Recently added articles from Swiss News:
From the editor.(Editorial)
Nov 01, 2009; Zwahlen, Cassandra Petrakis ... Freedom of religion. Enjoyed by multitudes around the world, it is a human right sometimes taken for granted. Yet a standard architectural feature of most mosques--the minaret--has ignited a nationwide debate on religious freedom in Switzerland, which will culminate in a national ...
Welcome, Mr. Councillor.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2009; ... The newest member of the Swiss Federal Council, Didier Burkhalter, will officially begin work on November 1. The 49-year-old senator from Neuchatel will fill the Council seat vacated by Pascal Couchepin, who announced his resignation in June following 11 years in the position ....
Out of the doghouse.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2009; ... With the flourish of a pen, Switzerland is off the OECD's notorious "grey list", according to a statement released by the Federal Department of Finance. The "grey list"--composed of countries that are considered tax oases, but that have also declared they will accept the OECD's ...
Bilingual or bust.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2009; ... Thinking of applying for a Swiss passport? Better brush up on your German, French, Italian or Romansh first. The Swiss Senate recently backed the House of Representatives by voting not to grant citizenship to anyone unable to communicate proficiently in one of the four ...
Chappatte.(NEWS)
Nov 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT ARE ...
Tensions on the rise: rarely is there a church without a bell tower in Switzerland. Now other religious communities are demanding the same privilege: Muslims are fighting for the right to build minarets on top of mosques. This has been the cause of a heated debate, due to peak on November 29 when Swiss voters will decide how far freedom of religion should go.(POLITICS)
Nov 01, 2009; Gallinelli, Sven ... National headlines were guaranteed: In mid-September, the Islamic Community of Lucerne went public with a demand that has added a new chapter to an already emotional debate. The Community stated it would like to be officially recognised as one of the national churches in Canton Lucerne. By ...
Higher VAT aids social insurance: Switzerland has the lowest value-added tax (VAT) rate in Europe. However, Swiss voters recently decided to raise it a little in order to lower the financial pressure on governmental social insurance.(POLITICS)
Nov 01, 2009; Gallinelli, Sven ... It is bad news for consumers: On January 1, 2011, the three different VAT rates (7.6 per cent in general; 3.6 per cent for the hotel industry and 2.4 per cent for food and other everyday goods) will be raised by 0.4 per cent each. But it was not the authorities that decided this; it was ...
Science in action: Swiss technical universities are getting courted by an increasing number of international companies. Powerhouses like Microsoft, IBM and Disney all have running "brain-power" contracts with the technical schools in both Zurich and Lausanne. But are corporations simply colonising academic minds? Swiss News looks at these emerging ventures from both sides.(BUSINESS FEATURE)
Nov 01, 2009; Heddema, Renske ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The pink villa housing the Disney Research Lab is just a few steps away from the Institute of Visual Computing of the ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) Zurich. The staircase is apple green. Each room has its own theme and colour, derived from ...
Maestro of materials: Peter Zumthor, the 2009 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate, is the antithesis of today's celebrity architect. He's the consummate "architects' architect", highly esteemed by his peers and revered by young architects who find inspiration in his idiosyncratic buildings.(ART & CULTURE)
Nov 01, 2009; Krienke, Mary ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Zumthor works in a material world. For him, materials are to an architect what notes are to a musician. "Each has its own physicality, its unique contribution to an architectural composition," he says. His chosen materials--his musical notes--become a ...
Scams: spot and avoid them: frauds and scams are nothing new. The Internet, however, makes it easier for criminals to circulate and scams to proliferate. Scammers and fraudsters come from diverse backgrounds, and are often difficult to spot. Many manipulate without guilt or remorse. Here, we outline some of the most common frauds so that you can avoid them.(MONEY)
Nov 01, 2009; Donnellon, Brien ... What is a scam? A scam is an illegal scheme to obtain money by means of deception. Scams come in different forms, including letters, emails, telephone calls, faked addresses and IDs, and text messages. Many rely on the victim handing over confidential information, or by simply stealing ...
