Radical Party head Petra Gössi says that pensioners living abroad generate no added value as they don't pay taxes and are not consumers in Switzerland (Keystone) A proposal to cut old age pensions for beneficiaries living outside Switzerland has caused a public uproar. The debate on a reform o

Prison inmates can stretch their legs and breathe some fresh air on the covered and secured rooftop (swissinfo.ch) An imam has been counselling Muslim prisoners for nearly 25 years in several Swiss prisons, long before Islamic terror and radicalisation became widespread issues. Today, they are

Despite the scenery and an excellent reputation, tourists are shunning Switzerland. (Jungfrau Region, swiss-image.ch ) Due to high prices and a strong franc, some Swiss abroad say they can no longer afford to come home to visit on holidays. A clear theme emerged from comments following a recen

Will lovers of quality Swiss watches have to spend hundreds of francs to get their favourite timepieces fixed? (Thomas Ke /swissinfo.ch) Even a Swiss-brand watch will not run forever.xa0Nowadays, minor repairs can be very expensive or take months because many specialist watchmakers no longer re

Almost like civil war: xa0Riot police clash with separatist demonstrators in the town of Moutier in 1977 (Keystone) It may have been just a local ballot, but it marked a decisive stage in a long-term Swiss territorial conflict. Here’s why the town of Moutier’s June 18 vote to join canton Jura wi

Jun 20, 2017 - 16:51Aymann, a Syrian refugee, deftly flips his opponent into the sawdust. But the opponent just manages to tu and land on his stomach rather than his back, which would have meant losing. Urged on by the audience, Aymann tries to tu him over but can’t. Both begin to laugh. They st

Lea ing by doing at a coursexa0for asylum seekers hoping to join the workforce (swissinfo.ch) Ropes, lightbulbs and a power drill are the small tools that could catapult migrants into the Swiss workforce.xa0 Peppering his explanations with useful adverbs and prepositions, a lively man in a yellow

While some people findxa0yodelling a cacophony of clichés and others consider it a living art form, it is a welcome business opportunity for the people of canton Valais, where the National Yodelling Festival will be held this year. (SRF, swissinfo.ch) The National Yodelling Festival is organised by ...

There's little if anything left at the end of the month once insurance premiums are paid. (Keystone) The Swiss healthcare system is reputed to be one of the best in the world. But in an era where health care is a subject of debate in many countries, we ask if the Swiss system is working for th

Switzerland has one of the highest proportions of foreign residents in the world. Around 40% of them were bo in Switzerland or have lived in the countryxa0for over 20 years.xa0 One-third of Swiss residents are of foreign origin. This figure includes people who immigrated to Switzerland, or whose par...

Tama Vakeesan was bo in Switzerland – to Tamil parents from Sri Lanka. The family fled war-to Colombo, and started life in Switzerland at the Roggwil refugee centre in Oberaargau, canton Be . Tama and her older brother, Yathu, visit a similar centre for asylum-seekers, also in Oberaargau, andxa0reli...

Despite the scenery and an excellent reputation, tourists are shunning Switzerland. (Jungfrau Region, swiss-image.ch ) Due to high prices and a strong franc, some Swiss abroad say they can no longer afford to come home to visit on holidays. A clear theme emerged from comments following a recen

The "Caravan for Peace", a bus of musicians which travels through Mali using music to transcend the ethnic divisions in the country. (Lea Suter) Could art and culture be the future tools of diplomats and peacebuilders? A Swiss woman’s initiative is helping to make it happen, step by step. Peop

Jun 17, 2017 - 15:00Thexa0inte ational art world is meeting once again in the Swiss city of Basel, bringingxa0together leading galleries and collectors of contemporary art. The three-day show focuses on the role of the artist in a world of political chaos. The prestigious event is primarily a highli...

(Keystone) Here are some of the stories we will feature in the week beginning June 19. (Keystone) Monday If your Swiss watch breaks, it is becoming less likely that you’ll be able to get it fixed in the shop where you bought it. We look at the reasons why. (Susan Misicka/swissinfo.c

Alexandra Dufresne calling her senator, Chris Murphy, as part of the “Not too far away to call” campaign. (Alexandra Dufresne) American lawyer Alexandra Dufresne taught public policy and worked to protect the rights of refugees and children. A year after moving to Switzerland she’s part of a m

The federal gove ment sent 10 staff to monitor the counting (swissinfo.ch) In anxa0historic vote that putxa0an end to one of the oldest political conflicts in Switzerland, the weste French-speaking town of Moutier narrowly voted "yes" on Sunday to leave the canton of Be , Switzerland's largest

With Art Basel now underway in Switzerland and also a fixture in Miami and Hong Kong,xa0some feel the art fair’s massive globalxa0presence is endangering local markets.xa0(SRF, swissinfo.ch) The three main Art Basel venues and their many fringe events are known for defining trends in the global art ...

Two asylum seekers from Afghanistanxa0finished their “integration hike” around Switzerland, having covered more than 1000 km. (SRF, swissinfo.chexte al link) Hamid and Mohammed are both 26 years-old and ethnic Hazaras. They fled war in their country in 2015.xa0Hamid is a trained builder and Mohammed...

Burkhalter and Putin in 2014 (Keystone) As the foreign minister and a former Swiss president, Didier Burkhalter has been an important bridge-builder between Russia, Iran and the West. As a Swiss cabinet member, the long-serving politician more often was an isolated figure. His surprise decisio