SWI swissinfo.ch – English
Why these Japanese patients wanted to die in Switzerland
- Title
- Why these Japanese patients wanted to die in Switzerland
- Runtime
- 26:57
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- In this second part of our two-part series on assisted suicide, SWI reporter Kaoru Uda tells host Susan Misicka what it was like to accompany two Japanese patients who came to Switzerland to die.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Why this Swiss doctor supports assisted suicide
- Runtime
- 11:23
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- Every year, over 1,000 seriously ill people end their lives in Switzerland with the help of suicide assistants.
Assisted suicide is legal in several countries, including Switzerland, Canada and the Netherlands. A handful of other countries – like Germany and Colombia – are working out the legal and practical details.
Some people even travel great distances to die in Switzerland because assisted suicide is illegal where they live. For example, a 104-year-old Australian man made the trip in 2018.
One of the people who helped him was Erika Preisig, a Swiss doctor and the founder of Life Circle, which operates in Basel in the northern part of the country. She’s passionate in her belief that people should have the right to die. She’s even been charged with -- and later acquitted of -- murder.
Long before she started doing assisted suicide, Preisig worked in palliative care. Then her father had a stroke ...
- Title
- Meet couples saying 'I do' to gay marriage
- Runtime
- 20:36
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- Now that Switzerland has approved marriage for all, host Susan Misicka talks with some couples who explain why it's important to them. We also hear from opponents of Swiss legislation granting same-sex couples the right to marry.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Why we still need pens and pencils
- Runtime
- 17:23
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- In this encore episode of The Swiss Connection, we visit Swiss century-old pen and pencil maker Caran d'Ache. Podcast host Susan Misicka takes a tour of the factory and feels a bit silly when Caran d’Ache President Carole Hubscher sees her hasty choice of writing instrument.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Typeface designer is in love with letters
- Runtime
- 15:56
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- Swiss designers gave us the big-name Helvetica and Frutiger typefaces in the 20th century. Now a modern-day designer from Basel is collaborating on a new font that we might soon be seeing a lot more of. Nina Stoessinger of Frere-Jones Type in Brooklyn talks about inspiration and challenges.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Decrypting cryptocurrency and blockchain
- Runtime
- 25:26
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- How soon will we start buying our groceries with Bitcoin? What kind of scams do we need to be aware of? And why is Switzerland so sweet on cryptocurrencies and blockchain? SWI finance correspondent Matt Allen gives host Susan Misicka an overview of what he's learned while covering this scene over the past several years.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Why people love the Locarno Film Festival
- Runtime
- 11:38
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- A gorgeous location for a film festival: Locarno in southern Switzerland. The international event features about 200 films in 10 days. But what makes the Locarno Film Festival so special? In this episode, SWI culture editor Eduardo Simantob tells podcast host Susan Misicka why he loves it.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Meet the Swiss woman bringing open water swimming to Boston
- Runtime
- 21:04
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- Swiss architect Renata von Tscharner has devoted over two decades to improving the public spaces along the Charles River in Massachusetts. She even hopes to get people swimming in Boston's so-called "dirty water" on a regular basis. We met her at the Rhine River in her native Basel.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Are nuclear weapons really banned?
- Runtime
- 31:50
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- In this episode host Susan Misicka introduces our sister podcast, Inside Geneva. Nuclear weapons were banned by international treaty at the start of 2021. But the treaty doesn’t apply to any of the nuclear powers, since none of them signed it. So are nukes really banned? Inside Geneva host Imogen Foulkes talks to Cordula Droege, Chief Legal Officer of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Beatrice Fihn of the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons, and Elaine Whyte Gomez, the ambassador from Costa Rica, who steered the treaty through the United Nations.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Should kids be sweating for our chocolate cravings?
- Runtime
- 23:38
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- The success of Swiss chocolate depends on cocoa beans harvested far away, often with the help of minors. In this episode we discuss whether it's OK for children to work, and how to figure out if kids helped make your candy bar.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- What soil sounds like and why it matters
- Runtime
- 17:51
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- What does soil sound like, and what do those sounds mean? We find out from the world’s first scientist to use acoustics to research the soil and underground biodiversity. Also, we explore some of Zurich's greenspaces with a conservation biologist.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- Are electric cars and planes the way to go?
