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Dear Swiss Abroad,

I hope you have good neighbours wherever you are. Bad neighbours can make life hell and Switzerland is no exception. Noisy parties, running kids, pooping cats and chain-smokers can destroy your peace of mind in the shoddily-built, poorly insulated apartments that pass for affordable accommodation in the Swiss urban landscape.

It’s probably why most Swiss rent. So, they can give their notice and move when it all gets too much.

man
Keystone

Bad neighbours? Know your rights

Life in rented accommodation in Switzerland comes with its unique set of challenges. If it’s not the neighbours making your tear your hair out, it is probably the rental agency that keeps you awake at night. Swiss tenancy laws exist for a reason. SRF has published a small list of commonly encountered problemsExternal link and what to do about them.

ramadan
Keystone

In the news: Tariq Ramadan returns, pandemic treaties, church abuse and parliament summer session

The 61-year-old Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan (in photo above), who was acquitted of rape and sexual coercion, is back before judges in GenevaExternal link on Monday. The public prosecutor’s office and the plaintiff had appealed against the court’s decision last year.

Pandemics are on the menu again as the World Health Assembly meets in GenevaExternal link to thrash out a pandemic treaty. Switzerland is also keen on negotiating a cooperation agreement with the European Union to help deal with cross-border health crises.

The Catholic Church in Switzerland has announced a series of measures to combat sexual abuseExternal link. The measures are a response to a University of Zurich study, presented last September, that documented 1,002 cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Switzerland since the middle of the 20th century.

The summer session of the parliament begins today. Some of the main issues on the tableExternal link include migration policy and funding of the army.

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