Sometimes referred to as "smallest army in the world" the Papal Guards are most popular among photographers (Fabio Mantegna) A new photographic exhibition on display at the Vatican museum, ‘Life of a Swiss Guard’, reveals the most photographed military corps in the world in a new light, away from th...

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, who ended his presidential campaign on Tuesday, had raised some $160 million and spent almost $40 million (Keystone) The colossal sums spent on election campaigns can have a hugely damaging effect on even the most stable of democracies, declared former Uni...

Scott Santens, who lives in New Orleans in the United States, receives a basic income of $1,000 per month from donors through a crowdfunding website (Scott Santens) In June, the Swiss will vote on whether to give everyone in the country an unconditional basic income. American Scott Santens has alrea...

Can Brits have their political cake and eat it, like some Eurosceptics think the Swiss do? (Keystone) If Britain votes to leave the European Union on June 23, post-Brexit negotiations should be based on Switzerland’s bilateral treaties with Brussels, say many Eurosceptics. Rubbish, reply opponents, ...

This cartoon is the first in a series begi ing on swissinfo.ch. Cartoonist Marina Lutz has worked with different Swiss media as a caricaturist, including the Nebelspalter satirical magazine. Lutz has won several awards for her work, notably during the Fumetto inte ational cartoon festival.

How the brain processes odour signals into actions and behaviours is still something of a scientific mystery. (imago/blickwinkel) How do fruit flies use their noses to sniff out the rotting fruits they love so well? That’s what award-wi ing scientist Richard Benton is trying to understand, and his w...

Lina Zingg wasn't ever allowed a day off Lina Zingg was an all-purpose maid, cleaner, cook and na y – for 50 years and against her will. This is a story of slavery in the midst of middle class society. “On January 26, 2011, Lina Zingg was freed from bondage. For 53 years, she had served one sole mis...

The last tests are being carried out in the new Gotthard tu el, before the official opening on June 1 (SBB/Gian Vaitl) What links the Gotthard Base Tu el to the London 2012 Olympics? Or to New York’s iconic Empire State Building? One month before the tu el is inaugurated, swissinfo.ch brings you the...

Here are the stories we will be watching in the week of May 2: (Agroscope) Tuesday How do fruit flies use their noses to sniff out the rotting fruits they love so well? That’s what award-wi ing scientist Richard Benton is trying to understand, Read our report on his work and how it could help fight ...

Meet Armin Capaul, the man who launched an initiative to reward farmers whose cattle have ho s. With nearly 20,000 more signatures than the required 100,000 – the “ho ed cow” initiative will be put to a Swiss national vote in the next few years. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Apr 30, 2016 - 11:00An imposing castle, an ordinary multi-purpose building, a compact skyscraper, a mode cube – Swiss city halls are highly varied in their appearance and history. But all fulfill their purpose as an interface between citizens and the authorities. Switzerland couldn’t function withou...

Free money for all? Citizens appear to distrust a people's initiative calling for an unconditional basic income (Ex-press) A proposal to introduce an unconditional basic income in Switzerland appears to enjoy little public support. A poll published ahead of a nationwide vote on June 5 shows the camp...

Disney has set up its largest research unit outside of the US in Zurich in collaboration with ETH (ETH Zürich/Philippe Hollenstein) Last December, billionaire Hansjörg Wyss was applauded for gifting two universities CHF120 million ($123 million) to tu medical research into cures. Four months later, ...

Ai Weiwei and Uli Sigg describe their friendship as "intense" (Dahai Shao, swissinfo.ch) Uli Sigg has the largest private collection of contemporary Chinese art in the world. The Swiss ambassador-tu ed-collector is giving a chunk of it to a new Hong Kong museum. But will it be censored by China? Art...

Switzerland’s hydro plants are facing some stiff competition from cheaper imported energy. The future of loss-making power stations hangs in the balance. (SRF/RTS/swissinfo.ch) Cut price energy from coal-fired power stations and subsidised renewable energy from abroad are undercutting hydro, which a...

The poster designed by Sheik Fareed reads "no to a two-class justice system" with the phrases "1933: Germany 1948: South Africa 2016: Switzerland" below. (Keystone) Ad designer Parvez Sheik Fareed recently made an image so controversial that the Swiss Federal Railways removed it from their train sta...

New wealth, mobility, consumerism, spiritual emptiness, and the loneliness of only children are leaving their mark on Chinese art. At Be ’s Zentrum Paul Klee and Museum of Fine Arts, works by Chinese artists like Ai Weiwei and Zhuang Hui provide insight into the world of China in an exhibition calle...

Working on a film about the refugee crisis: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (Keystone) Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has described the European refugee situation as a “test for humanity”. Speaking in the Swiss capital Be to promote a collection of contemporary Chinese art, he said his next big project would be ...

Voting rights for foreigners throughout Switzerland? There were mixed feelings among audience members in Aarau. (zdaarau.ch) Foreigners account for a quarter of the Swiss population, but they can’t vote in elections or referendums. Is this acceptable in a fully-fledged direct democracy? Swiss and Ge...

Friederike Haslbeck uses the monochord to help relax premature infants (Be University Hospital ) Friederike Haslbeck sings to babies. But not to all babies. As a music therapist she helps premature infants and their parents relax and bond. As a researcher she’s investigating whether music helps deve...