No. 12, December 2011

Index

• Charity for children.
• Donations for military centre.
• English: unwanted.
• Federer wins.
• Fewer jobs abroad.
• Fewer Swiss on the move.
• Real estate reality.
• Reincarnating Buddha.
• Switzerland targets people trade.
• Ticino's teachers strike.
• "Successful" trip to India.
• 'Smoking kills' reinforced.
• Carnival time!(News)
• From the editor.
• From the editor.
• From the editor.
• Make believe.
• Remembering others.
• Swiss back Schengen accords.
• Swiss designers awarded.
• Beyer's collection solid!(News)
• Chappatte.
• CSS: patients abroad.
• Deeper into debt.
• Swiss sci-tech hub in Frisco.
• Wage dumping denounced.
• 2815 ways to be Swiss: foreigners in Switzerland face a long and winding road when it comes to acquiring the coveted red passport. There is a maze of requirements, regulations and red tape to navigate, but it doesn't reach a dead-end--and sooner or later, it's going to get easier.
• Club news.
• Letter to the editor.
• Black sheep election poster is not 'racist'.
• Bluetongue disease hits first Swiss herd.
• Bragging rights.
• Final referenda--2004: as the year draws to an end, the Swiss step up to the ballot box to vote on the last of four referendums of 2004. In a year marked by several defeats for the government, voters will once again give thumbs up or down to another three proposals of the Federal Council and Parliament.
• Free swine flu vaccine on the way.
• Jail for killer dad.
• Kunsthaus Zurich gets a facelift.
• Limits on euthanasia?
• Out with the cold.
• Pay raises all 'round.
• Price war heats up.
• Remembering a Swiss adventurer.
• Security check.
• Swiss: still flying high.
• UBS says it misjudged the credit meltdown.
• An early alpinist.
• Chappatte.
• Chappatte.
• Chappatte.
• Choco-holic alert ...
• Christmas wrapping.
• Clooney's on board for eco-friendly motors.
• Club of Rome moves head office to Zurich.
• Daring heights.
• Fears of bird flu put Swiss on guard.
• Hey, big spender?
• Hidden chemicals.
• High on heels: the Business Unusual desk is impressed by the wild and wonderful moneymaking ideas that have been turned into business realities. An intriguing dossier that recently landed in our 'Business Unusual' in-tray was the Zurich-based high heel shoe retailer, Hot Heels.
• Land of the free (press).
• No exceptions.
• 10 questions with ... Jason Spezza.
• Another world: drawing on a changed planet: Patrick Chappatte is one of Switzerland's best known cartoonists, contributing editorial cartoons to Le Temps, the Sunday edition of the Neue Zurcher Zeitung, the International Herald Tribune (IHT) and Swiss News.
• Competition hits the isle of high prices: despite the many bilateral treaties between Switzerland and the EU, this country remains an island of high prices. Even if the expensive Euro has dulled the sharpest edges that gouge us, Swiss consumers continue to pay up to double their EU neighbours. Swiss News investigates why.
• Depression speaks French?
• Hair dye ban.
• Healthy workaholics.
• Landmark agreements with UK and Germany.
• No more political 'magic': Swiss News attempts to decipher--in simple terms--the changing face of the Swiss political system.
• Not until you drop: many an expat has arrived in Switzerland to find, to their astonishment, the shops close their doors at 16:00 on Saturdays, and as for Sundays--well, forget it. Supporters of longer trading hours face stiff opposition, but in a stagnating economy is business winning the argument?
• Swiss philanthropy: generosity isn't just a popular concept in Switzerland. Last year, Swiss residents backed up their convictions by donating some SFr 700 million to charity. Swiss News spoke with three Swiss-based charities to learn more about the services they provide, their inceptions and how they are organised.
• Travel news.
• Watch your back.
• Winner takes all? Switzerland's politicians were at the centre of unusual international interest in October as the country held a national election marred by accusations of racism and xenophobia. But it is the cabinet elections on December 12 that will decide just what effect all the fuss will have on the composition of Switzerland's government.
• Chappatte: youth and the press.
• Helpful Swiss.
• Joint custody.
• Let your voice be heard.
• Malaria breakthrough.
• The price you pay.
• 125 years: the Frey secret.
• ETH hires first woman rector: Professor Heidi Wunderli-Allenspach--the first woman to be named director of academic affairs for the Federal Institute of Technology in Switzerland--aims to guide the institution into calmer waters after a tumultuous time in which a former president was asked to step down.
• 10 questions with Luca Ruch.
• Renovating landmarks: Swiss News looks at the task of preserving Switzerland's landmark building heritage and the bond between architects and government design watchdogs.
• The game's up for the Christmas criminal! These days it is possible to haul people in front of international criminal courts for countless reasons, big and small. So, I think it is high time for one long-reigning trickster to face justice.
• The NGO capital: Switzerland is host to a total of 29 international organisations of which 24 are located in Geneva--a location often favoured as a headquarters for international operations.
• Aiming to be corruption-free: Switzerland ranks among the top 10 least corrupt countries in the world. Yet, says global watchdog Transparency Switzerland, steps can be taken to weed out the flaw all together.
• Banking on a bright future: Patrick Odier took over from Pierre Mirabaud as chairman of the Swiss Bankers Association in 2009. He speaks to Swiss News about the future of Swiss banking; the recent problems surrounding banking secrecy, and looming financial regulations intended to prevent future financial collapse.
• Coffee, body and soul.
• Life sciences spell international success; a unique Indo-Swiss partnership in the area of biotechnology is putting knowledge to work. Swiss News talks to officials at the ISCB to find out more.
• Living with the tourists.
• Transforming a village into a hotel: in the battle against the 'cold bed' tourism phenomenon that's reduced much of the Engadine Valley into a series of ghost towns, one small village is taking a unique approach to keep itself vibrant. Swiss News travelled to the valley to find out more.
• Formula gOne? Thirteen, years of independent Swiss involvement in Formula One motor racing came to an end in October when the small, privatley-run Sauber team completed their final race at the season-ending Grand Prix in Shanghai.
• Deciphering the universe: German astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel bagged the Balzan Prize for outstanding scientific achievement this year. He tells Swiss News about his fascinating work.
• Mapping: the human brain.
• Sweet thoughts: Miriam Blocher.
• The science cafe: the French idea of average citizens debating great scientific issues in coffeehouses is now being tested in Switzerland--but with mixed results.
• Behind the sweet taste of chocolate: who won't warm their hands around a nice cup of cocoa or bite into a sweet chocolate bar at the bottom of a ski slope this winter? Few, however, tend to think of the chocolate's origins. Even fewer realise that whatever chocolate they are consuming could well be traced back to only one company--the relatively unknown, Swiss-based Barry Callebaut.
• Shaping the info society: Geneva takes centre stage as the info-tech thirsty come together for the first ever World Summit on the Information Society.
• ABB: deeper in the red.
• Axe your tax: with 2008 quickly drawing to a close, it is time to take advantage of the available opportunities to save on your taxes in Switzerland. In this article we'll take a look at the primary ways to reduce your income taxes.
• Bill Watterson: The Complete Calvin & Hobbes.