- Runtime
- 23:59
- Date posted
- 3 years ago
- Description
- Switzerland missed its target to reduce its carbon footprint in 2020. But there are still some promising developments when it comes to electric mobility in Switzerland – on the roads and up in the air. In this episode we take a ride in an electric plane and kick the tires on Swiss electric car infrastructure.
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SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/) is a public service media company based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Title
- The James Webb Space Telescope prepares to launch
- Runtime
- 1:54
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- The James Webb Space Telescope, the biggest, most powerful space telescope in history, is set to launch into space this Christmas.
It has been developed by NASA together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Swiss scientists have been closely involved in the project and some Swiss technology is on board.
The orbiting infrared observatory is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. With a much bigger primary mirror, the Webb, as it is known, is 100 times more sensitive than the Hubble and can look greater distances and farther back into time. The 5-10 year mission aims to gather information on the universe's earliest stages, star formation, and whether planets beyond our solar system may be suitable for life, among other issues.
The Webb has been delayed many times but is due to blast off on an Ariane 5 rocket from a site in French Guiana “no earlier than December 24” NASA announced last week. It was prev...
- Title
- Balancing sports and studies in Switzerland: Alina Meier explains
- Runtime
- 2:29
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Swiss Alina Meier is a 25-year-old cross-country skier, born and raised in canton Graubünden. The three-time Swiss champion decided to start studying in 2020, thanks to the move many universities made towards virtual learning.
Even so, the dual career of a top-level athlete and student is particularly challenging for her because her sport has a seasonal focus. The coming semesters will be particularly intense for her, because in addition to her academic tasks, she still has one big goal: participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Watch the interview to hear what advice she gives to young athletes on balancing sports and studies.
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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 our YouTube channel:
- Title
- Underwater archaeology reveals buried secrets of a Swiss lake
- Runtime
- 3:44
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- The prehistoric past of the city of Lucerne is still largely unknown. However, the lake that surrounds it could yet harbour some clues.
Archaeologists have long suspected that pile dwelling settlements existed around the lake by the city, but it was only during construction work in March 2020 that remains of a settlement were dug up from the bottom for the first time.
This autumn, in view of the possible construction of an underground railway station in Lucerne, the cantonal archaeology department examined the bottom of the lake basin. The goal was to locate the prehistoric settlements underpinning the present city. Since the specialists planned to scan a large area of the lake floor, they needed an alternative to scuba divers. They also expected most remnants to be covered by sediment, and thus hidden from the human eye.
The solution was to examine the lake bottom acoustically, using sonar technology. For this special mission, the cantonal archae...
- Title
- Swiss politicians join calls for Beijing Olympic Games boycott
- Runtime
- 4:09
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Swiss politicians are among those calling for a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in China in February 2022, to protest China’s campaign of repression against Uyghurs and other minority groups, as well as its crackdown on Hong Kong.
The alleged abuses against the mainly Muslim minority in Xinjiang include mass detention and torture. The US State Department and several European legislatures have classified the human rights abuses as genocide and several US lawmakers have urged America to pull out of the winter Olympics. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi advocates not sending an official delegation, while still allowing athletes to compete.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website:...
- Title
- A just democracy is a robust democracy
- Runtime
- 5:24
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Polarisation, social divisions, distrust and inequality: How can people in democracies push back against the negative dynamics emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic?
At the International Forum Zofingen, SWI swissinfo.ch asked international and Swiss democracy experts for some answers to some fundamental challenges facing today's democracies. This includes perspectives from Matt Qvortrup, Coventry University/UK, Estefania Cuero, diversity advisor/Switzerland, Yascha Mounk, Harvard University/US, Sanija Ameti, Operation Libero/Switzerland and Zoltán Tibor Pállinger, Swiss Director of Andrassy University Budapest/Hungary.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://w...
- Title
- Improving conditions for Swiss nurses
- Runtime
- 1:44
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Swiss nurses are calling for better working conditions in an initiative being put to the vote on November 28. It was launched by the Alliance of Healthcare Professions, grouping more than 10 professional and trade union organisations. The Alliance wants the government and the cantons to beef up nurse training and guarantee certain working conditions and salary rates. The government says the initiative goes too far.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/swissinfovideos
Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=swissinfovideos
- Title
- Covid certificate - keep it or ditch it?
