20 Minutes. By the end of September this year, Switzerland’s Federal office of police (Fedpol), had banned 97 people from entering Switzerland, compared to 28 across the whole of 2015. A spokesperson for Fedpol told the news service ATS that the rise was largely related to war and conflict in the middle east. Many of the […]
Archives for October 2016
“Neo-Nazi” concert planned near Lausanne
Tribune de Genève. Recently, there has been a spate of gatherings in Switzerland, described by the Swiss press as ‘neo-Nazi’. After a large gathering in Unterwasser, and a smaller one in Kaltbrunn, both in the canton of Saint Gallen, the Blick newspaper revealed late last week, there were plans for a third, near Lausanne on 5 November […]
The new 12,200 franc Swiss Rail pass
From the beginning of next year, Swiss Rail will test a new CHF 12,200 annual pass. Called Green Class, the pass includes unlimited first class train travel, unlimited use of Swiss Rail city bikes, Mobility Car sharing (2,900 cars) and an electric BMW car, which comes with a station car park and a charge point […]
Swiss rents drop, substantially in the Lake Geneva region
Tribune de Genève. Rents have dropped across Switzerland, declining substantially in the Lake Geneva region, according the the property consulting firm Wüest Partner. According to the firm, Swiss rents in the second quarter of 2016 were 1.6% lower than the same quarter in 2015. Geneva saw rents drop by 8.3% over the same period, while the […]
UBS reports drop in wealth profit as Ermotti lowers costs
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. UBS Group AG Chief Executive Officer Sergio Ermotti pledged to continue cost cuts after profit at the wealth-management business fell and the securities unit was hurt by a slump in equities trading. Pretax profit rose 11 percent to 877 million Swiss francs ($883 million) from 788 million francs a […]
Pharma giants drag SMI stocks down
28 October 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. A weak performance from Swiss pharma giants pulled the Swiss Market Index down again this week after investors dropped stocks in the sector on lackluster earnings reports. The peripheral European stocks and Japan managed to buck the trend this week, global stock markets […]
Film: I, Daniel Blake – heart-wrenching winner of the Palme d’ Or
28 October 2016. I, DANIEL BLAKE ***1/2 This year’s Palme d’ Or winner at Cannes is one of the most heart-wrenching films you are likely to see. But it is worth your time and heartache, as it’s yet another fine social commentary from the esteemed English director, Ken Loach, who specializes in capturing and honoring the […]
After being judged unfit, vegan man accepted by Swiss army
20 Minutes. In January, a young man from Valais, was excluded from Swiss military service because of his diet and beliefs. Because he is a vegan and won’t eat meat or wear boots made from leather he was declared unfit. Last Tuesday, the 19 year-old announced that his legal challenge had succeeded. The military has […]
Swiss cabinet rejects referendum to undo immigration restrictions
By August 2015, a group determined to create a fallback plan should Switzerland’s government fail to negotiate a deal with the EU, had gathered enough signatures to hold a referendum. Their initiative, known as RASA, would give voters a chance to decide whether to repeal the changes made to the constitution by the February 2014 vote to […]
Swiss migration drops substantially
Statistics published yesterday show a drop in net foreign migration into Switzerland of 18.3% over the first nine months of 2016, compared to the same period in 2015. The drop was driven by a 6.9% decline in immigration, combined with a 4.7% increase in emigration. The number arriving from the EU and EFTA countries dropped by […]