Latest News Roundup in Switzerland: A Selection of Today's Headlines on Tuesday
The Swiss passport has been ranked as the sixth most powerful in the world, according to the Henley Passport Index published last week. This ranking provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 189 countries, a significant improvement from 10th place in 2010.
Switzerland's diplomatic relations have been strengthening, reflected in the gradual gains in the number of countries granting Swiss citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access. The Swiss passport now competes closely with countries like New Zealand, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Australia, all sharing access to 189 destinations.
The highest-ranked passports in 2025 are Singapore (193 destinations), Japan and South Korea (190 each), and a group including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, all with access to 189 destinations.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the increasing popularity of flavored nicotine pouches among young people in Switzerland. These pouches, though containing no tobacco, are pure nicotine and have a higher nicotine content than regular cigarettes. The Swiss Working Group for Tobacco Prevention's managing director, Luciano Ruggia, has expressed concerns about the potential strain these pouches could put on oral health and the stomach, and a possible connection with cancer or cardiovascular disease.
In a separate development, a new report by the 'Avenir Suisse' think-tank proposes a radical reform of Switzerland's postal service. The proposal suggests cutting down mail delivery from daily to twice weekly in sparsely populated rural areas, with the universal service potentially being limited to B mail by 2030. Some MPs are against this proposal, with Deputy David Roth stating that it could lead to the dismantling of public service and limiting of postal service in unprofitable areas.
In other travel-related news, parts of the Oeschinen Lake region and the popular tourist spot, the Oeschinensee, are closed to hikers due to a significant risk of rockfalls. If planning to visit the Kandersteg area, updates and travel advisories should be checked on the Kandersteg municipal website. Additionally, due to heavy rainfall, landslides have accelerated above Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland.
References:
- Swissinfo
- Henley & Partners
- IATA
Policy-and-legislation discussions associating flavored nicotine pouches with potential health risks are underway in Switzerland, prompted by the Swiss Working Group for Tobacco Prevention's concerns about the pouches' impact on oral health and the stomach, as well as their potential link to cancer or cardiovascular diseases. Separately, politics is stirring around a proposed reform of Switzerland's postal service by think-tank 'Avenir Suisse', which suggest cutting down mail delivery, potentially limiting the universal service, and possibly affecting rural areas.
