Tag Archives: Switzerland

Swiss top the tables for household savings

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“Switzerland tops a list compiled by Handelsblatt for money saved on average by average households. The Swiss put aside 17.5 percent of gross income into savings last year.  This may not be entirely surprising given that incomes in the mountain country are three to four times as high as in most European countries.  Switzerland’s unemployment rate of 2.9 percent in June compares with an average in the European Union of 12.1 percent in May, according to Eurostat.  The report highlights a growing divide between wealthy northern countries and poorer countries in southern Europe.  In Greece, the rate was negative 6.4 percent as citizens dug into existing reserves.”

http://www.thelocal.ch/20130717/swiss-top-the-tables-for-household-savings-report

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Hey, kids – let’s talk about heroin!

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“In Switzerland, they took a different approach — give it away for free. Yes, they gave away free, controlled, safe doses of heroin to addicts in a clean clinic with doctors and social workers. They did a study in conjunction with this program and found a 94% reduction in criminal activity by those in the program; addicts were living longer; once stabilized they had an easier time kicking the drug; and… they made it unprofitable to be a criminal heroin dealer, so fewer young people were starting! Changing our drug laws will save lives.”

http://www.drugwarrant.com/2013/07/heroin/

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Switzerland Was Top Offshore Wealth Destination In 2012

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Swiss thousand-franc note is a hidden treasure

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“Swiss banknote circulation is the second highest in the world behind Japan and more than double that in the United States or the euro zone. Swiss National Bank spokeswoman Silvia Oppliger explains this by the fact that holdings and use of cash remain popular, and that many people still withdraw cash in order to pay their bills at the post office counter.  ‘People consider using banknotes to be very practical. Also, the wish for privacy has always been high in Switzerland,’ Oppliger said. ‘Using cash for payments is one manifestation of this.’ Switzerland so far has no plans to investigate the use of its CHF1,000 note, let alone discuss its abolishment.”

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/Thousand-franc_note_is_a_hidden_treasure.html?cid=36439396

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Pot smoking to be reduced to ticketing offence in Switzerland

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“A revision of the country’s drug laws, set to take effect on October 1st, will allow police officers to issue 100-franc ($105) tickets for people caught smoking a joint.  On-the-spot fines will replace a court appearance in cases of cannabis possession involving amounts of 10 grams or less.  The federal government issued a reminder of the planned change on Friday.   It follows amendments to drug laws adopted by the senate and the house of representatives (national council) on September 28th 2012.  If the person ticketed agrees to pay the fine, he or she can avoid appearing in court.”

http://www.thelocal.ch/20130531/pot-smoking-to-become-ticketing-offence

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Appenzell Innerhoden enjoys ‘pure democracy’

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“Every year, voters from across the northeastern demi-canton, or region, of Appenzell Innerhoden flood into the Landsgemeindeplatz to elect their local leaders and judges — not by casting ballots but by raising their hands.  The tradition of the Landsgemeinde, or open-air assembly, dates back to the 14th century.  Historians say that back then, only men willing to go to battle to defend their community were allowed to vote — a right they for centuries have demonstrated by carrying a side-arm into the voting ring.  ‘This is the only place in the world, I think, where a weapon serves as voter ID,’ says Rudolf Keller, the second secretary in the Appenzell cantonal government.”

http://www.thelocal.ch/20130524/appenzell-practices-democracy-in-its-purest-form

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French crackdown on tax cheats ‘to accelerate’

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“He added there would be no amnesty for those with hidden bank accounts in Switzerland, the wealthy Alpine nation long accused of protecting the privacy of its clients over obligations to tax authorities in other nations. The finance minister’s remarks came in the wake of a deal signed on Thursday in Paris between the countries that means inheritances will be taxed where the recipient, rather than the deceased, is living. The minister stressed he had no desire to harass the Swiss, over bank secrecy, but said he wished the country might become ‘more European’ and less isolated in its outlook.”

http://www.thelocal.ch/20130715/french-crackdown-on-tax-cheats-to-accelerate

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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Which Country Has the Most Expensive Bureaucrats of All?

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“Germany is significantly better than the United States, whether measured by the cost of the bureaucracy or the size of the bureaucracy. Japan also does much better than America, notwithstanding that nation’s other problems. In the I’m-not-surprised category, France does poorly and Switzerland does well. To see where the trends are most worrisome, look at the changes over time. The total cost of bureaucracy, for instance, jumped considerably between 2000 and 2009 in Ireland, Greece, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, and the United States. So much for ‘austerity.'”

http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall-which-country-has-the-most-expensive-bureaucrats-of-all/

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Swiss police smash Chinese trafficking ring

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“Swiss police have smashed a syndicate that allegedly used fake documents to smuggle Chinese into the alpine nation. In all, 57 people were arrested out of 349 taken in for questioning during an extensive police operation. The group is suspected of coordinating the illegal entry and employment of Chinese citizens in restaurants in Switzerland using forged passports and visas which were seized by police.  The operation centered on canton Zurich, where 30 restaurants were raided at lunch time, the police said in a statement on Wednesday.”

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Swiss_police_smash_Chinese_trafficking_ring.html?cid=36060206

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Swiss pilot cleared to finish solar plane trek across U.S.

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“For Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard, flying an experimental solar aircraft across America has been exhilarating, but perilous at times. His wispy, fuel-free aircraft, the Solar Impulse, is poised to take off Saturday on its final leg of a cross-country US tour aimed at showcasing the promise of clean energy.  The plane’s American trip is just the latest in a series of groundbreaking flights across different parts of the world, including Europe and Africa. Piccard said the next plane will be 10 percent bigger, with more power, reliability, an auto-pilot function and a toilet so that pilots can make the four to six day long trips that will be part of its journey across the world in 2015.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/05/swiss-pilot-cleared-to-finish-solar-plane-trek-across-u-s/

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