Meteo Swiss has warned of low temperatures, particularly in the three lakes region of Switzerland. The overnight low last night was -7 degrees in La Chaux-de-Fonds. While these temperatures are not extremely low, winds of over 100km/h in some places making them feel much colder than they are. This temperature drop is due to a […]
Magic mat to check shoes at Geneva airport
Tribune de Genève You arrive very late at the airport. You run to the security check area lucky enough to find there is no queue. Unfortunately the time it takes to remove your shoes, have them scanned, and put them on again, is enough to make you miss your flight. Or, the person in front […]
Switzerland tops talent table despite high cost of living
Switzerland retains its number one spot in IMD‘s most recent 2016 World Talent Report. Unlike the other 60 nations in the study, which have seen their performance gyrate, a plot of Switzerland’s rank over the last ten years is a perfectly straight line. First ten years in a row. The study looks at three things: investment […]
What you call Lake Geneva really does matter, according to a poll
To non-French speakers the notion might seem odd. In English the big blue watery thing in Western Switzerland has only one name: Lake Geneva. And in German it is der Genfersee. Well in French it is not that simple. Lausanne’s student radio station Fréquence Banane, ran a poll on their Facebook page that was picked up by […]
No more compulsory training for dog owners
24 Heures. Last week, Switzerland’s Federal Council confirmed parliament’s decision to end the requirement for dog owners to undergo training. However, cantons will be able to pass their own laws if they wish. The Zurich politician Ruedi Noser (PLR/FDP) started the move to change the rules. According to him, the courses were expensive, administratively burdensome […]
Geneva close to a population of 500,000
Tribune de Genève. According to September data recently published by the canton’s statistics office Ocstat, Geneva had a population of 494,666 by the end of September 2016. Tribune de Genève said the symbolic bar of half a million will without a doubt be reached in the coming months, before qualifying its prediction saying it will […]
Swiss banks taking more risks to compensate for record-low interest rates
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss banks focused on property lending are taking more risks to compensate for the impact of record-low interest rates, increasing the threat of a real-estate bubble, Swiss National Bank Vice President Fritz Zurbruegg said. “Exceptionally low interest rates are putting pressure on interest rate margins and this is weighing […]
Richemont cuts send shockwaves from Geneva to mountain valleys
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Richemont’s plan to slash 210 watchmaking jobs in Switzerland is sending shockwaves from Geneva to some of the country’s remote mountain villages, the cradle of high-end watch manufacturing. In Le Sentier, a town perched in the middle of the Jura mountain range, straddling the border between France and Switzerland, […]
Geneva votes for limited Sunday shop opening
Today, voters in the canton of Geneva were asked whether shops should remain closed on Sundays and public holidays. The cantonal initiative called “Touche pas à mes dimanches!”, which was put forward by the unions, the Socialist party and others, was rejected in favour of a parliamentary counterproposal which allows shops to open on 31 […]
Zurich rejects plan to limit marriage to heterosexuals
Today, voters in the canton of Zurich were asked whether marriage should be restricted to heterosexual couples. The cantonal initiative called “Schutz der Ehe”, which was put forward by the Federal Democratic Union party (EDU/UDF), was resoundingly rejected. 81% of voters were opposed to it. On their website EDU said their fight to restrict marriage, […]
