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Deiss seals free trade deal with Seoul

This content was published on Jul 12, 2005 The deal follows an initiative launched by Swiss Economics Minister Joseph Deiss and is the first of its kind reached between Seoul and Europe. Deiss finalised the agreement with the South Korean trade minister, Kim Hyun-Chong, in the Chinese city of Dalian, where they are attending a mini ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization.…

Swiss suspends “unsafe” pilots

This content was published on Jul 12, 2005 The company, which is in the process of being taken over by Germany’s Lufthansa, has started disciplinary proceedings against the pilots, who had complained in an open letter to management. Swiss spokesman Jean-Claude Donzel told swissinfo that the pilots – who fly Saab 2000 aircraft and are based at Basel airport – had complained that…

Edelweiss industry blooms in Valais

This content was published on Jul 11, 2005 A cooperative of farmers in canton Valais is cultivating this rare bloom, which is pictured on many a Swiss souvenir and was famously sang about by the Von Trapp family in The Sound of Music. The small white flower has been a protected species in most of Switzerland since 1962. However, for almost ten years,…

Opponents of labour accord raise their voices

This content was published on Jul 8, 2005 The government, the business community, unions and the Swiss Farmers’ Association have already come out in favour of extending the bilateral treaty with Brussels. The committee for “safe jobs and healthy social insurances” issued its warning at a news conference in Bern on Friday ahead of a nationwide vote on September 25. It came only…

Bern’s Einstein year reaches its zenith

This content was published on Jul 8, 2005 Scientists are focusing on Einstein’s influence on contemporary research, while the public is getting a taste of his physics. More than 500 people took part in Saturday’s special official commemoration of Einstein’s “miracle year”- 1905 – when he produced much of his most important and famous work in Bern. Among the guests attending the high…

Women targeted over alcohol pregnancy risks

This content was published on Jul 8, 2005 Experts say that 7.4 per cent of pregnant women drink far too much alcohol in Switzerland and that each year 5,000 mothers-to-be are exposing their unborn babies to health risks. The campaign is being run by the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Addiction, with support from the main doctors’ and pharmacists’…

Tying the knot on high

This content was published on Jul 8, 2005 Getting married on an alpine peak had long been a dream of Mitsuhiro Miura and Mari Miura from Tokyo. They tied the knot at the St Petronella “chapel” on the First peak near Grindelwald, at 2,168 metres above sea level. (Pictures and text: Christoph Balsiger, swissinfo)

Hair-raising agenda for hirsute forum

This content was published on Jul 8, 2005 Switzerland’s inaugural hair-science meeting has attracted delegates to the city’s University Hospital from 30 countries, including the United States, Australia and Indonesia. The agenda covers topics such as the affect of stress on hair growth, advances in measuring hair density, the link between ageing in hair and the rest of the body, and an intriguing…

Schmid’s address to Swiss expatriates

This content was published on Jul 7, 2005 The full text of his speech to the Swiss abroad appears below. Headings added by swissinfo. To all Swiss AbroadFellow compatriots far from homeDistinguished guests at this year’s National Day celebrations Bonsoir, Buona sera, Buna Sera, Guete’n Obe, Good Evening! On whichever continent, in whichever city you are attending this year’s National Day celebrations: The…

European tie-up lifts Swiss statistics

This content was published on Jul 7, 2005 In an interview with swissinfo, director Adelheid Bürgi-Schmelz outlines the challenges her department faces at a time of widespread public-spending cuts. The Statistics Office is not just the primary source of information for decision-makers in Swiss politics. It also serves as a fountain of knowledge for ordinary citizens and the business community. By providing a…

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