Yesterday, the Swiss government said it would step up checks on foreign workers. The new plans are designed to increase the effectiveness of controls and include more funding and better training for those tasked with the job. The number of checks is expected to rise 30% from 27,000 to 35,000 per year. 7-step guide to […]
Swiss watch exports have biggest monthly drop in seven years
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss watch exports plunged 16 percent in October, the biggest monthly drop in seven years, as demand weakened in almost every major market for Rolex and Omega timepieces. Shipments fell to 1.68 billion francs ($1.7 billion), the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said in a statement Tuesday. The […]
Switzerland risks power independence as nuclear vote looms
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Switzerland risks becoming dependent on electricity imports as its citizens prepare for a plebiscite on whether to hasten its exit from nuclear power. The nation faces losing a third of domestic supplies and becoming a net buyer of power if it opts to start closing its five nuclear plants […]
Solar Impulse arrives back in Switzerland
This afternoon the solar powered plane, Solar Impulse 2, touched down in Dübendorf near Zurich inside a 747, completing its trip back home to Switzerland where it was born. In 2 hours @solarimpulse will be back in the hangar where it was built in #Switzerland pic.twitter.com/5eWDMSynxe — SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) 22 novembre 2016 In July, […]
Two parents working sharply reduces risk of child poverty in Switzerland
A recent publication by the Swiss federal statistics office shows there were around 73,000 children suffering from poverty in Switzerland in 2014. Poverty is defined by depravation calculated based on responses to a list of 18 questions1. These responses are used to determine actual poverty and the risk of poverty. Overall Swiss child poverty rates […]
Road tolls to increase in France
According to various newspapers in France, French motorway tolls are set to increase from 1 February next year. Price increases will vary by region, increasing on average by 0.76%, a rate exceeding inflation, which has been close to zero over the last twelve months. Motorways in southern France will see the biggest hike (+1.19%), while […]
Swiss are the world’s wealthiest, says report
According to a recent report by the bank Credit Suisse, the Swiss are worth more on average than the residents of any other nation. The bank’s annual Global Wealth Report calculates average net worth per Swiss adult to be US$ 561,900 (CHF 567,500). Switzerland’s combined personal wealth of US$ 3.5 trillion represents 1.4% of the […]
Temperatures as high as 20 degrees predicted for parts of Switzerland today
After a cold snap brought early skiing to the Alps, temperatures have swung back the other way. The warm wind from the south, known as the foehn, has brought high winds and warmer temperatures. According to Vincent Devantay of Meteo News, the weather phenomenon brought 163 km/h wind to the top of the 3,500m Jungfraujoch, and […]
Swiss regulator does not want to loosen mortgage restrictions
24 Heures. Swiss financial markets regulator Finma is not planning to loosen mortgage lending directives, according to its director Thomas Bauer, after the bank Raiffeisen expressed a desire for looser lending rules. In an interview with Zentralschweiz am Sonntag, Bauer said that this could allow certain households to get mortgages that they wouldn’t be able to service […]
Swiss towns want to ban the distribution of the Quran
Le Matin. According to Le Matin, recent German government action against salafistes is pushing the Swiss authorities to act. According to Tages Anzeiger, some Swiss towns have already taken action. The town of Brugg in the canton of Aargau banned distribution of the Quran in 2012. “It seems that radical islamists were behind it” explained the town’s […]
