GHI. Muslim bag handlers at Geneva airport have been stopping work several times a day to pray in a common area, and it has been causing friction, reports the Geneva weekly newspaper GHI. “It’s incredible. Last January we reported that some of our colleagues were regularly praying in the common room, but it has continued […]
Speeder in Switzerland pays thousands and loses car
Le Matin. Last Friday, a 30 year old portuguese national was flashed by a speed camera going 185 km/h in an 80 km/h zone in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The speeding happened on a stretch of road between Trübbach and Sevelen. Penalties for speeding offenses like this, defined as reckless, are severe in Switzerland. In this […]
Swiss watch exports post biggest quarterly drop since 2009
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss watch exports posted the biggest quarterly drop since 2009 as the industry faces declining demand across all its main markets. Shipments fell 8.9 percent in the first quarter, adjusted for working days, according to data from Switzerland’s customs office. Exports declined 16 percent in March to 1.5 billion francs ($1.5 […]
How eastern Germany’s watch making capital is beating Switzerland
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The east German village of Glashuette doesn’t look like much: just a handful of streets stretching up and down a narrow valley from a bare station platform, where trains depart once an hour for the 45-minute trip to Dresden. Scratch a bit deeper, though, and you’ll find that the town of 7,000 is home to […]
Before-tax car fuel prices up to 32% higher in Switzerland
If you live in Switzerland, filling up your car across the border can save you a packet, depending on the country and fuel type. While savings sometimes come from lower fuel taxes, much of them comes from the lower underlying prices foreign fuel retailers charge. And it is difficult to argue that you’re paying a premium for a higher quality product. Switzerland – […]
Swiss president wants tougher university entrance exams
Tribune de Genève. Johann Schneider-Ammann, Swiss president and minister of education wants to make it harder for Swiss school pupils to gain access to Swiss universities. He thinks students shouldn’t gain entrance to university without high grades in mathematics and their primary language – French, German or Italian, depending on the region. Many cantons, which […]
10 facts about Switzerland’s illegal immigrants
A recent study by the Swiss state secretariat for migrants (SEM) estimates that there were 76,000 illegal immigrants or san-papiers living in Switzerland in 2015. The 88 page document presents some interesting facts about this elusive group. 1. Most arrive undeclared or on tourist visas Across the country, 63% slipped over the border without declaring their presence […]
Big change in the number of asylum requests in Switzerland
Switzerland’s administration says migration remains volatile and unpredictable. Making reliable forecasts for 2016 is impossible given the number of hard to influence factors impacting on migration routes. The first quarter of 2016 saw 8,315 asylum requests in Switzerland, around 45% fewer than the final quarter of 2015. The 1992 requests in March were down almost […]
The snow is back. Again.
Some in Switzerland awoke to snow on Sunday morning. The weather service Meteo News is predicting more light snow overnight and on Monday across the Swiss plateau. Speaking to Le Matin, Lionel Peyraud of Météo Suisse said 10 to 17 cm of snow could fall at altitudes above 1,000 m, with 15 cm falling on the […]
Swiss property prices set to decline this year says report
Tribune de Genève. According to construction and property market consultants, Wüest & Partner, the Swiss housing market, for both renting and buying, should ease by 0.3% in 2016. In French-speaking Switzerland the declines should be higher with declines of 0.6% predicted in the Lake Geneva region and a fall of 2.1% expected in Valais. For the […]
