Swiss Politics

Old battles celebrated in Swiss streets

This content was published on Sep 26, 2012 All signatories to the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage are obliged to make such a list. Ethnologist Ellen Hertz of Neuchâtel University, one of the leaders of a research project looking into the approach Switzerland has taken in fulfilling this obligation, told swissinfo.ch of the thinking behind it. “Switzerland, like other…

Swiss Politics

E-health is no cure-all

This content was published on Sep 25, 2012 One of the advantages of digital data is that it is cheaper, unambiguous and permanent. Hurriedly scribbled doctors’ notes that are hard to decipher, as well as yellowing paper and fading photographs, X-rays or ultrasound imaging will soon cease to exist. Tools such as computerised physician order entry systems and electronic health records promise to…

Digital patient data – good idea, hard sell

This content was published on Sep 25, 2012 The idea is attractive: authorised health professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, insurers and health authorities, as well as the patients themselves, would be able to access medical reports, images and prescriptions around the clock. The system is set to improve treatment by speeding up diagnosis, preventing unnecessary examinations and multiple prescriptions. An impact analysis showed…

Swiss Politics

New weapons may “present a slippery slope”

This content was published on Sep 24, 2012 Chemical weapons grabbed the headlines recently when the Syrian government warned that it could draw on its stockpile if outsiders intervened in the ongoing civil war, an announcement that drew widespread condemnation. These kinds of weapons were last used in Iraq against civilian populations with devastating results under Saddam Hussein in the late 1980s. Mogl,…

Swiss Politics

Working to counter weapons of mass destruction

This content was published on Sep 24, 2012 On one side of the motorway, the picture-perfect town of Spiez and Lake Thun. On the other, an industrial zone that backs on to forests and the mountains of the Bernese Alps. It’s there, squeezed between sporting fields, that the national institute for NBC protection hides. For those looking for a super-secure military site or…

Swiss Politics

Weapon stockpiles at a glance

This content was published on Sep 24, 2012

Swiss Politics

Wealthy foreigners face higher tax bills

This content was published on Sep 23, 2012 Just over 61 per cent of voters in Basel Country approved an initiative by the Social Democrats, according to official results. In canton Bern, a parallel proposal was rejected by a two to one majority. However, 53 per cent of voters agreed to introduce a minimum tax level of SFr400,000 ($432,000) to be eligible for the…

Swiss Politics

Voters reject tougher smoking laws

This content was published on Sep 23, 2012 However, a proposal to promote musical education won approval by an overwhelming majority according to final results. Two out of three voters rejected the Lung League’s initiative for a uniform nationwide law banning smoking in indoor working places, but allowing cantons to state exceptions. Supporters of stricter regulations wanted to ban smoker’s lounges with waiter service…

Swiss Politics

Clear verdict expected on strict smoking ban

This content was published on Sep 22, 2012 Supporters of stricter regulations against second-hand smoke want to outlaw smoker’s lounges with waiter service and special bars or cafes for tobacco users. They say an estimated 10,000 people working in the restaurant sector face serious health risks because they are subjected to second-hand smoke. The Lung League – supported by health organisations, trade unions…

Swiss Politics

Cabinet moots further easing of banking secrecy

This content was published on Sep 22, 2012 More than three years after Switzerland loosened banking secrecy in line with international standards, the cabinet on Friday decided to reform the criminal law on tax issues. Switzerland currently allows domestic authorities access to bank accounts only in cases of suspected fiscal fraud. However, tax evasion – when citizens fail to declare their income or…

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