Last week, Geneva’s government changed the rules on who qualifies for primary schooling in the canton. Currently, if there is room for children living outside the canton (usually in France or the canton of Vaud) they are accepted. Schools are managed at a municipal level and in some communes (municipalities) they are overflowing. François Longchamp, president […]
Bad traffic – Geneva and Zurich rank among Europe’s worst
Excluding the highly congested cities of Russia, Geneva and Zurich were the fourth and fifth most traffic congested cities in Europe in 2017, according to the automotive data company INRIX, which publishes a traffic ranking of around 1,360 cities across the world. Istanbul (3rd), Paris (2nd) and London (1st) were the only european cities ahead […]
Switzerland’s course for mathematically gifted children
It is easy to assume that exceptionally bright children are the lucky ones, automatically destined for great things. But being a very bright child can be hard. Many of these children feel lost at regular school. Some become withdrawn, others disruptive, while some leave school early. Kathryn Hess Bellwald, a Swiss-American mathematician at EPFL, one […]
FILM: THE 5:17 TO PARIS – Clint Eastwood’s version of the train terrorist attack
9 February 2018. As I was absent at the preview of this film, a friend who was there kindly wrote this review on it. What do you think of the movie, for we all see films with our own baggage, don’t we? Till next week, Neptune. THE 5:17 TO PARIS *1/2 On 21 August 2015, […]
A family applied for Swiss citizenship but not everyone in the family got it
Nyon, a town on the shore of Lake Geneva, was recently thrust into the limelight. A mum, dad and their children applied for Swiss citizenship together, however the mum had her application rejected by the commune, while dad and the children had theirs accepted. Last Wednesday, Nyon’s mayor, Daniel Rossellat said Salvatore Scanio, the father, […]
Swiss real estate risk falls two quarters in a row, says UBS
The UBS Swiss Real Estate Bubble Index declined in the last quarter of 2017, the second quarterly decline in a row. Prices are considered balanced when the index reaches zero. Between zero and 1 is considered a price boom, between 1 and 2 is considered at risk and above 2 a bubble. At the end […]
Basel Fasnacht – no ordinary festival
A parade that starts at 4 in the morning? With piccolos? And drums? In winter? Really? Yes, and you’ll be enchanted by the whole thing. Every year in the city of Basel on the Monday after Ash Wednesday (this year, February 19th), the Morgestraich (“Morning sweep” in Basel dialect) marks the beginning of the three-day […]
Swiss-born man faces deportation
A convicted repeat offender who was born and grew up in Switzerland faces deportation. The turkish citizen, born in 1973, started breaking the law in his twenties and received his first official warning at the age of 22 for crimes committed abroad, according to the Aargauer Zeitung. Eventually the man ended up facing charges in […]
Swiss Muslim academic accused of rape remains in prison
According to LeMonde.fr, Tariq Ramadan remains in a French prison, despite the efforts of his lawyers. Under investigation for accusations of rape, the judge decided to keep Ramadan in prison to protect witnesses from pressure, said those close to the case, according to the newspaper. Investigators hope keeping him in prison will encourage other women […]
Switzerland tests its sirens
Every year, Switzerland tests its apocalyptic-sounding sirens on the first Wednesday of February. This year it will be done on 7 February 2018, starting at 13:30. Sirens will be sounded for three minutes. The tests finish at 14:00 for general sirens, and 15:00 for flood sirens. If an alarm sounds outside of these times it […]
