Nbr. 2, February 2004

Index

• Armed guards "normal" on Swiss planes.
• Asia quake disaster.
• Credit Suisse on economic reform.
• Handing over Saddam's assets.
• Nestle's healthier diet.
• Peace through trade.
• Phone service abuse.
• Positive economic outlook.
• SMS reigns.
• University opens to kids.
• "Swiss" signifies quality.
• A brave new world.
• From the editor.
• Spring time change.
• Visionary leaders.
• Heat is here to stay.
• Hidden treasures.
• New year, new agenda: Switzerland's seven-member Federal Council constitutes the country's executive branch of government that functions more like a board of directors. The captains of politics recently presented their new strategic course for the year 2005, but some experts suggest that the Council is just sailing a business-as-usual course.
• Traffic jams.
• Burning of the Boogg.
• Don't forget.
• Sitting pretty.
• Smell the summer.
• Coop's new look.
• Crisis not over: Swiss regulator.
• Davos 2005: since 1970, Davos has been home to the World Economic Forum. Swiss News interviews Andre Schneider, the Forum's Chief Operating Officer to find out what this year's meeting has in store.
• Integration: a people problem.
• Questions with ... Ueli Maurer.
• Referendum tackles tax and noise.
• Skiing, anyone?
• SVP unleashes the ravens.
• 2009 year in review.
• Federer top Swiss sports personality.
• I do thee wed.
• Joseph Deiss: president of the confederation.
• Lake Geneva: a "mirror of feelings".
• Legal downloads.
• Like reading tea leaves.
• Novartis to cut jobs.
• Nuclear shutdown.
• Record disasters from global warming.
• Unsafe crossings.
• 10 questions with Bekele Geleta.
• Action man takes on the presidency: a political veteran has taken the helm of the Swiss federal cabinet. Interior Minister Pascal Couchepin became Switzerland's president on January 1, 2008 and will hold the position for a year. Swiss News takes a look at the seasoned politician from Martigny, Canton Valais, and the role he's set to play this year.
• Global concerns in Alpine land: the World Economic Forum continues to bring together business and political leaders, and representatives of civil society to its annual meeting in Davos end-January. A report by Swiss News.
• Pooled experience.
• Public transport squeeze.
• Signs of the times.
• Swiss Commission for UNESCO: greater good.
• Chappatte.
• Helvetistan: when Switzerland joined the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund back in 1992, it gained some unsavoury freshman classmates. Swiss News looks at how the Swiss now leads this motley 'Helvetistan' crew.
• Switzerland's missing arsenal.
• Maximum pleasure: what does it take to be the best of the best-to perfect the art for which Switzerland is famous?
• The wonderful world of robots?
• Exploring Swiss flats: Switzerland may be in Europe, but adjusting to its idiosyncrasies can involve changing everything you ever thought to be true. For example, the days of the week in my house now go like this: Monday, Tuesday, Washday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Zopfday.
• World Economic Forum 2013: driving dynamism and protecting prosperity.
• Designing her dreams: designer and exporter of garments Smita Suchde, now based in Zurich, has come a long way--both professionally and geographically.
• Green shoots: to continue our look at new faces in high places, Swiss News speaks with Green Party senator Robert Cramer. He explains the significance of his own election success and what his party hopes to achieve as a result of their parliamentary gains.
• Pioneers' Club: celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit.
• The face of Max Havelaar: elected as a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos in year 2000, Paola Ghillani is a pharmacist and a manager who left the world of big business and followed her personal ideals.
• The MBA: the doorway to advancement.
• The Strathclyde MBA in Zurich: No. 4 world-wide in corporate strategy.
• All shook up? The December expulsion of controversial justice minister Christoph Blocher provoked expressions of outrage from his right-wing Swiss People's Party and an immediate declaration that it would go into opposition. But in a country not used to confrontational politics, how exactly will the People's Party follow up on that threat--and will the left live to regret December's cleverly-orchestrated coup?
