Why these Japanese patients wanted to die in Switzerland

2023-12-19

Many people who are terminally ill would prefer to spend their last days at home. However, this is often not possible. "La Maison de Tara" in Geneva offers a cosy alternative to hospital. Round-the-clock care by volunteers, home cooked food and medical assistance on tap are all part of its charm. The volunteers say "it’s not a house of death but a house of love". swissinfo.ch visited the home to find out why.
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2023-12-18

Every year, over 1,000 seriously ill people end their lives in Switzerland with the help of suicide assistants. 
 
 Assisted suicide is legal in several countries, including Switzerland, Canada and the Netherlands. A handful of other countries – like Germany and Colombia – are working out the legal and practical details.

Some people even travel great distances to die in Switzerland because assisted suicide is illegal where they live. For example, a 104-year-old Australian man made the trip in 2018.

One of the people who helped him was Erika Preisig, a Swiss doctor and the founder of Life Circle, which operates in Basel in the northern part of the country. She’s passionate in her belief that people should have the right to die. She’s even been charged with — and later acquitted of —

2023-12-18

Now that Switzerland has approved marriage for all, host Susan Misicka talks with some couples who explain why it’s important to them. We also hear from opponents of Swiss legislation granting same-sex couples the right to marry.

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SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern Switzerland. It publishes independent news and information in 10 languages about Switzerland for a global audience.

2023-12-18

The success of Swiss chocolate depends on cocoa beans harvested far away, often with the help of minors. In this episode we discuss whether it’s OK for children to work, and how to figure out if kids helped make your candy bar.

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SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern Switzerland. It publishes independent news and information in 10 languages about Switzerland for a global audience.

2023-12-18

What does soil sound like, and what do those sounds mean? We find out from the world’s first scientist to use acoustics to research the soil and underground biodiversity. Also, we explore some of Zurich’s greenspaces with a conservation biologist.

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SWI swissinfo.ch is a public service media company based in Bern Switzerland. It publishes independent news and information in 10 languages about Switzerland for a global audience.

2023-11-14

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and then Christmas shopping: many people in Switzerland will go on a shopping spree at the end of the year. However, Swiss Post is expecting a slightly lower flood of parcels this year than in 2022.

2023-11-08

Anyone who owns an electric car in Switzerland will have to pay automobile tax from January 1.

The Federal Council decided on Wednesday to repeal this tax exemption for electric cars, which has been in effect since 1997.

2023-11-03

Swiss authorities and lenders, including UBS, are discussing new measures to prevent bank runs after Credit Suisse’s last-ditch rescue earlier this year, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.