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Le News English-language news and guide to what's happening across Switzerland.
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English-language guide for Switzerland focused on enriching people's time and lives in Switzerland. We aim to provide useful engaging information and news that matters to those living across Switzerland wherever they come from.

On 24 November 2024, voters rejected three of the four federal government projects put to them. A project to expand sect...
24/11/2024

On 24 November 2024, voters rejected three of the four federal government projects put to them. A project to expand sections of motorway with heavy congestion and changes to rules related to subletting and lease termination for landlords wanting to live in their own properties were all rejected. The only project winning public approval was a change to the way healthcare is financed....

On 24 November 2024, voters rejected three of the four federal government projects put to them. A project to expand sections of motorway with heavy congestion and changes to rules related to sublettin

The rising cost of Switzerland's compulsory health insurance is a major political issue. The government has hatched a pl...
23/11/2024

The rising cost of Switzerland's compulsory health insurance is a major political issue. The government has hatched a plan aimed at improving incentives in the hope it will reduce the seemingly never ending rise in health insurance premiums. However, a number of people sceptical of the plan's ability to deliver the saving have organised a vote against it, which takes place this weekend....

The rising cost of Switzerland's compulsory health insurance is a major political issue. The government has hatched a plan aimed at improving incentives in the hope it will reduce the seemingly never

Most people in Switzerland rent. This means the nation has strict tenancy rules, some of which are viewed as too strict ...
23/11/2024

Most people in Switzerland rent. This means the nation has strict tenancy rules, some of which are viewed as too strict by the current government. Both parliament and the Council of States have come up with two changes aimed at limiting the actions of tenants, which are considered abusive. Photo by Peter Lengacher on Pexels.com These two votes are the result of objections to government plans rather than popular initiatives....

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/23/swiss-to-vote-on-tenancy-laws-this-weekend/

Most people in Switzerland rent. This means the nation has strict tenancy rules, some of which are viewed as too strict by the current government. Both parliament and the Council of States have come u

On 24 November 2024, the Swiss will vote on four questions. The first is a federal government plan to invest in expandin...
23/11/2024

On 24 November 2024, the Swiss will vote on four questions. The first is a federal government plan to invest in expanding Switzerland's motorway network. © Thomas Stoiber | Dreamstime.com The government's plan aims to alleviate six motorway bottlenecks. The Federal Council points out that traffic on the nation's highways has more than doubled since 1990 and the estimated CHF 4.9 billion investment is needed to keep the country moving efficiently....

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/23/swiss-to-vote-on-plan-to-upgrade-motorways/

On 24 November 2024, the Swiss will vote on four questions. The first is a federal government plan to invest in expanding Switzerland's motorway network. © Thomas Stoiber | Dreamstime.com The go

This week, ahead of a vote to decide whether to expand the nations roads, LITRA, an organisation championing public tran...
22/11/2024

This week, ahead of a vote to decide whether to expand the nations roads, LITRA, an organisation championing public transport in Switzerland, published its annual report on train travel across Europe. The figures show how far ahead of the rest of Europe Switzerland is on both the average number of journeys and distance travelled by train. Swiss Rail © Folco Banfi | Dreamstime.com…...

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/22/switzerland-remains-the-european-leader-in-rail-travel/

This week, ahead of a vote to decide whether to expand the nations roads, LITRA, an organisation championing public transport in Switzerland, published its annual report on train travel across Europe.

This week, an initiative aimed at making it easier to become Swiss cleared the 100,000 signature hurdle required to qual...
22/11/2024

This week, an initiative aimed at making it easier to become Swiss cleared the 100,000 signature hurdle required to qualify for a referendum, reported RTS. Switzerland is one of the most difficult places to gain citizenship. The referendum, for which 104,603 valid signatures were collected, aims to make naturalisation easier in several ways. Currently, there is a 10-year residence requirement, the last 5 of which must have been on a C-permit....

