On Friday the Swiss Federal Roads Office (OFROU) issued a ban on the sale of certain models of Volkswagen cars in Switzerland. The ban covers all unsold cars that might have devices that can fool emissions tests. According to OFROU calculations, as many 180,000 vehicles might be affected. The ban includes Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and […]
Even the poorest countries pay for vaccines. Gavi’s Seth Berkley explains why.
A walk in the park. This is the first of a series of interviews of Geneva-based leaders done by Renu Chahil-Graf while walking through Geneva’s green spaces. This week Renu interviewed Seth Berkley, the CEO of the international vaccination organisation Gavi. Seth has been on the cover of the magazine Newsweek, recognised by Wired Magazine […]
Rare super moon lunar eclipse coming to the sky near you
This coming Monday a rare super moon lunar eclipse will be visible from Switzerland. It is known as a super moon eclipse because the moon is at its closest to the earth, appearing 14% larger. Only five have occurred since 1900. The last was in 1982 and the next will be in 2033. In addition […]
Swiss economic roundup
25 September 2015 Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss watch exports fall as Apple watch dents low-end demand Swiss watch exports fell in August, heading for the first annual decline in six years amid signs that competition from Apple Inc.’s smartwatch may be denting demand for low-end timepieces. By Thomas Mulier (Bloomberg). Read more. […]
Swiss equity market lower, Fed confirms on track for 2015 rate hike
25 September 2015 Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss markets hit by global fears The Swiss Market Index extended losses this week as concerns that global growth is faltering spurred investors to sell equity assets. In Europe, stocks came under further pressure after automobile giant Volkswagen admitted cheating on US emissions tests. Fed talks […]
Swiss health premium increases spark shock and anger
On 24 September 2015 the Federal Public Health Office (OFSP) announced basic Swiss health insurance premium increases for 2016. Many are in a state of shock. The average increase across all cantons and insurance companies is 4%, however this number masks huge rises for some. Increases vary significantly by canton, insurance company, level of deductible […]
Swiss justice agrees to FIFA extradition
Today the Swiss Federal Justice Office (OFJ) agreed to the extradition of Rafael Esquivel, one of six FIFA managers in custody, to the United States. The decision marks the culmination of a process that started on 27 May 2015 when six of FIFA’s senior managers where taken into custody after Swiss police captured them in […]
Housing vacancy rates jump in some regions of Switzerland
Recent statistics from the Federal Office of Statistics (OFS) show a marked rise in housing vacancies. From 2010 until 2014, vacancy rates across Switzerland were below 1%. By 1 June 2014 the rate had crept up to 1.08 and by 1 June 2015 it was 1.19%, with 15 cantons registering rates over 1%. On 1 […]
First snow expected in Switzerland
Today is the September equinox, the day when the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. It also marks the start of autumn, however if you live above 1,500m it is likely to feel more like the beginning of winter. According to the weather forecaster Meteonews, snow is predicted above […]
Switzerland leads world in innovation ranking. Here’s why.
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) published a study late last week which ranked countries on innovation. The top five in the 2015 ranking are Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States. Switzerland has now held top place for five years in a row. The study, undertaken by WIPO, the INSEAD […]
