Swiss Identity

Leuthard lends support to Swiss footballers

This content was published on Jun 11, 2010 “I believe the Swiss people are very proud of this team. They played a fine qualification campaign. Anything extra is icing on the cake!” she told them. She stressed the importance of team spirit, saying it was vital for success. But she would not make any predictions ahead of the squad’s first match against Spain,…

History

Ambassador says Switzerland and Iran share values

This content was published on Jun 11, 2010 “We have more in common with Switzerland than with any other European country, in other words neutrality, independence, non-alignment and democratic governance”, he said, adding that he found Switzerland’s foreign policy “very pragmatic”. He praised Switzerland’s concern for the environment and use of public transport and said the country’s “Christian ethics” were similar to those…

Demographics

Football around the world

This content was published on Jun 11, 2010 Football: a game where two 11-member teams try to push a ball into the opposing team’s goal, using any part of the body except their hands and arms. This simple recipe has helped make it the most popular sport in the world. (All pictures: Reuters/Keystone)

MUSIC: Lucerne Festival Summer 2010

This content was published on Jun 11, 2010 There’s love in the air at this year’s summer festival with focus on famous lovers from music history. The programme includes Beethoven’s Fidelio, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and the moving tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by Sergey Prokofiev.

Demographics

Parliament comes down hard on foreign criminals

This content was published on Jun 10, 2010 Parliamentarians on Thursday approved a counterproposal that watered down an initiative brought by the rightwing Swiss People’s Party on automatically deporting any foreigner convicted of a serious crime. After a long and heated debate, a majority in parliament decided to give voters an alternative to the People’s Party initiative “for the expulsion of foreigners who…

Demographics

World Cup fears over injured Frei

This content was published on Jun 10, 2010 The accident occurred while Switzerland’s national team was training at Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium on Wednesday. Frei was trying to get the ball away from colleague Steve von Bergen, who was not hurt. According to team doctor Cuno Wetzel, the Basel FC player has a bruised and sprained ankle. Team coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said he hoped…

Culture

Landmarks of Apartheid

This content was published on Jun 10, 2010 The black urban area hit the headlines in 1976 when protests erupted over the government’s language policy. Today guided tours take visitors to the landmarks, including the more affluent black neighbourhood of Diepkloof and Nelson Mandela’s house, which has been turned into a museum. (Pictures: Christoph Balsiger, swissinfo.ch)

Swiss captain hurt during training session

This content was published on Jun 9, 2010 The accident occurred while Switzerland’s national team was training at Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium on Wednesday. Frei was trying to get the ball away from colleague Steve von Bergen, who was not hurt. According to team doctor Cuno Wetzel, the Basel FC player has a bruised and sprained ankle. The stroke of bad luck comes just…

Culture

Where is Japan

This content was published on Jun 8, 2010 Say “Japan” and most Europeans think of temples, cherry blossom, samurais, geishas and Zen. This romanticised image has more to do with European longings and utopian ideals than with contemporary Japan. Andri Pol has visited the Japanese Islands over many years and taken pictures purposefully avoiding any such soft-focus clichés. His collection, Where is Japan,…

Foreign experience “key” to World Cup success

This content was published on Jun 8, 2010 From this point of view at least, concluded the experts, the Swiss team was in a good position to do well in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which starts in three days’ time. The Research Institute for International Management at St Gallen University drew upon information from the Fifa World Cup 2006, including…

Swiss Identity

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Swiss Identity

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Leuthard lends support to Swiss footballers

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Ambassador says Switzerland and Iran share values

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Football around the world

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MUSIC: Lucerne Festival Summer 2010

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Parliament comes down hard on foreign criminals

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World Cup fears over injured Frei

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Landmarks of Apartheid

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Swiss captain hurt during training session

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Where is Japan

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Foreign experience “key” to World Cup success

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