According to Le Matin, economists at Swiss Life think the rise of the Swiss franc could be over and predict it will weaken to 1.22 to the euro by the end of the year. At the same time they point to risks that could send the currency in the opposite direction, such as the election in […]
Archives for 2018
Zürich family in Hawai’i caught out by nuclear attack scare
The morning of January 13th, just two days into their vacation in Hawai’i, Zürich family Olivia Raths, Rafael Gschwend and their young daughter, Linda, found themselves suddenly preparing for the unthinkable: a possible nuclear missile attack on the U.S. island state. Like everyone in Hawaii with a cellphone, the Swiss family received an urgent alert […]
FILM: OTTO BLOOM – a man whose life runs in reverse
12 January 2018. THE DEATH AND LIFE OF OTTO BLOOM **** Australia has a fine culture of exceptional films. As in this fascinating tale of a dazed young man found by the police and brought to a clinic. His strange story – that of a man who goes through time in reverse, from the future […]
The nations most in love with Zermatt
Brought to you by [add sponsor] Not surprisingly, Zermatt is most loved by the Swiss who flock there in large numbers in both winter (113k) and summer (116k). Who ranks next depends on the season. Zermatt is a true year-round resort. In 2016, 42% of the 487k annual visitors came from May to October, the […]
The number of people on welfare continues to rise in Switzerland
In 2016, around 273,000 people, 3.3% of the population, received welfare in Switzerland. The number (not the rate) was 2.9% higher than the year before and 15.7% higher than 5 years earlier when the rate was 3.0%. Rates of those receiving government aid varied significantly by canton, ranging from 0.8% in Appenzell Innerrhoden to 7.4% […]
Three quarters of Swiss voters favour burqa ban, suggests poll
A recent online poll run on behalf of the newspapers Le Matin Dimanche and SonntagsZeitung suggests a large majority of Swiss voters are in favour of a nationwide ban on face covering in public. Around 76% approve of the anti-face covering initiative launched by the group, known as the Egerkingen committee. The group, which presented […]
Switzerland has more job vacancies than jobseekers
Speaking to Tages-Anzeiger, Cornel Müller, director of marketing at x28, Switzerland’s largest job search aggregator, said there was a large jump in the number of jobs available in Switzerland compared to one year ago. At the end of 2017, 178,000 vacant posts were advertised, 22,000 more than at the end of 2016. The meta search […]
Zermatt accessible again
According to the company Mattherhorn Gotthard Bahn the first trains connecting Zermatt with Täsch started running this afternoon at 17:15 after two days of closure. Trains from Täsch to Visp are expected to open tomorrow. Until then a replacement bus service will operate. Road access to the Saas valley has also been restored. The Gornergrat […]
Swiss courts wrong on minaret ban speech case, rules european court
On 9 January 2018, the European Court of Human Rights decided against a decision by the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court, and demanded the Swiss government pay 35,000 euros. The case relates to the publication of a speech leading up to the Swiss vote to ban the construction of minarets in 2009. On 5 November […]
Avalanche cuts Zermatt off from outside world
Yesterday, avalanche dangers in parts of Valais, including Zermatt and Saas Fee reached 5, the highest level, before shifting back to 4, according to the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research. Heavy snowfall strands 13,000 tourists in Swiss Alps https://t.co/tzllxV9FgJ #Zermatt pic.twitter.com/sIgeob96LV — AFP news agency (@AFP) January 9, 2018 Access in and out […]