- Runtime
- 1:29
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Is the Covid certificate worth keeping? A vote on 28 November 2021 will decide. The Swiss will be asked whether they accept laws passed earlier this year that paved the way for the introduction of the certificate. The system provides proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test.
It’s the second time a vote has been organised to challenge the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In summer, voters were given a chance to reverse the first batch of Swiss Covid laws. The majority supported the government.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/swissinfovideos
Subscribe: http://www.youtub...
- Title
- Researching the origins of life
- Runtime
- 3:33
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Two leading Swiss astronomers are collaborating on the setting up of a new centre in Zurich that will examine fundamental questions of life.
Didier Queloz was jointly awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in furthering our understanding of the universe. Queloz and his doctoral advisor, Michel Mayor, discovered an exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star. Queloz has been bombarded with questions about life in the universe ever since.
He soon realised that these questions can't be answered by astronomy alone. So he got earth scientists, biologists, chemists and physicists on board to establish the new 'Center for the Origin and Prevalence of Life' at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich. Astrophysicist Sascha Quanz, a professor at the ETH, is also on board.
In this video, Queloz and Quanz explain why the time is right to bring different fields of science together and to find answers to the big questions conce...
- Title
- How Switzerland is trying to combat climate change
- Runtime
- 7:24
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- The climate strike wave that Greta Thunberg started also swept through Switzerland. While young people from all over the country participate in Fridays for Future events, dozens of start-ups are developing technologies to combat climate change. Part two of our explainer video looks into how the country goes about reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
In the 2019 parliamentary elections, the green parties promising climate action made historic gains. A broader climate movement has sparked research into new technologies. Projects range from carbon-neutral fuels made from sunlight and air to technologies that capture carbon dioxide out of the air and store them in concrete.
But the climate movement experienced a setback in June 2021, when a narrow majority of voters rejected a new CO2 law intended to help the government meet its net zero targets. What measures can help Switzerland cut its emissions? And how does the country plan to adapt, in case global warming ...
- Title
- The reality of climate change in Switzerland
- Runtime
- 7:06
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- In landlocked Switzerland temperatures are rising faster than in regions that benefit from the ocean's cooling effect. The first explainer video of our two-part series shows how climate change is affecting the Swiss landscape, the economy and its people.
While global average temperatures are 0.85 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, Switzerland has seen an increase of two degrees over the same period. Since 1850, its glaciers have lost 60% of their volume. The country risks losing an important water reservoir as the glaciers continue to melt, affecting farming, hydropower production and transport on Europe’s main waterways.
The Swiss travel lots by train, and Swiss trains run on hydroelectric power. But high levels of convenience and consumption of imported goods jack up the national carbon footprint. How does it compare to other countries? Find out in this video.
To see what Switzerland is doing to fight climate change, also watch part ...
- Title
- Carbon offsetting explained in 2 minutes
- Runtime
- 2:03
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Countries lower their carbon footprint and become climate neutral by limiting the amount of greenhouse gases they produce and by compensating the emissions that can't be cut.
The carbon offsetting market has become increasingly attractive for countries, companies and individuals, who finance projects that will either suck CO2 out of the atmosphere, or reduce the CO2 release. This is done by buying carbon offsets.
Carbon offsetting will be a major point of tension at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. Here's how it works and who can be involved in it.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/swissinfo...
- Title
- A Swiss film on why it's hard to help people
- Runtime
- 4:45
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- The documentary "That Girl" by Swiss director Cornelia Gantner shows how laborious development aid can be, even for locals. Gladys Shonga-Furrer grew up in rural Zambia. She dropped out of school because her parents ran out of money. Gladys refused to be married off and instead went to a town to work and finance her own education. Later, she and her Swiss husband Thomas provided development aid in a remote Zambian village. But even as a local, Gladys faced considerable challenges. Rich Swiss philanthropist Cornelia Gantner not only supported the project financially, but also made a film about it.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.yout...
- Title
- Simona Aebersold, on being a world orienteering championships medallist and student
- Runtime
- 2:11
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Simona Aebersold is 23 but has been running through forests and fields since she was a kid - her mom and dad are former top athletes and got her into orienteering very young.
