Новости за 21.03.2018

Canton Geneva authorities have called in two experts to conduct an external investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct alleged to have been perpetrated by Swiss academic Tariq Ramadan against pupils he taught in local schools.   The role of the canton’s education department in the affair will also be probed following allegations that some students had raised the alarm between 1984 and 2004 when the Islamic scholar taught in the area. Ramadan is currently in prison in Paris facing three accusations of rape. Читать дальше...

The Federal Council has finalised its proposal for overhauling the Swiss corporate tax landscape after voters rejected initial plans a year ago. The central plank remains ‘patent box’ relief for innovation, while a family tax break sweetener has been added. Switzerland has come under intense pressure from the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to change “harmful” tax practices in the existing tax regime. Most notably, cantons currently charge... Читать дальше...

Switzerland may be living up to its cliché as a cheese loving nation, but a growing appetite for foreign brands has alarmed local farmers. On average the Swiss consumed 21 kilograms of cheese per person last year, compared to 18 kilograms across Europe, according to figures published by the Swiss Farmers’ Association on Wednesday. That amounts to a total of 182,000 tons of cheese put away by the Swiss in 2017 - a slight annual decrease of 500 tons. The association said Switzerland still lived up to its reputation as a “true cheese nation”... Читать дальше...

Amidst the storm surrounding Facebook user data and manipulation by the Cambridge Analytica firm, the canton Zurich data protection officer has said that such a scenario is also possible in Switzerland. Is it? In an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper published on Wednesday, Bruno Baeriswyl warned that mass psychological manipulation of voter behaviour could also happen in Switzerland; he mentioned specifically the upcoming federal elections. “Following the Obama and Trump campaigns,... Читать дальше...

A first group of 42 refugees is scheduled to arrive in Switzerland in the first week of April as part of an emergency operation to evacuate endangered migrants from Libyan detention centres.  This is according to UNHCR Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean Situation Vincent Cochetel in an interview with swissinfo.ch.  Asked to confirm this information, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said that a first group was expected to arrive in April and that they are mostly vulnerable single... Читать дальше...

Switzerland was the eighth biggest source of international patent applications and second of design applications last year, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  Switzerland moved up the WIPO 2017 ranking by one place with a total of 4,491 international patent applications (+2.8%). It nonetheless remains well behind first-placed United States (56,624), China (48,882; +36%) and Japan (48,208).  “The rate of growth of patents [in 2017] exceeds again that of the world... Читать дальше...

The number of reported anti-Semitic incidents in German-speaking Switzerland rose by more than a third in 2017. In total, 39 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in German-speaking Switzerland last year, according to a monitoring report by the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities and the Foundation against Racism and Anti-Semitism. The report was published on Wednesday, on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This represents an increase of more than a third compared to 2016, when 25 cases were reported. Читать дальше...

The government has decided to support the Geneva headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with an annual contribution of CHF80 million ($83.9 million). “Switzerland’s contribution allows the ICRC to provide aid efficiently to people affected by conflict and give targeted support to its delegations in over 80 countries,” the foreign ministry said. The funds are also expected to help boost the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the statement added. It specifies that... Читать дальше...

A former senior Swiss diplomat, Franz von Däniken, is cautiously optimistic about proposed talks between the United States and North Korea. Von Däniken said there had been a major political development in the last weeks, but he recommended keeping expectations limited Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump accepted an invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but details of the meeting are still not yet clear. “North Korea and the situation on the Korean peninsula remain a big... Читать дальше...

The Swiss watchmaker Formex has developed an app which allows a customer to try different models virtually before purchasing online. The “Formex TryOn” uses 3D augmented reality to project a watch onto your wrist and give the feeling that you are trying a new timepiece.

In an industry where luxury boutiques equate with high-end customer service, the internet was almost a dirty word among Swiss watchmakers until a few years ago. Today, the most prestigious brands are hopping on the e-commerce train to boost business.  In the last few months, barely a day has passed without a watch company doing some  online sales promotion. Whether on their own platform or via third-party websites, Swiss watchmakers have now made online distribution a priority.  While some watchmakers... Читать дальше...

Rescue services have found the body of a third person who went missing in an avalanche in the Swiss Alps last week. Police in canton Valais said they were checking the identity of the victim after rescue operations resumed on Tuesday. They had to be suspended due to poor weather.  The victim was part of a group of four who were swept away by an avalanche in the Vallon d'Arbi region, near the Verbiers ski resort, on Friday. Two skiers were rescued shortly after the avalanche came down at an altitude of about 2,200 metres. Читать дальше...