"Old school": back in the limelight.(INTERVIEW)(Interview)
Nov 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Swiss financial centre is at a turning point as a result of discussions relating to the exchange of tax information. Moreover, wealth managers--and the banking industry--are faced with a credibility gap. Swiss News sat down with Pascal Imboden, head of ...
A new era in tax regulation: the United States and the UK are cracking down on taxpayers who have not declared income held in offshore bank accounts.(TAX ADVICE)
Nov 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For decades, U.S. and UK taxpayers have kept caches of undeclared money in bank accounts throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein. But as governments throughout the world struggle with large deficits, several tax authorities--including those in the United ...
Capturing eMotion: English expat Linda Atschreiter has developed quite a reputation for making portrait photography pop at her Foto eMotion studio in Zug. So my husband, our travelling garden gnome Frastian and I got in front of her camera to see what the fuss was all about.(PHOTO SHOOT)
Nov 01, 2009; Robson, Kati Clinton ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two short stops outside central Zug sits the Foto emotion studio in a clean, compact room that manages to maintain a spacious feel. Linda Atschreiter, an amiable, funny, expatriated Briton, is the artistic force of the studio, which specialises in family ...
What's on this month.(Calendar)
Nov 01, 2009; ... Sports in November Basel 31.10-08.11.2009: Davidoff Swiss Indoors--tennis tournament Locality: St. Jakobshalle Info: www.davidoffswissindoors.ch 28.11.2009: Basel City Run Locality: Basler Innenstadt Info: ...
Zermatt Ski Club turns 100.(WINTER SPECIAL)
Nov 01, 2009; Welti, Philippe ... He was immediately fascinated by the things these rich and aristocratic English of the 19th century could pull off on their skis. As an employee of the Gornergrat train, he spent every day on the Gornergrat ridge. Soon, he too would put on his skis and dash down the valley to Zermatt--he ...
Going out this month: the swiss guide to food and drink.(Directory)
Nov 01, 2009; ... La Fonda Cucina Mexicana Schneidergasse 21, Basel Tel. 061 261 13 10 www.lafonda.ch Teufelhof, Restaurant "Bel Etage" Gastronomic paradise in the old town Leonhardsgraben 47, Basel Tel ....
Celebrating American thanksgiving in Switzerland: in the '80s, this reporter had a Thanksgiving dinner at a Zurich airport hotel that included "mints meat pie"--a memorably awful thick piecrust with a thin layer of mint jelly inside. Back then, it was difficult to find a restaurant meal or the necessary ingredients for a home-cooked one on the big day. No longer.(SEASONAL FEATURE)
Nov 01, 2009; Mangold-Vine, Gail ... Take-away Thanksgiving, anyone? Turkey or goose? "Enjoy a traditional meal without spending the day in the kitchen!" proclaims the Zurich Marriott's pitch, specifying that if the order is for more than four people they are talking about a whole stuffed bird. You do ...
High toilets ... low beds: let's face it, there are huge differences between Switzerland and the United States. That's not to say the differences are necessarily good or bad ... only that the differences exist, and sometimes there is more than just an ocean between them.(CULTURE SHOCK)
Nov 01, 2009; Staehelin, Patricia ... In case you're wondering how I know about these differences, it's because I'm an American who is married to a Swiss man. I have been living in Geneva for 25 years. I won't tell you living abroad didn't take some getting used to, because it did. And by some I mean 12 years, no ...
American Club of Zurich.(Club News)
Nov 01, 2009; ... ACZ offers its American and Canadian members, associate members and guests a wide range of events, from American traditions and the long-standing T.G.I.F., to leisure, entertainment and sports events. Visitors are ...
American International Club of Geneva.(Club News)
Nov 01, 2009; ... This is a place to meet people, make friends and participate in business, social, civic and charitable events. November 1 & 14: Professional Programme "Demistifying E-Technology" from 17:30-19:30 November 12: Professional Programme--Mr. Fredrik Haren, Founder of ...
