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SWISS

Girlfriend and wife to get payout in landmark case

A landmark ruling determined on Wednesday that the unmarried partner of a dead person may be entitled to damages for pain and suffering, even where the deceased was already married to somebody else.

The deceased was a man who had been killed in a motorcycle accident. He had lived with his partner for four years at the time of his death, although both he and his partner were married to other people.

The cantonal court found that compensation should only be awarded to the deceased’s wife “out of respect for monogamy”.

But the Supreme Court overturned this decision.

The court found it important instead to take account of developments in society and to recognize cohabitation as a “relatively widespread lifestyle,” newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported.

The Supreme Court determined that a cohabiting partner could be considered “close” under the terms of the Swiss Civil Code when evaluating people affected by a death.

The court noted that the pair had lived together for four years, and that they intended to marry one another once the divorces from their respective spouses had come through.

Consequently both the deceased man’s wife and his partner are now entitled to receive compensation, although how much each will get has yet to be decided.

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TRAVEL

Travel in Switzerland: Geneva airport launches more Christmas flights

An increased number of flights will link the Swiss city with dozens of international destinations.

Travel in Switzerland: Geneva airport launches more Christmas flights
SWISS and EasyJet will fly to 70 destinations. Photo by AFP

Starting on December 19th, the timetable from Geneva’s Cointrin airport will be expanded to include 70 cities.

Most flights will be operated by EasyJet and SWISS.

The flagship airline will jet to 15 cities, including two new destinations — Marrakech in Morocco and Hurghada in Egypt.

EasyJet will fly to 40 cities in Europe. It will ensure nonstop flights to Spain, Portugal, France, and Greece, among other popular destinations.

It will also be possible to fly again to many regions of central and eastern Europe, where flights were discontinued or sharply reduced during the pandemic.

They include Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, and Kosovo.

Before you book a flight, however, be aware of most recent regulations and restrictions that are in effect at your destination.

READ MORE: Covid-19: What you need to know if you are travelling abroad from Switzerland

Some countries require you to be tested for Covid-19 prior to arrival and present a negative result. Others have a compulsory quarantine.

Switzerland also requires arrivals from certain countries to self-quarantine for 10 days. 

Whether on arrival or return, quarantine means you won’t be able to go out or receive guests during the time mandated by the government — usually between 10 and 14 days.

 

 

 

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