Mainstream News

Jump in Swiss jobs good news for expats

"The number of jobs offered in Switzerland has jumped by seven percent since the start of the year, offering encouragement to those considering a move to the country. The latest Michael Page Swiss Job Index shows more jobs being advertised across the country, with western Switzerland leading the way. Demand for engineers grew significantly and the negative trend in IT jobs reversed from last year. Other sectors showing big increases were the metal industry and health and social services. Swiss SMEs are generally hiring more than multinationals, 'which remain slightly conservative and cautious due to their greater exposure to global difficulties', Semeraro notes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJump in Swiss jobs good news for expats

Geneva car show opens amid industry gloom

"Switzerland, the host of what is one of the auto industry's biggest events, is a rare bright spot on the crisis-hit continent. The Swiss, who do not belong to the EU, saw new car registrations jump 2.4 percent last year from an already record year in 2011, with 431,000 new registrations. For the neighbouring EU nations, however, the end of the tunnel remains out of sight and most experts refuse to guess when, if ever, the market will come roaring back and hit its pre-crisis 2007 level of 16 million cars sold." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGeneva car show opens amid industry gloom

China “fully prepared” for currency war: central banker

"Yi Gang, deputy governor of China’s central bank, issued the call after G20 finance ministers last month moved to calm fears of a looming war on the currency markets at a meeting in Moscow. Those fears have largely been fuelled by the recent steep decline in the Japanese yen, which critics have accused Tokyo of manipulating to give its manufacturers a competitive edge in key export markets over Asian rivals. South Korea’s incoming president Park Geun-Hye has also signalled her willingness to step in to stabilise the won and protect exporters battling a stronger Korean currency and a weaker yen." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChina “fully prepared” for currency war: central banker

British vigilantes fighting revenue-driven traffic enforcement

"Meet the NoTo Mob, a group dedicated to fighting what they see as unfair parking tickets and charges. During the week they're normal blokes (and the odd woman). But on Saturdays they come together for a common cause. They follow council CCTV cars, or 'spy cars', then stand nearby holding signs to warn drivers about the presence of a CCTV vehicle and potential fine if they break the rules. It's opposed to what it sees an unfair parking enforcement. The group targets 'honey pots' – high-ticket areas with confusing road markings or unclear signs where the CCTV cars are most likely to operate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritish vigilantes fighting revenue-driven traffic enforcement

Removal of Berlin Wall temporarily halted due to protests

"A property developer in Germany at the centre of running protests over part of the once-detested Berlin Wall being knocked down said on Monday that the dismantling had been temporarily halted. While dozens of protestors again gathered at the Wall’s longest surviving stretch, Maik Uwe Hinkel, the head of the company Living Bauhaus, said in a German newspaper that he was open to compromise. Since 1990, the outdoor gallery has been covered in brightly coloured graffiti murals, including the famous 'Fraternal Kiss' depicting Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and his East German counterpart Erich Honecker." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRemoval of Berlin Wall temporarily halted due to protests

7-Year-Old Suspended, Teacher Says He Shaped Pastry Into Gun

"Academics are hard for Josh, who suffers from ADHD, but he excels in art class. It is Josh's own creativity that may have gotten him into trouble. At Park Elementary school, Josh was enjoying his breakfast pastry when he decided to try and shape it into a mountain. Josh's dad received a phone call from the school saying that Josh has been suspended for two days because he took his breakfast pastry and fashioned it into a gun. Josh's dad was astounded to learn the school chose such a harsh punishment, even after no one was hurt. Late Friday afternoon a letter went home with students explaining the incident saying, 'A student used food to make an inappropriate gesture.'" Continue reading →

Continue Reading7-Year-Old Suspended, Teacher Says He Shaped Pastry Into Gun

Cash airlift helped avert Greek bank run during debt crisis

"Greece's central bank had billions of euros of banknotes shipped in from other central banks to avert a bank run during the country's debt crisis as depositors withdrew their money. Fears the debt-laden country might ditch the euro and return to the drachma led Greeks to pull out billions of euros of savings in the last three years, stashing their cash under mattresses or in safe deposit boxes. To meet the high demand for cash, the Bank of Greece had loads of banknotes secretly airshipped from abroad, feeding it to banks throughout the country to avoid shortages that could have intensified worries and set off a bank run." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCash airlift helped avert Greek bank run during debt crisis

Nato commander apologises after troops shoot dead Afghan children

"The area, Lowar-e-Dowahom, was often patrolled by international troops, a spokesman said. 'They saw two young children who were apparently listening to a radio and they shot them – it is not yet clear why,' the spokesman said. Australian forces deployed in Uruzgan said earlier there had been an 'operational incident' in the province's northwest but gave no details except that no soldiers were harmed. On 13 February a Nato air strike requested by Afghan forces killed 10 people – including five children and four women – in the eastern province of Kunar, prompting Karzai to ban his troops from requesting foreign air strikes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNato commander apologises after troops shoot dead Afghan children