A 7-times world championship medallist, Simona is also a student at the University of Bern, where she's getting a degree in Sports science and Psychology. We met her in her garden, and she told us how she manages to balance her training sessions, competitions and exams.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/swissinfovideos
Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=swissinfovideos
- Title
- Swiss watchmakers' efforts to become more sustainable
- Runtime
- 1:21
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- The Swiss watchmaking industry is one of Europe's hungriest consumers of stainless steel: it uses up to 120,000 tonnes of it per year. The sector is facing increased pressure to reduce its environmental impact and local entrepreneurs are presenting solutions.
A waste management centre in canton Bern has established a recycling chain to enable valuable raw material to be re-used. They collect unsold watches and defective watch parts from some 20 brands in the region. The different materials are separated and recycled, so that they can be re-used by watchmakers.
The first batch of eco-recyclable steel has been produced in 2020 and part of those bars are coming back to the recycling centre to be smolded once more.
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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 ...
- Title
- From Beethoven, with help from algorithms
- Runtime
- 1:56
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Beethoven died in 1827 without having been able to finish his 10th Symphony. Nearly two centuries later, the work of the famous composer has been completed in Switzerland using artificial intelligence.
In early September, the Nexus Orchestra of Western Switzerland presented Beethoven's 10th Symphony to audiences in Lausanne and Geneva – an unprecedented creation generated by artificial intelligence. The project was launched by the conductor Guillaume Berney and artificial intelligence engineer Florian Colombo. The seven-minute piece was “created” on the morning of the concert by a computer programme that got to know the composer by “digesting” Beethoven's 16 string quartets. The sketches of the 10th Symphony left behind when Beethoven died have been added to the computer which, via algorithms, generated a new score.
The idea of training AI to compose music is not new. Similar projects have been launched in recent years. The Chinese telecommunications...
- Title
- Visiting Kari Voutilainen's watchmaking atelier
- Runtime
- 2:02
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Finnish master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen recently opened a new atelier in Canton Neuchâtel. Voutilainen could in some ways be described as the Lionel Messi of fine watchmaking.
To his credit are no fewer than eight prizes at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in the industry. His timepieces are snapped up around the globe by wealthy collectors, most notably in the United States, and at stratospheric prices. ‘Entry-level’ watches for his eponymous brand will set you back at least 75,000 CHF excluding tax, and the waiting lists are constantly growing.
In 2002 he set out as an independent watchmaker, his lifelong dream. Three years later, he caused a sensation at the Basel Watch Fair by presenting the first watch to bear his name, a minute repeater striking the tens and not the quarters as is usually the case.
In order to meet growing demand and free up some time for his family, Voutilainen hired o...
- Title
- A giant water battery in the Swiss Alps
- Runtime
- 1:47
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- The amount of electricity that can be stored thanks to the new pumped-storage and turbine power station in Nant de Drance, canton Valais, could charge more than 400,000 electric car batteries. Its director explains the role of this "water battery" for electricity supply and grid stabilisation in Switzerland and Europe.
“The electric storage capacity of the reservoir surpasses that of 400,000 electric car batteries,” explains Alain Sauthier, engineer and director of the Nant de Drance pumped-storage hydroelectric plant, pointing towards the Vieux Emosson reservoir. This artificial lake was built in 1955 in the municipality of Finhaut, high in the Alps of the Swiss canton of Valais.
Between 2012 and 2016, the height of the Vieux Emosson dam was raised by some 20 metres to increase the reservoir’s capacity and thus store more energy, the plant’s director details.
“In the future, it will be increasingly necessary to store large amounts of el...
- Title
- An alternative life of Swiss luxury
- Runtime
- 0:51
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Thomas Brunschwig leads an unconventional life. He is a self-confessed outsider who has found his sustainable, spiritual paradise in a Bernese farmhouse filled with various Indian and Chinese instruments and sculptures – and four zebu cattle.
The zebu produce neither milk nor meat. In fact he says the only useful thing they produce is dung, the fuel of fire in the Vedic religion. “Technically, if I calculate the income from selling dried cow pats, they are self-sufficient,” he says.
