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Wine technology – an ancient obsession

This content was published on Sep 13, 2003 Both men work in the lakeside town of Wädenswil: Ruffner at the Swiss agricultural research centre and Koblet at the nearby museum of winegrowing. The six hectares of vineyard cultivated by the research centre produce one of the most diverse crops in Switzerland. Since Ruffner’s team is charged with investigating the strengths and weaknesses of…

Radio tracking devices set to boom

This content was published on Sep 13, 2003 A Swiss company, Sokymat, says cheaper versions of radio frequency tags will lead to a huge expansion of the market. Sokymat’s tags are already used in their millions worldwide to immobilise cars, to gain access to buildings and to track pets and livestock, including migrating salmon and racing pigeons. They are also being used by…

Light pollution threatens night sky

This content was published on Sep 12, 2003 The symposium attracted astronomers, ornithologists and even health experts. Scientists estimate that a fifth of the world’s population can no longer see the Milky Way galaxy and several of the 12 constellations featured in horoscopes have become completely invisible in light-polluted areas. Organisers from the International Dark Sky Association say their priority is effective outdoor…

Pensioners turn out in force to defend benefits

This content was published on Sep 12, 2003 Organisers denounced what they called the “putsch” of the Swiss interior minister, Pascal Couchepin, “against the welfare state”. A former Swiss government minister, Ruth Dreifuss, joined around 600 protesters in Bern on Friday to demand that the current level of pension benefits be maintained. Their message was aimed both at Couchepin’s proposals to raise the…

Kudelski posts modest profit

This content was published on Sep 12, 2003 A recovery in the digital TV market helped the firm recover from a net loss of SFr17.9 million last year. Kudelski was widely tipped to post an improvement on last year’s first-half result. The company still made an operating loss of SFr6.36 million in the first six months of the year. But it beat analysts’…

Bon viveurs wine and dine in Ticino hideaway

This content was published on Sep 12, 2003 The Fattoria L’Amorosa – owned by one of the region’s biggest winemakers – also offers exquisite accommodation for those in search of natural beauty and rustic charm. Owner Angelo Delea says the idea of setting up his farmhouse-style retreat came about when he decided to expand his wine emporium in 1998. “I bought up this…

Disabled organisation withdraws sex project

This content was published on Sep 11, 2003 Pro Infirmis says it decided to end its direct involvement in the project after suffering a sharp fall in donations. The pilot scheme was unveiled in April by Pro Infirmis’ Zurich branch, which wanted to train 12 professional “touchers”. The successful applicants were then expected to offer sexual and emotional relief to Zurich’s disabled community.…

Sipping in the city – Zurich’s urban vineyards

This content was published on Sep 11, 2003 Less well known though is the city’s contribution to the Swiss wine-making industry. With 615 hectares of grapes, the canton of Zurich is the largest wine-producing region in eastern Switzerland and the sixth most important in the country as a whole. And although the vast majority of Zurich’s wines come from the canton’s rural fringe,…

Deiss defends Swiss farming at Cancun

This content was published on Sep 11, 2003 Speaking at the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference at Cancun, Mexico, Deiss also said Switzerland was prepared to make substantial concessions. He told the 5,000 delegates that Switzerland wanted to strike a balance between protection of the country’s agriculture and the liberalisation of the markets. “Switzerland is ready to make concessions,” said Deiss, who…

Swiss People’s Party

This content was published on Sep 10, 2003 Ueli Maurer, president The forerunner of the People’s Party represented “farmers, traders and Swiss citizens” from rural areas. At the end of the First World War it grew into an opposition movement to the Radicals and eventually won a cabinet seat in 1929. It merged with a number of smaller, regional parties to become the…

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Wine technology – an ancient obsession

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Radio tracking devices set to boom

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Light pollution threatens night sky

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Pensioners turn out in force to defend benefits

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Kudelski posts modest profit

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Bon viveurs wine and dine in Ticino hideaway

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Disabled organisation withdraws sex project

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Sipping in the city – Zurich’s urban vineyards

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Deiss defends Swiss farming at Cancun

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Swiss People’s Party

Popular Stories

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