The Henry Graves Supercomplication re-established its status as the most valuable timepiece in auction history, selling for CHF 23.2 million and beating expected sale price of CHF 15 million. The previous record price of $11 million was set by the same piece in 1999. Five bidders competed for this masterpiece of horology which went to […]
Where to commemorate Armistice Day in Suisse romande
Roughly 20 million Europeans perished between the years 1914 and 1918. Various commemoration services are being held throughout the region on Tuesday. A service of commemoration will be held on Tuesday, 11 November 2014 at 11:00 at the British & Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, St. Martin’s Church in Vevey. And afterwards, HE the British Ambassador […]
US Elections: What does the Republican victory mean for Switzerland?
It is often joked that the election of a US president should be the responsibility of voters world-wide, regardless of nationality. Any presidential decision in Washington, whether to send troops to contend with Ebola in West Africa, or to start a new war in Afghanistan or Iraq, tends to affect the planet as a whole. […]
Switzerland’s Ecopop: Environmental sustainability in wolf’s clothing
GENEVA The proposed Ecopop referendum on 30 November ostensibly claims to be an effort to limit Switzerland’s rising population and to preserve its natural resources by restricting foreign immigration to 0.2 per cent a year over three years. Backed by a bizarre mix of individual greens, socialists and right-wingers, it also seeks to appeal to […]
Reservé pour vous, madame!
To facilitate the life of lady customers, a Chinese shopping mall decided to reserve several 30 centimetres wider parking lots marked in pink with the indication: “Respectfully reserved for women”. The city hall of Seoul launched a similar enterprise – the initiative is a part of a more global project to make the South Korean […]
Republicans take control of the Senate in US mid-term elections: Update Thursday 6 November 06h00
Americans in Switzerland woke up on Wednesday morning to news that the GOP had taken back control of the US Senate, gaining a majority for the first time in eight years after grabbing Democratic seats in North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Arkansas, Montana and South Dakota. As of Thursday at 06h00, three seats are […]
Mail from America
Netflix, a company that established its online streaming service in 2003, has officially arrived in Switzerland. Yes, it took a full 11 years for Switzerland to realize that unlimited, on demand TV and movies was the way to go. Netflix is a way of life here in the United States. You don’t say “I’m going […]
Millionaire exodus after tax vote?
GENEVA Next 30 November, the Swiss will vote both on a federal and cantonal basis whether their country should continue to provide special tax privileges to foreign millionaires. The arrangement allows wealthy expatriates to declare a fiscal ‘forfait’ (tax package) based on their lifestyles and not the actual amount of their fortunes. On average, their […]
Swiss companies out-perform analysts’ expectations – except for UBS
Markedly positive third quarter earnings are now being released by Swiss companies. According to IG Bank, eight of the 15 companies that have reported so far have beaten analysts’ expectations by an average 2.21% with the exception of UBS. At Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, profits were lower than expected at CHF 762 million against analysts’ […]
40-50 Swiss family-owned hotels under threat of closing
Family-owned hotels across Switzerland are striving to compete with larger ones. According to Swiss Info, an estimated 40 to 50 hotels are expected to close in alpine areas over the next few years, largely because they fail to target their guests properly, said Director of Tourism Jürg Schmid. The challenges are mostly financial, as many […]
