Friday 18.05.2012

"City of peace" regeneration

International Geneva needs a "real boost"

International Geneva is described as a sprawling mansion that needs modernising. But the challenges are daunting: budgetary pressures, fluctuating exchange rates, insecurity, housing and office shortages, and an urgent need for renovation.  [...]

Environment cluster

Transforming Geneva into an environmental hub

Newly installed in a 19th-century mansion in the leafy suburb of Versoix, a short hop from the city centre, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s non-profit environmental group R20 is the latest addition to International Geneva’s burgeoning green hub.  [...]

Run-down Geneva palace

Historic UN building on endangered list

Geneva’s Palais des Nations is the European headquarters of the United Nations. But the historical building is in need of a major facelift and urgent repairs. The restoration is estimated to cost over $600 million (SFr567 million).  [...]

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Actors on display

Carpet diem: stars twinkle on the Med

Every year, the red carpet is rolled out at the Cannes International Film Festival. The stars celebrate glamour, fashion, beauty and – not least – themselves.  [...]

The making of a banker

Job prospects

A banker in the making

Thousands of jobs are being cut in the banking sector, but big banks still offer training programmes for future bankers. Even for those who make it, the days of job security and easy bonuses are over.  [...]

Constructed for Expo.02, Jean Nouvel's rusty cube on Lake Murten is no longer there

Who am I?

National exhibitions cement Swiss identity

It was described variously as chaotic, delivery by forceps and finally a public success, but today nothing remains of Switzerland’s last national exhibition a decade ago - and thoughts are turning to the next one.  [...]

Wood for heating

Emmental oil

"Waste" wood used to heat Swiss villages

Switzerland may not have its own oil reserves, but it does have plenty of forests full of wood that could be used to heat houses. More and more villages are installing central wood furnaces, which distribute hot water to homes.  [...]

Swiss photography awards

The best press photos of 2012

Swiss Press Photo awards images published in the Swiss media. The 2012 top prize went to British photographer Mark Henley, who lives in Switzerland. He found a way of showing emotion and drama in the dry subject of the economy and banks.  [...]

Small and mid-range hotels are finding it harder to upgrade their premises

Tourism woes

Small hotels struggling for survival

The crisis in the Swiss hotel sector has come to a head in the past few months as cash-strapped businesses let the quality of their properties slide. Many are too small to prosper and lack the right marketing and brand structure.  [...]

Aek is waiting for the day to leave Surat Thani

Deported migrant

"I want to build a new life for myself"

If you have spent most of your life in Switzerland, going back home to your country of origin may not be a realistic option. This is the story of Aek, a young Thai deported in 2008, whose biggest ambition is to get a second chance.  [...]

From Ireland to Switzerland

Following in the footsteps of Gallus

To mark the 1,400th anniversary of St Gallen, four Swiss men have been retracing the footsteps of the city's patron saint, Gallus, from Ireland to Switzerland. swissinfo.ch met some of the team ahead of the journey.  [...]

Swiss must make savings to continue strong progress

Savings demand

Swiss airline raises fares and tightens belt

Raising ticket and fuel surcharge prices and reshuffling ground staff are some of the measures being considered by Swiss International Air Lines to stave off tough competition and ever rising costs.  [...]

Cold snap

Temperatures drop to lowest in 30 years

Parts of Switzerland woke up to snow on Thursday morning as some parts of the country experienced the coldest mid-May weather in 30 years. Temperatures dropped to as low as -6.9 degrees Celsius at Samedan in canton Graubünden.  [...]

Electing ministers

Cabinet doesn’t want to be chosen by the people

The Swiss cabinet has recommended the rejection of an initiative that would see its seven members elected popularly rather than by parliament as is currently the case, saying such a change would have a negative effect on Swiss democracy.  [...]

June 17 Vote
Basel12 °C
Bern9 °C
Geneva10 °C
Interlaken10 °C
Locarno14 °C
Luzern11 °C
Zurich9 °C
Last updated: 04:38