Some who move to Switzerland might not be aware that they are almost certainly required to pay one of the world’s highest broadcasting fees. An annual Swiss licence costs CHF 451.10 per household. A successful vote in 2015 changed the rules on who must pay the fee. From 2019, it will be compulsory for anyone with a […]
Archives for 2017
Extremist vows terrorist attacks in Lausanne and Geneva
Last week, the newspaper Le Temps reported on mobile phone messages that suggest there were plans for terrorist attacks in Lausanne and Geneva. One message, sent via Snapchat from the phone of a 28-year old man from Annemasse in France, read: “We are going to blow ourselves up in Lausanne and in a church in […]
VIDEO: bringing grapes off the steep vineyards of Lavaux by train
As the days grow shorter and leaves start to turn golden, the grapes that will soon be this year’s wine, are deftly plucked from the steep slopes of Lavaux’s world-famous terraced vineyards. The near vertical slopes in some places make harvesting a challenge. The careful work is done by hand. Grape carriages running up through […]
A celebration of photography – get ready for an evening of photo expos across Geneva
Lovers of wrenching, joyous, perplexing, stunning photography, get ready. The evening of 14 October 2017, the Plainpalais quarter of Geneva and the Alhambra Theatre will be a giant gallery with special photo and film expos presented on large screens and in not-so-large frames at seven sites. Launched by the city of Geneva, for the first-time, No’ Photo is a […]
Swiss vote results on pension reform and food security – 24 September 2017
Today, Swiss voted on a reform of the Swiss pension system, which included a plan to raise VAT, and a government counterproposal on a Swiss Farmers’ Union initiative calling for increased subsidies and trade protection for Swiss farmers, dubbed the food security initiative. The food security vote was accepted by 78.7% of voters, while the […]
Illegal workers cost Swiss social security 320 million, according to estimate
Many people employed in Swiss homes are undeclared. According to one estimate the amount of unpaid social security taxes on the total paid to these people could be as high as CHF 320 million a year. Quitt.ch, a company that helps people with the administration around employing home help, reckons between 200,000 and 250,000 of […]
Hunting season opens in Valais
Every year hunters take to the mountains of Valais in search of deer and chamois for two weeks. The hunt is a highly regulated and well planned exercise with clear targets. The canton’s hunting authority sets annual hunting targets, part of a system of regulating wild fauna. This year the target is 1,800 red deer, […]
Geneva restaurant bans kids under four
A restaurant in Geneva decided that it didn’t want children under the age of four coming through its doors at certain times. Geneva’s restaurant and hotel association hit back. Laurent Terlinchamp, from the association, said: “We live in a mad world. I have never seen anything like this before.”, reported 20 Minutes. Adding that he was […]
FILM: LOVELESS – The present state of Russian society brilliantly exposed
22 September 2017. FAUTE D’AMOUR (NELYUBOV /LOVELESS) **** (vo Russian) The present state of Russian society is brilliantly exposed in this latest Andrey Zvyagintsev film, a grim but powerfully constructed tale of a destructive couple in the midst of a divorce who have no use for their poor 12-year old son. The mother is a […]
Swiss food security – vote this weekend
This Sunday, Swiss voters will decide the fate of a proposed change to the constitution on food security. The text is the government’s response to an earlier proposal by the Swiss Farmers’ Union, which demanded farmers receive greater financial support, and better shielding from foreign food imports. The proposal now before voters, which was sufficient […]
