Swiss Identity

Former CSFB banker given 18 months in prison

This content was published on Sep 8, 2004 He was also fined $90,000 (SFr113,000) for obstructing a federal investigation into the Swiss investment bank. US District Judge Richard Owen handed down the sentence to Quattrone, who had stood accused of encouraging CSFB employees to destroy documents before investigators could get to them. He was convicted in May after being found guilty on two…

Demographics

Zurich set to miss out on Euro 2008

This content was published on Sep 8, 2004 Zurich’s slim hope lies in a major SFr125 million ($98.5 million) revamp of the old Letzigrund stadium, but organisers remain sceptical. The project’s main investor, Credit Suisse, announced on Wednesday that it would go to the Federal Court to resolve a legal battle with local residents opposed to the stadium. But the bank said that…

Demographics

Foreigners face tough road to Swiss citizenship

This content was published on Sep 8, 2004 The long path to becoming Swiss is fraught with administrative and political difficulties – at state, cantonal and community level. Foreigners account for just over 20 per cent of the population. But according to government statistics for 2000, only 2.1 per cent of them have become Swiss – making it one of the lowest rates…

Culture

Birtwistle adds colour to Lucerne

This content was published on Sep 8, 2004 swissinfo met “Sir Harry” at the city’s spectacular lakeside concert venue and gained a unique insight into what makes the maestro tick. Birtwistle has a reputation for going against the grain, beginning with his 1968 opera “Punch and Judy”, which featured a marriage breakdown. Composer Benjamin Britten walked out of the performance in disgust. When…

Demographics

Athletes rise to Paralympic challenge

This content was published on Sep 8, 2004 They have joined 4,000 competitors from 130 countries at the 12th Paralympic Games, which opened on Friday. The Swiss, who have taken 40 athletes to Athens, say they have high hopes of returning with more medals than their able-bodied colleagues, who only managed five, including one gold. “According to our best estimates, we are capable…

Culture

Baschi

This content was published on Sep 8, 2004

Health insurers crack down on bogus claims

This content was published on Sep 7, 2004 CSS, one of Switzerland’s largest health insurance firms, has set up a dedicated foreign claims division to handle receipts issued outside the country. CSS receives around 30,000 claims every day. All are checked and those that do not originate in Switzerland are passed on to the newly created division for further investigation. The company says…

Culture

Free newspaper outstrips the competition

This content was published on Sep 6, 2004 A survey of the country’s newspapers placed Switzerland among the best-read countries in Europe, with 97 per cent of people reading at least one paper every day. 20 Minutes – the 30-page tabloid which carries Swiss and international news in short, easy-to-read articles – saw its readership grow 13 per cent last year, from 692,000…

Demographics

America’s Cup sets sail in Marseille

This content was published on Sep 6, 2004 The Marseille regatta is the first of nine events to decide the seedings for who will challenge Switzerland’s Team Alinghi for sailing’s oldest prize in 2007. The cup defenders, as is their right, have devised the new competition format for the 32nd America’s Cup, which will be fought off the coast of Valencia, Spain. It…

History

Controversial anti-Muslim advert causes outcry

This content was published on Sep 6, 2004 But they have decided not to make an official complaint against the advert, which was placed by a group linked to the rightwing Swiss People’s Party. Publication of the advert comes less than three weeks before the country is due to vote on easing restrictions on Swiss citizenship for second- and third-generation foreigners. “Thanks to…

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Former CSFB banker given 18 months in prison

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Zurich set to miss out on Euro 2008

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Foreigners face tough road to Swiss citizenship

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Birtwistle adds colour to Lucerne

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Athletes rise to Paralympic challenge

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Baschi

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Health insurers crack down on bogus claims

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Free newspaper outstrips the competition

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America’s Cup sets sail in Marseille

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Controversial anti-Muslim advert causes outcry

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