The Wrap
Weekdays from 5 to 7 pm
Ease into your evening.
It’s the end of the day. You’re heading home after a hard shift in the office or taking a breather after chasing the kids all day. What films are out this week? Where should I go this weekend? Whose face will be gracing tomorrow’s front pages? Alex Helmick puts the day’s events in perspective with interviews and analysis, alongside the best of Swiss and international pop culture.
Featuring Food Scout, Speed Read, Movie Week, Arts CH, Gadget Guru, BBC’s The Strand and more…
Gadget Guru: Apple's new Mac Pro and tape dispensingMonday, 17 June, 2013Ian the Gadget Guru reviews the highlights of the Highlights from Apple’s Worldwide Development Conference in San Francisco, taking a particularly close look at the new desktop Mac Pro. Plus, he gushes about a one-handed tape dispenser from the Anglo-Swiss design duo black + blum:
Plans to reform pension system could include rise in VATMonday, 17 June, 2013The Sunday press reported comprehensive details of plans to reform the pensions system here by Interior Minister Alain Berset, amid concerns that there’s not enough money to keep the pensions boat afloat. If correct, the minister’s proposals would see women’s retirement age extended to 65 and more encouragement for people to push back their retirement longer. Also mooted is a two percent rise in value added tax (VAT) between now and 2030. WRS’s Daniel Johnson takes up the story to find out what the chances are of the latest proposals to shore up the wobbling pensions system:
Speed Read: If you read just two books this yearMonday, 17 June, 2013If you only have the time to read a couple of books this year, then you may want to listen to Matthew Wake’s (from Books, Books, Books in Lausanne) top two picks:
- River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler
- Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
G8 discussions push for greater transparency in tax haven countriesMonday, 17 June, 2013One of the items on the agenda for the upcoming G8 meeting in Northern Ireland is busting up tax havens. British Prime Minister David Cameron is pushing for low-tax jurisdictions in the UK to be more transparent—something Swiss bankers have pushed for every time their country is targeted in tax probes. WRS’s Alex Helmick talks to John Christensen, director of the International Secretariat of Tax Justice Network, says tax haven countries may be trying a new tactic—cleaning up their own backyard before pointing at others:
View from the South: Drivers face 'sticker shock'Friday, 14 June, 2013Drivers are in an uproar over sticker shock—but it’s not what you think. It’s the round CH sticker that is stuck to your car. And the Italian border guards are on the lookout. If you are caught driving without it you face an 80 franc fine. WRS’s Alex Helmick talks to Ticino correspondent Nicole della Pietra:
How the Swiss are getting spied onFriday, 14 June, 2013Are foreign agencies successfully spying in Switzerland? The question is hotter than ever after revelations from former American agent Edward Snowden at a time when tensions are high over banking secrecy and billions of francs. There’s a history of snooping in Switzerland. Leaders have taken more precautions, but can they really keep ahead of the game? WRS’s Lucas Chambers went to find out:
Quotas called for to guarantee equal payFriday, 14 June, 2013The Federal Office of Gender Equality says women are underpaid on a massive scale in some cases—compared to men. The office says women in the same fields with similar experience and education make on average 677 francs less than men in the same jobs. This is despite gender equality being part of the Constitution since 1981. WRS’s Alex Helmick talks to Christina Werder, central secretary, women affairs commission of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions:
The Connectors: Everything Russian in SwitzerlandThursday, 13 June, 2013The Connectors learn about Russian expat forums, restaurants, bookshops and cultural events in Switzerland. They speak to Natasha, an expat who explains that is impossible to understand the Russians of today without understanding their past. She also debunks a few myths (they don’t drink vodka all the time nor is everyone an oligarch):
A lot more than celebrities at Art BaselThursday, 13 June, 2013Art Basel, one of the most important art fairs in the world, opened to the public on Thursday. VIPs such as Leonardo di Caprio, Solange Knowles and Kanye West already had their special viewings, but arts correspondent Aoife Rosenmeyer says there is much more to see than celebrities:
Are foreign agencies successfully spying in Switzerland?Thursday, 13 June, 2013The question is hotter than ever after revelations from former American agent Edward Snowden, and at a time when tensions are high over banking secrecy and billions of francs. There’s a history of snooping in Switzerland. Leaders have taken more precautions, but can they really keep ahead of the game? WRS’s Lucas Chambers finds out: