GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Monday is the Pentecost holiday in Switzerland, with most cantons offering workers the flexibility of taking the day off or not. Some shops and businesses will remain open, but many are closed for a three-day weekend.

BASEL, SWITZERLAND – It’s been 56 years since the Switzerland beat Germany in football but they did it Saturday in Basel, 5-3 in a friendly match. The Swiss team put in a strong performance against a German team preparing for Euro 2012. The Germans were lacking a number of players, but coach Joachim Loew said the team made a number of mistakes.

Links to other sites: Le Matin (Fr), Scotsman

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan Saturday 26 May, with her song “Euphoria”. She told a press conference after her win that “When I think about Sweden, I think about nature, clear air, water – organic.”

©2012 Chappatte, distributed by Globe Cartoon. More cartoons on Chappatte’s web site. Geneva-based Patrick Chappatte works for the International Herald Tribune, for Geneva newspaper Le Temps, and for NZZ am Sonntag. All cartoons reproduced with permission.

BERN, SWITZERLAND – The Swiss government 25 May opened for public review the proposed initial regulations drawn up by a working group, that result from a popular vote in March 2012 to limit the number of second homes in the country.

The vote called for a 20 percent cap on second homes in any commune, but developing the ordinances has been fraught with heated discussions about what precisely the Swiss voted on.

Canton Valais, which has a particularly high number of small communes where the number of second homes is well over 50 percent, has been pushing for clarity on several of the issues: when the law goes into effect, whether or not it affects existing second homes and the impact on inheritance.

Thursday Bern said that two options are being proposed for the law to go into effect, 1 September 2012 and 1 January 2013. The first would allow communes to continue giving building permits until September, in theory.

It also noted that “buildings that have been constructed and used in line with legislation in effect before 11 March 2012 must be able to continue to be used in the same way that was legally admissible on the date when the new constitutional law was accepted. Existing homes must be able to be freely sold and handed on through inheritance.”

Bern also clarified the definition of a second home: one that is not the legal domicile of the people living there.

Swiss pioneering plane hosted by Morocco as construction begins on world’s largest thermo-solar power plant

Andre Borschberg climbs out of tiny cockpit after more than 17 hours at the controls of Solar Impulse (photo©2012 Solar Impulse / Jean Revillard)

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – André Borschberg flew Solar Impulse for 17h 3min 59s Thursday 24 May, to land the experimental solar plane at Madrid’s Barajas airport. He flew from the Payerne aerodrome in Switzerland over the Massif Central towards the city of Toulouse in France, then over the Pyrenees at an altitude of 7,833 metres.

Borschberg called the flight “extraordinary”, noting that “it was incredible to fly alongside the barrier of clouds during most of the flight and not need to hesitate to fly above them. This confirms our confidence in the capacity of solar energy even further.”

His partner Bertrand Piccard will pilot the second leg of the flight, to Rabat in Morocco, after a three-day technical layover in Madrid. The Spanish stop was also a key part of planning for the plane to handle landings in major airports, crucial to planning Solar Impulse’s 2014 round-the-world flight using only solar power.

The team is being hosted in Morocco by the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen), which is responsible for Morocco’s solar energy plan. The team says in a statement Friday:

“Solar Impulse’s presence in Morocco is meant to participate in Masen’s commencement of construction activities, in the Ouarzazate region, of the solar complex which will hold the world’s largest thermo-solar power plant. Of a capacity of 160 MW, the plant is part of Morocco’s energy plan whose goal is to build, by 2020, five solar parks with the capacity of 2000 megawatts, reducing CO2 emission of 3,7 million tons. Solar Impulse supports this pioneering project which is in line with its own message and its philosophy of renewable energies.”

