Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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How does the children’s parliament work in Lucerne

2023-05-02

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Swiss direct democracy is famous worldwide, but some parts of the population are still excluded from votes and elections, like children for example. To include young people in politics, some cities have set up a children's parliament, where kids aged 8 to 14 take part in regular sessions, approve budgets and so on. We talked to Lorena, Mattis and Enno, three of 90 youngsters taking part in the annual children's parliament in Lucerne in central...

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The things that divide Swiss people

2023-05-01

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SWI swissinfo.ch’s Anika Rahm took to the streets of Bern and asked people what they thought would divide Swiss society the most. #journalist #swissdivider #switzerland #voxpopuli --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to...

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Discovering sustainable fashion in Geneva

2023-04-29

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In Switzerland's second richest city, there is no shortage of shops offering second-hand clothes or clothes made from recycled textiles. The only problem is finding them, according to researcher Katia Vladimirova, who has been studying sustainable fashion in the city. When the Russian researcher arrived in Geneva, after living in London, New York and Milan, she found it incredibly difficult to find clear, detailed information on how to shop...

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The legendary weather prophets of Innerschwyz

2023-04-28

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This April the Swiss "weather prophets" are holding their general assembly. The "Meteorological Association Innerschwyz" was founded in 1947 based on a local tradition of long-range forecasting that dates back to the 18th century. Their methods are unusual: reading cows horns and mice tails do not always result in reliable predictions. But the prophets have developed a nationwide following. We visited the whether prophets Martin...

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A visit to the Thermal Baths in Vals

2023-04-26

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Swiss star architect Peter Zumthor has just turned 80. One of his architectural highlights is the Thermal Baths in Vals. Built from local quartz, the spa brings together the "champagne" of Swiss mineral waters with the mineral stone from which it gushes. Zumthor used about 40,000 stone tiles and piled them on top of one another to form walls around a labyrinth of chambers of varying sizes, much like the inner spaces of a temple devoted to...

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Ukrainian refugees go to school in Switzerland

2023-04-25

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In this short video, we meet a group of Ukrainian refugees who are going to school in Switzerland. The refugees are looking forward to integrating into Swiss society and learning a new language. Swiss schools are famous for their integration policies, which make it easy for refugees to learn the language and culture of Switzerland. This video shows how the refugees are getting to grips with their new school and how they're preparing to continue...

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Swiss boss of UN refugee agency warns it could implode

2023-04-17

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What will become of Palestinian refugees in the Middle East if the main UN organisation set up to help them implodes? The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has been supporting Palestinian refugees in the Middle East for 74 years. Money troubles have constantly plagued the institution. Since around 2010, the situation has steadily worsened as several donors cut their contributions. A big hole was caused in particular by the temporary...

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Behind the scenes: Explaining how the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer works

2023-04-12

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After postponing its launch due to risk of lightning, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) has successfully begun its eight-year journey to Jupiter on April 14. Video journalist Michele Andina explains how he went about making an explainer video on the juice mission, using models of planets made of styrofoam and spacecrafts made of paper. #jupiter #europeanspaceagency #esa #animation #esajuice Watch our JUICE explainer here: or here:...

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Juice: The ESA mission to Jupiter is ready for take-off

2023-04-11

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On April 13, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) begins its eight-year journey to Jupiter. The probe will orbit the giant gas planet as well as Jupiter’s three icy moons for three years to search for, among other things, traces of life. The University of Bern contributed to the development of several key instruments. The European Space Agency mission is also specifically targeting Jupiter's second innermost moon, Europa, which is thought to have...

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How the Swiss are helping to make Ukraine safer

2023-04-06

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Ukraine is littered with explosives, posing a physical and mental threat to the population. Since February 2022, the situation is said to have deteriorated drastically.The Swiss government has a new action plan for 2023-26 that will expand humanitarian mine action in Ukraine. About half of Swiss funds go to the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), a leading centre of mine action expertise and knowledge. GICHD director...

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Gender equality at the Chalandamarz in Zuoz, Switzerland

2023-03-24

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The Chalandamarz in Zuoz is very important. The spring custom was made world-famous thanks to Swiss children's book "Schellen-Ursli" (A Bell for Ursli), whose story is set on March 1st, the day when this traditional parade takes place. Ursli's adventures take place in the Engadine village of Guarda, in southeastern Switzerland, but the actual stronghold of the custom has been the village of Zuoz for many years. Here, the Chalandamarz has...

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Winter tourism in Kyrgyzstan | #shorts

2023-03-23

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Video journalist Julie Hunt talks about her latest documentary that she filmed in Kyrgyzstan. It's about a group of Swiss ski instructors helping to create new winter tourism jobs in a country where one in four people are out of work. Watch Julie's documentary here:  --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international...

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Why the Swiss are boosting winter tourism in Kyrgyzstan

2023-03-21

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Kayaking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are just a few of the winter activities the Swiss are supporting in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan. The goal is creating new jobs in a country where one in four are out of work. The programme, funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and implemented by the Swiss NGO Helvetas, focuses on the northern mountainous region of Karakol. Local mountain guides, cultural guides and...

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Behind the scenes: Making an animation about the Swiss political system

2023-03-17

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At SWI swissinfo.ch we like to explore new ways of untangling Swiss politics for our audience abroad. Here video journalist Michele Andina uses stop motion animation to show how the federal parliament is set up. This October, Swiss voters will elect their political representatives for the next four-year term. --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to...

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Avalanche research in Switzerland

2023-03-17

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When and where the next avalanche will happen is hard to predict. In a special cold laboratory in Davos, researchers simulate the effects of wind on fresh snow to better understand the mechanisms that trigger avalanches. For centuries, avalanches have posed a threat to mountain farmers and their livestock. With the development of winter tourism, roads, railways and hydropower plants, the interest in avalanche research and protective measures has...

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How Swiss voters elect their parliament

2023-03-14

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In October, Swiss voters elect their political representatives for the next four-year term. Parliament is made up of two chambers to balance the interests of the different cantons (political regions): the House of Representatives and the Senate. For a law to pass, it must win approval in both chambers separately. They also meet for joint sessions, notably to elect the members of the Swiss government and the courts. The Swiss political system has...

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Chinese companies choose Switzerland over US and UK to raise money overseas

2023-03-08

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2023-03-08

Chinese companies are flocking to Switzerland to raise capital after being discouraged from listing in the US by geopolitical tensions and in Britain by tougher audit standards.

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Swiss help transform Kyrgyzstan’s ski industry

2023-03-07

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Just like in alpine Switzerland, there is also a ski industry in the high mountains of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, and it’s getting some help from the Swiss. Eight years ago, a dedicated ski instructor from the eastern Swiss canton of Graubünden started a winter tourism project in Kyrgyzstan to create jobs in the cold season. Edda Hergarten took fellow instructors with her to teach the Kyrgyz people how to ski. Now about 40 of them are instructors...

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Former top Credit Suisse shareholder Harris Associates sells out of bank

2023-03-06

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2023-03-06

One of Credit Suisse’s longest-standing shareholders has sold its entire stake in the scandal-hit Swiss bank after losing patience with its strategy amid persistent losses and a client exodus.

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Creating peace in Ukraine: live podcast discussion

2023-03-06

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In a special live recording of the Inside Geneva podcast, host Imogen Foulkes was joined by experts in conflict resolution to discuss what a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine might look like, and to find out what makes a successful, sustainable peace. Why do some peace negotiations take years? Why do few succeed and why do so many fail? This episode brought together: Katia Papagianni, Director of Policy and Mediation Support at the Centre for...

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