According to the latest worldwide Small Arms Survey, Switzerland ranks sixth among exporting countries, following the US, Germany, Austria, Italy and Brazil. The annual survey by Geneva’s Graduate Institute of International Studies said Swiss exports amounted to USD 191 million (CHF 172 million) compared to the US lead of USD 917 million. Survey authors said […]
Toxic Americans renouncing citizenship
Worldwide, a total of 3,000 Americans gave up their citizenship last year in the wake of new regulations compelling banks to provide information to US tax authorities on all American accounts. Embassies will not reveal the breakdown by country, but a disproportionate number are believed to be in Switzerland as it is the country hardest […]
Swiss army has more support than it has had in 20 years
ZURICH Despite Swiss voters refusing to back the purchase of 22 Gripen fighter planes from Sweden in a national referendum on 18 May, a new study finds that the army has more support than it has had in 20 years. The concept of neutrality was also favoured by a record 96% of respondents, rising to […]
US listed terror group in Switzerland
GENEVA/LAUSANNE Local Muslims are concerned by stalls in Swiss streets promoting Ansar al-Sharia, a Salafist group on the US terrorist list. Distributing the Koran may seem harmless enough, but Arab speakers reported they were also attempting to recruit fighters for Syria. Early this month, one kiosk appeared in Geneva’s Place du Molard, and others were […]
Drivers beware of hefty fines when crossing Swiss borders
BERN A bizarre case has Swiss and foreigners alike scratching their heads. A hapless German pensioner recently visiting his daughter in Switzerland drove his son-in-law’s Swiss-registered car across the border to go to his daughter’s holiday home in Austria. Stopped at customs, and unable to provide appropriate documentation, Dieter Johann von der Heide was hit […]
Keeping business accountable
BERN The Federal Council has warned Swiss companies operating in developing countries that they must do more to ensure the protection of human rights and the environment, otherwise the government may step in. The matter is expected to go before the parliament in September. The 28 May Council report was in response to a petition […]
Tenants happy – landlords not
GENEVA Those arriving in Switzerland to work, and those who have lived here for years, know well how expensive it can be to rent a house or an apartment in the Lake Geneva region – and that’s if you are lucky enough to find something. Negotiating contracts and understanding tenants’ rights may prove equally daunting, […]
Keeping business accountable
BERN The Federal Council has warned Swiss companies operating in developing countries that they must do more to ensure the protection of human rights and the environment, otherwise the government may step in. The matter is expected to go before the parliament in September. The 28 May Council report was in response to a petition […]
Are Swiss language divisions increasing?
The Swiss are well known for their language capabilities, many of them speaking at least three. Foreigners living here are therefore often surprised to discover how wide divisions are among the country’s four different language regions. Mastery of others’ tongues has been on the decline for decades, while there are few common cultural events and no national media.
Plans to toughen drink laws in Vaud
A damper on a night on the town LAUSANNE Young people looking for a great nightlife are flocking in ever-greater numbers to Lausanne. Many come from Geneva where the bar scene is less lively and, above all, more expensive. Not everyone plans to get roaring drunk, but under peer pressure more are doing so. And […]