Former Swiss Life finance director’s sentence cut to 22 months, suspended

Geneva gripped by court case over couple’s involvement in girlfriend’s death

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – A judge in Sion this week sentenced the driver of a van that crashed into a military vehicle on the A9 autoroute to 22 months in prison, going beyond the public prosecutor’s request for 18 months in prison and a 5-year suspended sentence. The accident took the lives of two of the driver’s fellow workers, both Portuguese, one age 62 and the other age 21. It also left three people injured, one of them, a 22-year-old Valais worker, who was left in critical condition.

The van crashed into a military vehicle that was stopped in the emergency lane of the A9 autoroute near Vernayaz in October 2010. The driver was over the legal alcohol limit. The judge, in passing the sentence, noted that he had already been condemned in 2002 for drunk driving and in 2004 he had killed a cyclist while driving although no alcohol was involved, according to Le Nouvelliste. The judge also noted that the man had falsely claimed at one point during the trial that one of his victims had been driving the van.

He gave up drinking only two months ago and had shown little remorse towards his victims, the judge added.

Several other court cases around the country are making headlines this week, including:

Zurich, Swiss Life, Dominique Morax, former head of finances for Swiss Life, saw his sentence reduced from 30 to 22 months for swindling the company’s directors in a 2002 deal; he was sentenced in 2010 but appealed.

Geneva, a court is hearing arguments that the owner of an Italian trucking firm should be charged with negligent homicide, in addition to his driver, for the death in March 2011 of a 20-year-old scooter rider. The driver, Serbian, was obliged by his boss to driver longer than the legally permitted number of hours, the victim’s family argues.

Vaud, the court is hearing arguments that the death of local councillor Catherine Ségalat in Vaux-sur-Morges was murder, while her stepson Laurent Ségalat’s lawyers say her fatal fall down a flight of stairs was an accident. Much depends on testimony from witnesses, some of whom say there was “tension” between the pair and others who say not. The politician died in January 2010.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – A Bern youth, 18, and two from Valais, both 19, were arrested at the scene of a break-in in Collombey, canton Valais, in the early hours of 17 May, canton Vaud police said Friday 25 May. The three had climbed a metal grill door at a business in the village at 02:50 and were stealing tools when the alarm went off.

A security guard stopped them and two patrol cars that arrived rapidly took them into custody.

The three all live in Valais, in the area near the break-in.

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – If you’re finding your teenager a handful and can’t imagine having three of them consider this: triplets are just as healthy as “singletons” and have fewer behavioural problems and are less likely to suffer mood swings. The University of Zurich Children’s Hospital studied 19 sets of triplets, mean age 14.5 years, to consider the long-term impact of low birth weight and slower initial development.

Triplets catch up, the study showed, and there are even some benefits, such as better behaviour.

The study was published last month in the Journal of Pediatrics.

One set of triplets in Texas still has 10 years to go before reaching adolescence, but their mother agrees with the study’s findings about health and behaviour, saying people are often surprised at how well behaved her five-year-olds are.

Meiringen, home to the Reichenbach Falls, surrounded by high mountains and forest

BERN, SWITZERLAND – A civilian helicopter with three people aboard crashed in the mountains not far from the Reichenbach Falls made famous by British fiction’s Sherlock Holmes.

Canton Bern police say a call came in at 17:45 Thursday 24 May and rescue workers headed for the crash site near Spiggengrund in the Kander area after Rega helicopters photographed debris and fire in very rough terrain.

Most of the mountain rescue workers and firefighters had to be taken in by helicopter and the site was “secured” by the end of the evening, when the work had to be called off for safety reasons. Two people remained at the site to keep guard and the work is continuing today.

Police say it has to be assumed, for now, that all three died in the crash.

Ed. note: Reichenbach Falls was the scene of the final battle between AC Doyle’s fictional hero Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty, his great enemy.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The World Health Organization is expected to declare polio a global health emergency as the World Health Assembly convenes in Geneva this week.

Bruce Aylward, director of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative at the WHO, said  Thursday 24 May that “Over the last 24 months on three continents – in Europe, in Africa and in Asia – we have seen horrific explosive outbreaks of the disease that affected adults, and in some cases 50% of them died”.