This week, an initiative aimed at making it easier to become Swiss cleared the 100,000 signature hurdle required to qualify for a referendum, reported RTS. Switzerland is one of the most diffic

Over recent weeks, mercury found in the tinned tuna sold across Europe has sparked a debate about the product. This week...
22/11/2024

Over recent weeks, mercury found in the tinned tuna sold across Europe has sparked a debate about the product. This week, RTS revealed the mercury levels of much of the tinned tuna sold in Switzerland. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Pexels.com Recent tests across Europe revealed that all of the nearly 150 brands of tuna tested contained mercury, with around 10% containing more than the legal limit of 1mg per kilogram....

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/22/mercury-found-in-all-tuna-tested-in-switzerland/

Over recent weeks, mercury found in the tinned tuna sold across Europe has sparked a debate about the product. This week, RTS revealed the mercury levels of much of the tinned tuna sold in Switzerland

It is well known that plants-based diets are easier on the environment. By one measure producing animal protein requires...
16/11/2024

It is well known that plants-based diets are easier on the environment. By one measure producing animal protein requires up to 17 times as much land as vegetable protein. With this in mind, a group has come up with a plan aimed at forcing agricultural and dietary change. This week, the Federal Council rejected to proposal, reported RTS. Photo by Ella Olsson on Pexels.com…...

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/16/federal-council-rejects-nutrition-initiative/

It is well known that plants-based diets are easier on the environment. By one measure producing animal protein requires up to 17 times as much land as vegetable protein. With this in mind, a group ha

Anyone in Switzerland who fails to pay a fine or penalty despite reminders will eventually end up serving a substitute p...
16/11/2024

Anyone in Switzerland who fails to pay a fine or penalty despite reminders will eventually end up serving a substitute prison sentence. Imprisonment typically last a few days, but it can last weeks or months. Recently published data show the scale of the practice. Swiss Police © Marlon Trottmann | Dreamstime.com According to the rules, those who fail to pay fines voluntarily or via debt collection proceedings risk time in prison....

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/16/how-unpaid-fines-can-lead-to-prison-in-switzerland/

Anyone in Switzerland who fails to pay a fine or penalty despite reminders will eventually end up serving a substitute prison sentence. Imprisonment typically last a few days, but it can last weeks or

Switzerland came second in this year's World Digital Competitive Ranking, which ranks 67 nations across the world. Photo...
16/11/2024

Switzerland came second in this year's World Digital Competitive Ranking, which ranks 67 nations across the world. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com The 2024 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, produced annually by IMD, placed Singapore at the top, followed by Switzerland and Denmark. This year's ranking is the highest for Switzerland over the eight years that the report has been published....

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/16/switzerland-ranked-second-in-digital-competitiveness/

Switzerland came second in this year's World Digital Competitive Ranking, which ranks 67 nations across the world. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com The 2024 World Digital Competitivene

The Ukraine Centre is organising a series of concerts by ManSound, a successful and well-known Ukrainian vocal group. Th...
16/11/2024

The Ukraine Centre is organising a series of concerts by ManSound, a successful and well-known Ukrainian vocal group. The performance is a fund raiser for the Centre and the concerts will be held in early December in Lausanne, Geneva, Vevey and Montreux. ManSound (Ukrainian "МенСаунд") is a vocal sextet, founded in 1994 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The group has taken part to more than 50 jazz festivals and performed three times at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in the United States....

The Ukraine Centre is organising a series of concerts by ManSound, a successful and well-known Ukrainian vocal group. The performance is a fund raiser for the Centre and the concerts will be held in e

The number of people leaving the Roman Catholic Church has exploded since a preliminary study on sexual abuse in the org...
16/11/2024

The number of people leaving the Roman Catholic Church has exploded since a preliminary study on sexual abuse in the organisation was published in September 2023, reported SRF. However, revelations of abuse have not only affected the Roman Catholic Church. In 2023, around 40,000 people left Switzerland’s Reformed Church, a number close to a third higher than the year before. Overall, the number of people turning their backs on religious institutions 2023 was double the number in 2022....

