No. 6, June 2004

Index

• Booming black economy.
• Cleaning out red light areas.
• Jobless rate drops.
• Pope thanks Swiss Guard.
• Rich clients fuel bank profits.
• Students hurt by savings plan.
• Switzerland's litterbugs.
• A thing of beauty.
• Editorial.
• From the editor.
• From the editor.
• From the editor.
• Napoleon's pants say stomach cancer.
• Reviewing immigration policy.
• Zurich zoo welcomes Farha.
• Bern stadium will run on solar power.
• Chappatte.
• Viruses cost billion.
• A triple 'no' blow.
• A melting monopoly.
• Big money, small country.
• Call for measles shots ahead of Euro 2008.
• Crown of the valley.
• Cyber bullying.
• Hey World! Watch out for Caroline Chevin.
• Meat lovers.
• Rental prices moving on up.
• Reporters cleared in leaks.
• Rule-loving Swiss will train pet owners.
• SBB: faster frequent and more efficient.
• Schengen/Dublin: opening the door to the EU? Swiss citizens will be facing some important issues--the Schengen/Dublin agreement and so-called Partnership Law--when they step up to the ballot box on June 5 to cast their vote in the first national referendum of 2005.
• Soaring rents.
• Speed hating.
• Swiss spenders to rock with the stones.
• Time to steal at the watch fair.
• Vienna dethrones Zurich.
• Car bound.
• Chappatte.
• Chappatte.
• CS losses mount.
• Historic feat.
• Losing appetite.
• Swiss architect draws global distinction.
• Swiss big cheeses are best paid.
• Swiss forum pushes for action to combat world food crisis.
• Swiss-led team finds 'another' earth.
• Weary of life.
• 10 questions with the co-directors of Art Basel.
• A right to discriminate? Switzerland's relations with its foreign residents will be under renewed scrutiny in June as voters consider a controversial proposal that would allow local citizens to hold secret ballots to decide on passport applications.
• Disability dilemma: Swiss voters will once again be confronted with an emotive issue on June 17 when a referendum aims to overturn controversial cuts in what we spend on the country's disabled.
• From underdog to darling.
• Migration department in graphic scandal.
• Swiss TV gets bad reception.
• The limit is the sky.
• Why non-EU expats must fight to work: American-born Cathy Johnson had a job offer in her field of study, a Swiss employer on her side ... and, ultimately, a one-way plane ticket home to Chicago. Swiss News looks at what went wrong.
• Aargau unveils controversial ban.
• Bridge building in Bern.
• Business matters in 2004.
• Chappatte: Bans on burkas proposed across Europe.
• Enjoying the ride: Sarah Springman isn't just one of the rare female university professors in the male-dominated field of civil engineering, she also excels in triathlon events and rowing. Swiss News spoke with the British-born professor about muscles and Swiss mountains.
• Girl, you're in the army now ...
• Highlife ends on a low.
• Lucerne: courage of a lion: the city. The lake. The mountains.
• Mobile link to bee decline.
• MP3 risk to cyclists.
• Price wars at supermarkets.
• Sew on.
• Chappatte.
• Immigration one-way street.
• A red card to the sceptics?
• Along the trails of the forgotten: Swiss Rigi railways.
• Bring on the fans: this month, millions of football fans will find their way to Swiss and Austrian cities for the Euro 2008 football tournament. Three airports in Switzerland will serve as entry points: Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Are they prepared for the influx?
• New kind of coach: coaches for teams and top performers are standard fare. Coaches for one and all--for everything from personal fitness to careers and, yes, even life itself--are a growing phenomenon. Swiss News reports on how the trend is playing out among some Geneva expats.
• Getting credit for your assets: Swiss mortgages and Lombard loans are very popular among expatriates, foreign investors and native Swiss who wish to buy property or start a business. Let's take a closer look at these popular sources of cash.
• Learning from German--los geht's! It is estimated the English language comprises 600,000 words, yet there are times when its paucity is hard to ignore. This usually happens when you learn a new word in the (more compact) German language for which there's no English equivalent. German speakers know how this confounds us, and describe that smug sense of satisfaction with the useful word Schadenfreude.
• Mmm ... another candy please.
• Other side of the socket: Swiss power woes.
• Putting the brakes on cars: upset that Switzerland hasn't met its commitment to reduce air pollutants, Parliament in 2000 enabled the Federal Council to act by decree. Swiss News examines one "clean air" approach ignored to date.
• Switzerland's religious transformation.
• The power of strength.
• Fabricating dreams in 3D: FabLab Luzern.
• Insuring your life: life insurance could be one of the more important purchases you make in life. In this article we will outline the requirements of a basic life insurance policy and how the right life cover can be used to protect your family or business partners if the worst should happen.
• Mergers and acquisitions.
• Rising to the challenge.
• Samir: rebel with a cause: a defining scene in Samir's 2005 film Snow White is when rapper, Paco, confronts his wealthy Zurich audience with rhymes about their materialism and superficiality.
• Unser Bier: if you can dream it, you can do it; if you can drink it you can brew it. Unser Bier is Basel's youngest micro-brewery. It was born in 1998 of the dreams of a small group of home-brewers and in seven short years has made its mark on the city.
• Working in Switzerland: last month's article covered topics such as salary, unemployment and family allowance. Below, we conclude this short series on working in Switzerland.
• Around world with Swiss Solar Power: Louis Palmer.
• Banker vs Swiss banking.
• Champs or chumps? The 2008 European football championships finally kick off on June 7 when Switzerland meet the Czech Republic in the tournament's opening match in Basel. Not content at merely being good hosts, the Swiss team have said they want to win the event. Current form suggests however that the Alpine nation will have a mountain to climb.
• Helping the poor to help themselves: The United Nations has named 2005 the Year of Microcredit-referring to small loans that assist developing countries--and Switzerland is jumping on board. Swiss News takes a closer look at how these loans are helping poor countries as well as Swiss entrepreneurs.
• Life insurance: losing a loved on is never easy. Adding financial burden to the grief only increases the strain. There are many reasons to consider life insurance, and it's worthwhile to spend a bit of time to determine whether it's appropriate for you.
• Swiss farmers go organic: gone are the days when organic farming was the mainstay of hippies and health fanatics. Today, farmers are converting to "bio" because it is good business. Swiss News looks at several factors that are contributing to the success of eco-farming.
• The enchantress.
• Business, science and art--a liaison Baloise: the Basel area, situated in the tri-country region where Switzerland, Germany and France come together, is not only international but also surprisingly innovative and chock-full of cultural attractions.
• Capturing beauty: to enter Bruno Bisang's world is to discover the truly eclectic. The famed Swiss photographer's Zurich apartment boasts stylish paintings, stunning sculptures and the work of photographers he admires. Soft, languid jazz plays while Bisang, who is reserved but personable, sips red wine and talks about his life and work.
• CS: profits soar.
• Less competitive.
• Rebuilding Haiti.
• SMI gainers & losers: April.