There will be a double-anniversary concert in Geneva’s Victoria Hall 13 March 2016 at 17:00, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1% for Development Fund and the fifth anniversary of the United Nations Orchestra with Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony and Brahms double concerto for violin and cello. To remind readers about the purpose of the 1% for […]
The SMI’s limited exposure to oil and energy left it trailing global gains
26 February 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The SMI is set to close modestly higher this week, although lagging behind gains of global equity markets. Stock markets around the world benefited from a substantial rebound in the price of crude oil this week which has been a key […]
Should a Geneva city employee be allowed to wear a veil while working with the public?
Tribune de Genève. This question is causing a political storm in Geneva after a member of staff working for the city’s cultural department came to work wearing a veil covering her hair, something she had not worn when she was hired. Geneva’s Administrative Council is currently looking at the question. Sami Kanaan, head of the […]
Swiss 2016 health insurance refunds. Do you live in one of the lucky cantons?
Last week Switzerland’s federal administration published this year’s health insurance refunds. The largest sums were awarded to the residents of Geneva and Vaud. In 2014, the Swiss parliament decided to compensate the insured for excessive health insurance premiums charged between the beginning of 1996 and the end of 2013. The difference between premiums paid and […]
Helping a few at the expense of many – Swiss vote against penalising marriage
The Christian Democratic People’s party (PDC) is the party behind the initiative: “In Favour of Marriage and Family – Against the Marriage Penalty”, which will be voted on this Sunday 28th February. The initiative’s negative overtones towards same-sex couples, as well as its shortcomings, make it hard to support. However, it might help to ignite […]
How Switzerland brings far more than neutrality to international affairs
This week Renu Chahil-Graf interviews Switzerland’s UN Ambassador Alexandre Fasel. Alexandre talks about what Switzerland brings to international affairs and what lies behind it. During the interview he shows how he embodies it. A Walk in the Park with Ambassador Alexandre Fasel: Switzerland’s UN representative and Keeper of the Flame of International Geneva. Switzerland’s ambassador in […]
Swiss franc rises on ‘Brexit’ angst
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Once again, Switzerland is getting saddled with unwanted currency appreciation due to other nations’ struggles. The franc posted its biggest gain since August against the euro as concern that the U.K. may exit the European Union dragged down the pound and with it the 19-nation shared currency. China’s decision to cut […]
Why the new Swiss bank notes are set to become even more sought after
Swiss money is about to change. On 12 April 2016, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) will put a new 50-franc note into circulation. The new 20-franc note will be released the following year, and the other four denominations – 10, 100, 200 and 1,000, at half-yearly or yearly intervals after this date, with the last hitting […]
Foreigners scramble to apply for Swiss passports
Le Matin. Towns in the canton of Zurich have been overwhelmed with citizenship applications over the last few weeks. Some like Uster have seen applications increase 5-fold. What’s behind this sharp spike? According to the Tages-Anzeiger, the recent initiative due for vote on 28 February 2016, that could see over 10,000 foreign criminals deported from […]
How football and a piano transformed the life of an Afghan family in Geneva
Award winning Swiss-based Afghan poet and author Bashir Sakhawarz describes how football and a grand piano changed his family’s life. Our children were very young when we first arrived in Geneva, not as refugees but because of our careers. They were exposed to the French language in kindergarten and then in the local Swiss primary […]
