Swiss Identity

“Mass immigration” initiative handed in

This content was published on Feb 14, 2012 The party, which collected 136,195 signatures to force a vote, believes the European Union has too much say on immigration through the free movement of people accord and wants the deal to be re-negotiated. The people’s initiative calls for quotas for immigration, including for asylum seekers, cross-border workers and family members of immigrants. People’s Party…

Culture

CHIENBAESE_LIESTAL_ORIGINAL

This content was published on Feb 14, 2012 Der 1902 erstmals durchgeführte Umzug ist einer der spektakulärsten Feuerbräuche der Schweiz. Rund 300 Fackelträger mit meist 40 bis 70 Kilo schweren «Chienbäse» aus Föhrenscheiten sowie mehrere Feuerwagen heizen dem Publikum entlang der 1805 Meter langen Umzugsroute tüchtig ein. Der Anlass wird von der Feuerwehr genauestens überwacht. Dem «Chienbäse» voraus gehen am Nachmittag in Liestal…

Better labour integration demanded for migrants

This content was published on Feb 14, 2012 The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said in a report that recently arrived mothers with young children and some teenagers were missing out on job opportunities because of a lack of integration measures. Overall, immigrants do well on the Swiss job market. “Eighty-four per cent of immigrant men and 68 per cent of…

Demographics

Zurich named “world’s most expensive city”

This content was published on Feb 14, 2012 This is the first time in two decades of the survey that Zurich has held the top spot, the authors say. This year the city has zoomed up four places, knocking Tokyo off first place, mainly due to the strong Swiss franc, the survey remarked. Geneva, the other Swiss city in the report, moved up…

Demographics

Parking spaces become an endangered species

This content was published on Feb 14, 2012 In a 2011 global survey (see box), Zurich was the third-most expensive city to park in on a monthly basis, setting drivers back $822 (SFr750). Geneva came in eighth at $704. Both cities were also in the top ten for daily parking rates. But the issue of car parking affects every Swiss city, with more…

Demographics

Oldest Swiss passes away at 109

This content was published on Feb 14, 2012 Gremion had been living at the care facility in Broc for about three years; prior to that he ran his own household in Bulle before health problems required him to move. In Bulle he had worked in a shop selling home goods. An enthusiastic hobby photographer, his work and life story were featured in a…

Culture

Swiss flower industry is no bed of roses

This content was published on Feb 14, 2012 Yet seven out of ten flowers bought in Switzerland are grown abroad and Swiss growers struggle to compete in the tough market dictated by low prices. “Producing flowers in Switzerland is more and more complicated. To compete it’s essential to produce cheaply and this entails investing in air-conditioning, heating and greenhouses,” Beat Thomann, director of…

Demographics

Industrialist convicted in asbestos case

This content was published on Feb 13, 2012 Convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Turin on Monday, the two men were each sentenced to serve 16 years in prison. In addition, they will have to pay millions of euros in punitive damages. Schmidheiny and Jean-Louis Marie Ghislaine De Cartier were the majority shareholders in the Eternit Genova company, which owned four asbestos factories in…

Demographics

Swiss develop rapid infrared cocaine test

This content was published on Feb 12, 2012 The compact detector, which was created as part of a national new technology research programme, Nano-Tera, may be adopted by law enforcement agencies to test suspect drivers. “Current rapid tests conducted by the police in the streets do not give the concentration of drugs consumed, just negative or preliminary positive results, which are sometimes wrong…

Demographics

Environmentalists target holiday homes

This content was published on Feb 11, 2012 On March 11, Swiss citizens will be asked to vote on a people’s initiative which calls for the construction of second homes to be restricted to 20 per cent of residential zones and of the total surface area of each commune. The initiative “to end the invasive construction of secondary residences” was launched by Helvetia…

Swiss Identity

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Swiss Identity

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“Mass immigration” initiative handed in

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CHIENBAESE_LIESTAL_ORIGINAL

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Better labour integration demanded for migrants

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Zurich named “world’s most expensive city”

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Parking spaces become an endangered species

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Oldest Swiss passes away at 109

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Swiss flower industry is no bed of roses

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Industrialist convicted in asbestos case

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Swiss develop rapid infrared cocaine test

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Environmentalists target holiday homes

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