No. 1, January 2011

Index

• Faces of Malaysia.
• Egyptian artifacts returned.
• Geneva seeks Middle East peace.
• More-cross border workers.
• Non-stop around earth.
• Private schools.
• Quicker airport security.
• Swiss Muslims speak up.
• Swiss urged again to join EU.
• University reforms.
• Virus control!
• A world in flux.
• Banking battles.
• Dear Santa.
• Farmers on tourist land.
• From the editor.
• Money laundering.
• Onions!(News)
• Success is the name of the game.
• Bin Laden accounts.
• No religious equality in Zurich.
• Seducing MNCS.
• Swiss concerns.
• The aids focus.
• Unemployment on a five-year high.
• Women: the discriminated gender.
• "Yes" "yes" "yes": at the final referendum of 2004, Swiss voters gave a nod to all three proposals presented at the ballot box. Science and financial issues seemed to win out this time round, with the people overwhelmingly approving laws governing stem-cell research and fiscal reforms.
• American Women's Club of Bern.
• American Women's Club of Lausanne.
• English Speaking Club Zurich.
• Geneva English Drama Society.
• Letter to the editor.
• Toastmasters Club of Zurich.
• Zurich Comedy Club.
• Brace yourselves: economic outlook 2009.
• Cold hard truths.
• Merger mania continues in retail.
• Parties expel Blocher in political ambush.
• Political sea change? In the wake of the recent Federal Council elections, Swiss politics has sailed into more conservative waters. The traditional so-called magic formula has been cast overboard and a new political concoction may be on the horizon.
• Swiss economists give mixed signals: the outlook for the Swiss economy in 2005 appears far from clear as we enter the New Year, with some of the country's leading experts and think tanks at odds over expectations for its performance over the next 12 months. A report.
• Switzerland eyes the prized World Cup.
• Teachers" pets.
• 'Witch's' pardon is two centuries late.
• A return with cream.
• Chappatle.
• Early cable car.
• Genevois writers gather.
• Gunman injures one.
• New Swiss Army knife is one for the books.
• Penguin parade.
• Political orientation.
• Rich just got richer.
• Speeding toward the future.
• Blocher--controversial Federal Councillor: on December 10, 2003, the two Houses of Representatives elected Christoph Blocher of the People's Party of Switzerland as Federal Councillor. In the following interview, he details his views and future plans.
• Carsten Rubsaamen doesn't want your money.
• New kids in the House. no less than 70 new parliamentarians will have their say on issues facing Switzerland as the new political year gets underway. Among them will be the country's first black parliamentarian, the first Green politicians in the Senate and a new batch of 30-something women lending a fresh look to the House of Representatives.
• On air and in English.
• Schengen in the cross-hairs ... again.
• Taking up the reins as Swiss president: being Swiss president must feel like Santa Claus. A middle-aged white man who comes along just once a year, usually arriving unnoticed by the general public.
• The people have spoken: Swiss voters upheld the legalisation of heroin for long-term addicts in a November referendum, but rejected a proposal that would have decriminalised the use of marijuana. Reporter Tom Armitage presents the details surrounding this, and other prominent referendum package decisions.
• The WikiLeak buck stops here.
• A divided result.
• Chappatte.
• Shop all week--but not for 'Frankenfood'; Swiss voters said 'yes' and 'yes' to the two proposals on the table at the last referendum of 2005. The outcome opens the door to shopping on Sundays but leaves genetically modified foods off the grocery list.
• Check out Malaysia: Swiss News talks to Malaysian ambassador Datuk Ismail Mustapha regarding the Swiss-Malaysian relations, the Malaysian expatriate community in Switzerland, the history of bilateral ties between the two countries and more.
• How racist is Switzerland? Like in the rest of the world, a degree of racism does exist in the otherwise neutral country of Switzerland. Some people--both Swiss and non-Swiss--don't even want to confront this reality. Read on and uncover myth from reality.
• New year--old arguments? While the New Year is traditionally a time for clean slates and fresh starts, Switzerland's politicians are likely to be confronted in 2006 by many of the same issues that dominated the previous 12 months.
