Cluster: Swiss Identity

Swiss head happily into new year

This content was published on Dec 26, 2010 The polling institute, Isopublic, said 77.5 per cent of those surveyed responded with either an eight, nine or ten – ten representing “completely satisfied” – on a scale of one to ten. The results, published in the Sonntags Blick newspaper, showed that there is almost no demographic difference when it comes to happiness. Whether young…

Demographics

Sport stars run up mixed year

This content was published on Dec 26, 2010 The year started – as it usually does – with Roger Federer winning the Australian Open. His straight-sets defeat of Andy Murray wasn’t as memorable as last year’s five-set final against Rafael Nadal (which Federer lost), but it extended his record to 16 grand slam titles – four of them down under. “I can cry…

Culture

Philipp Fankhauser: Try My Love

This content was published on Dec 24, 2010 It’s Gonna Rain Philipp Fankhauser

Demographics

Refugee agency turns 60

This content was published on Dec 24, 2010 The agency’s first task was to help an estimated one million people, mainly European civilians displaced in the aftermath of the Second World War. But during the 1950s the refugee crisis spread to Africa, later to Asia and then back to Europe, becoming a global problem. At the end of 2009, on the eve of…

Conductor electrified by Swiss mountains

This content was published on Dec 24, 2010 Tang, 61, looks back on the experience and tells swissinfo.ch about Swiss audiences, the transformative power of classical music – and cows. Although he’s spending Christmas in Shanghai, Tang will be back for the orchestra’s traditional New Year’s Eve concert in Lucerne and then a concert in Zurich on January 1, both featuring famous Finnish…

Demographics

Convicted hemp farmer ends hunger strike

This content was published on Dec 23, 2010 Bernard Rappaz from canton Valais said he would follow a court order and resume eating on Christmas Eve. The European Court of Human Rights rejected Rappaz’s requests to intervene in his case immediately after all Swiss authorities refused to commute his sentence. Judges in Strasbourg said it would take two to three years to hear…

Demographics

Shelter for young and old

This content was published on Dec 23, 2010 More than 30 people currently find a home at the Salvation Army centre in the town of Winterthur. They are looked after by a team of carers and advisers who have kept the home running for more than 40 years.(Pictures: Sebastian Stange, swissinfo.ch)

Dim outlook for festive lights

This content was published on Dec 23, 2010 In an attempt to find out, the Swiss Agency for Energy Efficiency (Safe) has measured the consumption and cost of Christmas decorations in Switzerland. According to their calculations, Swiss light decorations use nearly 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity – or 0.17 per cent of the total annual consumption and 2.06 per cent of December’s…

Demographics

Swiss airports feel chill less than neighbours

This content was published on Dec 23, 2010 Heavy snowfall has caused chaos across northern Europe since Thursday, with London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris and Brussels airports most in the spotlight. European Union Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas will meet airport bosses to urge them to “get serious” about tackling the problem. Some airports still have backlog disruptions despite runways being opened. Switzerland avoided the…

Demographics

Hunt goes on for source of leaked secret plans

This content was published on Dec 22, 2010 Swiss government spokesman André Simonazzi said the cabinet took the step one day after a parliamentary commission decided it was no longer possible to find out who had told the media about secret military plans to extract two Swiss hostages held in Libya. The mission was never carried out. The cabinet strongly condemned the leaks…

Cluster: Swiss Identity

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