Swiss Identity

August 8 makes for a happy day

This content was published on Aug 8, 2008 In the larger Swiss cities, 400 people became man and wife, with some places recording twice as many brides and grooms as usual. In all 31 couples got married in Zurich, and 30 in neighbouring Winterthur, where the usual rate is 14. In Basel, ceremonies had to take place every 15 minutes and in the…

Culture

Olympics begins in pomp and splendour

This content was published on Aug 8, 2008 Tennis star Roger Federer led the Swiss team into the arena, following an hour-long spectacle that celebrated 5,000 years of Chinese history with drummers, dancers and fireworks. The festivities started punctually at eight minutes past eight, on August 8 – the number is believed to be lucky in China. Around 80 world leaders, including United…

Demographics

Olympic colours

This content was published on Aug 8, 2008 The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing have started with a colourful opening ceremony.

From Russia with cash

This content was published on Aug 8, 2008 Russia was the main guest of honour at this summer’s Fêtes de Genève festival, which ended on Sunday. This is just one of many ongoing Swiss initiatives, both at local and national level, to seduce Russian visitors. “Every major designer shop in Geneva has one member of staff who speaks Russian and when I walk…

Black sheep poster taken up by Czech extremists

This content was published on Aug 8, 2008 The three white sheep on the poster booting a black sheep out of the country stand on a Czech banner instead of the red and white Swiss flag. “Stop crime, stop immigration” is written across the Czech version of the poster, displayed on the website of the National Party (Narodni Strana). The message on the…

Culture

September launch for “Big Bang” machine

This content was published on Aug 8, 2008 The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), housed in a circular tunnel under the Swiss-French border near Geneva, will recreate conditions just after the so-called Big Bang, which many scientists believe gave birth to the universe. The first attempt to circulate a beam in the SFr6 billion ($5.95 billion) machine will be made on September 10, the…

Demographics

Omega at the Olympics

This content was published on Aug 8, 2008 There is no doubt that timing is a key part of the excitement. Without the ability to measure times and to separate the winner from the runners-up, competition as we know it would be impossible. (All photos courtesy of Omega)

Possible clue to life found in Arctic Ocean

This content was published on Aug 8, 2008 Two Swiss researchers from Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology were part of an international team that found the hydrothermal vents, which could provide clues to the origins of life. The vents, thought to be the most northerly ever identified, are on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Greenland and Norway. State-of-the-art remote underwater technology allowed the Norwegian-led…

Culture

Beijing prepares for fireworks

This content was published on Aug 7, 2008 The much-discussed opening ceremony of the Games of the 29th Olympiad begins on Friday, August 8, at exactly 8.08pm in the Swiss-designed “Bird’s Nest” national stadium. The number eight, considered lucky by the Chinese, will obviously work its magic on only a tiny percentage of athletes. But the hosts will be crossing their fingers that…

Culture

Locarno Film Festival 2008

This content was published on Aug 7, 2008 Over 11 days, the Swiss film world fell under the spell of “the leopard”. A total of 380 films were shown and 18, in international competition, competed for the Locarno Film Festival’s grand prize, the Golden Leopard.

Swiss Identity

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Swiss Identity

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August 8 makes for a happy day

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Olympics begins in pomp and splendour

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Olympic colours

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From Russia with cash

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Black sheep poster taken up by Czech extremists

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September launch for “Big Bang” machine

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Omega at the Olympics

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Possible clue to life found in Arctic Ocean

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Beijing prepares for fireworks

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Locarno Film Festival 2008

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