Swiss Identity

English weather foils Fusionman

This content was published on Sep 25, 2008 The 49-year-old adventurer from Neuchâtel, known as Fusionman, said the flight, scheduled for 12.30pm local time, would have been too risky. He said he would try again on Friday. “I took the decision not to fly, as I didn’t know all the parameters. I’m not used to the region and the fast-changing weather. The bad…

Culture

New festival director takes the Locarno stage

This content was published on Sep 25, 2008 Père replaces Frédéric Maire, who is leaving to direct Cinémathèque Suisse, a private film foundation based in Lausanne. The Locarno festival in southern Switzerland focuses on amateur films and has been in existence for 61 years. It attracted some 180,000 visitors in August, when more than 400 films were screened. Père, who was born in…

Demographics

Ban on mobile phone pornography nears

This content was published on Sep 25, 2008 On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved motions banning the distribution of pornographic or violent material for such phones. A general ban is necessary, parliamentarians said, since it is impossible to prevent young people from downloading material even if there is an age limit placed on it. The chamber voted in favour of the plan…

Demographics

Obama may have a Swiss ancestor

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 Six generations back, in 1749, one of Obama’s ancestors, named Christian Gutknecht, emigrated from the village of Bischwiller in Alsace in eastern France and settled in America. But the Bischwiller archivist, Christian Gunther, says the Gutknecht parents probably came from canton Bern at the very beginning of the 18th century. They lived in a street…

Culture

Swiss railway station turns into an opera set – live streaming on swissinfo.ch

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 An opera performance amid throngs of commuters at Zurich’s main station: “La Traviata at Zurich main railway station” is an innovative arts project being produced by Schweizer Fernsehen (SF) in cooperation with the Franco-German culture channel Arte, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and Zurich Opera House. This production presents a major challenge both artistically and…

Demographics

Finance minister out of coma

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 Merz suffered a heart attack on Saturday evening and underwent a quintuple bypass. He was taken off a ventilator during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, and was responsive. His doctors added that his heart was working well, and he was expected to come out of intensive care in the next few days. However, they…

Swiss music rocks but struggles to make it big

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 According to music insiders, there is a growing buzz about new Swiss music, yet those who manage to make it big abroad can be counted on two hands and most musicians continue to struggle to make ends meet. Label Suisse, organised by Swiss national radio, was set up in 2004 to put the spotlight on…

History

Ex church official gets prison term for fraud

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 A court in Fribourg in western Switzerland sentenced the cleric to 28 months in prison, most of it suspended for five years. The charges included fraud, breach of trust and filing false documents. Of the misappropriated funds, SFr100,000 was destined to be paid in compensation to a victim of sexual abuse by a member of…

Demographics

Road show promotes benefits of mother’s milk

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 But health officials say mothers need to breastfeed for longer if their children are to reap the benefits. They have launched an information road show touring the country until September 29. The first road show of its kind is stopping off at Basel, Zug, St Gallen and Lugano and offers contests and games for children…

Demographics

Pension funds insist on executive pay vote

This content was published on Sep 23, 2008 The investment fund that campaigns for ethical corporate practice believes Switzerland lags behind many other countries that give shareholders a greater say in how much top bosses are paid. The move by Ethos follows hard on the heels of an academic report that criticised performance related pay incentives for damaging many firms rather than achieving…

Swiss Identity

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Swiss Identity

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English weather foils Fusionman

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New festival director takes the Locarno stage

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Ban on mobile phone pornography nears

More

Obama may have a Swiss ancestor

More

Swiss railway station turns into an opera set – live streaming on swissinfo.ch

More

Finance minister out of coma

More

Swiss music rocks but struggles to make it big

More

Ex church official gets prison term for fraud

More

Road show promotes benefits of mother’s milk

More

Pension funds insist on executive pay vote

Popular Stories

Most Discussed