The number of people leaving the Roman Catholic Church has exploded since a preliminary study on sexual abuse in the organisation was published in September 2023, reported SRF. However, revelations of

In May, the University of Lausanne was hit by protests. This week, cantonal prosecutors confirmed that three proceedings...
15/11/2024

In May, the University of Lausanne was hit by protests. This week, cantonal prosecutors confirmed that three proceedings had been opened in relation to these protests, reported RTS. University Lausanne © Akaphat Porntepkasemsan | Dreamstime.com Dozens of protestors and pro-Palestinian activists occupied the entrance hall of the university for two weeks. Supported by some teaching staff and employees of the university they demanded an immediate end to all cooperation with Israeli institutions until a cessation of conflict....

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/15/university-of-lausanne-takes-legal-action-against-gaza-protesters/

In May, the University of Lausanne was hit by protests. This week, cantonal prosecutors confirmed that three proceedings had been opened in relation to these protests, reported RTS. University Laus

In 2025, many wage earners will see their pay rise. However, the increases may not be sufficient to cover the rising cos...
15/11/2024

In 2025, many wage earners will see their pay rise. However, the increases may not be sufficient to cover the rising costs, rising health insurance premiums in particular. Who will receive more pay next year? Migros and Coop, Switzerland’s two largest private employers have announced pay increases of 1% to 1.3%, reported SRF. Denner, which is part of the Migros group, has said it will boost pay by 1.1% next year....

In 2025, many wage earners will see their pay rise. However, the increases may not be sufficient to cover the rising costs, rising health insurance premiums in particular. Who will receive more

Switzerland's pension system has three elements. The first is a state pension linked to the number of years worked. This...
09/11/2024

Switzerland's pension system has three elements. The first is a state pension linked to the number of years worked. This is funded by a tax. The second is a salary based scheme funded by salary deductions, and the third is an optional element known as the third pillar. Contributions to all of these are tax deductible, providing an economic incentive to pay into them....

Switzerland's pension system has three elements. The first is a state pension linked to the number of years worked. This is funded by a tax. The second is a salary based scheme funded by salary deduct

Data published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) shows that residential housing has risen in price by 18...
09/11/2024

Data published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) shows that residential housing has risen in price by 18% since 2019. In the most recent quarter (Q3 2024) it rose 0.7%. Photo by maxxup on Pexels.com With prices rising by 19%, stand alone houses have risen by more than apartments (+17.4%) over the same period. With the exception of Q1 2020, Q1 2021, Q1 2022, Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, the price of individual homes has risen every quarter since Q4 2019....

https://lenews.ch/2024/11/09/swiss-residential-property-prices-continue-to-climb/

Data published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) shows that residential housing has risen in price by 18% since 2019. In the most recent quarter (Q3 2024) it rose 0.7%. Photo by max

At the beginning of the Covid pandemic there was talk of closing Switzerland's borders. However, it was clear that Swiss...
09/11/2024

At the beginning of the Covid pandemic there was talk of closing Switzerland's borders. However, it was clear that Swiss hospitals and businesses near Switzerland's borders would not function without the workers who cross the border daily to work for them, and the notion was dropped. Statistics published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show the number of cross-border workers at record levels....

At the beginning of the Covid pandemic there was talk of closing Switzerland's borders. However, it was clear that Swiss hospitals and businesses near Switzerland's borders would not function without

Renewable energy, such as electricity produced from the sun, comes with challenges. Sunshine does not follow our pattern...
09/11/2024

Renewable energy, such as electricity produced from the sun, comes with challenges. Sunshine does not follow our pattern of electricity consumption. Storing excess production helps. However, sometimes batteries hit full capacity. When this happens any excess must be dumped. Christoph Bucher and his team at Bern University of Applied Sciences advocate adding a system that intelligently throttles the amount solar installations can put into the grid, reported SRF....

Renewable energy, such as electricity produced from the sun, comes with challenges. Sunshine does not follow our pattern of electricity consumption. Storing excess production helps. However, sometimes

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