No. 4, April 2004

Index

• Swiss banking special.
• Abyss yields a surprise.
• Geneva: unemployment soars.
• Mental disorders.
• Pharaoh in Basel.
• Quality--Swiss pride.
• Swiss "Splash.".
• The sensitive car.
• Doing the 'dog' walk.
• Editorial.
• From the editor.
• From the editor.
• From the editors.
• Hodler's landscapes come to Zurich.
• Spring is in the air.
• A star discovery.
• Border checks.
• Chappatte.
• Chappatte.
• Vying for equality.
• Women in red.
• 'Maddest car of the year' says BBC's Top Gear.
• 5* dining. no [CO.sub.2].
• Digging for dirt.
• Invading spaces.
• Living in limbo: they are categorised as undocumented workers, illegal aliens, refugees gone underground, living and labouring in the "grey zone." These are human beings living on the edge of Swiss society, who number anywhere from between 50,000 and 300,000. Swiss News looks at illegal immigrants in Switzerland.
• Schooling Swiss-style.
• Send it in style.
• Spring forward.
• Swiss road deaths drop with alcohol limit.
• Underwater car for today's James Bond.
• Was it criminal malpractice?
• Zurich and Geneva: still tops.
• Chappatte.
• Geneva bans public smoking.
• Lingua franca.
• Low-lying resorts look beyond skiing.
• Mirror, mirror ...
• Price complaints continue to rise.
• Shareholders approve UBS bailout plan.
• Smart surfing.
• Something's fishy ...
• Sweet dreams.
• Time to scrub the sweet tooth?
• Two of four stolen paintings recovered.
• UBS hits record profit as shares fall.
• Watches and gems brighten up Basel! It's time again for the World Watch and Jewellery Show as Baselworld opens its doors in Basel from 15 to 22 April 2004.
• 10 questions with Aloe Blacc.
• A sigh of relief: the Swiss government was breathing a sigh of (tax) relief in February when voters came out narrowly in favour of proposals to reduce taxes for small- and mid-sized companies. But a bizarre sounding initiative to prevent fighter jets training over tourist resorts was booted sky high.
• American takes the helm at Credit Suisse.
• Blog on! Carry on blogging. It's fun, it's easy, it has a serious side and it's legal. Swiss News finds out more about blogging and it's impact on society.
• Fashion of the time: Swiss watchmakers are maintaining their reputation for luxury watches and remain world market leaders in terms of export value. But they will be scouting out the foreign competition as Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show kicks off at the Basel Messe, March 31 to April 7.
• Fuel prices set to soar.
• Giant mirror lets the sunshine in.
• Tracing and erasing footprints.
• Trade winds: trade between Switzerland and Europe is flourishing, and prospects for more free trade agreements appear better than ever.
• Type-2 diabetes: not just for adults anymore.
• Currency threat to business.
• Sex not required.
• Tax talk leaves Swiss cold.
• [Cartoon].
• Art world mourns loss.
• Best of Switzerland: why don't the Swiss take more pride in their creative over-achievers? And whom would they honour if they did? A new poll reveals their choices for future national tribute.
• Consensus at the ballot box.
• Future identity: SuisseID.
• Reaching summits.
• Taxing times: a difference of opinion over controversial Swiss tax breaks for foreign companies is threatening to place further strain on the country's already brittle relationship with the European Union. But what is the argument really about, who is in the right, and will they get their way?
• The museum of horology: the Musee International d'Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds is one of the best known watch museums in the Suisse Romande area--and with good reason.
• The VAT of the land: a government-planned hike in the Swiss Value Added Tax (VAT) on food, books, hotel bills and medical services, is meeting with stiff political opposition. But the finance ministry insists it is actually trying to put more money back in our pockets.
• A century of art.
• Chappatte.
• Swiss microcosm.
• Bridge at the heart of Europe: with a balanced blend of the urbane and pastoral charm, the Canton of Fribourg links French- and German-speakers, historic legacy and contemporary culture.
• Managing wealth: how can you invest your money, other than bringing it to one or more banks? One answer could be what's known as a "multi manager". Here, Patrick Picenoni of Altrafin Ltd., tells Swiss News about the business he launched in Zurich four years ago.
• State of the nation: Federal Councillor and Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf speaks with Renske Heddema about banking secrecy, the controversial minaret ban, euthanasia and Switzerland's international relations. Let's join them in Bern ...
• Submitting snake oil to science: next year, Switzerland's obligatory health insurance coverage will be extended to include five alternative therapies--including homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine. Swiss News explores what this development means for all of us ...
• There's "gold" in those hills! If you didn't know it was there, you probably wouldn't even notice the tiny village of Mund on the northern mountain in German-speaking upper Canton Valais. Nor would you know its saffron "gold mine".
• Farmhand for a week: volunteering on a small, family-run farm in northeast Switzerland, writer Alorie Gilbert comes to appreciate the struggles and rewards of a way of life that is slowly disappearing.
• Payment protection insurance: payment protection insurance is sold to borrowers providing reassurance that credit repayments will be covered if they fall on hard times, due to unforeseen events including redundancy, disability or illness.
• Swiss banking: past and present: Swiss News looks at Swiss private banking, a 500-year-old industry that endured centuries of change, and how it is dealing with new global dynamics.
• Being your own boss.
• Pasta perfect: yet again another extraordinary money making idea has landed on the Business Unusual desk. This time with the ingenious Italian chef, Mario Farinato.
• EU enlargement and Switzerland: the European Union's expansion has caused concern for Swiss jobs amongst the Swiss anti-European lobby. But leading economists say that this, in fact, should have little impact on the job market.
• Investing with passion.
• Swiss banking spokesman: Swiss News meets James Nason, head of international communications for the Swiss Banking Association, the trade associations for banks.
• That Swiss Schoggi ... Switzerland's liquid gold: for many years the Swiss chocolate industry has fought the unlawful use of the 'Swiss chocolate' label throughout the world, including a successful battle against Cadbury. Swiss News examines how a country without the natural ingredients of chocolate became a premier producer, worldwide.
• 30 years of Swiss News.
• Adecco to come clean.
• Higher profit at Voegele.
• IMF report--positive.
• Profit at Sarasin.
• Reinventing the Alps: from Andermatt to Zermatt, ambitious building projects involving some world-famous architects reflect a fundamental change in the orientation of Alpine resorts. It's no longer all about skiing.
• SIG: losses.
• SMI gainers & losers: February.
• Sulzer--low profits.
• Unemployment lowers.
• Unique sees profit.
• Homes of the 'future'--move in today.
• Should I stay or should I go? By many standards, the job of a Swiss Federal Councillor is safer than most. The constitution grants them a level of job security that most of us can only dream about. But what happens when a politician falls out of favour with the nation? Join us as we take a look at two examples of politicians on the edge ...
• The world of Miss Switzerland: halfway through her year as Miss Switzerland, Fiona Hefti talks to Swiss News about the experience, including traveling, championing good causes, pageant competitions and what it all means for her future.