Milan expo, Geneva roadshow and Federer hologram
Stories we are following the week of May 18, 2015
Switzerland on the menu at Expo 2015
May 18 is Swiss DayExternal link at the Milan Expo 2015. Switzerland’s president, Simonetta Sommaruga, will be there and there’ll be a parade and a special cultural programme. The Swiss take on the Expo food sustainability theme is to feature four towers filled with water, salt, coffee and apple slices, which will be emptied as people help themselves. The idea is to challenge people to take responsibility for how and what they eat.
200 years of Geneva joining the Swiss Confederation
On May 19, 1815, Geneva became the 22nd official canton of Switzerland, making this Tuesday the 200th anniversaryExternal link. swissinfo will be reporting on the canton’s roadshow around Switzerland, which is being held to celebrate the joining of the Swiss Confederation – but also to try and kill off some clichés about Geneva.
Roger Federer hologram
The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in the United States, will reopen on May 20 following a $3 million (CHF2.7 million) revamp. One new attraction will be “The Roger Federer ExperienceExternal link,” which will treat visitors to a life-size hologram of the Swiss tennis legend. The first hologram ever featured in a US sports museum, the 3D image of Federer will present a short monologue to visitors, while demonstrating a few of his sharp moves.
Higher education rankings: how do the Swiss do?
Thursday will see the release of the Universitas 21 rankings of 50 higher education systems around the world. swissinfo will be reporting. Switzerland was placed in the top ten in 2014, so will be waiting to see if it can improve on its rating this year. The results come at a time of debate over the value of rankings, particularly those which compare the world’s universities.
Tax breaks to Swiss companies under scrutiny
A delegation of the special committee on tax rulings (TAXE) created by the European Parliament to investigate illegal tax breaks to multinationals will be visiting Bern on Friday. The committee will be reviewing how Swiss companies are taxed and assessing tax rulings. TAXE was created in February as a result of the LuxLeaks revelationsExternal link that pointed out tax avoidance schemes used by companies with a subsidiary in Luxembourg.
What you may have missed last week
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