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Education

Teachers warn of future shortage

This content was published on Aug 31, 2006 The comments come on the day statistics were released showing the number of pupils is likely to drop in the coming years and that more teachers are approaching retirement age. The Federal Statistics Office predicted on Thursday that pupil numbers in both primary and secondary schools would fall by between eight and ten per cent…

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Demographics

Medical experts tackle global health gap

This content was published on Aug 31, 2006 Speaking at the event’s opening on Wednesday, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey stressed the need for strengthening health systems in developing nations and pooling expertise. “Today’s world is still marked by poverty, continued gender inequalities, growing inequities and plagued by infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, malaria or cholera, which could all belong to the…

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Demographics

Switzerland a cog in massive tax fraud scam

This content was published on Aug 31, 2006 Switzerland’s secrecy laws on tax and close proximity to EU countries make it a prime location to funnel mobile telephones and computer chips through a process known as “carousel” fraud. A recent British-German customs operation uncovered caches of mobile phones and other equipment being brought into Germany from Switzerland. But investigators complain they are being…

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Culture

Swiss rowers re-enact gruelling journey

This content was published on Aug 30, 2006 The Hirsebreifahrt, or millet porridge trip, is celebrated every ten years. It recalls Zurich’s attempt in 1576 to cement its alliance with Strasbourg, which doubted that the distant Swiss city could ever bring speedy enough aid. The city worthies undertook to prove that they could cover the roughly 240km in under 24 hours. They loaded…

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Demographics

Study highlights cabaret dancer abuses

This content was published on Aug 30, 2006 The Zurich-based Women’s Information Centre (FIZ), which commissioned the report, said many women were sexually exploited or were forced to drink excessive amounts of alcohol. The study, carried out on behalf of FIZ by the Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies, surveyed 70 dancers from 11 countries. Presenting the findings on Wednesday, FIZ said…

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Culture

The alpine horn in Europe

This content was published on Aug 30, 2006 The Swiss alpine horn is played abroad by homesick emigrants from Switzerland, but the long conical wind instrument made on wood is known in nearly every alpine culture. The “fakürt” is the name of the Hungarian wooden trumpet. It is similar to the Swiss alpine horn but shorter. Not only herdsmen but also fishermen and…

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History

Special Church Music

This content was published on Aug 30, 2006 Herdsmen were the first people who visited the newborn child Jesus. Pictures of the shepherds’ adoration often contain wind instruments as for example bagpipes and horns. In this context the very herdsmen’s instrument, the alphorn, has been blowing since ever at Christmas in the church of Rheinfelden, Canton Aargau, and on the market in Villingen…

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Culture

Alphorn and Voice

This content was published on Aug 30, 2006 The human voice is able to produce all the sounds of the chromatic scale or the ones of the natural harmonic row. It would have been easy to combine voice and alphorn from the beginning of the tradition. In fact it’s possible that herdsmen in former times did sing and play together. But there are…

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Culture

Unspunnen Festival

This content was published on Aug 30, 2006 A large, funnel-shaped meadow at the foot of the Jungfrau near Interlaken gave its name to the Alpine herdsman, Swiss Alpine wrestling and traditional costume festival first held in the meadow in 1805. The first Unspunnen festival was officially ordered in the interests of reaching a reconciliation with the rebellious people of the Bernese Oberland…

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Swiss Alpine Music

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Teachers warn of future shortage

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Medical experts tackle global health gap

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Switzerland a cog in massive tax fraud scam

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Swiss rowers re-enact gruelling journey

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Study highlights cabaret dancer abuses

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The alpine horn in Europe

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Special Church Music

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Alphorn and Voice

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Unspunnen Festival

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