Swiss Identity

Janka scores maiden World Cup win

This content was published on Dec 13, 2008 Janka completed the two runs on the highly technical Bellevarde course 0.20 seconds ahead of Italy’s Massimiliano Blardone. Gauthier de Tessieres of France took third. Janka completed the first of two runs in fourth place but showed poise and strong nerves in the second to post a top time of 2 minutes 22.73. But it…

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Sailor breaks keel

This content was published on Dec 12, 2008 Wavre contacted his shore crew on Friday to inform them of the breakage, which organisers described as “threatening the solidity of the hull bottom and hence the boat’s integrity”. If Wavre loses his keel the boat could capsize. A report on the race website said Wavre was considering abandoning the boat but was working with…

Work permit chances open for foreign students

This content was published on Dec 12, 2008 Students from outside the European Union and the European Free Trade Association will now be able to apply for residency on an economic as well as the current academic basis, according to a decision announced by the cabinet on Friday. Short-term residency permits will be given to university graduates working in essential research or in…

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Swiss look at history through Polish eyes

This content was published on Dec 12, 2008 Karin Enzler, a journalist with an interest in local leadership, and Christian Cantale, who has studied business management and is closely involved in the scout movement, joined about 200 other young people from a range of countries on the “Solidarity Express”. Their journey took them from Cracow in the south, to Gdansk in the north,…

Culture

Battling the blizzard

This content was published on Dec 12, 2008 What started with a moist Mediterranean wind on December 9 turned into a strong storm cycle that dumped as much as 120 centimetres of snow in the Alps. While skiers are pleased, the storms also broke trees, disrupted rail service, and forced many communities to dig themselves out.

Switzerland fails childcare test

This content was published on Dec 11, 2008 Switzerland only fulfilled the minimum requirements in three of ten indicators included in the Unicef report, the Childcare Transition, issued on Thursday. The fact that Switzerland finished in the bottom quarter of the 25 countries surveyed is sobering for a country consistently ranking among the world’s richest and with one of the highest standards of…

Culture

Swiss films take spotlight at 2008 festivals

This content was published on Dec 11, 2008 Swiss Films, an organisation responsible for overseas promotion, announced on Thursday that 64 domestic productions received 136 prizes worth a total of SFr350,000 ($293,255). Among the most decorated films of the year is Bern director Reto Caffi’s short Auf der Strecke or On the line, which impressed audiences from Brooklyn to Sapporo. The Swiss-German film…

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Round-the-world sailors make progress

This content was published on Dec 10, 2008 Dominique Wavre is now in 11th position and 233 nautical miles (432km) behind the leader, Jean-Pierre Dick of France, and Bernard Stamm is now 13th, 568 nautical miles off the pace. Peyron, at or close to the front for much of the past month, was down below in the southern Indian Ocean when he heard…

Demographics

Federer loses number-one ranking… to Obama

This content was published on Dec 10, 2008 Madonna, who in August played her first concert in Switzerland, the country’s largest ever, rounded out the top three searched-for people. According to the Google Zeitgeist, a report on internet trends based on the company’s massive search engine market share, Swiss people were also keen to find videos on YouTube, look up weather forecasts and…

Demographics

Photo-finish vote puts Maurer in cabinet

This content was published on Dec 10, 2008 Maurer, who will take over the defence portfolio from the outgoing minister, Samuel Schmid, received 122 out of 243 valid votes in a third ballot. The absolute majority was 122 votes. The voting was extremely close with party colleague Hansjörg Walter, head of the Swiss Farmers’ Association, receiving 121 votes. He had earlier said he…

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Swiss Identity

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Janka scores maiden World Cup win

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Sailor breaks keel

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Work permit chances open for foreign students

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Swiss look at history through Polish eyes

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Battling the blizzard

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Switzerland fails childcare test

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Swiss films take spotlight at 2008 festivals

More

Round-the-world sailors make progress

More

Federer loses number-one ranking… to Obama

More

Photo-finish vote puts Maurer in cabinet

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