The wooden building is nestled among lush forest, perfect for foraging for fruit, vegetables and plants. And the cattle share their home with countless butterflies, frogs, snails, lizards and spiders.
“Everyone sees luxury differently,” Brunschwig says. “My water for life comes from mountain springs. There are solar panels on the roof. The fuel used for heating in winter is wood from the forest. Environmentalists could describe it as low carbon, but that...
- Title
- Afghan women face an uncertain future
- Runtime
- 3:53
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- One of the big questions since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan is what will become of Afghan women.
When the militant group last ruled the country, women and girls were barred from schools, universities and jobs, and had to veil from head to toe in public. The Swiss-based non-profit group Geneva Call has been active in Afghanistan for several years, trying to improve the protection of women in particular. Marie Lequin, Head of the Eurasia region, says its local staff, some of whom are female, will continue this work.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/swissinfovideos
Subscribe: http:/...
- Title
- Covid vaccinations in schools
- Runtime
- 1:25
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Aargau is the first Swiss canton to offer mobile vaccination centres for older pupils on school grounds. The aim is to boost the vaccination rate among 16- to 19-year-olds in the canton, which currently stands at 43%, as well as to stem the number of coronavirus outbreaks in schools.
More than 200 pupils tested positive for the virus in the first week of term. Schools in the northern canton were the first to go back after the summer holidays on August 9. Currently the over 12s are eligible for the coronavirus vaccination with Pfizer and now Moderna in Switzerland. Aargau plans to extend its voluntary school vaccination service to those aged 12-15 in September.
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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 our YouTube c...
- Title
- Deepfake hunters
- Runtime
- 1:00
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Deepfakes are often used in ads and films, for instance when actors play younger versions of their characters. However, the technology also offers high potential for misuse. A spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne is using AI and deep learning to create software to help specialists detect fraud.
Artificial intelligence helps detect anomalies inside images. The software then marks any manipulated areas. Detectors are also programmed to recognize manipulated faces, providing a valuable tool for fact checkers.
(SRF/swissinfo.ch)
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/swissinfo...
- Title
- 3 essential items for Swiss urban swimming
- Runtime
- 13:56
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- People in Switzerland are really into urban open water swimming, especially with rivers running through cities like Basel, Bern and Zurich. In this video that originally appeared live on our Facebook page, Susan Misicka and Taylor deGraffenried show you some must-have items for taking the plunge. They also share tips for a relaxing and safe swim.
You can also listen to our podcast, The Swiss Connection, to hear about a Swiss woman who is so passionate about river swimming that she's being trying to export the concept abroad. Renata von Tscharner founded the Charles River Conservancy to help people make the most of the so-called "dirty water" flowing through the Greater Boston Area. You can listen to that episode and see photos here: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/multimedia/open-water-swimming-swiss-woman-brings-urban-swimming-to-boston-podcast/44395878
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swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporatio...
- Title
- Diplomatic back channels: Castro stretches out a hand to Clinton in Geneva
- Runtime
- 8:37
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Cuban president Fidel Castro flew to Geneva in 1998 for a world summit and while there wished to initiate ties with US president Bill Clinton. While his hopes were dashed, the Cuban leader did leave a lasting impression on the international community.
In 1998, for the 50th anniversary of the WHO and GATT (now WTO), government leaders and officials from all over the world flocked to Geneva. Among them were Castro and then US president Bill Clinton.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Castro had hoped the summit could prove an occasion to improve Cuba’s relationship with the United States. Though Castro and Clinton both stayed at Geneva’s InterContinental hotel, the only time they were in close proximity was in the assembly hall of the United Nations.
While Clinton failed to acknowledge his presence, Castro did leave an impression on many others, including a Swiss public television (RTS) journalist who interviewed him, and remembers the Cuban leade...
- Title
- How the Swiss Abroad celebrate their national day
- Runtime
- 1:51
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- ---
The Swiss are celebrating their National Day, not only here in the Alpine homeland but in every country where Swiss people are now living and working. August 1 marks a historic event back in 1291, when the three founding fathers are said to have taken an oath to defend their freedom against outside overlords. The alliance sealed on the Rütli meadow is celebrated every year with speeches and bonfires, firework displays, picnics and traditional music all around the country. We asked some Swiss people living abroad to tell us how they would be marking their special day.
