Swiss Identity

Swiss homeowners face tighter mortgage rules

This content was published on Feb 2, 2012 Despite a tepid economy, the rock-bottom rates continue to pump Swiss property prices higher, a development that is worrying financial regulators seeking to avoid a bubble. In a bid to staunch the flow of credit for real estate, the finance ministry has proposed stiffer capital requirements for Swiss mortgage lenders, following direction given by the…

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Red Cross aid refused in Somalia

This content was published on Feb 2, 2012 It previously had an agreement with the Office for Supervising the Affairs of Foreign Agencies of the Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen, the militant Islamic group controlling parts of southern Somalia, but this has been terminated, the ICRC announced on Thursday. “Under the agreement, we provided more than 1.2 million people living in central and…

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Dance competition draws stars for celebration

This content was published on Feb 2, 2012 One week a year, Lausanne becomes the dance capital of the world as 15 to 18 year-olds from ballet schools on all continents flock to Lausanne to take part in the competition. Major artists coach, inspire and appraise them. And for dance lovers who cannot make it to Lausanne, the web takes the Prix to…

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Bank data sharing lands on cabinet agenda

This content was published on Feb 1, 2012 Referring to recent media reports that millions of bank client emails had been handed over, cabinet spokesman André Simonazzi said the figure was exaggerated. As the finance ministry said previously on Tuesday, 20,000 pages of encrypted data were involved, he said. He would not comment on whether the data had already been sent. Cabinet members…

Culture

Action!

This content was published on Feb 1, 2012 Karl Tellenbach (1877-1931) is one of Bern’s most famous characters. In 1970, director Kurt Früh was the first to tell the true story of the Bernese barber, known as Dällebach Kari, for a cinema audience. More than 40 years later, director Xavier Koller, whose Journey of Hope was named Best Foreign Language Film at the…

Sirens ring out across Switzerland

This content was published on Feb 1, 2012 The test included the general siren for emergency cases – from natural disasters to chemical hazards – as well as the water siren, which is for people living below dams. A siren network was first created in Switzerland just before the Second World War when bomb attacks were feared, but since the 1980s the devices…

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Gunmen abduct tourists in the Philippines

This content was published on Feb 1, 2012 The tourists, aged 47 and 52, had gone to an area where they could see endangered species. They were seized by an armed group in the country’s southernmost Tawi-Tawi island province and taken away on a boat, authorities said on Wednesday. The Tawi-Tawi governor, Sadikul Sahali, said the tourists had not wanted to be escorted…

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Cabinet wants to continue US visa waiver deal

This content was published on Feb 1, 2012 The cabinet has decided to open negotiations with Washington aimed at extending the accord while respecting new security requirements – including the automatic exchange of DNA and fingerprints as well as data on suspected terrorists. The foreign ministry said the data protection aspects would be taken into account and parliamentary committees and cantons would be…

Culture

Andermatt’s fairytale gets a dose of reality

This content was published on Jan 31, 2012 The former army town is being turned into a mega resort courtesy of its knight in shining armour, Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris. His approach of creating new resorts out of thin air has worked well abroad, but in embarking on this first European venture he hadn’t anticipated major economic and political upheavals. On the one…

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Call for quicker turnaround of asylum seekers

This content was published on Jan 31, 2012 The rapid treatment of cases that don’t meet requirements could deter other refugees from travelling to Switzerland, the council’s secretary-general Beat Meiner said on Tuesday. Applicants would think twice about making the journey to Switzerland, which involves effort and money, if they knew they could be made to leave within two weeks, he said, adding…

Swiss Identity

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