Nbr. 7, July 2003

Index

• What's on this month.
• Bilaterals--one year on.
• Criminal Court.
• Dominatrix bear banned.
• Flight restrictions.
• Illegal work.
• Insurers: genetic tests.
• Millionaires on the rise in Switzerland.
• New immigration law.
• Not to be sniffed at.
• Picasso II?
• Synthes-stratec most dynamic.
• Trains on time, rail travel on the rise.
• Violence in Afghanistan alarms Swiss aid workers.
• Archives: access denied.
• Foreigners travel, Swiss stay home.
• From the editor.
• From the editor.
• Petrol consumption set to meet targets.
• Speeding to be curbed.
• Swiss don't like their salaries.
• Accused: Swiss Shipping Company.
• Chappatte.
• Copycats tick along to 'worrying levels'.
• Euro not so hot in Switzerland.
• IBM, Swiss to build computer model of brain.
• Tax break for families in election year.
• Will joining the EU limit power?
• Celebrating sport.
• Anti-immigration initiative stops at polls.
• Dairy farmers' strike spreads across EU.
• Double thumbs up.
• Empty beds in Swiss hotels.
• Fantastic overlook.
• Iraq sanctions lifted.
• Lower pension yield.
• Mafia lawyer sent to jail.
• Mixed response to banks' green pledge.
• More UN, less G-8.
• Napoleon's love comes out 'in the wash'.
• Policemen acquitted.
• Protecting art.
• Quiet, please!(NEWS)
• Sahara tourists.
• Sugar too sweet for men.
• Switzerland stays honed.
• Switzerland's big deal with the EU: Switzerland is now as close to Europe as it can get without a full EU membership. Swiss president Joseph Deiss shares his views on the latest developments on the international and the domestic front.
• Taxpayers bear the Swissair demise.
• Web survey results.
• 'To you goes half the glory'.
• Banking secrecy at risk?
• Chappatte: generation internet.
• Club news.
• Just "blah blah blah"?
• Novartis buys into superbug drug.
• Overtime runs the world.
• A green light for ecological development.
• A high price for low taxation.
• Demise of the double-barrelled name?
• More Swiss are taking it on credit: research shows that Switzerland is an untapped reserve of potential borrowers, with consumer debt at record low levels. However, that may be changing; Swiss News explores why.
• Nanotechnologhy comes to Zurich.
• Party over? Just eight months on from its stunning success in the national elections, is the Swiss People's Party really on the brink of an equally spectacular collapse?
• Projecting success.
• Swiss claw back Gaddafi compensation.
• Swiss divided on foreign voting rights.
• Swiss skateboarder in court.
• The naked truth.
• Top destination for offshore wealth.
• UBS: nowhere to go but up? UBS seemed invincible in its very recent heyday, It was vast, powerful and confident, Risky investments on the back of an economic downfall, however, ripped the carpet from under its feet, What does the future hold: a return to its former glory or a new, more modest existence?
• Unemployment: foreigners bear the brunt; the global economic slowdown has not left Switzerland unscathed. Foreigners here are having a tough time job-wise. A report.
• All that glitters.
• Chappatte.
• Chappatte: Europe's rescue plan.
• Deportation initiative slammed.
• Remembering a legend.
• Upping the anti ...
• Attention Army XXI! Christophe Kekeis, the new Chief of the Swiss Army tells Swiss News about his role and the new structure of Army XXI in the fast moving world of today.
• Cash registers ring in festival season.
• Expats move into the Swiss housing market: Juliette and Tom moved to the Zurich-area with their two young children less than a year ago from the UK. They aren't sure how long they'll stay. In December, however, they moved into their newly bought flat.
• The forum with a difference.
• The troubling timeline.
• Do you speak German? Proper German? Every 15 minutes a German immigrates to Switzerland. This frightening statistic would be even more shocking if it were true. Nonetheless, it is correct to say that a lot of Germans have moved to Switzerland since a bilateral deal was arranged with the EU in record time.
• For whom the bell tolls: sandwiched between the asparagus- and the wild-game seasons, in the sweltering heat of summer, you'll find another well-known season that isn't just confined to Switzerland. Yes folks, it's wedding time again!(humour)
• Medieval party goes co-ed.
• No vacancies: this May, citizens of many former-Eastern Bloc EU countries gained unlimited access to Switzerland's labour market, when final restrictions were lifted as part of the Bilateral II treaty with the EU. While the Swiss economy profits from this freedom of movement act, many Swiss are concerned about the consequences of unlimited migration.
• Power crunch: keeping the lights on: blessed with high-energy hydropower, Switzerland may appear to be in a strong position to maintain a secure, low-carbon economy, but business groups warn of a likely energy supply crunch.
• Power struggle in Russia: in November 2003, heavily armed special security forces arrested a rich Russian tycoon on an airplane at gun-point. The Swiss Federal Prosecution Office was requested to provide legal assistance by freezing bank accounts of an astronomic CHF6.2 billion. Find out more.
• The art of politics.
• The new face of Swiss immigration: Ruth's tiny body is hunkered down and her lips are moving, but I can't hear a word. Her young daughter, born in Sudan when Ruth was 16, plays quietly on the floor. After a few tries, I make sense of the whispers coming from Ruth's dry lips. "I do not know what I feel here. I feel sad," Ruth says. "Always sad.".
• Buying property: European banks have once again warned of further interest rate hikes and we have received many calls from clients asking if they should switch to a fixed-rate mortgage. Their concerns increased when Swiss banks recently decided to increase their variable lending rate from 3.0 per cent to 3.25 per cent, the first increase for many since 1995.
• Hear it in English.
• Shifting residence and moving home: relocation--it's not just about moving to a new place, but more about making a fresh start and integrating into the new system to make your house a home.
• The business of consulting.
• Challenging Swiss salaries: how does your employer measure up?
• Libya vs. Switzerland: is a happy ending in sight? Muammar Gaddafi is the most powerful man in Libya--and he has taken a very strong dislike to Switzerland. The souring of relations between the two countries eventually developed into a major diplomatic crisis; however, the mid-June release of Swiss citizen Max Goldi, imprisoned in Libya for almost two years, could prove the catalyst for renewed relations....
• One man, two cultures: last year, after 24 years in exile, I returned to Iraqi Kurdistan to visit my family for Newroz, the Kurdish New Year celebrations. I wanted to go there to reflect on the experiences of my life, which have led me from Iran, to Iraq, and finally to Switzerland. I would like to share with you a brief summary of my path out of my homeland.
• Renting in Switzerland: prior to arriving in Switzerland, you'll probably have to find a place to live, which can be easier said than done. While we usually move for positive reasons, such as a new job, the move itself can be harrowing. Here are some tips to help you avoid the pitfalls--especially if you're renting.
• Stargazer.
• The best way to get it there: Welti-Furrer AG is a leading relocation and transport company with a long tradition. This long-standing experience, coupled with constant innovation has led to an unparalleled level of skills and expertise.
• Adecco: profits fall.