A proposed CHF 15bn boost to the defence budget is not likely to get through the Council of States.
Centre-left parties want the extra money for the army and Ukraine. The idea is CHF 10bn will be spent on the army over the next 5 years and CHF 5bn to help Ukraine.
But the upper house’s finance committee has rejected the package, saying it will increase the country’s debt and lead to cuts elsewhere.
The Swiss passport is the joint 4th most powerful passport in the world
The Henley passport index has been released for this year, ranking passports in order of their so-called “passport power”.
A third of Swiss people don’t want fireworks on 1 August
For half of Swiss people surveyed, the 1 August fireworks are an integral part of the Swiss National Day festivities. However a third of the population do not want fireworks at all on that day, citing pollution, stress to animals or risk of injury as their reasoning.
Swiss President at Olympic Games in Paris
Swiss President Viola Amherd will attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris today and stay there until Sunday.
Heightened security at border crossings between France and Switzerland
Border police, customs officers and gendarmerie from Switzerland and France have been conducting coordinated controls of an unprecedented scale this week across 570km of border between the countries.
Chaux de Fonds storm - one year on
One year on, La Chaux-de-Fonds commemorated the storm that took place a year ago yesterday by ringing the bells of the city in unison for 6 minutes 30 seconds shortly after 11:25am.
Geneva and Zurich airports blocked by protesters
Geneva and Zurich airports were blocked yesterday by activists from the organizations “Act Now!” and Extinction rebellion.