• Star on the rise: rarely has a Swiss politician gone through such a gruelling first few months in office as Federal Councillor and Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. And rarely has one risen from relative national obscurity--and then exile status--to immense popularity so quickly or so successfully. Swiss News caught up with a very frank Widmer-Schlumpf at a recent meeting in Zurich.
• 2010: a Swiss odyssey: what an outstanding year that was! We had referenda to deal with the problem of foreigners. The world pressured us to end some of our more dubious financial dealings. Roger Federer racked up more tennis titles. Admittedly, I could be talking about any year over the past decade ...
• Reshaping the world.
• A tough vote against foreigners: the Swiss electorate has voted in favour of an amendment to the federal constitution. The vote means that should a foreigner be convicted of a serious crime in Switzerland, they will now face automatic deportation. The vote was tight--and brought with it misunderstanding, both within and beyond the nation's borders.
• On the ball? Five years after the successful bid to stage the 2008 EuroPean football championships with neighbouring Austria, Switzerland is finally waking up to the fact that one of the world's biggest sporting events is just around the corner. So how ready are the Swiss to put on a memorable soccer party, and what challenges still remain?
• Taxes explained: it's around this time of the year that most of us make our tax saving and expenditure plans for the New Year. Tax expert Gaby J. Mueller explains the basics of filing returns.
• The future we want.
• Missing Teh Tarik Halia: the president of the Malaysian Swiss Association, Yaw Hwa Chin who is a martial arts trainer with an open invitation from the King of Malaysia to teach the Royals the arts, talks to Swiss News.
• Bringing Chin Woo to the alps: from modest beginnings, he is today the founder and President of the Chin Woo Kung Fu Centres in Switzerland. Chow Kok Yeng shares his experiences, challenges and the philosophy of life.
• No welcome mat for asylum seekers; in September, the House of Representatives followed the Senate in voting for what will soon be the most severe asylum legislation in Europe. By the time you read this article, the new law will likely be official paving the way for a referendum by Swiss citizens. Will they be able to turn back the clock?
• Taxes: expert opinion: Switzerland has 27 different tax laws. Swiss News attempts at finding answers to some frequently asked questions.
• Think, debate and deliver.
• Completing your tax form: sometime during the first two months of 2009 the last remnants of festive joy will be quelled by the sound of the 2008 tax form landing in your post box, In this article we look at how to prepare yourself to avoid the annual stress associated with filing tax returns.
• New start for ABB? The end of the hard times seems in sight for Swiss-Swedish engineering technology group, ABB, says the company's chairman and chief executive, Jurgen Dormann.
• On the wheels of success: with the completion of a new hi-tech wind tunnel and the signing on of a former world championship driver, Sauber Petronas is a team on the rise.
• Planning for retirement: last month we looked at the financial investments that are often used to prepare for retirement. But where to start? Let's explore the process of putting a effective plan in place.
• Feintool in the black.
• Loss through low fares.
• Micronas hikes capital.
• Phonak profits again.
• SMI gainers & losers: November.
• Swiss economy 2003/2004.
• Swiss firms focus on China.
• Zurich sees profits surge.
• Divine Davos.
• Good chemistry with Switzerland.
• REKA: holiday the Swiss way: since the 1930s, a Swiss travel fund has offered affordable holidays in one of the most expensive destinations in the world. Swiss News has more.
• Sun power: with rising oil prices and environmental concerns, solar power is being eyed as an alternative to fossil fuels and nuclear plants. Swiss News talks with Dr. Ayodhya N. Tiwari, head of a research group working on thin-film solar technology at ETH in Zurich and co-founder of a spin-off company now planning to bring the 'new solar' to market.
• Taxes at your fingertips: elaborating on the Swiss tax system is a lengthy and difficult task. But, Swiss News attempts at explaining it all in a simple and concise way.
• What's on this month.
• Zweifel: 50 years at the top: fifty years ago, the Zweifel family of Canton Zurich unexpectedly entered the crisps business. Half a century later, the eponymous brand is the national market leader. You can't say crisps or chips in Switzerland without thinking of Zweifel, Swiss News investigates how the business developed its crunch.
• A diplomatic president.
• Evolution of an artist: when Bryon Paul McCartney followed his girlfriend to Zurich five years ago, the graphic designer had no idea he would become an internationally respected photographer. Swiss News spoke with him at his studio about how he discovered his true passion and turned dreams to reality.