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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/swissinfo...
- Title
- The grand old man of Swiss alpinism
- Runtime
- 1:24
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Meet Marcel, father of the legendary Swiss climbers Claude and Yves Remy. Marcel may be 98 years old, but he’s still climbing. You can see him in action here at the climbing centre in Villeneuve on the eastern shores of Lake Geneva. Marcel Remy spent all his free time in the mountains, taking his two sons with him. Claude and his brother Yves inherited Marcel’s determination and resilience. The Lausanne-born hard-rock lovers opened and outfitted thousands of new climbing routes across Europe.
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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.
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- Title
- Inbreeding hits bearded vultures in the Alps
- Runtime
- 1:59
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Switzerland is celebrating the reintroduction of 50 Bearded Vultures to the Swiss Alps. It’s 30 years since the programme began in the Swiss Wildlife Reserve near Melchsee-Frutt in central Switzerland.
The Bearded Vulture used to be widespread in large parts of the Alps but was hunted to extinction towards the end of the 19th century. The wild population is growing in the cantons of Valais and Graubünden, but the raptors in central Switzerland needed a helping hand. Thanks to an international reintroduction scheme, the distinctive bearded birds have made a comeback there, but there are still challenges to be overcome.
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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 our YouTube channel:
<...
- Title
- The Swiss restaurant that serves up leftovers
- Runtime
- 2:27
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Would you eat warmed up leftovers? You can get them at a new pop-up restaurant in eastern Switzerland that is fighting food waste.
Samuel Indermühle and Chiang Dinh-Khai Nguyen are students at the Passugg Hotel Management School in eastern Switzerland, and were asked to come up with a project focused on sustainability. Food waste is a huge problem in Switzerland, with 190 kg of food being thrown away every year.
The pair decided to create culinary delicacies from the leftovers from the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, and general manager Marco Zanolari didn’t need much persuading to back the plan.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo....
- Title
- Why is Switzerland important in the commodity trading sector?
- Runtime
- 11:19
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Tiny landlocked Switzerland is a big player in the commodity trading business. The country's involvement in this industry can be traced back to the 15th century, when its ideal central location had merchants from all over Europe meeting on its city square to exchange goods.
Today, commodities are shipped around the world in huge container ships, and the trading mostly happens in climatised offices, far away from the mines and ports. Giants such as Glencore, Vitol and Trafigura have their headquarters in Switzerland.
But what is commodity trading exactly, and who is doing what? What's the impact of this industry on Switzerland's economy? Why is commodity trading usually discussed in connection to controversial topics such as deforestation, human rights violations, and corruption?
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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 inter...
- Title
- Diplomatic back channels: years of USA-Syria talks in Geneva
- Runtime
- 8:11
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Stretching over several decades, meetings in Geneva between American presidents and Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, raised hopes of peace in the Middle East.
The situation at the end of the 1960s in the Middle East is tense. Israel and the Arab states are at war. Syria clashes against Israel over occupied territories in the Golan Heights. The US hopes to stabilise the region by strengthening ties with Arab nations.
It is in Geneva that presidents Hafez al-Assad and Jimmy Carter meet in 1977 for peace negotiations. The talks are unsuccessful.
In 1990, president George H. W. Bush meets Assad in Geneva again. The context is tense, and only a few weeks later, the US attacks Iraq supported by Syrian troops who have joined the international coalition.
Two other meetings follow in Geneva in 1994 and 2000. At the last summit with Bill Clinton, Hafez al-Assad hints at peace between Syria and Israel. But hopes are dashed, no concrete actions follow.
...
- Title
- Underwater archaeologists dive into the past
- Runtime
- 4:28
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- It’s ten years since over a hundred ancient stilt villages sites in the Alps received UNESCO World Heritage status. These sites have been found in lakes, rivers and bogs in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, and Slovenia.
Improved research methods have helped archaeologists learn much more about the civilizations that lived in these now-submerged villages. swissinfo.ch met a team of diving archaeologists in Sutz-Lattrigen on the southern shore of Lake Biel, who showed us how they carried out their painstaking – and often freezing cold – research work.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/swi...
