A new law allows travellers caught without a valid train or bus ticket on Swiss public transport to be recorded in a national database from 1 January 2016. Train and bus staff across Switzerland will soon have access to a national database allowing them to identify those with a habit of cheating. Currently there is […]
Big rise in Swiss carbon tax from 1 January 2016
Swiss law requires big reductions in CO2 emissions by 2020. Reductions are below target, so from 1 January 2016 the government is increasing the tax from CHF 60 to CHF 84 per tonne of CO2 emitted as allowed by law. In particular, those who heat with gas and oil will pay more in 2016. Electricity […]
Swiss watch boom years over
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. As the Swiss watch industry prepares for the fourth straight year of little to no growth, big producers such as Richemont, the owner of Cartier, are trimming back investment in production while some smaller rivals look for a buyer or risk going under. Switzerland, the world’s biggest watch-producing country […]
Geneva lifts terrorist alert
Tribune de Genève. On Monday 28 December, Geneva lifted the terrorist alert it put in place on 10 December 2015 when foreign intelligence services warned there could be four suspected terrorists with links to Islamic State in the Swiss canton. Geneva’s department of security and economy triggered a level three alert. The maximum is five. […]
How an American bird ended up being named after Turkey
The iconic American bird, eaten by many around the world at this time of the year, is called a turkey. But why? The large bird, native to Mexico and the United States, ought to have a native American name rather than the name of a country 8,000 km away. In Mexico for example it is […]
Sepp Blatter: no mobile, no email, 8 year FIFA suspension, what next?
According to Le Matin, following his eight year FIFA suspension, Sepp Blatter must hand over his professional mobile phone and access to emails. He is however allowed to keep his salary, company car and apartment in Zurich until 26 February 2016. On 22 December 2015, FIFA’s ethics committee imposed an eight year suspension on Mr […]
Could Syngenta be close to a merger?
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Syngenta AG Chairman Michel Demare said his company is in “advanced, formal and intense negotiations” with competitors about a possible combination, as the global agrochemicals industry consolidates and the merger of DuPont. Co. and Dow Chemical Co. adds pressure on others to review their standalone strategy. Speaking extensively in […]
Number of asylum seekers up in Switzerland
Tribune de Genève. The number of people seeking refuge in Switzerland climbed in November compared to October according to the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration SEM. According to recent statistics, November arrivals increased to 5,691, 941 more than in October 2015. While the number from Eritrea dropped substantially, those from Syria and Afghanistan went up. […]
Swiss watch exports fall in November on steep Hong Kong decline
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss watch exports dropped in November, led by a 28 percent decline in shipments to Hong Kong, the industry’s largest market. Shipments slid 5.6 percent to 1.95 billion Swiss francs ($1.96 billion), according to figures released Tuesday by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. That compares with a […]
More people have climbed Everest than done this
If you are young, able bodied and looking for a physical challenge you might consider running a marathon or a triathlon. If someone suggested rowing across the Atlantic you’d probably think they were going mad. When I heard about the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, a race where rowers can spend months rowing the close to […]
