentially illegal donations made through a Swiss company to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The Swiss media reported in November that a pharmaceutical company…

January 14, 2019

Is there life elsewhere?

Twenty-five years ago, two Swiss astronomers made the first discovery of an extrasolar planet in the Pegasus constellation – a milestone in astronomical research. What have we learned since then? Swiss scientists Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz were the first to…