The team, which has been operating since the beginning of March, is hunting for people on welfare who might be working or have undeclared assets, according to 20 Minutes. In addition, it is looking for those living in the canton but pretending to live somewhere else like Monaco, Dubai or another Swiss canton. Last year […]
Home bag collection and check in now available for passengers flying on Swiss
Passengers travelling internationally from Geneva and Zurich airports on Swiss and Edelweiss can wave goodbye to their bags at home and collect them at their destination. The service, run in partnership with Swiss Rail, must be ordered the day before departure. Each bag costs CHF 22 on top of a base collection fee of CHF […]
The number of false Swiss residents coming clean rose in 2017
French communes bordering Geneva saw a rise in the number of those living in France but pretending to live in Switzerland coming clean in 2017. According to the newspaper Le Temps, the neighbouring commune of Saint-Julien-en-Genevois saw the number rise to 1,130 in 2017, more than the 1,000 in 2016 and the 600 in 2014. […]
Geneva – cross-border school rules to get stricter
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 […]
Geneva Airport cleans up its emissions but ignores its past
In 2016, the airport says it removed 10,000 tCO2 from the atmosphere, the amount it emitted that year. It has been investing in extracting carbon since 2011. Based on its emissions effort in 2016, it became one of 37 carbon neutral airports, according to airport carbon accreditation. These emissions relate only to the airport and […]
Switzerland joins 127 other nations condemning Donald Trump’s Jerusalem decision
Yesterday, 128 countries voted in favour of a United Nation’s General Assembly resolution demanding Washington rescind its 6 December recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Switzerland was among them. A clear majority was in favour (74%) – 128 voted for, 9 against, with 35 abstentions. US-friendly countries voting in favour included Germany, France, Britain and […]
Switzerland rises in good country index in 2017
After slipping In 2016, Switzerland gained ground in Simon Anholt’s 2017 good country index, which measures how much positive impact countries have beyond their own borders. Anholt is an independent policy advisor, mainly to governments, who started the index three years ago. He describes nations that do good abroad as “good countries”, pointing out that “good” […]
If Catalonia were part of Switzerland
According to the BBC, Spain’s government is set to remove autonomy from the region after Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, failed to meet Madrid’s deadline for clarifying whether he had declared independence. Earlier this month, RTS, Switzerland’s state broadcaster said neutral Switzerland was ready to help facilitate discussions between Spain’s government and Catalonia. In addition to […]
Swiss launches multi-flight subscriptions from Geneva
Swiss has launched multi-flight tickets from Geneva airport. The new test product was launched on 20 September 2017. The offer is a use it of lose it type deal. Any unused flights cannot be refunded, transferred or credited. Owned by the Lufthansa, Switzerland’s flag carrier is offering two subscription options. The first, the Discover Europe Pass, […]
The Pope’s confusing message on climate change
Pope Francis sends diametrically opposed messages when it comes to climate change. This week, as he flew over the storm-ravaged Caribbean on his way back from Colombia, Pope Francis called on the world to save the planet. According to the NY Times, on the subject of climate change, he quoted from the Bible: “Man is […]
