Swiss Identity

300 days of desert island solitude

This content was published on Aug 29, 2008 After six years in the limelight as a champion snowboarder, he has decided to go back to basics and try surviving on a desert island in the South Pacific for ten months. His destination: Tofua Island, several plane rides and one long boat trip from Switzerland. Virtually unpopulated, this 60 sq km island lies 1,600km…

Demographics

Zurich athletics meet aims high

This content was published on Aug 28, 2008 The Golden League competition, which takes place on August 29, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Among the medallists competing before the enthusiastic crowd is sprinting phenomenon Usain Bolt. The attending athletes have 41 medals between them, including 14 golds. Four of them, Bolt included, are the current world record holders. The Weltklasse itself…

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Basel draw Barcelona in Champions League

This content was published on Aug 28, 2008 A day after qualifying for football’s most prestigious – and lucrative – tournament, Switzerland’s sole representatives learnt they had drawn two-time champion Barcelona. Basel’s home games are against Shakhtar Donetsk on September 16, Barcelona on October 22 and Sporting on December 9. Christian Gross’s team will travel to Lisbon on October 1, Barcelona on November…

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Scientists throw spanner into Big Bang machine

This content was published on Aug 28, 2008 The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), housed in a circular tunnel near Geneva, will try to recreate conditions just after the so-called Big Bang – the presumed birth of the universe. Opponents of the experiment, due to begin on September 10, say it will result in black holes that could suck up the Earth. The group,…

Demographics

Bührle Collection re-opens to public

This content was published on Aug 28, 2008 The collection’s director Lukas Gloor said on Thursday that security had been reinforced since the heist in February, which saw the robbers make off with four Impressionist works worth an estimated SFr180 million ($165 million). Groups will be able to visit the collection but will have to announce their arrival at least six weeks in…

Demographics

Immigration boosts population

This content was published on Aug 28, 2008 By the end of last year the permanent resident population in the country had reached nearly 7.6 million. The Federal Statistics Office said on Thursday the increase of about 85,000 people in 2007 is the strongest annual demographic growth since the early 1990s. The favourable economic situation and a growing number of immigrants from EU…

Culture

Colourful Fribourg

This content was published on Aug 28, 2008 The 34th international folklore festival is underway in Fribourg. Groups from eight countries and four continents travelled to Switzerland to perform traditional music and dancing from their homelands. (pictures and text: Christoph Balsiger, swissinfo)

Basel qualify for Champions League group stage

This content was published on Aug 28, 2008 On Wednesday they beat Vitória Guimarães 2-1 of Portugal at home in the second leg of their third round qualifying match. The first leg ended in a 0-0 draw. Basel went in front at the St Jakob Park stadium after 11 minutes with a goal from Valentin Stocker. But the Portuguese side levelled four minutes…

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Cabinet aims for clearer weapons export laws

This content was published on Aug 27, 2008 Instead, it announced on Wednesday that it had clarified how existing legislation, which in theory already restricts the export of weapons to certain states, would be applied. The modification to the ordinances was not a rejoinder to the 109,224 signatures submitted by the pacifist group Switzerland without an Army last September, said the State Secretariat…

Culture

“Last witch in Europe” cleared

This content was published on Aug 27, 2008 Regarded as the last witch to be executed in Europe, Anna Göldi’s case in the village of Mollis in 1782 was a tragic illustration of religious fanaticism, superstition and the abuse of power. The Glarus government on Wednesday declared Göldi innocent, the first time in Europe a “witch” has been rehabilitated, according to local journalist…

Swiss Identity

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Swiss Identity

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300 days of desert island solitude

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Zurich athletics meet aims high

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Basel draw Barcelona in Champions League

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Scientists throw spanner into Big Bang machine

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Bührle Collection re-opens to public

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Immigration boosts population

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Colourful Fribourg

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Basel qualify for Champions League group stage

More

Cabinet aims for clearer weapons export laws

More

“Last witch in Europe” cleared

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