Swiss Identity

More misfortune for Rey-Bellet as Austrians sweep downhill

This content was published on Feb 6, 2001 Rey-Bellet, who also finished fourth in Friday’s combined race, was agonisingly close to a medal for the second time in five days. Just over half a second separated the Swiss skier from the third-placed Austrian, Selina Heregger. “I’m a little bit frustrated,” Rey-Bellet told swissinfo after the race. “It’s the second time I’m fourth and…

Culture

The secret fortress of Vitznau

This content was published on Feb 6, 2001 Pius Zimmermann sits on a bench in the public park at Vitznau on the shore of Lake Lucerne. He’s looking out unto the calm waters, where he once operated a lake-taxi years before. Switzerland was founded in this area in 1291. “This is the narrowest part of the lake. We’re in canton Lucerne here, but…

Culture

New film version of “Heidi” to be screened at Berlin festival

This content was published on Feb 6, 2001 The film is a new screen version of Johanna Spyri’s classic tale, “Heidi”, and is directed by Markus Imboden. The mountain scenes were shot on location near Scuol in Graubünden, the canton where Heidi stays with her grandfather after the death of her mother. Although it is an official Swiss entry, “Heidi” is in fact…

Demographics

Swiss combined hopes rest on Accola

This content was published on Feb 5, 2001 Didier Defago and Bruno Kernen both lost control of their skis on a piste of tight turns and soft snow. Defago was an early casualty, thrown off course near the top of the first run, while Kernen was unlucky to crash out near the bottom of the second. Although Accola made it through to Tuesday’s…

Demographics

Swiss prosecutors submit extradition request for Russian official

This content was published on Feb 5, 2001 A spokesman for the justice ministry, Raimund Renggli, said the extradition request has been forwarded to the US authorities. Borodin is being held without bail in New York, where he is awaiting extradition to Switzerland. Swiss prosecutors accuse him of laundering $25 million (SFr41 million), which he allegedly received from two Swiss firms in return…

Demographics

Bern unveil new ice hockey coach

This content was published on Feb 5, 2001 The 45-year-old, who is currently coaching second division side Lausanne, will take over from Bern’s current coach Pekka Rautakallio at the end of the season. The club said on Monday that it had opted for a “Bernese solution” to its recent slump in form. Fuhrer, who has signed a two year contract with Bern, was…

Demographics

World Economic Forum tries to get to bottom of hacking embarrassment

This content was published on Feb 5, 2001 “It goes without saying that we’ve launched a serious investigation to determine how this took place,” WEF spokesman Charles McLean told swissinfo. “We take this incident very seriously.” “We consider this regrettable and we’re doing everything we can to protect the privacy of our members and our participants,” he said. He said that the US…

Demographics

Bad weather forces new schedule in St Anton

This content was published on Feb 5, 2001 Officials announced on Monday that the men’s downhill would now be held on Wednesday with the women’s downhill taking place on Tuesday. Both races were cancelled at the weekend after almost a metre of snow fell in the Austrian resort. Monday’s racing action will involve only half of the men’s combined event. The two evening…

Demographics

New list of dormant accounts made public

This content was published on Feb 5, 2001 A spokesman for the Swiss Bankers Association, James Nason, said the list of 21,000 accounts, which has been published on the Internet (address below), would help potential claimants to identify dormant accounts, which were held in Switzerland by Jewish victims of the Nazis. The list was due to have been made available at the end…

Demographics

Small resort big on snow

This content was published on Feb 5, 2001 Leysin, near the eastern end of Lake Geneva, is one of the highest villages in the French-speaking canton of Vaud. The “Week of the Big North” includes tobogganing in what’s billed as Europe’s largest “Toboggan Park”, sled dog rides and games for children on and off the pistes. On any given Friday in winter, visitors…

Swiss Identity

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