The Global Initiative has launched an emergency plan to improve vaccination coverage in three countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria, where transmission of the disease had never been halted. The plan is summed up as a “relentless pursuit of the unvaccinated child”.

WHO spokeswoman Sona Bari says there is a renewed sense of urgency to eradicate polio, “We really are at a tipping point between success and failure”.

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is an acute viral disease which can lead to partial or full paralysis, and is transmissible from person to person. The WHO had originally set 2000 as a target year for the full eradication of polio. Logistical problems in Nigeria, ongoing fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan which made it difficult to reach children who needed to be vaccinated, as well as anti-Western rumors spread my hard-line Pakistani Muslims saying that the vaccines lead to infertility, all obstructed vaccinations drives.

Margaret Chan, who was reappointed Wednesday 23 May as WHO’s Director General, said the organization was operating in “emergency mode” against polio.

Swiss dismantle “large” contraband scam that could endanger bee population

Swiss Alpine bee

BERN, SWITZERLAND – Customs officials working closely with the federal agriculture office have uncovered a scam to bring in cheap and possibly unhealthy bees from abroad, in large numbers, by convincing farmers that these are Ticino born and bred bees.

The world’s bee populations are under pressure from disease and given that one-third of the world’s agricultural crops require bees for pollination, maintaining a healthy bee population is crucial.

Bern says that since the introduction of Asian bees 25 years ago farmers have had to treat their beehive populations or risk losing them completely.

Dozens of colonies of bees were killed by Swiss authorities when the contraband bees were discovered. Farmers with depleted populations had ordered the so-called Ticino bees but the timing of the breeding raised suspicions.

UN Independent Commission on Syria says more than 200 deaths since ceasefire began

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The UN Human Rights Council holds country reviews regularly and many are heated, but this week in Geneva several meetings have turned up the heat under accusations of human rights abuses.

Cuba appeared before the UN Committee Against Torture Wednesday 23 May to say it has no express definition of the crime of torture but is considering one. The Miami Herald in the US, in a scathing article, describes the Cuban delegation’s appearance before the Geneva commission as a “stout defense”, with the group “denying ‘each and every’ complaint of mistreatment but delicately parsing its words when it came to other alleged abuses.”

Bahrain came in for sharp criticism during its periodic review before the Human Rights Council earlier in the week. Protesters have rallied on several occasions in the past year, with concern voiced by other governments over clashes in the streets. “Bahrain’s response – that all is well and there are no political prisoners – simply doesn’t fly,” says Juliette de Rivero, Geneva director at Human Rights Watch. “It’s time for Bahrain to stop denying the problem and take genuine steps to end the country’s human rights crisis.”

Thursday 24 May the UN’s Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria noted that more than 200 people have died since the 12 April ceasefire was to start in Syria, information based on interviews carried out in Geneva and with people in the region around Syria. The group has not been allowed to enter the country. UPI carries a lengthy story on the report.

Solar-powered plane makes first intercontinental flight, must pass over Pyrenees

Solar Impulse made its first international flight in November 2011, to Paris

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Solar Impulse, the elegant airplane powered only by solar cells, left Payerne shortly before 08:30 Thursday 24 May, and headed towards the Jura and into France.

Pilot André Borschberg expects to land this evening, after midnight, at Madrid Barajas Airport where the plane will have a three-day technical check before flying on to Rabat in Morocco, 28 May at the earliest, for its first intercontinental flight.

By 10:00 the plane was flying at 3,880 metres, at close to 100kph.

The flight can be followed live.

Solar Impulse, on GenevaLunch

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Hewlitt-Packard, which has its Europe-Africa-Middle East head office in Meyrin, Geneva, announced Wednesday from its head office in California that it expects some 27,000 employees, about 8 percent of its global workforce “to exit the company” by the end of 2014. Details about where the job cuts will take place have not yet been provided, although the company says that early retirements will play a key role. Bloomberg reports that the enterprise services unit will see  more cuts than other parts of the company, but the staff reductions will affect every part of the company.

