Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Teachers in the Swiss canton of St Gallen will soon be barred from wearing religious symbols in the classroom, after the cantonal parliament approved a motion introducing a canton-wide ban, reported SRF. The proposal passed by 70 votes to 46 after a lengthy and emotionally charged debate. Lawmakers also voted narrowly, by 59 to 54, to extend the ban beyond primary schools to secondary and vocational institutions. The cantonal government must now draft amendments covering all public schools. The measure was prompted by a dispute in Eschenbach, a municipality in St Gallen, where parents objected in 2025 to a teacher…

Veteran foreign correspondent Edward Girardet believes the Mediterranean can be saved not only through science and diplomacy, but through storytelling. As a co-founder of the Help Save The Med initiative, Girardet is helping lead a three-year voyage across the Mediterranean aimed at raising awareness of environmental decline and cultural loss. WIKI, or the World Initiative for Knowledge and Integration, is a Monaco-based educational and environmental foundation that combines sailing expeditions, scientific research and journalism training. The project trains young reporters and filmmakers to document the region’s realities while highlighting practical solutions. By combining education, media and adventure, Girardet hopes to…

Switzerland’s peculiar compromise between military obligation and individual conscience is once again under scrutiny. On June 14th Swiss voters will decide whether to tighten the rules governing civilian service, the alternative available to those unwilling to perform military duties. The proposed reform, backed by both the federal government and parliament, aims to reduce the number of soldiers abandoning the armed forces for civilian assignments late in their military careers. Opponents argue that the measures are punitive, unnecessary and potentially harmful to the social institutions that rely on civilian labour. Switzerland’s militia army rests on compulsory military service for able-bodied men…

The world can no longer turn a blind eye to what is happening in Sudan. Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, the Sudanese army has transformed from an institution supposed to protect citizens into a war machine systematically targeting them. Indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods, starving the population, and the forced displacement of millions of civilians are all documented facts. Together, they constitute a heavy dossier being opened before international courts and bodies, placing the leadership of the Sudanese army in direct confrontation with international humanitarian law. Bullets That Do Not Distinguish Between Combatant and Civilian International…

Climate change is warming not only the air, but rivers too. A study published by Nature warns that “riverine heatwaves”—prolonged periods of unusually high river temperatures—are becoming more frequent and intense across Alpine Europe. A temperature of 20 degrees Celsius in the Aare river at the end of May is record-breaking for this time of year. The research, led by Amber van Hamel, Joren Janzing and Manuela Brunner of the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research and ETH Zurich, examined data from 275 Alpine catchments. It found that around half of atmospheric heatwaves translate into river heatwaves. Whether rivers…

A new report by Addiction Switzerland argues that cocaine consumption in Switzerland has become more widespread, socially normalised and detached from its former association with nightlife and marginal groups. The report describes a steady rise in cocaine use since the early 2000s, driven by greater availability, falling prices and higher purity levels. Wastewater analyses place several Swiss cities among Europe’s heaviest consumers of cocaine per capita, with Zurich, Basel and Geneva consistently ranking near the top. Cocaine use is no longer confined to party settings, the report says. Consumption increasingly extends into everyday working life, particularly in sectors associated with…

Switzerland will be required to adopt legislation allowing the use of migrant-return centres outside Europe, following a new agreement reached by the European Union. Despite being outside the EU, as a member of the Schengen area, Switzerland must incorporate the new rules into domestic law. The agreement, struck in Brussels on Monday evening, forms part of a broader effort to tighten the EU’s migration regime and speed up deportations. It allows member states that wish to do so to establish centres in third countries where rejected asylum-seekers can be sent pending removal or transfer. The compromise still requires final approval…

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of blindness among older people in rich countries, may eventually be treated by restoring the eye’s natural cellular recycling system, according to research led by the University of Fribourg. As populations age, retinal diseases are becoming increasingly common worldwide. AMD damages two types of cells that are essential to vision: photoreceptors, which detect light, and retinal pigment epithelial cells, which support and nourish them. Over time these cells accumulate damaged proteins and other waste products. Under normal conditions cells dispose of such material through internal cleaning mechanisms. But these systems weaken…

A slim majority of Swiss voters intend to reject the “No Switzerland of 10m” initiative, according to the second SSR poll ahead of the June 14th referendum. With only days remaining before the vote, the campaign over the immigration initiative looks set to remain tight. Had the vote been held on May 23rd, 52% of voters would have rejected the proposal put forward by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), according to a poll conducted by gfs.bern for SSR. Since the first survey a month earlier, support for the “no” camp has risen by five percentage points, while support for the…

As heatwaves become more frequent across Europe, Switzerland is confronting an unfamiliar question: whether rules around air conditioning should become less restrictive. The country does not prohibit air conditioning outright. But installing a permanent cooling system in Switzerland is often far more difficult than in neighbouring countries, especially in some of its most populated cantons. Geneva is widely regarded as the strictest canton. Homeowners seeking permission for fixed air-conditioning systems have in some cases been required to demonstrate a legitimate need, even requiring medical justification. Environmental concerns also play a role. The canton has long viewed air conditioning as energy-intensive…