Swiss Identity

Bahnhofstrasse rents at record high

This content was published on Feb 7, 2012 The annual rent for a square metre in Zurich’s prime shopping street Is now SFr12,500 ($13,660), according to the Location Group retail consulting company. In 2010 it was only SFr10,200. However, this is far behind the top two in the list: rents in New York’s 5th Avenue stand at SFr19,882 and those in Hong Kong’s…

History

OSCE calls for Muslim umbrella organisation

This content was published on Feb 7, 2012 In their report, seen by the Swiss News Agency on Tuesday, three OSCE experts who visited Switzerland in November warned that intolerance and discrimination against Muslims had increased since 2001, and were being exploited by “the extreme right and populist parties”. “Groups like Bosnians and Albanians, who were previously defined by their ethnicity, are now…

Demographics

Der Kälte trotzen * ORIGINAL *

This content was published on Feb 7, 2012 Als Stephanie Borcard und Nicolas Metraux letzten Winter durch die Strassen der Südkoreansichen Hauptstadt schlenderten, waren sie beide beeindruckt, wie das Geschäftsleben auf den Strassen und Trottoirs sich mit der eisigen Kälte arrangiert. Ob Kirche, Wahrsager oder Kimchi Restaurant – ein Zelt, ein paar Plastikbahnen und ein Gastrahler müssen her, und schon geht das Geschäft…

Culture

Foreigners outnumber Swiss in mountain village

This content was published on Feb 7, 2012 Coexistence is not always easy. But integration measures introduced by the local authorities and the migrants themselves show that a harmonious balance is possible. Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world travel to Zermatt to see the iconic snow-capped pyramid, the Matterhorn mountain. A curious visitor generally does not take long…

Demographics

Zurich investigates Turk’s genocide comment

This content was published on Feb 6, 2012 The Swiss ambassador to Turkey discussed the matter with the foreign ministry in Ankara on Monday, as the Swiss foreign ministry told swissinfo.ch. Turkish officials had summoned him to complain about the investigation. In late January, Bagis reportedly told journalists that there had been no Armenian genocide and that the Swiss authorities could come and…

Demographics

Zurich investigates Turk’s genocide comment

This content was published on Feb 6, 2012 At a Zurich concert on his way home from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bagis reportedly told journalists that there had been no Armenian genocide and that the Swiss authorities could come and arrest him if they wanted to. Such comments are in violation of Switzerland’s anti-racism laws. The public prosecutor of canton Zurich…

Demographics

Special centres for immigrants mooted

This content was published on Feb 6, 2012 Mario Gattiker, head of the Federal Migration Office, said he was open to the idea from canton Ticino, which has been bearing the brunt of a wave of asylum seekers entering from neighbouring Italy. The plan was launched by a prominent member of the Lega dei Ticinesi movement in the Ticino government. In an interview…

Demographics

Learning to speak

This content was published on Feb 6, 2012 Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga regrets that some foreign executives cut themselves off entirely from society, and don’t learn a Swiss language. But many top earners with international companies say learning a language and getting involved in their local community is not practical: their companies use English, and they are likely to move on after just…

Dying from asbestos… and having to prove it

This content was published on Feb 6, 2012 But for those hit by asbestos-related diseases, the path to compensation can be a rocky one. For asbestos victims and their families, February 13 is an important date. It marks the end of a three-year trial in Turin of two industrialists – the Swiss Stephan Schmidheiny and the Belgian Jean Louis de Cartier – accused…

Demographics

Rash of house fires in freezing weather

This content was published on Feb 5, 2012 Several other non-fatal fires have been reported in different parts of the country, some of them resulting in serious damage to buildings. Although in every case the cause of the fires is still being investigated, the Sonntagszeitung newspaper quoted the chairman of the Swiss Fire Brigades Association as saying there could be a serious fire…

Swiss Identity

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Swiss Identity

More

Bahnhofstrasse rents at record high

More

OSCE calls for Muslim umbrella organisation

More

Der Kälte trotzen *** ORIGINAL ***

More

Foreigners outnumber Swiss in mountain village

More

Zurich investigates Turk’s genocide comment

More

Zurich investigates Turk’s genocide comment

More

Special centres for immigrants mooted

More

Learning to speak

More

Dying from asbestos… and having to prove it

More

Rash of house fires in freezing weather

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Der Kälte trotzen * ORIGINAL *