The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on 25th of April at 11.56 a.m. local time had its epicenter in Gorkha. The one that struck on 12th of May at 12.50 local time had a magnitude of 7.3 and was centred southeast of Kodari (Sindhupalchowk District), 76 km northeast of Kathmandu. These two earthquakes created […]
Switzerland could now lead the world on whistleblowing rules
The Swiss government was on track to pass whistleblowing legislation that could have harmed whistleblowers, however on 5 May 2015 something extraordinary occurred. Dr. Yasmine Motarjemi and Alison Glick explain how Switzerland now has a chance to lead the world on the rules surrounding whistleblowing. On 5 May 2015 the Swiss National Council referred the […]
Switzerland: heavy drinking linked to education among women
On 12 May 2015 the OECD released its report on OECD alcohol consumption. Over the last 20 years alcohol consumption has declined slightly in the OECD, however this total masks growth trends among women and young people. It appears that men are on average consuming less. Wealthier, better educated people also drink more than average […]
Swiss People’s Party (UDC) leaders found guilty of racism
According to RTS, the secretary general of the Swiss People’s Party (UDC), Martin Baltisser and his substitute Silvia Bar, were found guilty of racism at Bern’s regional tribunal on 30 April 2015. The affair started when posters carrying the slogan: “Kosovars stab Swiss!” in German were posted as part of a campaign to stop mass […]
Swiss bishop (kind of) backs down over gay marriage
In 2014 a Swiss bishop caused a stir when he demanded the resignation of a priest who had married two gay women. Wendelin Buchli, the Catholic priest in the village of Burglen in the canton of Uri, Switzerland was ordered to quit in February 2015 by Vitus Huonder, the highly conservative bishop of Chur, a […]
Nepal earthquake: don’t forget those in the countryside
The Nepal earthquake was devastating. Up to 80 percent of buildings are believed to have collapsed. Many dead and injured will be in remote areas of the countryside. Julien Bettler of the Lausanne based Himalayan NGO Norlha reminds the world not to forget the people in the countryside and talks of the crucial importance of […]
New Swiss driving rules that could have you locked up and deported
Some people are unaware of the severe new driving penalties in Switzerland. A new body of Swiss laws called Via sicura is being introduced in stages, the most recent lot at the beginning of 2015. Penalties for speeders and drink drivers are particularly severe. Even before these new laws, speeding was eye wateringly expensive in […]
7-step guide to getting a Swiss passport
Reform of Swiss naturalisation rules is in the works. Parliament has passed the law but it is not yet in force. Confusion abounds so here is a guide to what has happened and where things stood at 4 April 2016. On 20 June 2014 the Swiss parliament passed a new law which changed the number of […]
Elections: Geneva moves to the right
Over the weekend Geneva’s commune elections took place. These elections select municipal leaders and occur every five years. If a workable majority is not elected in the first round there is a second round vote, this time scheduled for 10 May 2015. According to the Tribune de Genève, 30 first round commune votes were definitive […]
How powerful is your passport?
Some passports are better than others. South Africans who travelled during the apartheid era will attest to this. To make comparisons easy, Arton Capital has created the Passport Index. The index ranks passports based on the number of countries the holder can travel to with ease. The index can be navigated via a world map, […]
