Swiss Politics

Helping Swiss youngsters avoid the debt trap

This content was published on Oct 17, 2013 Speaking to a class of second-year apprentices at the Centre for Professional Training in Moutier, canton Bern, Karim Bortolussi reveals some startling figures. “One in five young people are confronted by financial difficulties and more than 80% of those who use our services have racked up their first debt by the age of 25,” explains…

Swiss Politics

Finnish president calls for teamwork

This content was published on Oct 16, 2013 “We’re both small countries – working together would make us big,” he said at the end of his two-day visit on Wednesday. Finland’s population is 5.4 million, compared with Switzerland’s eight million. Niinistö and Defence Minister Ueli Maurer, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, agreed on the potential benefits of working together on…

Swiss Politics

Stolen data tax aid rejected

This content was published on Oct 16, 2013 The cabinet also decided to suspend automatic notification of taxpayers before data on them is transmitted to a requesting state, while deferred notification of people who are the subject of administrative assistance proceedings is limited to exceptional cases, according to the finance ministry. “Switzerland will thereby fulfil the applicable international standard,” the ministry said in…

How Myanmar activists are finding a voice

This content was published on Oct 15, 2013 Thein is a lecturer in international business at Curtin University in Perth, Australia. Her research interests focus on international trade and business investment in Myanmar. In answers sent to swissinfo.ch, she analyses the current situation in the Asian country. She also considers the reforms carried out by the civilian government. This was installed in 2011…

Swiss Politics

More help for Africa mooted after boat tragedy

This content was published on Oct 13, 2013 On Friday at least 30 people – said to be mostly Syrians – died after a boat capsized in Maltese waters near Lampedusa, an island close to Italy – the same day another 12 migrants died in a shipwreck off of Egypt. Those tragedies came just eight days after at least 300 Eritreans died when…

Swiss Politics

A year in the life of canton Bern’s police

This content was published on Oct 12, 2013 The photojournalists were allowed to shadow the police for a year and document their work. Their instructor, photographer Reto Camenisch of the MAZ journalism school in Lucerne, said that his students were able to choose their subjects freely. For police commander Stefan Blättler, the only requirement was that they show the unglamorous reality of the…

Swiss Politics

Many Swiss couples wed when baby is on the way

This content was published on Oct 10, 2013 Heinz Stoller and Ariane Senn got married in August. Their baby is due in October. There was a certain amount of expectation, and joy, from the couple’s family about their decision to tie the knot, they said. But they did weigh things up carefully beforehand. For Stoller, protection of his wife and better child visitation…

Swiss Politics

Tax fraud cooperation deal up for signature

This content was published on Oct 9, 2013 The convention, put together by the Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD) and the Council of Europe, provides a framework for tax cooperation between states. It includes the possibility of information exchange upon request. Automatic exchange of data is possible under the convention, but requires additional agreements between the states involved. In a statement, the finance…

Swiss Politics

‘As a financial centre Switzerland is a small major power’

This content was published on Oct 9, 2013 Ambühl, who negotiated the Bilateral II treaty with the EU, the tax deals with Great Britain and Austria, the tax agreement rejected by the German parliament, and the FATCA agreement and bank deals with the US, tells swissinfo.ch that in fact, small countries have some leeway in negotiations with major powers. swissinfo.ch: Based on your…

Swiss Politics

New legislation on restitution of dictators’ assets

This content was published on Oct 8, 2013 Yet even new standards will not resolve all the problems, as has become apparent in the wake of the Arab Spring. “In 2011, Switzerland was the first country to freeze the assets of Ben Ali and Mubarak after their fall in Tunisia and Egypt. But instead of plaudits, there was criticism because they had their…

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