Both plane and pilot are well. After a 71-hour 8-minute (three days and three nights) flight, the Swiss designed 100% solar powered aircraft and its lone pilot, Bertrand Piccard, touched down at Seville Airport in Spain at 7:38am local time. The total flight distance across the Atlantic from NYC was 6,765 km. Solar Impulse 2 has now […]
Too much pesticide on Swiss strawberries, says report
Laboratory analysis of conventionally grown strawberries picked from strawberry farms in Thurgau and Bern’s Seeland region, along with samples from Switzerland’s supermarkets, shows they contain high levels of pollution. The study, requested by Greenpeace, involved testing samples of fruit and soil. Among the 20 different pesticides found across all of the samples, fungicides were the […]
Swiss franc shows enduring Brexit concern even as odds lengthen
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. At least one Brexit warning light is still flashing red. While the pound has rallied in recent days and bookmakers have shortened their odds on a win for “Remain” in Thursday’s U.K.’s European Union referendum, the Swiss franc is still about 0.4 percent from the 2016 high it reached […]
Swiss solar plane takes on the Atlantic – video and live updates
Solar Impulse 2 left New York on Monday on its way across the Atlantic Ocean. The 100% solar-powered plane is expected to land at Seville Airport in Spain on Thursday 23 June, a four-day four-night non-stop flight. The Atlantic crossing is one of the most challenging legs the aircraft’s global flight. Swiss adventurer, Bertrand Piccard is […]
Switzerland’s patchwork of EU deals and their history – at a glance
First trade Back in 1972 Switzerland agreed a free trade deal with the EU. The deal, which came into force the following year, removed duties and quotas from industrial products. In 1973 the EU was a far smaller club than today, Britain, Ireland and Denmark had just joined bringing the number of members to nine. Today there are […]
Switzerland’s longest day today
Switzerland’s longest day of the year is here. Every 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds, the earth travelling at around 110,000 km/h, completes a circuit of the sun. The longest day occurs in each hemisphere, when it reaches the point in this annual journey where it is most inclined towards the sun. In Switzerland that day […]
Swiss stocks tumble and franc rises on Brexit fears
17 June 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The Swiss Market Index (SMI) is set to post one of its largest falls since February this week as growing uncertainty around the result of Britain’s referendum on its membership of the 28-nation European Union bloc led to a global sell-off […]
Swiss football – Euro 2016 – progress and next match
The Swiss football team, won its first match against Albania (1:0) and drew its second against Romania (1:1). So far they have a total of 4 points – teams get 3 for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. This score places them second in their Group behind France, on 6, but […]
Switzerland withdraws its application for EU membership
Back in the days when mobile phones looked like the one pictured below, the Swiss voted on whether to join the EEA (European Economic Area), a precursor to EU membership. On 6 December 1992, 78.9% of Swiss voters turned out to vote, the highest turnout seen in Switzerland over the last 45 years. The traditional voting divide between French […]
Tax breaks for Swiss home owners should be reduced, say experts
20 Minutes. A recently released report, put together by a group of experts, proposes measures to dissuade people in Switzerland maintaining high levels of debt, in particular home mortgages. The report says the current system encourages individuals to maintain unhealthy levels of debt. The level of home mortgage debt in Switzerland is very high by international standards and has […]
