Swisscows.com – Switzerland’s answer to Google – is beginning to give the California search engine a run for its money. Since launched by Hulbee AG in June, it has attracted 400,000 users. Responding to Google’s market hold, Swisscows presents itself as the first intelligent “answer engine” based on semantic information recognition coupled with intuitive search […]
Lausanne launches integration fund
With 42% of its population coming from 160 countries and carrying a passport other than Swiss, promoting integration is a key objective for Lausanne. The city announced that it is launching an integration fund of CHF 100,000 to give associations and not-for-profit groups the means to run projects that prevent racism and promote social cohesion. […]
Property buyers rush to dip into pension
BERN More and more people are rushing to use the second pillar of their pension plan to purchase a primary residence in the face of high prices and limited housing stock. While this may give a boost to the economy, especially the property market, not everyone is happy with the trend. There are three pillars […]
Back to school: Are your children excited or dreading it?
Summer is almost over and heading back to school is – for some – an exciting period to catch up with friends or get back into a familiar routine. For others, it will be a time of anxiety because they know that the bullying will start again. Shocking as it may sound, between 10% and […]
Americans abroad – Pushed to vote
Democrats and Republications Abroad, two non-profit organizations representing US citizens, are pushing hard over the next few weeks for expat Americans to register for the next presidential election. While some states retain permanent overseas registration, most require their citizens to re-register every time. Democrats Abroad Switzerland is holding informal events in Geneva and Zurich to […]
Swiss observers to go to Western Sahara
The government announced on 20 August that Switzerland is to send half a dozen military observers to Western Sahara. Stressing that the observers will be unarmed, the government has announced that they will join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Western Sahara to reinforce peace-keepers supervising the 1988 ceasefire agreement between Morocco and the […]
Shop till the staff drop – Federal Council moves to liberalise shopping hours
The Federal Council decided on Wednesday to continue its efforts to liberalise retail opening hours across the country. The proposed law allows retailers to open from at least 6.00 to 20.00 during the week and from 06: 00 to 19.00 on Saturdays. This contentious decision is taken in the face of direct opposition from the […]
Didier Burkhalter’s way with words
As President of the Swiss confederation, as Foreign Minister, as Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Didier Burkhalter is required to give many speeches. He probably has at least one person helping him prepare the texts. Be that as it may, the introduction to his national day 1 August address, although little commented upon, bears particular attention. […]
Cheaper restaurants – not on the menu
Don’t uncork the champagne just yet. Finance minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf this week outlined the Federal Council’s response to the popular initiative “Stop discriminatory VAT in the restaurant business”, to be put to the vote on 28 September. For several reasons, she rejected the proposal of GastroSuisse, the hotel and restaurateurs association, to bring the standard […]
More right-wing curbs on foreigners
Despite a formal refusal of the European Union to make any special concessions on last February’s migration vote, Switzerland’s right-wing UDC party seems determined to push for even more curbs on foreigners. Catherine Ashton, the EU’s chief diplomat, has transmitted a letter to Bern agreed by the European Union’s 28 member countries that it cannot […]