• Fonds'04: a preview.
• Headmasters.
• Storm threatens Swiss safe haven; Switzerland's reputation as a safe haven during financial and economic storms is facing a challenge due to the global financial crisis. More than a year after the meltdown in subprime lending triggered a crunch in worldwide credit markets, the real economy is starting to feel the effects. And Switzerland is not immune.
• The path of change-makers: according to the Oxford English Dictionary, an entrepreneur is "a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope for profit." The word originates from the French 'entreprendre' which means 'to undertake'.
• Unia 'a trade union for all': Unia, Switzerland's largest trade union with an estimated 200,000 members, protested against wage dumping and called for fair working conditions last year. Swiss News talks to Bruno Schmucki to find out more detail about this newly founded union.
• CERN: frontiers of knowledge.
• The business of muscles: here's an intriguing story of turning bodybuilding into a profession.
• Why rent furniture? No more long-term hotel stays. Network Relocation can offer you the creature comforts of home with ease.
• A visionary's tale: Francois de Rose, founding father of CERN.
• Adecco: irregularities.
• Bank Julius Bar sued.
• Retail giants stride ahead.
• Revisiting neutrality: demand for Swiss diplomacy's "good offices" has fallen sharply since the Berlin wall collapsed in 1991. But a Zurich scholar says a more activist "peace facilitator" role now fills that gap well.
• SMI gainers & losers: December.
• Swiss Post franchise.
• Thinking global at the WEF: the violent protests that marked the World Economic Forum in 2000 have not been repeated, but critics continue to question the social value of the world's biggest talking shop. Here, Forum director Lee Howell tells how global debate inspires action where it counts--at the grass roots.
• Unique experience: infinite possibilities for success.
• Zipping success.
• Patience. Passion. Persuasion. European University.
• 39th WEF: a crisis meeting? What a difference a year makes. Even as the storm clouds of a global financial crisis were gathering during the World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual meeting of movers and shakers in Davos last year, few could have predicted how subdued the mood would become just 12 months later.
• A life in silk.
• Managing FIFA: larger than life FIFA's Sepp Blatter talks to Swiss News about the association's present and future outlook, about Switzerland and about football.
• WEF: brainstorming in the Alps: for the 40th consecutive year, the mountain resort of Davos will bring world leaders together to discuss the most important socio-economic issues affecting each of us. Swiss News goes behind the scenes of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to examine its purpose--and its potential to spark change for our interconnected world.
• What's on this month.
• A true treasure: Agnieszka Zalewska.
• Sechselauten: Zurich.
• Fundamental guest: Fabiola Gianotti.
• Investment profiling: the global financial system is undergoing a meltdown not seen since the 1930s. Most investments have been hit by substantial losses, and for many, it is unclear what to do next. Following is a basic guideline to determine which type of investor you are, so you'll be ready when it's time to jump back into the market.
• Partners in trade: despite a defiant refusal to join the EU, Switzerland is nevertheless irrefutably dependant on the greater European economy, the source of a third of Swiss revenues. Were something to go awry in the carefully maintained relationship with the EU, the Swiss would surely pay a price.
• The office masseur: here at the business unusual desk we are always looking at ways of making the working day somewhat easier to handle. One bright idea certainly has to be the office massage service.
• Head in the clouds: Jasmin Trostl.
• Check out Chur.
• Economics in the 21st century: Janwillem Acket is the chief economist at Julius Baer, a Swiss private banking group with a long and colourful history. He shares his views on the Swiss franc, the Euro and the broader consequences of the recent global financial crisis.
• Events 2004.
• Going large: the fight against obesity: in 2008, one in every five children in Switzerland was overweight. That's five times more than in 1988. Federal and cantonal governments, and public and private sectors alike are now rallying around one word--prevention--in an attempt to arrest the disturbing trend.
• Log on and buy: shopping online has become quick, easy and fun. Swiss News looks at how this industry has finally taken off.
• Swiss News readers' survey.