The annoucement accompanied quarterly financial news of a 3 percent fall in revenue.

Links to other sites: Bloomberg, Hewlitt-Packard, Reuters

BERN, SWITZERLAND – Ireland and Switzerland have agreed to a double taxation treaty, subject to the agreement of both countries’ parliaments, that will limit withholding tax to no more than 15 percent on gross dividend amounts. A crucial detail welcomed by the cantons and business associations, according to Bern, is that “there will be no withholding taxes on dividends paid to the national banks of the two countries or to pension funds.”

The agreement Wednesday 23 May is part of a new double taxation treaty, the latest in a series negotiated with other countries to ensure that Switzerland is in line with OECD provisions on the exchange of information.

The Irish agreement also states, says Bern, that “If, however, a company holds a stake of at least 10% in the capital of the distributing company, the dividends will be exempt from withholding tax.

BERN, SWITZERLAND – The Swiss financial surveillance body Finma will be keeping a closer eye on Swiss banks, particularly the two big banks UBS and Credit Suisse, under rules approved by the governing Federal Council Wednesday 23 May. Finma will work more closely with corporate auditors and strengthen its field team with the goal of keeping a close eye on banks’ risks.

Finma was established in 2009 shortly after UBS was bailed out by the federal government. Its activities cover the entire financial industry. Under the new rules, drawn up based on Finma’s initial three years of experience, banks have an ad hoc Finma unit that will work more closely with the central bank and bank surveillance groups abroad to keep a close eye on the banks’ markets activities.

Supervisory Instruments and the Organisation of FINMA, report prepared for the Federal Council, November 2011

Riddes lumberyard fire set by children

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – A huge fire that destroyed a lumberyard in the centre of the village of Riddes last weekend was set by five children, police in canton Valais say. The fire late Ssunday 20 May caused heavy damage but no injuries, and the A9 autoroute was closed for more than two hours due to smoke.

The two oldest in the group, both aged 13, have been turned over to juvenile authorities, but the three younger children, ages 6, 7, and 9 have been released because of their age. The group entered the building and lit a fire for fun at about 18:00 say police. They then left and the fire smouldered before it suddenly took off at 21:45 and was noticed. The foehn wind was blowing hard Sunday evening and police evacuated about 100 people whose homes were near the fire, as a precaution.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – “25 words”, a low-budget first documentary by Liu Shen about three sisters who shared Red Cross messages during the second world war, has taken a bronze medal at the WorldFest-Houston International Independent Film Festival, the oldest independent film festival in the world.

He began the film shortly after one of the sisters, a former neighbour of his in northeastern China, died at age 98. Her two sisters were in their 90s and he says in an interview for the Red Cross Resource Centre that he felt the pressure of time as he realized the importance of telling their tale. The three lived in Nanjing, China, Berlin, Germany and Berkeley, California, USA during the war and the messages gradually relay their family tale.

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – A growing shortage of qualified labour in Switzerland, according to research carried out for online employment agency Monster.ch, is encouraging companies to reconsider older workers. The prognosis for those over 50 is brighter than in the past, with 75 percent of companies saying they see recruitement of people over age 50 as a solution to the shortage of qualified workers.

That said, only 37 percent of them are actually regularly hiring people over age 50. And 34 percent say they do not want to keep people on as salaried employees once they reach age 65.

The research was carried out through interviews with 500 of Switzerland’s largest companies from November 2011 to March 2012. It indicates that companies consider close to 35 percent of jobs difficult to fill and they turn to neighbouring countries to look for applicants, particularly for IT and research and development posts. That figure is expected to climb to more than 46 percent by 2015. Combined with changing demographics, with an aging work force, older workers may have a better chance of finding work in the future.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Trafigura, the world’s third largest commodities trading company, announced it will be moving its legal headquarters from Geneva to Singapore, lured by lower taxes and proximity to China.

