There are a million questions that come up during an international move, and one of the most pressing for families is: Where do I send my kids to school? This is no simple question. Finding and vetting schools and arranging enrollment can be a challenge, and the choice of a school can shape a family’s social life and cultural adjustment.
Medical Cannabis May Soon Be Legal in Switzerland; Nightclub Guard Attacked; Novartis Reports Strong Results; Oil Spill Fouls Streets
News For 22 October 2019
Last week, an amendment to the Narcotic Drugs Act proposed by the Federal Council was approved during the consultation procedure in parliament. All of Switzerland's major parties, as well as the Swiss Federation of Physicians, support the move, as it means that Swiss doctors will now be able to prescribe cannabis to help their patients relieve the pain of cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other serious illnesses. The Swiss medical cannabis association (Medcan) is also pleased with the approval, saying that people who need cannabis for medical reasons have faced an "impossible situation" for decades. Previously, only one cannabis-containing medication, a mouth spray used for multiple sclerosis patients, could be prescribed. Because of this, patients who needed other medical cannabis drugs had to obtain special permission from the Federal Office of Public Health. Now that the proposal has been accepted, the federal government said the next step would be to determine how health insurance companies should pay for the new medication.
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At around 3:15 Monday morning, an unknown assailant attacked a bouncer outside the La Perla bar, seriously injuring him. Lars Matti, the owner of Titan security services, which provides security at the bar has said that he is seriously saddened that the respect of security guards is now lost. The assailant fled the scene towards Claramatte, however he could not be apprehended. The police are looking for a man aged 30-35, about 1.90 to 2 meters tall, and strong stature, possible short bleached hair and beard. At the time of the crime he wore a brown leather jacket with fur trim, blue jeans and leather shoes.
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Novartis, the pharmaceutical giant based in Basel reported strong economic results today. For the latest quarter of operations, the company posted double-digit sales growth. Strength in sales was experienced in both its Innovative Medicines and Generics business, as well as in its oncology unit. Of note this quarter, was the release of the new drug - the world's most expensive - Zolgensma which carries the hefty price tag of 2.1mm / dose and is used to treat a fatal hereditary disease: spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in infants.
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A machine used to clean the streets of Basel, sprung a leak today, releasing enough oil to cause street closure in Binningen on Bottmingerstrasse. The road between Gorenmatt and Binningen Schloss was closed for a few hours just as rush hour was ending into the city. City sanitation, and the fire department sent crews of approximately 25 people to start the clean up effort.