Oct 17, 2022 According to the Québécois newspaper la Presse, mandatory military service for women might become a reality in Switzerland. Currently over 150,000 people are serving in the Swiss army but due to various factors this number could easily drop to less than 140,000 by 2030 so that mandatory service for women may be discussed. Only a handful of countries have mandatory service for women (e.g. Israel and Norway). Currently 1.4% of the Swiss military personnel is female, in Canada this number is 16.3%. https://www.lapresse.ca/international/europe/2022-10-17/la-suisse-pourrait-obliger-les-femmes-au-service-militaire.php
Oct 18, 2022 If you ever wondered what the cost of studying in Switzerland would be, you might want to read the article below. Tuition costs in Switzerland seem downright reasonable compared to the Canadian universities, even for foreign students. Cost of living is a different matter, of course, but Switzerland may look like a very interesting option for many Canadian students who are interested in broadening their horizons. https://www.studyinternational.com/news/study-in-switzerland/
Oct 15, 2022 This article in the Toronto Star analyzes why Switzerland has not recently experienced inflation similar to many other countries in the world, including Canada. Switzerland inflation peaked at 3.5% in August, which represents less than half the peak in Canada. The analysis by an economics professor from U of T points to the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) policy to regulate both the rate of interest and the exchange rate to favorably influence the Swiss Franc and inflation. One of the advantages of a strong Swiss Franc, e.g., is that imported goods did not have as strong an influence on inflation. https://www.thestar.com/business/opinion/2022/10/15/what-lessons-can-canada-learn-from-low-inflation-switzerland.html
Oct 11, 2022 Switzerland (first) and Canada (third) once again can be found in the top three of the “Best Countries”. This is in an annual ranking from the Wharton Business School (last year Canada was first and Switzerland second). The main reasons for Switzerland’s stellar position are its robust economy, the very high standard of living, the extremely low crime, and a sense of social harmony, according the study’s author. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/best-countries-2022-whos-number-one/
Oct 25, 2022 Forbes has published an overview of the global availability of MAID (medically assistance in dying) in the article linked below. There are 11 countries in the world where this is legally possible; in other words, medically assisted dying is theoretically available to 280 million people worldwide. Both Switzerland and Canada are on this list of 11 countries where Switzerland was the very early adopter (being the only country allowing the practice before 1997). Overall, the trend seems to indicate that quite a few more countries will be legalizing MAID soon (11 states in the USA already have legislature). Both Canada and Switzerland may become vocal participants in the discussion around this topic given the experiences both countries area already collecting. https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivahwittenbergcox/2022/10/22/a-designed-death--where--when-the-world-allows-it/?sh
