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Bridge safety and banking success

Repair work underway on a bridge in Bern
Keystone

Almost every article published by swissinfo.ch contains a percentage, an age, an amount of money or some other figure. Here’s a round-up of the most interesting statistics to appear in the past week’s stories.

Sunday

40

An estimated 1% of Switzerland’s bridges – around 40 structures in total – are in a critical condition, the transport ministry says. But the state of the Swiss road network, including tunnels, is generally good. The transport ministry published the information in response to the collapse of a motorway bridge in neighbouring Italy.   

Monday

38

A government advisory committee has called for the introduction of a 38-week parental leave. The proposal comes as parliament is about to tackle plans for paternity leave. Currently, only mothers benefit from 14-week statutory maternity leave.

Tuesday

1,450

A famous restaurant perched under a cliff at 1,450 metres (4,800 feet) above sea level in the eastern Swiss Alps is looking for new managers. The couple running the Äscher-Wildkirchli guest house have called it quits after 31 years, saying they can’t keep up with demand and government restrictions. 

Tuesday 

120,000,000

According to a Swiss study, some 120 million people in India, or 9% of the population, could be affected by excess fluoride present in underground wells. Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EawagExternal link) have developed a hazard map showing which regions are most at risk.

Thursday

2.6 trillion

A Swiss private banks held assets worth CHF2.6 trillion ($2.65 trillion) last year, according to a renowned consultancy firm. A survey of KPMG and St Gallen University found signs of optimism following a decade of gloom.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR