Swiss Identity

Ocean dump

This content was published on Jul 28, 2012 Standard plastic is not biodegradable, but is constantly broken down into ever smaller pieces. It eventually ends up in our rivers and streams, travelling from there to the ocean. Currents then create huge zones of plastic particles; the biggest in the middle of the Pacific is larger than Europe. (All pictures: Zurich Museum of Design)

Tighter rules slow down bids for citizenship

This content was published on Jul 27, 2012 A total of just over 26,100 applications were filed in 2011, down from 26,554 in the previous year. The authorities say the decrease affects mainly standard applications, while requests for fast-track naturalisation procedure – often used by spouses of a Swiss national – were less affected. “This was mainly caused by the fact that several…

Demographics

Middle classes flock to Swiss ‘boomburb’

This content was published on Jul 27, 2012 As Switzerland’s population hits eight million, swissinfo.ch visits the town which has seen the greatest growth over the past decade.

Demographics

Eight million and rising – can Switzerland cope?

This content was published on Jul 27, 2012 Daniel Müller-Jentsch, an economist and migration expert at the free-market liberal Swiss think tank Avenir Suisse, talks to swissinfo.ch about the consequences of this growth and the challenges ahead. Over the past decade the Swiss population has grown rapidly from 7.2 to 8 million, driven by large numbers of qualified workers from Europe who have…

History

Swiss legal experts divided over circumcision

This content was published on Jul 26, 2012 The children’s hospitals of Zurich and St Gallen announced they had suspended the practice after the Cologne district court ruled last month that circumcision for religious purposes amounted to willful bodily harm which could be punishable under criminal law. “We only carry out one or two circumcisions for religious reasons per month, so we can…

Demographics

Egyptian assets in Swiss banks at $700 million

This content was published on Jul 26, 2012 Previously, the amount of cash frozen in Swiss bank accounts belonging to the dictator’s family and associates was reported to be an estimated $415 million. An additional $290 million in frozen assets were uncovered by the Swiss authorities in close cooperation with the Egyptian authorities, Jeannette Balmer, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor’s Office, informed swissinfo.ch in…

Demographics

Cycling centre prepares Olympic hopefuls

This content was published on Jul 26, 2012 The 24-year-old is one of 100 up-coming cyclists from less-developed countries training at the internationally recognized World Cycling Centre as part of its SFr4 million development programme. In the ten years since it was opened the centre has welcomed nearly 600 athletes from over 100 countries under the guidance of professional coaches. The high-level development…

Demographics

“I’ve tried not to become too cynical”

This content was published on Jul 26, 2012 The use of illegal drugs remains one of the main blots on the Olympic image. Athletes suspected of doping are being targeted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – both based in Lausanne – and will be tested at training camps before the Games, which run from July 27…

Demographics

What image do you have of Switzerland?

This content was published on Jul 25, 2012 What issues have formed your opinion of Switzerland? How do people where you live view Switzerland and does the perception reflect reality?

Demographics

People’s Party targets foreign criminals, again

This content was published on Jul 24, 2012 The initiative text, which extends to five articles over three pages, was accepted on Tuesday by the Federal Chancellery. The party has until January 24, 2014, to collect the 100,000 signatures required to force a nationwide vote on the issue. In a statement, the People’s Party said it had launched the initiative because the government…

Swiss Identity

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Swiss Identity

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Ocean dump

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Tighter rules slow down bids for citizenship

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Middle classes flock to Swiss ‘boomburb’

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Eight million and rising – can Switzerland cope?

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Swiss legal experts divided over circumcision

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Egyptian assets in Swiss banks at $700 million

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Cycling centre prepares Olympic hopefuls

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“I’ve tried not to become too cynical”

More

What image do you have of Switzerland?

More

People’s Party targets foreign criminals, again

Popular Stories

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