Trafigura Pte, a Singaporean incorporated entity will become the company’s headquarters for its trading division later this year, with its chief financial officer, Pierre Lorinet, moving to the southeast Asian city. He will join a team of 150 traders already there. The Financial Times reports that the company will maintain its team of traders in Geneva.

Geneva competes with London, Zug, Dubai and Singapore as the world’s largest commodities trading center, due to it low corporate taxes and access to trade financing. But whilst Geneva and Zug offer trading houses rates as low as 10 percent as compared to 24 percent in London, in Singapore those rates could be as low as 5 percent.

Geneva is the base for other major commodity traders including Gunvor, Vitol and Mercuria.

Links to other sources: Reuters

Tour du Pays de Vaud bike race starts Thursday on a road near you

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Vaud police warn that roads in the area will be blocked for brief periods starting Thursday 24 May to accommodate the Tour du Pays de Vaud cycling race. Motorists are being cautioned to take care and to be aware that roads around the race will be closed about 10 minutes before the cyclists pass.

Here are the areas and times affected, but note that times will change depending on the race:

Thursday 24 May
Prologue, Moudon, first departure at 19h00, end towards 20h30, parcours de 2’960 mètres en ville, sur route fermée.

Friday 25 May
1ère étape : Cully  -  Bex, de 15h30 à 18h30 environ, via Rivaz  -  Saint-Saphorin  -  Corseaux  -  Vevey (15h42)  -  La Tour-de-Peilz  -  Clarens  -  Montreux  (15h51)  -  Territet  -  Veytaux  -  Villeneuve (15h58)  -  Rennaz  -  Roche  -  Aigle  -  Bex (16h24) -  Canton du Valais  -  Lavey-les-Bains (17h57)  -  Lavey-Village  -  “La Pelouse”  -  Bex.

Saturday 26 May, morning
2ème étape : Ollon  -  Leysin, de 09h00 à 11h30 environ, via Aigle  -  Yvorne  -  Roche  -  Rennaz  -  Crebelley  -  Chessel (09h24)  -  Porte du Scex  -  Canton du Valais  -  Bex (10h11)  -  Les Fontaines  -  Antagnes  -  Ollon  -  Aigle  -  Le Sépey (10h58)  -  Cergnat  -  Leysin.

Saturday 26 May afternoon
Aigle  -  Aigle, course contre la montre, de 15h30 à 19h00 environ.
Le parcours sera interdit à la circulation de 14h00 à 19h30 environ.

Sunday 27 May
3ème étape : Froideville  -  Epalinges,  de 09h00 à 12h30 environ, via Villars-Tiercelin  -  Peney-le-Jorat  -  Corcelles-le-Jorat  -  Mézières  -  Châtillens  -  Oron-la-Ville (09h32)  – Canton de Fribourg  -  Chavannes-sur-Moudon  -  Chesalles-sur-Moudon  -  Curtilles  -  Marnand (10h14)  -  Granges  -  Canton de Fribourg  -  Combremont-le-Grand (10h48)  -  Prahins  -  Ogens  -  Bioley-Magnoux  -  La Tuilière  -  Oppens  -  Pailly (11h17)  -  Fey  -  Peyre-Possens  -  Villars-Tiercelin  -  Froideville  -  Montheron (11h47)  -  Chalet-à-Gobet  -  Vers-chez-les-Blanc  -  La Claie-aux-Moines (12h03)  -  Les Trois Chasseurs  -  Montblesson  -  Epalinges

©2012 Chappatte, distributed by Globe Cartoon. More cartoons on Chappatte’s web site. Geneva-based Patrick Chappatte works for the International Herald Tribune, for Geneva newspaper Le Temps, and for NZZ am Sonntag. All cartoons reproduced with permission.