A polar exploration, a compromise and Federer’s street

Here are the stories we will be watching in the week of April 18:

This content was published on April 17, 2016 - 12:00

2 minutes

Monday

We report on the launch of the newly founded Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) and its plans to lead an ambitious marine expedition around Antarctica that will leave from South Africa at the end of 2016. The polar vessel will carry 22 international teams of scientists, who will work in a number of fields, including glaciology, oceanography, marine biology and the impact of pollution.

Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF).

Tuesday

Nepal’s young filmmakers are making a splash at Swiss and other international film festivals with their personal stories of struggle during the violent Maoist insurgency. Min Bahadur Bham’s film Kalo Pothi (The Black Hen) is being shown for the first time in Switzerland at the Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF).

Wednesday

Compromise is an integral part of the Swiss democratic process. In canton Basel city, it helped therapists and the city’s psychiatric hospital avoid a burdensome and costly popular vote over the location of child and youth mental health services. Read our report to see Swiss direct democracy in action.

Thursday

Swiss tennis superstar Roger Federer will be in the Swiss city of Biel to inaugurate the new “Roger Federer Allée”. The street links the Swiss Tennis Association building and the new Tissot Arena in Bözingenfeld. Biel is a special place for the 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer, as he did some of his junior training there.

Friday

Swiss alpine landscape under threat – top scientists predict no more glaciers, more frequent rockslides and browner landscapes in Switzerland because of man-made global warming. They envision hotter summers, fewer ski areas and more thunderstorms on the horizon. Read more about these findings in our report.

What you may have missed last week:

Opinion split on effectiveness of alternative medicines

This content was published on Apr 13, 2016 Complementary and alternative medicines will be given the same status as conventional medicine in Switzerland – it’s ignited passionate debate.

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