- Title
- Finding joy and inspiration through the covid 19 pandemic
- Runtime
- 3:11
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- While the coronavirus pandemic has put many projects on hold, for some people it also freed up the time to pick up new hobbies and make those New Year resolution come true. In this last episode of our series' second season, you'll discover what paper quilling is and looks like, how to look at the bright side of a cancelled wedding and why art can be important in coping with the daily blues.
Our Silver Linings series is made of videos our readers and followers sent to us, to show what has happened during the covid19 pandemic.
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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 our YouTube channel:
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Subscribe: http://www.youtube.co...
- Title
- Icy relations warm up in Geneva
- Runtime
- 2:05
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- The handshake between US-President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin between made headlines in Geneva on Wednesday. The atmosphere of their meeting was described as “warm”. The summit took place amid a huge security operation involving thousands of police and military personnel. The lake and parts of the city became no-go zones.
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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
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- Title
- How Geneva is preparing for Biden and Putin
- Runtime
- 2:49
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Geneva will be hosting the first presidential meeting between the American president Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Preparations are underway.
As the host country, Switzerland will be deploying its good offices and taking all the necessary measures to ensure that talks, which start on June 16, can take place as safely and as discreetly as possible.
Issues which have contributed to a rise in tensions between the United States and Russia are likely to be discussed, says Marc Finaud, a global security expert. For Ambassador Jürg Lauber, head of the Swiss Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, it’s important that the two presidents meet in person and that the two big powers can have a constructive dialogue in these challenging times.
This is not the first time Geneva has hosted a big summit. During the cold war, the then US president Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, Secretary General of the Communist Party of the Soviet...
- Title
- Diplomatic back channels: when Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva
- Runtime
- 7:54
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Biden and Putin will meet in Geneva in June 2021.
Back in 1985, the Reagan-Gorbachev summit in the Swiss city had proved to be a turning point in the Cold War.
What was the context then? Why Switzerland? What were the results?
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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 our YouTube channel:
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- Title
- How robot cars may transport freight under Switzerland
- Runtime
- 1:32
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- Cargo sous terrain, or underground cargo, is a futuristic Swiss freight project aimed at relieving pressure off existing roads and other infrastructure.
The plan is to build a 500-kilometre network of tunnels linking production sites and logistics hubs in Switzerland’s biggest cities. Electric driverless vehicles will transport goods from hub to hub below ground.
The private venture, which is planned for completion in 2045, is expected to cost CHF30-35 billion ($33-38 billion). But first a law overseeing the project must be passed by the Swiss parliament.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
Channel: http://www.youtube...
- Title
- Swiss woman's grandchildren held in Syrian camp
- Runtime
- 3:31
- Date posted
- 5 years ago
- Description
- This is the story of a Swiss woman who desperately wants her grandchildren to be brought back from a Kurdish-controlled camp in Syria, even if it means taking them from their mother.
Switzerland refuses to repatriate adult detainees from Syrian camps, a policy that effectively leaves seven Swiss children stranded in the war-torn country. Many detainees in the camps are suspected of having links to the Islamic State terror group, in northeastern Syria.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
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- Title
- Protest over academic collaboration with China
- Runtime
- 3:36
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- The Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) is one of three European institutions cooperating with a university in China with ties to the military. Not all ZHdK staff and students agree with the move.
A petition has been organised by Verso, the ZHdK student organisation, which is calling for cooperation with the Chinese Harbin Institute of Technology to cease immediately. It has been signed by 531 students and members of staff. But a Swiss-China relations expert says that the petition’s call to stop cooperation goes too far.
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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 our YouTube channel:
Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch
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Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/s...
- Title
- Hollywood gives Swiss bankers a bad rap
- Runtime
- 3:37
- Date posted
- 6 years ago
- Description
- To foreigners, Switzerland often means Alpine mountains, cows, chocolates – and tax evasion. As Frédéric Maire, director of the Swiss national film archives, explains in this video, the Hollywood movie machine is helping to keep these clichés alive.
He examines whether the sleazy characters depicted in films such as Wolf of Wall Street are simply exaggerations of the real bankers working in Geneva. We ask him whether the rigid, stiff, secretive, protestant, Germanic banking types of Zürich are real or just figments of filmmakers’ imaginations.
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