Le Matin. The French-Swiss group, described as “disreputable” by the Ville de Paris, will not be supplying sand to the city of Paris this summer. Paris Plages (Beaches), a project that creates temporary beaches of sand along the banks of the river Seine every summer, said it would take no more sand from LafargeHolcim because […]
The ten most popular Swiss Google searches in 2016
According to Swiss broadcaster Swissinfo, the following ten items in the video below were the most searched things in 2016. The list includes, terror, a new train tunnel, sport, and one particular Swiss vote. More on this: Swissinfo article (in English) For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
6 Swiss news items that made international headlines in 2016
Last night, Swiss broadcaster RTS presented the six Swiss news items garnering the greatest international attention in 2016. The first news peak occurred in January with eyes focused on the World Economic Forum in Davos. This was the second most reported Swiss event in world media. Then in February, the Swiss story gaining the year’s greatest […]
With no fanfare or idealogical division Switzerland gets a new president
Today, Switzerland announced its new president for 2017. 53-year-old Swiss Christian Democrat party member, Doris Leuthard, will take over from outgoing president Johann Schneider-Ammann on 1 January 2017, less than three weeks before the scheduled start of Donald Trump’s term as US president. Her term will last one year. His will last four. Born in […]
Anger rises in Bern over Clinton donation
24 Heures. Over the weekend the newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag revealed that the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), a government agency, made a large payment to the Clinton Foundation, at a politically delicate time when Switzerland was in the middle of difficult discussions over Swiss banking activities related to US citizens. In February 2011, […]
Swiss against recognising islam as an official religion
20 Minutes. According to a poll taken by the newspapers Matin Dimanche and SonntagsZeitung, only 38% of those polled thought it would be a good idea to give islam the same status as christianity and judaism in Switzerland. Of those in support, 18% said yes, while 20% were somewhat in favour. The remaining 62% were against or […]
Juncker eyes Swiss-specific EU immigration deal despite Brexit
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was aiming to solve a two-year-old dispute with Switzerland over immigration in a country-specific manner even in the wake of Brexit. The Swiss government has been at pains to implement restrictions on European Union newcomers decided upon in a 2014 referendum without […]
Poll shows over 70 percent of Swiss want to ban full veils
Tribune de Genève. In March 2016, a group known as the Egerkingen committee, started the process of collecting the 100,000 signatures required to launch a federal referendum to ban the wearing of full veils in Switzerland. The Egerkingen committee, or Egerkinger Komittee, made the news in 2009, when a referendum it launched to ban the […]
Counting the cost of Olympic medals. Is it worth it?
After investing heavily, the UK has proved a medal superpower two Olympic Games in a row, chalking up 3rd place overall in Rio. Swiss broadcaster RTS (SFR) sets out how much Switzerland has spent on its athletes. Here is how the two nations compare. The Independent reports that the UK invested GBP 274 million, funneled from […]
Is the US slouching towards a Weimar scenario?
Remember Germany’s 1930’s Weimar Republic and the diminutive, firebrand populist who eventually seized power? Although he sees no problem in quoting Mussolini and at least initially hesitated at denouncing the Ku Klux Klan, Donald Trump is not exactly comparable to Hitler, at least not quite yet, but then neither was Hitler at the beginning. The […]
